There are 43 instances of jama`a and its derived forms in the Quran as shown in the table below based on their grammatical forms, which are reviewed to better understand their meanings in different contexts, while we know that the Arabic words may have different meanings in the different contexts:
Note: The above table is populated with data obtained from the corpus.quran.com.
- Details of instances of jama`a in verb form I meaning to gather
[3:25] Then how will it be when we have gathered them on a Day (idhaa jama`anaahum liyawmin) – there is no doubt in it? And every soul will be paid what it has earned, and they will not be wronged.
[3:157] And that if you have been killed in a way of God, or you have died, that there is forgiveness from God and mercy, are better than what they accumulate (khayrun mimmaa yajma`uuna).
[3:173] The people those who said to them, “Indeed, the people have certainly gathered against you (inna al-naasa qad jama`uu lakum) that you shall fear them,” while it had increased them in faith, and they said, “God has sufficiency for us, He has been the best Disposer of affairs.”
[4:23] Forbidden for you (in marriage) are your mothers, and your daughters, and your sisters, and sisters of your fathers, and sisters of your mothers, and your brother’s daughters, and your sister’s daughters, and your mothers who have nursed you and your sisters from the nursing, and mothers of your wives, and step daughters who are in your guardianship of your women whom you had relations with them, but if you had no relations with them, then there is no sin upon you, and wives of your sons – those who are from your loins, and that you join between two sisters except what has passed before (wa-an tajma`uu bayna al-ukh’tayni illaa maa qad salafa). Indeed, God has been Forgiving, Merciful.
[4:87] God: there is no god except He; that He will surely gather you on a Day of the Resurrection (la-yajma`annakum ilaa yawmi al-qiyaamati) – there is no doubt about it, and who has more truthfulness than a statement of God?
[5:109] A day God will gather the messengers (yawma yaj’ma`u allahu al-rusula), then He will say, “What was the response to you?” They said, “There is no knowledge for us; indeed, You are a Knower of the unseen.”
[6:12] Say, “To whom belongs what is in the heavens and the earth?” Say, “To God.” He has decreed the mercy upon Himself that He will surely gather you on a Day of the Resurrection (la-yajma`annakum ilaa yawmi al-qiyaamati) – there is no doubt in it. Those who have lost their souls that they do not believe.
[6:35] And if it has been difficult their aversion for you, then if you could have been able to seek a tunnel through the earth, or a ladder into the sky, even you could bring to them of a sign (would not work). And if God had willed, He would surely have gathered them upon the guidance (wa-law shaa-a allahu la-jama`ahum `alaa al-hudaa); so, do not be among the ignorant ones.
[10:58] Say, “In God’s grace and in His mercy, so with that then they shall rejoice.” It is better than what they gather (huwa khayrun mimmaa yaj’ma`uuna).
[18:99] And we had left of them on that day to invade with one another, and has been blown in the horn that we have gathered them all together (wa-nufikha fee al-suuri fa-jama`naahum jam’`an).
[20:60] Then Pharaoh had turned away, so he gathered his plan (fa-jama`a kaydahu), then came.
[26:38] So, the magicians had been gathered on an well-known appointment day (fa-jumi`a al-saharatu li-meegaati yawmin ma`luumin).
[34:26] Say, “Our Lord will gather us together (yaj’ma`u baynanaa rabbunaa), then He will judge between ourselves with the truth, and He is the Judge, the Knower.”
[42:15] As for that, therefore, you (prophet) shall invite and shall stand firm like that you have been commanded, and do not follow their desires and say, “I have believed in what God has sent down from a scripture and I have been commanded to do justice between yourselves. God is our Lord and your Lord. To us is our deeds and to you is your deeds. There is no argument between ourselves and yourselves. God will gather ourselves and to Him is the final return (allahu yaj’ma`u baynanaa wa-ilayhi al-maseeru).”
[43:32] Do they distribute mercy of your (prophet) Lord? We have distributed their livelihood between themselves in the life of the world, and we have raised of them over other in ranks that they may take service from one another. And your Lord’s mercy is better than what they gather (wa-rahmatu rabbika khayrun mimmaa yaj’ma`uuna).
[45:26] Say, “God gives life to you, then He causes death to you, then He will gather you on a Day of the Resurrection (thumma yaj’ma`ukum ilaa yawmi al-qiyaamati) – there is no doubt about it, but most of the people do not know.”
[64:9] A day He will gather you is a Day of the Gathering (yawma yaj’ma`ukum li-yawmi al-jam`i). That is a Day of the Gain and Loss. And whoever believes in God and does as a righteous, He will remove his evil deeds from him and will admit him to gardens flowing the rivers from underneath of them as dwellers therein forever. That is the greatest success.
[70:18] And whoever has gathered and has hoarded (wa-jama`a wa-aw`aa).
[75:3] Does the human being think that we cannot assemble his bones (a-yah’sabu al-insaanu allan naj’ma`a `izaamahu)?
[75:9] And the sun and the moon were made to crash into each other (wa-jumi`a al-shamsu wal-qamaru).
[77:38] This is a day of the Judgment; we have gathered you and the previous people (jama`naakum wal-awaleena).
[104:2] Who has gathered wealth and has counted it (alladhee jama`a maalan wa-addadahu).
- Details of instances of ij’tama`u in verb form VIII meaning to gather
[17:88] Say: “That if the human and the Jinn had gathered on that (la-ini ij’tama`ati al-insanu wal-jinu `alaa an) they would bring of like this – the Quran, they could not bring of like this, even if they would have been helpers of one another.
[22:73] O humankind, an example has been set forth that you shall listen to it. Indeed, those whom you call other than God, cannot create a fly, even if they had gathered together for it (wa-lawi ij’tama`uu lahu). And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they cannot take it back from it; it has been weak the seeker and the sought.
