16:124 An-Nahl (The Bee)

يقول تعالى: { إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ السَّبْتُ } أي: فرضا { عَلَى الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ } حين ضلوا عن يوم الجمعة وهم اليهود فصار اختلافهم سببا لأن يجب عليهم في السبت احترامه وتعظيمه، وإلا فالفضيلة الحقيقية ليوم الجمعة الذي هدى الله هذه الأمة إليه. { وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَيَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ } فيبين لهم المحق من المبطل والمستحق للثواب ممن استحق العقاب

لا شك أن الله تعالى شرع في كل ملة يوما من الأسبوع يجتمع الناس فيه للعبادة فشرع تعالى لهذه الأمة يوم الجمعة لأنه اليوم السادس الذي أكمل الله فيه الخليقة واجتمعت فيه وتمت النعمة على عباده ويقال إن الله تعالى شرع ذلك لبني إسرائيل على لسان موسى فعدلوا عنه واختاروا السبت لأنه اليوم الذي لم يخلق فيه الرب شيئا من المخلوقات الذي كمل خلقها يوم الجمعة فألزمهم تعالى به في شريعة التوراة ووصاهم أن يتمسكوا به وأن يحافظوا عليه مع أمره إياهم بمتابعة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا بعثه وأخذ مواثيقهم وعهودهم على ذلك ولهذا قال تعالى "إنما جعل السبت على الذين اختلفوا فيه" قال مجاهد اتبعوه وتركوا الجمعة ثم إنهم لم يزالوا متمسكين به حتى بعث الله عيسى ابن مريم فيقال إنه حولهم إلى يوم الأحد ويقال إنه لم يترك شريعة التوراة إلا ما نسخ من بعض أحكامها وإنه لم يزل محافظا على السبت حتى رفع وإن النصارى بعده في زمن قسطنطين هم الذين تحولوا إلى يوم الأحد مخالفة لليهود وتحولوا إلى الصلاة شرقا عن الصخرة والله أعلم. وقد ثبت في الصحيحين من حديث عبدالرزاق عن معمر عن همام عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: "نحن الآخرون السابقون يوم القيامة بيد أنهم أوتوا الكتاب من قبلنا ثم هذا يومهم الذي فرض عليهم فاختلفوا فيه فهدانا الله له فالناس لنا فيه تبع اليهود غدا والنصارى بعد غد" لفظ البخاري. وعن أبي هريرة وحذيفة رضي الله عنهما قالا: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "أضل الله عن الجمعة من كان قبلنا فكان لليهود يوم السبت وكان للنصارى يوم الأحد فجاء الله بنا فهدانا الله ليوم الجمعة فجعل الجمعة والسبت والأحد وكذلك هم تبع لنا يوم القيامة نحن الآخرون من أهل الدنيا والأولون يوم القيامة والمقضي بينهم قبل الخلائق" رواه مسلم.

The Prescription of the Sabbath for the Jews

There is no doubt that for every nation, Allah prescribed one day of the week for people to gather to worship Him. For this Ummah He prescribed Friday, because it is the sixth day, on which Allah completed and perfected His creation. On this day He gathered and completed His blessings for His servants. It was said that Allah prescribed this day for the Children of Israel through His Prophet Musa, but they changed it and chose Saturday because it was the day on which the Creator did not create anything, as He had completed His creation on Friday. Allah made observance of the Sabbath obligatory for them in the laws of the Tawrah (Torah), telling them to keep the Sabbath. At the same time, He told them to follow Muhammad ﷺ when he was sent, and took their promises and covenant to that effect. Hence Allah says:

إِنَّمَا جُعِلَ السَّبْتُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ

(The Sabbath was only prescribed for those who differed concerning it,) Mujahid said: "They observed the Sabbath (Saturday) and ignored Friday." Then they continued to observe Saturday until Allah sent `Isa bin Maryam. It was said that he told them to change it to Sunday, and it was also said that he did not forsake the laws of the Tawrah except for a few rulings which were abrogated, and he continued to observe the Sabbath until he was taken up (into heaven). Afterwards, the Christians at the time of Constantine were the ones who changed it to Sunday in order to be different from the Jews, and they started to pray towards the east instead of facing the Dome (i.e., Jerusalem). And Allah knows best. It was reported in the Two Sahihs that Abu Hurayrah heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:

