“When the prayer is finished, disperse throughout the land” (62:10)—that is, go forth upon the earth and seek Allah’s bounty through buying and selling, yet do not let such activity distract you from the remembrance of Allah. Hence He says, “and remember Allah much,” meaning: do not think that once you have completed the act of remembering Him in the sermon and the prayer you are done with remembrance. No. Allah is to be remembered in every state, at every time, and in every place. The Exalted says: “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day there are signs for people of understanding.” Who are those people of understanding? “Those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides, and who reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth, saying, ‘Our Lord, You have not created all of this in vain. Glory be to You; so protect us from the punishment of the Fire’ ” (Al ʿImrān 3:190-191).

The upshot is that once the Friday prayer is concluded there is no compulsory sitting afterward: leave, seek your livelihood, seek Allah’s bounty. The verse further points out that if a person gives priority to the prayer over buying and selling and then conducts his trade afterward, he will still be provided for, because Allah said, “and seek the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah much …”