Introduction

Some narratives1 describe that once while the Prophet (sws) was delivering the Friday sermon or leading the Friday prayer, a caravan from Syria carrying merchandise arrived right at that time. Almost all narratives say that all except twelve companions who were in the mosque deserted it and flocked to buy goods. At this, they were rebuked by a Qur’anic verse that was revealed on that occasion.

A variant specifies that Abu Bakr (rta) and ‘Umar (rta) were among these twelve.2 A weak variant from ‘Ali ibn ‘Asim reports that forty people were left in the mosque.3

A representative text of the narrative reads:

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ عَنْ حُصَيْنٍ عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ اَبِي الْجَعْدِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ رَضِيَ اللّٰه عَنْهُ قَالَ اَقْبَلَتْ عِيرٌ وَنَحْنُ نُصَلِّي مَعَ النَّبِيِّ  صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ  الْجُمُعَةَ فَانْفَضَّ النَّاسُ اِلَّا اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ رَجُلًا فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ   وَاِذَا رَاَوْا تِجَارَةً اَوْ لَهْوًا انْفَضُّوا اِلَيْهَا وَتَرَكُوكَ قَائِمًا  

Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah said: “A caravan arrived [in Madinah] while we were offering the Friday prayer behind the Prophet (sws). Thereafter all people ran [towards the caravan] except twelve individuals. At this, this verse was revealed: وَاِذَا رَاَوْا تِجَارَةً اَوْ لَهْوًا انْفَضُّوا اِلَيْهَا وَتَرَكُوكَ قَائِمًا (when they see trade or amusement they run towards it and leave you standing).”4

Analysis

A study of Surah Jumu‘ah shows that it addresses the weak Muslims who did not realize the exalted status of Prophet Muhammad (sws). Here is the last section of the surah:

یٰۤاَیُّهَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِذَا نُوۡدِیَ لِلصَّلٰوةِ مِنۡ یَّوۡمِ الۡجُمُعَةِ فَاسۡعَوۡا اِلٰی ذِکۡرِ اللّٰهِ وَ ذَرُوا الۡبَیۡعَ  ذٰلِکُمۡ خَیۡرٌ لَّکُمۡ  اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ. فَاِذَا قُضِیَتِ الصَّلٰوةُ فَانۡتَشِرُوۡا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ ابۡتَغُوۡا مِنۡ فَضۡلِ اللّٰهِ وَ اذۡکُرُوا اللّٰهَ کَثِیۡرًا لَّعَلَّکُمۡ تُفۡلِحُوۡنَ. وَ اِذَا رَاَوۡا تِجَارَةً اَوۡ لَهۡوَا انۡفَضُّوۡۤا اِلَیۡهَا وَ تَرَکُوۡكَ قَآئِمًا قُلۡ مَا عِنۡدَ اللّٰهِ خَیۡرٌ مِّنَ اللَّهۡوِ وَ مِنَ التِّجَارَةِ وَ اللّٰهُ خَیۡرُ الرّٰزِقِیۡنَ. (62: 9۔11)

Believers! [Give due importance to the Prophet, and] when the call for the prayer is sounded on Friday [on his behalf], with diligence go to the remembrance of God and leave aside your trading. This is better for you, if you but know. Then, when the prayer ends, disperse in the land, and seek God’s bounty, and remember God in abundance so that you may succeed. Such are these people that when they see some trading or merriment, they flock eagerly to it and leave you standing.5 Tell them: That which God has in store is far better than any merriment or trade. And, in reality, God is the best provider. (62:9-11)

Ustaz Amin Ahsan Islahi writes:

Though the direction of address of the verse is not specific, it is evident that the error it refers to emanated only from a few uncouth individuals. I have already referred to this earlier. The general style of the Qur’an is that it does not rebuke people by pinpointing them; it adopts a non-specific style in such admonitions so that every person can benefit from it, and no one in particular is humiliated. (Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 8, 385)

While describing its theme, Ustaz Javed Ahmad Ghamidi writes:

The theme of Surah al-Jumu‘ah is to direct the attention of the weak Muslims … to the fact that in the person of the Messenger they have a supreme favour of God. They should give him due importance rather than deprive themselves of this favour by getting influenced by the envious propaganda of the Jews. The counsel of the Messenger and respect of the shari‘ah brought by him should be dearer to them than any other thing of this world; they should bear in mind that neglect in this regard will lead them to the same fate as the Jews met before them.6

One can thus imagine that those who deserted the Prophet (sws) on this occasion must have been weak Muslims. True Muslims who were obviously in vast numbers by then would not have deserted him. Hence, what the narratives generally portray is correct. However, as far as the fact that only twelve people remained in the mosque, it is very unlikely given the fact that true Muslims in large numbers were present in those times. Most of them, if not all, always prayed behind the Prophet (sws) in the Friday prayer.

