Quran Universe
62:11

وَإِذَا رَأَوۡاْ تِجَٰرَةً أَوۡ لَهۡوًا ٱنفَضُّوٓاْ إِلَيۡهَا وَتَرَكُوكَ قَآئِمٗاۚ قُلۡ مَا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ خَيۡرٞ مِّنَ ٱللَّهۡوِ وَمِنَ ٱلتِّجَٰرَةِۚ وَٱللَّهُ خَيۡرُ ٱلرَّـٰزِقِينَ

Waitha raaw tijaratan aw lahwan infaddoo ilayha watarakooka qaiman qul ma AAinda Allahi khayrun mina allahwi wamina alttijarati waAllahu khayru alrraziqeena

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."

Word by word
  1. وَإِذَاAnd when
  2. رَأَوۡاْthey saw
  3. تِجَٰرَةًa transaction
  4. أَوۡor
  5. لَهۡوًاa sport
  6. ٱنفَضُّوٓاْthey rushed
  7. إِلَيۡهَاto it
  8. وَتَرَكُوكَand left you
  9. قَآئِمٗاۚstanding
  10. قُلۡSay
  11. مَاWhat
  12. عِندَ(is) with
  13. ٱللَّهِAllah
  14. خَيۡرٞ(is) better
  15. مِّنَthan
  16. ٱللَّهۡوِthe sport
  17. وَمِنَand from
  18. ٱلتِّجَٰرَةِۚ(any) transaction
  19. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  20. خَيۡرُ(is the) Best
  21. ٱلرَّـٰزِقِينَ(of) the Providers
Al-Jumu'ah · 62:11Madinah

They ran to the caravan and left you standing.

When something shiny walks past during the sermon

That Friday
the Prophet ﷺstanding, giving the sermon
meanwhile
a caravan arrivesgoods and drums
most left
twelve menstayed with him
What is better
trade and funright here, right now
what is with Allahand He provides best

Jabir said a caravan reached Madinah while the Prophet ﷺ was giving the Friday sermon. People left, and only twelve men remained. This verse came down. Allah answered: what is with Him is better, and He is the best of providers.

The imam is speaking and your phone lights up: a sale, a match score, a message. Your attention runs out the door. The caravan still arrives every Friday. Be one of the ones who stay.

If I miss this deal or this moment, I lose out.

What is with Allah is better, and He is the One who provides anyway.

Try this

At your next Jumu'ah or class, switch your phone fully off before it starts.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And when they see some merchandise or some amusement, they disperse headlong to it, and leave you standing. Say: "That which Allah has is better than any amusement or merchandise! And Allah is the best of providers. (11)

The Prohibition of leaving the Masjid while the Imam is delivering the Friday Sermon

Allah criticizes what happened during one Friday sermon, when a caravan arrived at Al-Madinah and the people rushed out to the merchandise. Allah said,

وَإِذَا رَأَوْا تِجَارَةً أَوْ لَهْوًا انْفَضُّوا إِلَيْهَا وَتَرَكُوكَ قَائِمًا ۚ 

(And when they see some merchandise or some amusement, they disperse headlong to it, and leave you standing.) meaning, on the Minbar, delivering the Khutbah. Several of the Tabi'in said this, such as Abu Al-'Aliyah, Al-Hasan, Zayd bin Aslam and Qatadah. Muqatil bin Hayyan said that the caravan belonged to Dihyah bin Khalifah before he became a Muslim, and there were drums accompanying it.

So they rushed to the caravan and left Allah's Messenger ﷺ standing on the Minbar. Only a few remained, according to the authentic Hadith that Imam Ahmad recorded that Jabir said, "Once, a caravan arrived at Al-Madinah while Allah's Messenger ﷺ was giving a Khutbah. So, the people left, and only twelve men remained [with the Messenger ﷺ]. Then Allah sent down this Ayah,

وَإِذَا رَأَوْا تِجَارَةً أَوْ لَهْوًا انْفَضُّوا إِلَيْهَا 

(And when they see some merchandise or some amusement, they disperse headlong to it,)" The Two Sahihs also recorded this Hadith. Allah's statement,

وَتَرَكُوكَ قَائِمًا

(And leave you standing.) proves that the Imam should deliver the speech on Friday while standing. In his Sahih, Imam Muslim recorded that Jabir bin Samurah said, "(During Jumu'ah,) the Prophet ﷺ gave two speeches, and he used to sit between them. The Prophet ﷺ would recite the Qur'an and remind the people (of Allah)." Allah's statement,

قُلْ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ

(Say: "That which Allah has...") means the reward that is with Allah in the Hereafter,

 خَيْرٌ مِنَ اللَّهْوِ وَمِنَ التِّجَارَةِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ

(is better than any amusement or merchandise! And Allah is the best of providers.) means, for those who trust in Him and seek His provisions when they are allowed to do so.

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Jumu'ah. All praise and thanks are due to Allah and from Him comes the success and immunity from error.