'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' His saying, the Exalted and Majestic: "O you who have believed, when the call is proclaimed for the prayer on the day of Friday, then proceed to the remembrance of Allah and leave trade. That is better for you if you only knew. And when the prayer has been concluded, then disperse within the land and seek the bounty of Allah and remember Allah much, that you may succeed. And when they saw a transaction or a diversion, 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.'" (p-303) The call to Friday prayer is from a side of the mosque. It was on the wall in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him. And Al-Sa'ib ibn Yazid said: The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, had one caller at the door of the mosque. In the Mus'haf of Abu Dawood, it was said that he was in front of him while he was on the pulpit calling. This is what the Banu Umayyah employed, and it has remained in Qurtuba until now. Then Uthman added the call to the Zawra' to make it heard by the people. Some expressed Uthman's addition as the second, as if they did not consider what was before the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, while others expressed it as the third. Ibn al-Zubair and Al-A'mash read: "Friday" with the meem being silent, and this is a dialect. The one commanded to proceed is the believing, mature, free male. There is no Friday prayer upon a traveler in obedience. If he attends, it is good and it suffices him. The people differed regarding the limit from which proceeding is required. Malik said: Three miles from the home of the one proceeding to the caller. A group said: From the home of the one proceeding to the beginning of the city in which the call is made. The companions of opinion said: All the people of the city are required to proceed, whether they heard the call or did not hear it, even if their outskirts are beyond three miles. Abu Hanifah said: It is not required from his home outside the city, like Zurara from Kufa, for there is a river between them. They are not permitted to establish it because of the conditions of the congregation, the prevailing authority, and the established market. Some scholars said: Proceeding is from five miles. Al-Zuhri said: From six miles. He also said: From four miles. This was said by Ibn al-Munkadir. Ibn Umar, Ibn al-Musayyib, and Ibn Hanbal said: Proceeding is only required from the one who heard the call. There is consideration in this.

And the striving in the verse is not the hastening in walking like the striving between as-Safa and al-Marwah. Rather, it means by his saying: "And that man has nothing except what he strives for" [An-Najm: 39]. Thus, standing, performing ablution, wearing the garment, and walking are all striving towards the remembrance of Allah, glorified and exalted is He. Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Malik, and others said: Prayer is performed with tranquility. So, striving is with intention, desire, and action. And "the remembrance" is the admonition of the sermon. This was said by Ibn al-Musayyib. This is supported by the saying of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: "Indeed, the angels are at the doors of the mosque on the day of Friday, writing down the first to arrive. When the imam comes out, the records are folded, and the angels sit listening to the remembrance." The sermon, according to the majority of scholars, is a condition for the validity of the Friday prayer. Al-Hasan said: It is recommended. Umar ibn al-Khattab, Ali, Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, Ibn Zubair, and a group of the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them all, recited: "So proceed to the remembrance of Allah." Ibn Mas'ud said: If I had read: "So strive," I would have hastened until my cloak fell off.

And the people differed regarding: the sale during the prohibited time if it occurs: what is the ruling on it? After their consensus on the obligation of refraining from it at the beginning, Ash-Shafi'i said: It is valid. Murrah said: It is annulled unless it has passed. If it has passed, it is valid. Malik said: It is annulled unless it has passed. If it has passed, it is corrected with the value. And there was a disagreement regarding the time of evaluation. It was said: The time of taking possession, and it was said: The time of judgment.

And His saying, glorified and exalted is He: "That is for you" refers to the striving and the prohibition of sale. And His saying, glorified is He: "So spread out" all people agreed that the implication of this matter is permissibility. Likewise, His saying, glorified and exalted is He: "And seek the bounty of Allah" indicates that it is permissible to seek livelihood. And that is similar to His saying, glorified and exalted is He: "And when you have completed your rites, then hunt" [Al-Ma'idah: 2], except for what was narrated from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, that he said: "That sought bounty is visiting the sick, or connecting with a friend, or following a funeral."

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: In this, a person should remain until the end of the day of Friday, and his choice should be on the morning of Saturday. This was said by Ja'far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq. And Makhluf said: The sought bounty is knowledge, so one should seek it after Friday.

His saying, glorified and exalted is He: "And when they saw a trade or amusement"—the verse was revealed because the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, was standing on the pulpit delivering a sermon on Friday, when a caravan from Sham approached carrying provisions. Its leader was Dihyah ibn Khalifah al-Kalbi. Mujahid said: It was their custom that the caravan would enter the city with drums, musical instruments, and shouting behind it. So the caravan entered in such a manner, and the people of the mosque dispersed to see and hear that, leaving the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, standing on the pulpit. Only twelve men remained with him. Jabir ibn Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I was one of them.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

And I have not come across their naming in a record in what I mention, except that I heard my father, may Allah have mercy on him, say: They are the ten who are witnessed for them in Paradise. There is a difference regarding the eleventh; it was said: Ammar ibn Yasir, may Allah be pleased with him, and it was said: Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, said in the book of Al-Thalabi: Eight people remained with him. It has been narrated that the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "If it were not for these, the stones would have been marked against those who are cast down from the sky." And in another hadith: "By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, if you were to continue until none of you remains, the valley would be set ablaze against you." Qatadah said: We have reached that they did this three times; because the arrival of the caravan coincided with the day of Friday, due to the fact that the stages would allow for that. And He, the Most High, said: "To it" and did not say: "To them" (p-306) as a precedence for what is more important, since it was the cause of distraction and not the distraction that was its cause. In the Mushaf of Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him: "And from trade for those who fear Allah, and Allah is the best of providers."

And reflect if trade was presented along with the vision because it is more important, and it was delayed with the preference so that the soul may first settle on what is clearer.

And in this verse is the standing of the preacher, and the first one to rest during the sermon was Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, and the first one to give a sermon while sitting was Muawiyah, may Allah be pleased with him. And "the Provider" is a description of action, and some humans may be described by it as a concession if they are the cause of the sustenance of animals, and Allah, the Most High, is the best of providers.

The interpretation of Surah Al-Jumu'ah is complete, and all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.