وَإِذَا رَأَوْا۟ تِجَٰرَةً أَوْ لَهْوًا ٱنفَضُّوٓا۟ إِلَيْهَا وَتَرَكُوكَ قَآئِمًۭا ۚ قُلْ مَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ خَيْرٌۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهْوِ وَمِنَ ٱلتِّجَٰرَةِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلرَّٰزِقِينَ
But when they saw a transaction or a diversion, [O Muhammad], they rushed to it and left you standing. Say, "What is with Allah is better than diversion and than a transaction, and Allah is the best of providers."
Introduction
This is āyah 11 of Sūrat Al-Jumu'a (The Congregation, Friday), the 110th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Medinan period and sits within Juzʾ 28. Medinan verses often address community life, law, and the building of society.
This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.
Revelation & occasion
- Period
- Medinan
- Order revealed
- 110 of 114
- Surah
- Al-Jumu'a (62)
(But when they spy some merchandise or pastime they break away to it�) [62:11]. Master Abu Tahir al-Ziyadi informed us> Abu'l-Hasan 'Ali ibn Ibrahim> Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn Warah> al-Hasan ibn 'Atiyyah> Isra'il> Husayn ibn 'Abd al-Rahman> Abu Sufyan> Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah who said: �The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was standing, delivering a sermon one Friday, when a caravan arrived from Syria. People left the mosque and went out to attend to it; only twelve people remained seated. Allah, glorified and exalted is He, then revealed (But when they spy some merchandise or pastime they break away to it and leave thee standing)�. This was narrated by Bukhari> Hafs ibn 'Umar> Khalid ibn 'Abd Allah> Husayn. Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Muzakki informed us> Abu Bakr ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Yahya al-Talhi> Ja'far ibn Ahmad ibn 'Imran al-Shashi> 'Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Yunus> 'Abthar ibn al-Qasim> Husayn> Salim ibn Abi al-Ja'd> Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah: �It was Friday and we were with the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, when a caravan transporting food passed by. Except for twelve men, everyone left to attend to it, and so the verse of Friday (Ayat al-Jumu'ah) was revealed�. This was narrated by Muslim> Ishaq ibn Ibrahim> Jarir and also by al-Bukhari in Kitab al-Jumu'ah> Mu'awiyah ibn 'Amr> Za'idah; both Jariri and Ibn Za'idah related it from Husayn. The commentators of the Qur'an said: �The people of Medina were suffering from hunger and a rise in prices. And it happened that Dihyah ibn Khalifah al-Kalbi arrived from a business trip to Syria. His arrival was announced to people by beating a drum while the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was standing, delivering the Friday sermon. People left the mosque such that only twelve people remained inside, including Abu Bakr and 'Umar. This verse was then revealed, and the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: 'By Him in Whose Hand is Muhammad's soul, had you followed each other, such that none of you remained, the valley would have inundated you with fire' �.
Tafsir
Hafiz Ibn Kathir
Chains of transmission
Oral — isnād
- ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation
Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.
- 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation
Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.
- TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation
Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.
Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.
Written — the manuscript record
- ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation
The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).
- 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation
Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.
- Modern printModern printawaiting curation
The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.
A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.
And now — what do you think?
The text, its history and the classical commentary are laid out above. Share your own understanding, ask a question, or reason with others.
Community resources
No community resources for this verse yet.