Sūrat Quraysh
سورۃ قریش
Sūrat Quraysh, Makkī — revealed in Makkah. It has four (4) āyāt.
And so the bounties and favours of Allah Most High are beyond counting — and as we are ungrateful to Him, give thanks to Him and obey His commands.
لِإِيلَافِ قُرَيْشٍ
li-ʾīlāfi Quraysh.
"For the accustomed security of the Quraysh." (Quraysh 106:1)
Li — for, due to. Īlāf — familiarity, intimacy, closeness, concord — al-ilf — the tribe of Quraysh — a very great tribe of the Arabs from which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself comes — Ḥażrat Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him), Ḥażrat ʿUmar, Ḥażrat ʿUthmān, and Ḥażrat ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with them) are all members.
Translation: "Due to the intimacy and accord of the Quraysh (you worship God — this is His favour — acknowledge it)."
إِلْفِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ
īlāfihim riḥlata l-shitāʾi wa-l-ṣayf.
"Their accustomed journey in winter and summer." (Quraysh 106:2)
Al-fihim — their familiarity and accord, and gratitude for Allah's favour of intimacy. Riḥla — journey, travel, trading. Al-shitāʾ — winter, cold season. Wa-l-ṣayf — and summer, hot season.
It was the custom of Quraysh that they used to journey in winter with caravans — to Yemen in the cold season and to Syria in the hot season — and also they used to bring goods for trade from India to these places and in the warm season carry goods for trade to Europe and further.
Translation: "Due to their intimacy, accord and cooperation in the trade caravans in winter and summer (and for this to be settled and flourishing — and be grateful for this to Him)."
فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هَٰذَا الْبَيْتِ
fa-l-yaʿbudū rabba hādhā l-bayt.
"Then let them worship the Lord of this House." (Quraysh 106:3)
Fa — then. Li — so, therefore. Yaʿbudū — let them worship, let them serve — let them establish their servitude. Rabb — the Lord, the one who nourishes and provides. Hādhā — this. Al-bayt — the House, the home, the House of Allah, the Kaʿba al-Sharīf.
Translation: "So these people should worship and serve the Lord of this sacred House of Allah."
الَّذِي أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ وَآمَنَهُم مِّنْ خَوْفٍ
al-ladhī aṭʿamahum min jūʿin wa-āmanahum min khawf.
"Who has fed them, saving them from hunger, and made them secure, saving them from fear." (Quraysh 106:4)
Al-ladhī — the One who. Aṭʿamahum — He fed them, gave them delicious food. Min — from. Jūʿin — from severe hunger, from near-starvation — from the dry Yemen and Syria side. Wa-āmanahum — and He gave them security. Min khawf — from fear — from the enemies who would overcome them, from the dread of aṣḥāb al-Fīl.
Translation: "(What God is this?) He who fed them and provided for them from severe hunger and gave them peace from (enemy) fear."
Esteemed readers! The custom of the Arabs and the Quraysh was that trade caravans went to Yemen in winter and to Syria in summer and brought goods from there — this is Allah's favour. All of it is for the service of the Kaʿba al-Sharīf — and all this is the generosity of divine bounties. He rescued them from hunger — from the dread of enemies He gave them peace. In this way it is being said — whatever there is, is the favour of God — and so one ought to be grateful to God for it.
Esteemed readers! Why does Allah Most High mention trade at this point and talk about it? Because trade is how the conditions of the world are known — through trading and transactions people derive actual experience — through lazy people, loafers and idlers, trade is not good. The result of this is bankruptcy. Bear in mind — trade is the wealth of noble people, nobility, beauty, honour. The disgraced and destitute are those people who come to the merchants of Hindustān in the summer season and carry goods there — and in the warm season go to the country of Shām (Syria) carrying merchandise and trading goods back. Through trade, people see one's character and integrity — one can extend one's hand to others — the merchant in the market has the ability of a king and a soldier — one's character in every state is known. Noble is the person who earns well — not so one who just strolls. In any case the person who earns his living by honest hands is pure. The pilgrim caravan then when he does — if he works then he will be useful — he will have more merchandise and he will be wealthy — so go and do — whatever is good turns out good — do it — and thanks be to God.