Surah Quraish is a Makki Surah with four verses. The Surah has been entitled after the word Quraish occuring in the very first verse.
This Surah talks about the tribe of Quraish who were blessed in many ways and was revealed to call them to proper course of Faith.
➖Quraish was a famous Arab tribe who was scattered across Arabia until a man named Qussay gathered them together in Makkah and they eventually gained control of the Kaba.
➖They founded a city state in Makkah and made arrangements for the pilgrimage and pilgrims to the Kaba.
➖While most Arabian tribes were at constant battles with each other, the Quraish had the advantage because they were the controllers of Kaba. As such they were respected.
➖When the Quraish would travel unlike the other tribes, they did not fear that their things would get stolen and they would be harmed.
➖They were so respected that other tribes did not even charge them any fee or taxes to pass their areas the way they would charge other tribes.
➖Because of the ease of travel and respect, the Quraish had many business relationships with other countries such as Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Yemen & Abbisynia.
➖From this exposure of trade with other countries, they gained much more knowledge about cultures & sciences than any other tribe.
➖They were the most knowledgeable and influential tribe of Arab.
The status and rank of Quraish was very well known in the time of the Prophet pbuh, that’s why in the four brief verses of this Surah, Quraish were simply asked to consider:
“When you yourselves acknowledge this House (i.e. the Kaba) to be Allah’s House, and not of the idols, and when you fully well know that it is Allah alone Who has granted you peace by virtue of this House, made your trade and commerce flourish and blessed you with prosperity, then you should worship and serve Allah Alone.”
Allah talks about the Quraish and how this tribe was privileged by Allah in so many ways. If we go back in time, when Abraha took a large army of elephants with him and he wanted to destroy the Kaba and as a result the Quraish who were the custodians of Kaba, would naturally be put to an end. So it was Allah’s first favor on Quraish that He sent birds who destroyed the army of Abraha though stones. So Allah protected the Quraish and maintained its sanctity. So O Quraish! Do you remember the favor of your Lord?
Then Quraish was the dispersed tribe all over Arabia, it was with Allah’s help that He gathered them at one place and honoured them with responsibilities of His House.
Before the Quraish came to Makkah, they were a scattered people in Arabia and living miserable lives. After their gathering together in Makkah they began to prosper, and the Prophet Ibrahim’s Dua for them was literally fulfilled when he had prayed:
“Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in a barren valley near Thy sacred House. Lord, I have done this in the hope that they will establish salat there. So turn the hearts of the people towards them, and provide fruits for their food, that they may be grateful.”
(Surah Ibrahim V:37)
So this was the position of the Quraish with regard to their connection with their services to the Kaba that they received, by the Will of Allah, the security and honour from the people. Allah planned to keep them safe, by His Grace, for the advent of Islam and the Prophet pbuh had to emerge from that tribe and in that sacred land.
But, the same tribe, the Quraish, whose protection, safety and honour was due to the Kaba being in their city and they being its guardians, later became the prime enemies of Islam.
At the beginning, the main cause of their opposition, to the advent of Islam, was the fear of losing their supremacy in the political and economical fields, so Allah throughout this Surah recalls them of His favors upon them and calls them to turn to Allah Alone and accept the call of Truth.
Allah’s blessings on the Quraish were countless. But if for no other blessing, the Quraish should worship Allah at least for this blessing that by Allah’s bounty they became accustomed to the trade journeys, for this by itself is indeed a great favor of Allah to them. In this verse Allah recalls them His another favor upon them that they were granted safety and peace with their journey and trading matters.
In those days trading from one place to another was not an easy job. Many caravans were looted on the way. And it was always fear for the tribes to be robbed off which caused them financial harms. The Quraish were though secured from the invasions of the hostile tribes in the Arabian Peninsula, this made them monopolize the trade of the area from the North to the South and vice-versa.
In the summer, they used to go to Syria which had moderate weather and in winter to Yemen where they enjoyed a warm climate, for the purposes of trade, and it was by Allah’s Grace that they travelled safe and undisturbed on their journeys, otherwise, the routes were not safe and none could travel without being plundered and suffering death and destruction or suffering heavy losses. Everyone knew the position and honour of Quraish so they never faced any such problem with their journeys and tradings wether it be winters or summers. So Allah shows them His favor and urges them to accept the Call of Truth which His Messenger pbuh brought.
When the Quraish had been granted such great blessings; security in trade for gaining profit and in life for being honoured, they should have gratefully worshipped the Lord of the Kaba, Who, inspite of their land being only a desert and thus unproductive, provides them with every kind of good food and the other provisions of life, through merchandise and the pilgrimage, which is brought to their very door. And Allah had protected them from the most evil enemy, Abrahah. The Quraish have attained to this blessing only by virtue of the House of Allah. They themselves acknowledge that the 360 idols, which they worship, are not its lord, but Allah alone is its Lord. So Allah reminds them that the only reason they are respected is because of His House and favors so they should also worship Him Alone.
And in the barren valley of Makkah, they were fed well and it was all because of Allah’s bounty. And they were safe from every harm where rest of the tribes faced dangers and lack or peace, so it should make sense to Quraish who really to turn to for obedience and worship!
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