- Details of instances of jama` in noun form meaning gathering
[3:155] Indeed, those who turned back among you a day the two armies had met (yawma al-taqaa al-jam’`aani); the Satan had only made them slip of that what they had earned. And that certainly, God has pardoned on them; indeed, God is Forgiving, Forbearing.
[3:166] And what had struck you a day the two armies had met by permission of God (yawma al-taqaa al-jam’`aani fa-bi-idhni allahi), and that He might make evident the believers.
[7:48] And the companions of the heights had called out to a people whom they recognize by their marks, said, “There has not availed yourselves of your great number (gathering) from you (maa aghna `ankum jam`ukum), and from what you had been to be arrogant.”
[8:41] And you shall know that what you have obtained as war spoils from anything, then that one-fifth of it belongs to God and to the messenger, and to the near relatives and the orphans and the poor and the traveling alien, if you have believed in God and in what we have sent down to our servant about a day of the decision, a day the two parties has met (yawma al-taqaa al-jam’`aani) . And God has power over everything.
[18:99] And we had left of them till that day to invade with one another, then has been blown in the horn that we have gathered them all together (fa-jama`naahum jam’`an).
[26:61] Then when the two parties see each other (fa-lammaa taraa-a al-jam’`aani), the companions of Moses said, “Indeed, we are surely being overtaken.”
[28:78] He (Qarun) said, “I have only been given it because of knowledge with me.” Does he not know that God certainly has destroyed before of him of the generations whatever it was much stronger than he in strength and greater in accumulation (man huwa ashaddu minhu quwwatan wa-aktharu jam`an)? And the criminals will not be asked about their sins.
[42:7] And thus that we have revealed to you (prophet) an Arabic Quran that you may warn a mother (Makkah) of the cities and whoever is its around, and you may warn of a Day of the Gathering (wa-tundhira yawma al-jam’`i) – there is no doubt in it. A party will be in the Paradise, and a party will be in the blazing Fire.
[42:29] And of His signs is creation of the heavens and the earth and of the creatures whatever He spreads in both of them. And He has power over their gathering when He wills (wa-huwa `alaa jam’`ihim idhaa yashaa-u qadeerun).
[54:45] The assembly will be defeated and they will turn the backs (sa-yuh’zamu al-jami’`u wa-yuhalluuna al-dubura).
[64:9] A day He will gather you is a Day of the Gathering (yawma yaj’ma`ukum li-yawmi al-jam`i). That is a Day of the Gain and Loss. And whoever believes in God and does as a righteous, He will remove his evil deeds from him and will admit him to gardens flowing the rivers from underneath of them as dwellers therein forever. That is the greatest success.
[75:17] Indeed, upon us is its collection and its recitation (inna `alaynaa jam’`ahu wa-qur’`aanahu).
[100:5] That they have penetrated into center of it together (fa-wasatna bihi jam’`an).
- Details of instances of jaami` in active participle meaning gatherer
[3:9] Our Lord, You are a Gatherer of the people on a Day (rabbanaa innaka jaami`u al-naasi li-yawmin) – there is no doubt in it. Indeed, God does not break the promise.”
[4:140] And certainly, He has sent down to you in the scripture that when you have heard God’s revelations to disbelieve in them and are being ridiculed with them, then do not sit with them until they engage in discussion other than of it. Indeed, you then would be like of them. Indeed, God is a Gatherer of the hypocrites and the disbelievers all together in Hell (inna allaha jaami`u al-munaafiqeena wal-kaafireena fee jahannama jamee`an).
[24:62] The believers are only those who have believed in God and His messenger, and when they have been with him for a group matter (wa-idhaa kaanuu ma`ahu `alaa amrin jaami`in), they do not leave until they ask him permission. Indeed, those who ask you permission, those – they believe in God and His messenger. So, when they ask you permission for some of their affair, then give permission to whomever of them you will, and ask forgiveness of God for them. Indeed, God is Forgiving, Merciful.
- Details of instances of maj’muu in passive participle meaning to be gathered
[11:103] Indeed, in that there is surely a sign for whoever has feared a punishment of the Hereafter. That is a Day on it to be gathered the people (dhaalika yawmun maj’muu`un lahu al-naasu) and that is a Day to be witnessed.
[56:50] That to be gathered on an appointed time of a well-known Day (la-maj’muu“uuna ilaa meeqaati yawmin ma`luumin).
- Details instance of muj’tami`uun in VIII active participle meaning gatherers
[26:39] And it has been said to the people, “Are you the gatherers? (hal antum muj’tami`uuna)”
The messages from 43 instances of jama`a and its derived forms found in 41 verses of 27 surahs in the Quran that we may better understand the following: God will gather the people on a day when every soul will be paid what it had earned, He Who gives life to us and causes death to us will gather us on a Day of the Resurrection, a day the two disbelieving groups will invade the believers when the world will come to an end upon crashing the sun and the moon into each other to God being the final return, the Quran which cannot be brought if the human and jinn had gathered together was given to the prophet to warn the people of Makkah and whoever were around it, God has set forth an example in the Quran that they cannot create a fly even if the humankind had gathered together, the people of the heights had called out on a Day of the Gathering to a great number recognizing them by their marks that their number would not help them due to their arrogance, a Day of the Judgment God will gather the people and will inform them this is a Day of the Gathering, which is a Day of Gain and Loss. Since God is a Gatherer of the people on a Day there is no doubt about it and He will admit into the Paradise whoever has believed and has done as righteous, and He will gather the hypocrites and the disbelievers in the Hell. Thus, it will be better for us if we rejoice in God’s grace and in His mercy instead of gathering wealth and counting it.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (8/21/26)