**Muqatil said:** Dihyah ibn Khalifah al-Kalbi arrived with trade goods from Sham before he embraced Islam. He had various types of merchandise. The people of Medina came out to meet him with drums and clapping. This happened on a Friday while the Prophet (peace be upon him) was standing on the pulpit delivering the sermon. The people left the Prophet (PBUH) and only twelve men remained, or fewer, perhaps eight or as many as forty. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Were it not for these, stones would have been rained down upon them." And the verse was revealed: *And among those who were with him were Abu Bakr and Umar.*

**Al-Hasan said:** The people of Medina were afflicted by famine and high prices. A caravan arrived while the Prophet (PBUH) was delivering the Friday sermon. They heard about it and rushed out to it. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "If the last of them had followed the first, the valley would have ignited with fire upon them."

**Qatadah said:** They did this three times.

His saying, the Exalted: **{or amusement}** (أو لهوا) refers to the drum. When they married off female slaves, they would beat drums, and they passed by beating them, so they left the Prophet (PBUH).

His saying: **{they dispersed toward it}** (انفضوا إليها) means they scattered. Al-Mubarrid said: They inclined toward it and turned in its direction. The pronoun in *toward it* (إليها) refers to the trade. Al-Zajjaj said: *They dispersed toward him and toward it* (انفضوا إليه وإليها), and their meanings are the same, like His saying: **{And seek help through patience and prayer}** (Al-Baqarah: 45).

Here, the return is considered toward the trade because it was more important to them.

His saying, the Exalted: **{and they left you standing}** (وتركوك قائما). They agreed that this standing was during the Friday sermon. Jabir said: I never saw the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) delivering the sermon except while he was standing. 'Abdullah was asked whether the Prophet (PBUH) used to deliver the sermon standing or sitting, and he recited: **{and they left you standing}**.

His saying, the Exalted: **{Say: What is with Allah is better}** (قل ما عند الله خير) means the reward of prayer and steadfastness with the Prophet (PBUH) is **{better than the amusement and than the trade}**—better than the amusement mentioned previously, and the trade brought by Dihyah.

His saying, the Exalted: **{And Allah is the Best of Providers}** (والله خير الرازقين) is like His saying, *the Best of Judges* and *the Best of Creators*. The meaning is: If the existence of two providers were possible, then He is the Best of the two providers. Or, the term *Provider* (الرازق) is only attributed to others metaphorically. There is no doubt that the Provider in reality is better than the provider metaphorically.

There are discussions regarding this verse:

First Discussion: Trade and amusement are things that are not seen at all. If that were the case, how is it correct to say: **{And when they see trade or amusement}**? We say: What is meant is only what is close to amusement and trade, similar to His saying, *until he hears the word of Allah*, as the Word itself is not heard; rather, the sound indicating it is heard.

Second Discussion: How did He say: **{they dispersed toward it}** (انفضوا إليها) when two things were mentioned? We have already discussed this. The author of *Al-Kashshaf* said: The structure is: If they see trade, they disperse toward it; or amusement, they disperse toward it. One was omitted because the mentioned one indicates the other.

Third Discussion: His saying, the Exalted: **{And Allah is the Best of Providers}** is appropriate for the trade mentioned, not for the amusement. We say: Rather, it is appropriate for the whole, because the amusement mentioned is like a follower of the trade, as they displayed that amusement out of joy for the arrival of the trade, as mentioned previously. And Allah knows best what is correct. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad, his family, and all his companions.