Surah 62:11:
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.'
The closing verse of the Surah records a highly embarrassing domestic event: while Muhammad was standing on the pulpit delivering a solemn, divinely inspired religious sermon (Khutbah), a merchant caravan entered Medina playing music and announcing trade goods. Upon hearing the commotion, the congregation abandoned Muhammad mid-sentence, stampeding out of the mosque to buy goods and enjoy the entertainment, leaving the Prophet standing virtually alone.
The Sira Corroboration: Classical commentators (such as Sahih al-Bukhari 936 and Tafsir Ibn Kathir) confirm that a caravan belonging to Dihyah al-Kalbi arrived with food and drums during a time of scarcity. The congregation rushed out, leaving only twelve men behind with Muhammad.
The Critique: To a historical critic, this verse provides a rare, raw look at the actual, highly fragile state of early Islamic devotion, completely contradicting later idealized orthodox narratives that paint the companions (Sahaba) as perfectly pious saints who hung on every word of the Prophet. The text reveals that even late into the Medinan period, the local population frequently viewed Muhammad’s sermons as a tedious obligation that could be instantly abandoned in favor of material gain and street amusement, requiring an emergency divine rebuke to patch up the Prophet's public authority.