It may well be noted that the narratives which report this incident have some weakness in them as well.

Here is a shortened illustration of the variants of this narrative:

It is evident from the above illustration that the following nine students of Husayn ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman report this narrative from him:

1. ‘Abdullah ibn Idris7

2. ‘Abthar ibn al-Qasim8

3. Huyshaym ibn Bashir9

4. Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl10

5. Za’idah ibn Qudamah11

6. Khalid ibn ‘Abdullah12

7. ‘Ali ibn ‘Asim13

8. Jarir ibn ‘Abd al-Hamid14

9. Sulayman in Kathir15

 Authorities like al-Dhahabi specify that though Salim ibn Abi al-Ja‘d is trustworthy, yet he is guilty of irsal and tadlis.16 All variants except the ones from Za’idah ibn Qudamah have his ‘an‘anah. It may well be because of a later narrator.

It can be seen from the schematic illustration that in the variants reported by Hushaym ibn Bashir, besides Salim ibn Abu al-Ja‘d, Abu Sufyan Talhah ibn Nafi‘ also reports from Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (rta).

Similarly, in two out of the three varaints reported by Khalid ibn ‘Abdullah, besides Salim ibn Abu al-Ja‘d,  Abu Sufyan Talhah ibn Nafi‘ also reports from Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (rta).

It may be noted that Talhah ibn Nafi‘ is a mudallis17 all variants in which he appears in both of the above two narrators, there exists his ‘an‘anah. It may also be noted that though some authorities regard Talhah ibn Nafi‘ to be trustworthy, Yahya ibn Ma‘in says that he is la shayy’ and ‘Ali ibn Madini says that authorities have regarded him to be da‘if (kanu yuda‘‘ifunahu fi hadithihi).18

All in all, this is enough evidence to show that details in this narrative may not be accurate.

Appendix

Shiite Sources

(1)

أخبرنا محمد ، حدثني موسي ، حدثنا أبي ، عن أبيه ، عن جعفر بن محمد ، عن أبيه (عليهما السلام) ، قال : بينما رسول اللّٰه (صلي اللّٰه عليه وآله) قائما يخطب يوم الجمعة وكان سوقا يقال لها البطحاء ، وكانت بنو سليم تجلب إليها السبي والخيل والغنم ، وكانت الأنصار إذا تزوجوا ضربوا بالكبر والمزمار وإذا سمعوا ذلك خرج الناس إليهم وتركوا رسول اللّٰه (صلي اللّٰه عليه وآله) قائما ، فعيرهم الله بذلك فأنزل اللّٰه تعالي (وَ اِذَا رَاَوۡا تِجَارَةً اَوۡ لَهۡوَا انۡفَضُّوۡۤا اِلَیۡهَا وَ تَرَکُوۡكَ قَآئِمًا قُلۡ مَا عِنۡدَ اللّٰهِ خَیۡرٌ مِّنَ اللَّهۡوِ وَ مِنَ التِّجَارَةِ وَ اللّٰهُ خَیۡرُ الرّٰزِقِیۡنَ)

Muhammad al-Baqir said: “Once God’s Messenger (sws) was delivering the Friday sermon at the occasion of the al-Batha’ festival. The Banu Salaym brought to this bazar children, and horses and cattle. It was a custom among the Ansar that they would play drums and flutes when someone got married. When people heard this noise, they left to see them and left God’s messenger standing. At this God put them to shame and revealed the verse: وَ اِذَا رَاَوۡا تِجَارَةً اَوۡ لَهۡوَا انۡفَضُّوۡۤا اِلَیۡهَا وَ تَرَکُوۡكَ قَآئِمًا ؕ قُلۡ مَا عِنۡدَ اللّٰهِ خَیۡرٌ مِّنَ اللَّهۡوِ وَ مِنَ التِّجَارَةِ وَ اللّٰهُ خَیۡرُ  الرّٰزِقِیۡنَ (Such are these people that when they see some trading or merriment, they flock eagerly to it and leave you standing. Tell them: That which God has in store is far better than any merriment or trade. And, in reality, God is the best provider).19

This narrative is munqata‘ because Muhammad al-Baqir (57-114 AH) was not a witness to the event stated in this narrative.