«نَحْنُ الْآخِرُونَ السَّابِقُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، بَيْدَ أَنَّهُمْ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِنَا، ثُمَّ هَذَا يَوْمُهُمُ الَّذِي فَرَضَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِمْ فَاخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ، فَهَدَانَا اللهُ لَهُ، فَالنَّاسُ لَنَا فِيهِ تَبَعٌ: الْيَهُودُ غَدًا وَالنَّصَارَى بَعْدَ غَد»

(We are the last, but we will be the first on the Day of Resurrection, even though they were given the Book before us. This is the day that Allah obligated upon them, but they differed concerning it. Allah guided us to this day, and the people observe their days after us, the Jews on the following day and the Christians on the day after that.) This version was recorded by Al-Bukhari. It was reported that Abu Hurayrah and Hudhayfah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«أَضَلَّ اللهُ عَنِ الْجُمُعَةِ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَنَا، فَكَانَ لِلْيَهُودِ يَوْمُ السَّبْتِ، وَكَانَ لِلنَّصَارَى يَوْمُ الْأَحَدِ، فَجَاءَ اللهُ بِنَا فَهَدَانَا اللهُ لِيَوْمِ الْجُمُعَةِ، فَجَعَلَ الْجُمُعَةَ وَالسَّبْتَ وَالْأَحَدَ، وَكَذَلِكَ هُمْ تَبَعٌ لَنَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ نَحْنُ الْآخِرُونَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا، وَالْأَوَّلُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَالْمَقْضِيُّ بَيْنَهُمْ قَبْلَ الْخَلَائِق»

(Allah let the people who came before us stray from Friday, so the Jews had Saturday and the Christians had Sunday. Then Allah brought us and guided us to Friday. So now there are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, thus they will follow us on the Day of Resurrection. We are the last of the people of this world, but will be the first on the Day of Resurrection, and will be the first to be judged, before all of creation.) It was reported by Muslim.

The Sabbath was only prescribed in other words its consecration was made obligatory only for those who differed concerning it with their prophet — these were the Jews. They were commanded to devote themselves solely to worship on Friday but they said ‘We do not want it’ and chose Saturday; consequently thereon the observance of it was enforced strictly on them; and lo! your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they used to differ with regard this matter of the Sabbath by rewarding the obedient and chastising the one who disobeyed by his violating its sanctity.

The Holy Prophet being on the way of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) : Understanding the Chemistry of Adherence

When Sayyidna Ibrahim I appeared, Allah Ta’ ala blessed him with a Shari'ah and its Injunctions. When the Last of the Prophets ﷺ appeared, his Shari'ah too - with the exception of some particular Injunctions - was laid out in accordance with it. Though, the Holy Prophet ﷺ is preferred as more distinguished (afdal) of all blessed prophets and messengers, but at this place, there are two wise considerations in asking the preferred (afdal) to follow the one not so preferred (mafdul) in the present context. (1) Since that Shari'ah has come into the world earlier and is already known and recognized and as the last Shari'ah was also to be in accord with that, therefore, this similarity of the Holy Prophet ﷺ to the way of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) was expressed through the word: اِتِّبَاع (ittiba': following). (2) As said by ` Allamah al-Zamakhshari (author of Tafsir Al-Kashshaf), this command to follow too is a special tribute out of the many honours and tributes attributed to the 'friend' of Allah, Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) . That it is so special has been hinted through the use of the word: ثُمَّ (thumma: Then - 123). The sense being conveyed is: Certainly great are all those merits and perfections of the person of Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) as they are, but the most superior of all these is the fact that Allah Ta’ ala has asked his preferred-most and the dearest rasul to follow his way.