بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ
لِإيلافِ قُرَيشٍ
For solidarity among the Quraysh.
EXEGESIS
Quraysh is the name of the tribe that Prophet Muhammad (s) was born into. They are the progeny of al-Naḍr ibn Kinānah who preceded the Prophet by thirteen generations. The root word taqarrush, from which this name is derived, means to assemble and come together. It is said that the tribe adopted the name Quraysh due to their coming together in Mecca in the time of al-Naḍr ibn Kinānah or shortly afterwards.
Īlāf (solidarity) is from ulfah which implies unity, concord, and harmony between entities. Thus, the first two verses are referring to how God brought about solidarity and cohesion among the Quraysh in terms of their trade between Mecca and other cities.
It is also reported that īlāf was a pact of non-hostility initiated by Hāshim, the great-grandfather of Prophet Muhammad (s), between the Quraysh and the Byzantine, Roman, and Persian empires, as well as with Yemen and the leaders of numerous tribes on their trade routes for their safe passage on their trade journeys through these territories.
EXPOSITION
There are a number of instances in the Quran where the names of certain historical tribes or civilisations have been mentioned, but these are usually tribes that existed long before the advent of Islam. The only contemporaneous tribe to the time of Prophet Muhammad (s) that has been mentioned in the Quran is that of the Quraysh.
The Quraysh had two main characteristics that singled them out. The first relates to the root from which their name has been derived, in that their constituents would put a lot of effort in uniting together and functioning as a community rather than as dispersed individuals. The second is that their main occupation was trading. Not only did they have a substantial regional business due to the pivotal role of the Kaaba in attracting traders from around Mecca who would come for pilgrimage while also making the most of this commercial opportunity, but the Quraysh would also travel for business to Yemen in winter and to Syria in summer. Due to the long distance between Mecca and each of these two locations, the Quraysh needed to ensure they were well-equipped on these journeys to defend themselves as well as their goods from bandits and highway robbers on the route. Furthermore, it was necessary for Mecca itself, being a centre of trade, to also be protected from these threats. By the mercy of God, this protection and solidarity was granted to the inhabitants of Mecca through the presence of the Kaaba in their city; the people would respect and honour the Meccans due to the sanctity of the Kaaba, which not only prevented them from attacking or pillaging the city, but also served as a deterrent from any potential ambushes on the trade caravans during their journeys to and from Mecca.
According to this explanation, protection has primarily been bestowed by God to the Kaaba itself and the resulting security for the inhabitants of Mecca is secondary. This protection is in fact an answer to the call of Prophet Abraham (a) after having built the Kaaba: And when Abraham said: ‘My Lord, make this a secure town’ (2:126). It is interesting to note that the word town is mentioned in the indefinite, as the supplication was made at a time when the land was not yet inhabited by people. This is in contrast to the supplication made by Prophet Abraham (a) later, after Mecca had become populated and established as a town, such that he refers to it in the definite: When Abraham said: ‘My Lord! Make this city a sanctuary’ (14:35).
A second explanation is that this solidarity resulted from a pact of non-hostility that was initiated by Hāshim, the great-grandfather of Prophet Muhammad (s), between the Quraysh and the Byzantine, Roman, and Persian empires, as well as with Yemen and the leaders of numerous tribes on their trade routes. This pact allowed them to travel safely and undertake their trade journeys through various territories without fear of attack or hostility from local inhabitants or highway robbers. The surah is thus indicating that it was only because of God’s grace and mercy that these agreements came about. Furthermore, it may be argued that the destruction of Abrahah and his army of elephants were a favour bestowed upon the Quraysh in order for these pacts to continue.
In any case, this blessing of solidarity and peaceful coexistence with others was of particular importance to the Quraysh due to their urban setup in Mecca and their profound interest in trading as a primary means of earning a living; it is for this reason that they have been singled out in the surah as recipients of this favour.