(2)

تفسير مجاهد وأبو يوسف يعقوب بن أبي سفيان قال ابن عباس في قوله تعالي : وَ اِذَا  رَاَوۡا  تِجَارَةً  ان دحية الكلبي جاء يوم الجمعة من الشام بالمسيرة فنزل عند أحجار الزيت ثم ضرب بالطبول ليؤذن الناس بقدومه فانفض الناس إليه إلا علي والحسن والحسين وفاطمة عليهم السلام وسلمان وأبو ذر والمقداد وصهيب وتركوا النبي قائما يخطب علي المنبر فقال النبي لقد نظر اللّٰه يوم الجمعة إلي مسجدي فلولا الفئة الذين جلسوا في مسجدي لانضرمت المدينة علي أهلها نارا وحصبوا بالحجارة كقوم لوط.

Regarding the verse وَ اِذَا  رَاَوۡا  تِجَارَةً   (when they see trade … ) Ibn ‘Abbas said: “Dihya al-Kalbi once on a Friday arrived from Syria with food supplies near Ahjar al-Zit. Drums were sounded so that people get to know about his arrival. At this, everyone except Hasan, Husayn, Fatimah, Salmanm Abu Dharr, Miqdad and Suhayb flocked towards it and left the Prophet (sws) standing on the pulpit when he was delivering the sermon. At this, the Prophet (sws) said: ‘Indeed God has seen what happened in my mosque on Friday. Had it not been for the group who sat in my mosque and did not desert me, Madinah would have been burnt to ashes and decimated by a stone-storm like the people of Lot.’”20

The above cited narrative does not have any chain of narration.

(3)

قال : حدثنا أبو القاسم العلوي [ قال : حدثنا فرات ] معنعنا : عن السدي قال : مر دحية [ بن خليفة . ب ] الكلبي بتجارة له من الشام من طعام وغيره وكان التجار قد أبطؤوا عن المدينة فأصابهم لذلك جهد فبينما رسول اللّٰه [صلي اللّٰه عليه وآله وسلم . ر ] يخطب الناس في المسجد يوم الجمعة إذ قدمت العير فانفض الناس إليها وتركوا النبي [ صلي اللّٰه عليه وآله وسلم . أ ] قائما يخطب ... ولم يبق مع النبي إلا خمسة عشر [ نفرا . ر ] فأنزل اللّٰه تعالي هذه الآية : وَ اِذَا  رَاَوۡا  تِجَارَةً  اَوۡ لَهۡوَا انۡفَضُّوۡا اِلَیۡهَا وَ تَرَکُوۡكَ  قَآئِمًا قُلۡ مَا عِنۡدَ اللّٰهِ خَیۡرٌ مِّنَ اللَّهۡوِ وَ مِنَ  التِّجَارَةِ وَ اللّٰهُ خَیۡرُ الرّٰزِقِیۡنَ

Al-Suddi said: “Dihya ibn Khalifah al-Kalbi passed by Madinah while coming from Syria with food supplies and other trade-goods. A long time had elapsed for traders come to Madiinah as a result of which people were in want there. Thus, during the time God’s Messenger was delivering the Friday sermon, this caravan arrived and people fled towards it leaving him standing while he was delivering the sermon ... and only fifteen people remained with him. At this God Almighty revealed this verse:  اِذَا  رَاَوۡا  تِجَارَةً  اَوۡ لَهۡوۨا انۡفَضُّوۡۤا اِلَیۡهَا وَ تَرَکُوۡكَ  قَآئِمًا ؕ قُلۡ مَا عِنۡدَ اللّٰهِ  خَیۡرٌ  مِّنَ اللَّهۡوِ وَ مِنَ  التِّجَارَةِ ؕ وَ اللّٰهُ  خَیۡرُ  الرّٰزِقِیۡنَ (Such are these people that when they see some trading or merriment, they flock eagerly to it and leave you standing. Tell them: That which God has in store is far better than any merriment or trade. And, in reality, God is the best provider).21

Isma‘il ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Suddi  (d. 127 AH) is not an eye witness to the event discussed in this narrative.

ـــــــــــــــــــــــــ __

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1. For narratives cited in Shiite works, see the Appendix.

