106
قُرَيْشٍ
Quraysh
(or Winter)

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ۔

لِاِيْلٰفِ قُرَيْشٍ۔ اٖلٰفِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَآءِ وَ الصَّيْفِ۔ فَلْيَعْبُدُوْا رَبَّ هٰذَا الْبَيْتِ۔ الَّذِيْٓ اَطْعَمَهُمْ مِّنْ جُوْعٍ وَّ اٰمَنَهُمْ مِّنْ خَوْفٍ۔

In the name of God—the most compassionate, the most merciful.

In dealing with the Quraysh, for their preparations to travel in winter and in summer; let them worship the Lord of this House Who feeds them against famine and secures them from fear.

The Quraysh were the Prophet’s own clan, who at first opposed his mission and felt they were the only aristocrats fit to live in Mecca. Later members of this family became his successors or caliphs in the great cities of Damascus and Baghdad.

This chapter was revealed at Mecca, where the Quraysh tribe was the custodian of the Kabah. Owing to this position they were held in high esteem throughout Arabia. This gave them a number of privileges.

The Quraysh was a trading community. During the summer their traders’ caravans used to go to Syria and Palestine and in winter they would trade with Yemen. Their economy was dependent upon these trading activities.

In ancient times, when the robbing of traders was common, the caravans of the Quraysh went unscathed. The reason for this was their connection with the Ka‘bah of which the Quraysh were the servants and trustees. Since respect for the Ka‘bah dominated the minds of the people, they used to respect its servants and trustees also, and on account of this they did not rob their caravans. Their tribe thus became prosperous.

Here, in connection with the call for the acceptance of Truth, the Quraysh have been reminded of this blessing of God and called to Islam. They are told that it would be highly ungrateful to enjoy the worldly benefits of the House of God—the Ka‘bah (‘Baytullah’) while shirking the religious responsibility incumbent upon them.

They are enjoined to worship only God who conferred all material benefits upon them. This is to say, they are urged to give a positive response to the call of Truth brought to them by the Prophet Muhammad and surrender to their Creator and Sustainer. By extension, every believer is reminded here to be thankful to the Lord and worship Him.