The particle li (for) that the surah begins with denotes that enabling this peaceful coexistence of the Quraysh with other people was the result of a particular event. Now, if the content of this surah is linked to that of the preceding surah (Sūrat al-Fīl (105)), it may be claimed that For is connected to the last line of Sūrat al-Fīl in that the destruction of Abrahah and his army of elephants when they came to attack the Kaaba was For the sake of protecting the solidarity among the Quraysh, as well as securing their peaceful coexistence with other people such that they could establish Mecca as a trade centre, and facilitate trade expeditions to Yemen and Syria; in that case, the end of one surah and the beginning of this one would be read as follows: [So He made] them like chewed-up straw, for [the sake of] solidarity of the Quraysh (105:5–106:1).
On the other hand, if this surah is to be treated as completely separate from Sūrat al-Fīl, then the particle li would be linked to the third verse of Sūrat al-Quraysh itself and would be translated as ‘because’, in that the Quraysh should worship the Lord of the Kaaba ‘because’ He is the one who has brought about this solidarity and cohesion among them due to the presence of His house in that land.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) has said: ‘Do not combine two surahs in one unit of prayer except al-Ḍuḥā and A-lam Nashraḥ, and A-lam Tara Kayfa and Li-īlāfi Quraysh.’
- It has been narrated from Imam al-Bāqir (a) or Imam al-Ṣādiq (a): ‘A-Lam Tara Kayfa Faʿala Rabbuk and Li-īlāfi Quraysh are one surah.’
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
There are a number of other opinions as to why the tribe of Quraysh got its name. Some say that the name originally referred to a large sea animal that would eat anything that came its way, whether lean or stout; thus the tribe was named such due to their strength and dominance over others, exploiting them at any opportunity.
Others say that the name comes from the idea of earning, and so they were called Quraysh due to their main occupation of trading.
Another opinion is that the root of this word carries the meaning of inspecting and reviewing, which was what the Quraysh would do to the pilgrims who would come to Mecca in order to help them and serve them.
However, the more common opinion is what we mentioned earlier, that its root is taqarrush, meaning to assemble and come together, reflecting their coming together and their urban lifestyle in Mecca.
[1] Fayyumi, p. 497; Jawhari, 3/1016; Tabrisi, 10/829; Tahqiq, 9/263.
[2] Ayn, 5/39; Tahqiq, 9/263.
[3] Mizan, 20/366.
[4] Muhammad ibn Ḥabīb al-Baghdādī, al-Munammaq fī Akhbār Quraysh:
https://raseef22.net/article/117445-%D8%A5%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%81-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B4%D8%8C-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%8A-%D8%BA%D9%8A%D9%91%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B7;
https://manthoor.com/%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%86%D9%89-%D8%A5%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%81-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B4/.
[5] Jawādī Āmolī, Tasnīm:
http://javadi.esra.ir/-/%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B4-1399-01-19.
[6] Amthal, 20/478.
[7] Jawādī Āmolī, Tasnīm:
http://javadi.esra.ir/-/%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B4-1399-01-19.
[8] Jawādī Āmolī, Tasnīm:
http://javadi.esra.ir/-/%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B4-1399-01-19.
[9] Mizan, 20/366; Tabrisi, 10/830.
[10] Jawādī Āmolī, Tasnīm:
http://javadi.esra.ir/-/%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B4-1399-01-19.
[11] Jawādī Āmolī, Tasnīm:
http://javadi.esra.ir/-/%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B4-1399-01-19.
[12] Muhammad ibn Ḥabīb al-Baghdādī, al-Munammaq fī Akhbār Quraysh:
https://raseef22.net/article/117445-%D8%A5%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%81-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B4%D8%8C-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D9%8A-%D8%BA%D9%8A%D9%91%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D8%AE%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B7;
https://manthoor.com/%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%86%D9%89-%D8%A5%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%81-%D9%82%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B4/
[13] Jawādī Āmolī, Tasnīm:
http://javadi.esra.ir/-/%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B4-1399-01-19.
[14] Mizan, 20/366; Jawādī Āmolī, Tasnīm:
http://javadi.esra.ir/-/%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B4-1399-01-19.
[15] Wasail, 6/55.
[16] Bihar, 82/47; Fayḍ Kāshānī, al-Wāfī, 8/682.
[17] Amthal, 20/478.