2. See, for example: Al-Tirmidhi, Sunan, vol. 5, 414, (no. 3311).

3. See, for example: Al-Daraqutni, Sunan, vol. 2, 4, (no. 5).

4. Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, vol. 2, 728, (no. 1958).

5. It is evident from these words that this incident happened more than once. However, narratives (Bukhari, no. 894; Muslim, no. 863) portray only one incident. The reason is that some uncouth elements may have been doing this at various times but no one gave them importance until at one instance a large number of Muslims deserted the Prophet (sws) while he was delivering the sermon. Since this was wrong etiquette to the ultimate extent and also a show of not duly valuing the shari‘ah, the Qur’an mentioned it and people also narrated it.

6. Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, Al-Bayan, vol. 5, 160.

7. Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, vol. 2, 590, (no. 863); Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Sunan al-kubra, vol. 3, 181, (no. 5414); Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi, Ma‘rifah al-sunan wa al-athar, vol. 2, 482-483, (no. 1703); Al-Bayhaqi, Shu‘ab al-iman, vol. 5, 234, (no. 6494); Abu Nu‘aym, Al-Musnad al-mustakhraj, vol. 2, 452, (no. 1944); Ibn Abi Shaybah, Musannaf, vol. 1, 448-449, (no. 5184); Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 3, 313, (no. 14395).

8. Al-Nasa’i, Al-Sunan al-kubra, vol. 6, 490, (no. 11593); Al-Tabari, Tafsir, vol. 28, 104; Al-Wahidi, Asbab al-nuzul, 286.

9. Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, vol. 2, 590, (no. 863); Ibn Hibban, Sahih, vol. 15, 298-299 (no. 6876); Ibid., vol. 15, 299, (no. 6877); Ibn Khuzaymah, Sahih, vol. 3, 174, (no. 1852); Al-Tirmidhi, Sunan, vol. 5, 414, (no. 3311); Abd ibn Humayd, Musnad, vol. 1, 335, (no. 1111); Al-Daraqutni, Sunan, vol. 2, 5, (no. 6); Abu Ya‘la, Musnad, vol. 3, 468, (no. 1979); Abu Nu‘aym, Al-Musnad al-mustakhraj, vol. 2, 452-453, (no. 1946); Al-Tabari, Tafsir, vol. 28, 104-105.

10. Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, vol. 2, 728, (no. 1958); Ibn al-Jarud, Al-Muntaqa, vol. 1, 82, (no. 292); Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Sunan al-kubra, vol. 3, 182, (no. 5416).

11. Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, vol. 1, 316, (no. 894); Ibid., vol. 2, 726, (no. 1953); Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Sunan al-kubra, vol. 3, 182, (no. 5415); Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 3, 370, (no. 15020).

12. Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, vol. 4, 1859, (no. 4616); Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, vol. 2, 590, (no. 863); Abu Nu‘aym, Al-Musnad al-mustakhraj, vol. 2, 452, (no. 1945);

13. Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Sunan al-kubra, vol. 3, 182, (no. 5417); Al-Daraqutni, Sunan, vol. 2, 4, (no. 5).

14. Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, vol. 2, 590, (no. 863); Abu Nu‘aym, Al-Musnad al-mustakhraj, vol. 2, 451-452, (no. 1943); Ibn Khuzaymah, Sahih, vol. 3, 161, (no. 1823); Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Sunan al-kubra, vol. 3, 181, (no. 5414); Ibid., vol. 3, 197, (no. 5496); Al-Tabari, Tafsir, vol. 28, 105; Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi, Ma‘rifah al-sunan wa al-athar, vol. 2, 482-483, (no. 1703); Abu Ya‘la, Musnad, vol. 3, 406, (no. 1888).

15. ‘Abd ibn Humayd, Musnad, vol. 1, 335, (no. 1110).

16. Al-Dhahabi, Mizan al-i‘tidal, vol. 3, 162.

17. Ibn Hajar, Tabaqat al-mudallisin, 39.

18. Al-Dhahabi, Mizan al-i‘tidal, vol. 3, 469.

19. Mirza al-Nuri, Mustadrak al-wasa’il, vol. 6 (Beirut: Mu’assasah Al al-bayt, n.d.), 24-25, (no. 3).

20. Muhammad ibn Shahr Ashub, Manaqib Al Abi Talib, vol. 1 (Najaf: Maktabah al-Haydariyyah, 1376 AH), 407.

21. Furat ibn Ibrahim al-Kufi, Tafsir, 1st ed. (Tehran: Mu’assasah al-tab ‘a wa al-nashr, 1990), 484.