Surah Quraysh (106)

Quraysh is the name of the Prophet's ﷺ tribe, who lived in Mecca, near the Kaaba. It is surah 106. It has 4 verses. It comes just after Al-Fil: Allah had protected Mecca from the army of elephants, and now He reminds the people of Quraysh of all the blessings He gave them.

The people of Quraysh were merchants. Every year, they made two big journeys with their caravans: one in winter (to Yemen, in the south) and one in summer (to Sham, in the north). Thanks to Allah, they travelled safely and had enough to eat. [À VÉRIFIER : destinations des deux voyages, selon les livres de tafsir]

1. لِإِيلَافِ قُرَيْشٍ Li iilaafi quraysh For the custom of Quraysh,

2. إِيلَافِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ Iilaafihim riḥlata sh-shitaa'i wa ṣ-ṣayf their custom of the winter and summer journeys,

3. فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هَٰذَا الْبَيْتِ Fa l-ya'buduu rabba haadhaa l-bayt so let them worship the Lord of this House (the Kaaba),

4. الَّذِي أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ وَآمَنَهُم مِّنْ خَوْفٍ Alladhii aṭ'amahum min juu'in wa aamanahum min khawf the One who fed them when they were hungry, and made them safe when they were afraid.

The little lesson: you too have received many blessings: a meal, a home, people who love and protect you. All of this comes from Allah. How do we thank Him? By worshipping Him: by praying, by saying "Al-ḥamdu lillaah" after eating, and by sharing with those who have less.

Memorisation tip: think of a suitcase. Verse 2: we go on a journey (winter, summer). Verse 3: we turn towards the Kaaba. Verse 4: two gifts from Allah, food (juu', hunger) and safety (khawf, fear).

Understanding Surah Quraysh

1. Explanation • Verses 1 and 2: Allah reminds the people of Quraysh of a habit He had made easy for them: their two great trade journeys, in winter to Yemen and in summer to Sham (Syria), as the tafsir Al-Mukhtasar states. • Verse 3: because of this blessing, let them worship the Lord of this House, the Kaaba, Him alone, without associating anything with Him. • Verse 4: He is the One who fed them when they were hungry, and made them safe when they were afraid. In an Arabia where caravans were often attacked, people respected those who came from the Sanctuary of Mecca: it was Allah who had placed this respect in their hearts. This surah follows Al-Fil: Allah had protected Mecca from the army of elephants, and this safety allowed Quraysh to live and trade in peace. We also remember the prophet Ibraahiim's supplication for Mecca: that Allah make it a safe city and feed its people (meaning of verse 2:126).

2. Lessons to learn • Having food and living in safety are two immense blessings: I do not treat them as "normal". • The best way to thank Allah is to worship Him: to pray, to obey Him, to thank Him with words and with deeds. • I do not waste food, and I think of those who are hungry or live in fear: I make supplications for them and I share. • Working and earning a living honestly is a good thing: the trade of Quraysh was a blessing from Allah.

3. To remember • Two journeys: in winter to Yemen, in summer to Sham. • Two blessings: food and safety. • The answer to blessings: worship Allah alone.

4. The message of the surah All our blessings, food and safety first of all, come from Allah; the thanks He expects is that we worship Him, Him alone.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar fi tafsir al-Qur'an (English translation), with well-known points from the tafsirs of Ibn Kathir and As-Sa'di.