In the Shade of the Qur'an - Surah # 106
In the Shade of the Qur'an - Surah # 106
Syed Qutb
Sura # 106
Quraish
In the name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Merciful!
For the tradition of Quraish, their tradition of traveling in winter and summer. Let them worship the Lord of this
House, Who provided them with food lest they should go hungry, and with security lest they should fear.
In the Shade of the Qur'an
When Abraham, the friend (khalil) of Allah, completed the building of
the house of worship (the Ka'ba) and had purified it he turned to Allah with the following prayer:
Lord, make this a city of peace and sustain its inhabitants with the fruits (of the earth). (2:126)
So Allah made that House one of peace; He made it free from all human authority and free from all tyranny.
He granted security and peace to anyone seeking shelter in that House, while fear was all around it.
Even when the people transgressed, ascribed Divinity to beings other than Allah and worshipped idols, there was
peace and security; for Allah had designed a purpose for this sacred House.
When the people of the
Elephant marched to destroy the House, there happened to them what is described in the preceding surah, "The
Elephant". Allah preserved for the House its peace, security and sacredness. Of those who lived around it, Allah
says: "Do they not then see that We have made a secure Sanctuary, and that men are being snatched away
from all around them?" (29:67)
The Elephant incident had an added effect in greatly enhancing the
sanctity of the House amongst the Arabs all over the Arabian peninsula. It also strengthened the position of the
Quraish, the custodians of the House, in all Arabia. They were thus able to travel far and wide in peace
and security. Wherever they went they met with generosity and high esteem. This encouraged them to establish two
great routes for their commercial caravans, to the Yemen in the south and to Syria in the north. They
organised two enormous trading expeditions; one to the Yemen in the winter and the other to Syria in the summer.
In spite of very poor conditions of security in all parts of the Arabian peninsula at the time, and in spite of
all the looting and plundering raids that were very common in that land, the sanctity of the House in
the eyes of all Arabs guaranteed security and peace in their flourishing business to those who lived near it and
were its custodians. It created for the Quraish a distinct and exclusive position and opened up to them
extensive and guaranteed means of sustenance in peace, security and contentment. The Quraish became accustomed
to these two profitable and peaceful trips, which were soon established among their traditional habits.
This is the specific grace of which Allah reminds the Quraish, as He had reminded them of
the Elephant incident in the previous surah. It is the grace of their being accustomed to the trips of winter and
summer, and the abundance with which He endowed them in these two fruitful journeys. It is by the grace
of Allah that while their land is desolate and dry, they still live a comfortable life. Out of His grace
He secured them from fear whether in their hearths and homes, next to Allah's house, or in their trips and journeys.
Their security is the result of their being the custodians of the House, the sanctity of which is ordained
and preserved by Allah against any violation.
Allah reminds them of these graces in order that they may be ashamed
of their submission to other beings, while He is the Lord of the House. Allah says to them in effect:
for this tradition of Quraish, namely their trips of winter and summer, let them submit to the Lord of this
House Who guaranteed their security and so encouraged them to take such beneficial trips. "Let them worship the
Lord of this House, Who provides them with food lest they should go hungry." As their land is infertile,
they would have starved had it not been for the sustenance supplied to them by Allah. "And with security lest they
should live in fear." Poor as they are, and living in an insecure surroundings, their life would have
been one of fear and apprehension. But Allah granted them security and allayed their fear. And this is a reminder
which generates and leaves a deep shame in the hearts of the Quraish, who were not unaware of the great
value of the House and the effect of its sanctity on their lives. At the moment of danger and difficulty, the Quraish
used to appeal only to the Lord of that House and seek only His help. This was the case with Abdulmuttalib'
who did not confront Abrahah with any army or physical strength. Instead Abdulmuttalib addressed himself only to
the Lord of the House, because He was the only one who could protect His House. Abdulmuttalib did not
appeal to any of the idols or graven images for any help. He did not even say to Abrahah that these "gods" will
protect their House. He only said to him, I am only the master of the camels,
but the House has its own Lord who is sure to protect it. But Ignorance
does not listen to any logic, or acknowledge what is right, or accept any reasonable argument.
This
surah seems to be an extension of the preceding one, "The Elephant," with regard to its subject matter and general
tone. Nevertheless, it is an independent surah with the usual beginning of the Qur'anic surahs, namely,
"In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful" Authorities state that nine surahs were revealed between the
revelation of surah "The Elephant" and surah "Quraish", but these two were put next to each other in
the Qur'an because of their close similarity of subject.
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