يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا نُودِىَ لِلصَّلَوٰةِ مِن يَوْمِ ٱلْجُمُعَةِ فَٱسْعَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ ٱللَّهِ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلْبَيْعَ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
Yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo izaa noodiya lis-Salaati miny yawmil Jumu'ati fas'aw ilaa zikril laahi wa zarul bai'; zaalikum khayrul lakum in kuntum ta'lamoon
Believers! When the call to prayer is made on the day of congregation, hurry towards the reminder of God and leave off your trading––that is better for you, if only you knew––
You who believe, when the call to prayer is made on the day of congregation, hasten to the remembrance of God and leave off your trading. That is better for you, if only you knew.
The command marks off a stretch of time. Two verses later the same people are sent back out into the land to seek provision, so the trading is suspended for an hour rather than judged. The verb sa'y behind the summons means exertion or earnest effort, and readers have long differed over whether it asks for physical haste or a deliberate turning of attention; the surah's last verse shows an assembly emptying anyway when trade appeared outside.