Surah Quraysh (Quraysh)

1

It is a Meccan Surah of four verses.

Quraysh: (1) Li-Īlāfi Quraysh (For the Quraysh's Familiarity)

Know that there are several issues here regarding the phrase:

Issue 1: The Lām (Preposition) in {Li-Īlāfi}

The lām (preposition) in the phrase {Li-Īlāfi} can be interpreted in three ways: either it relates to the preceding Sūrah, or to the following verse, or it is independent of both.

If it relates to the preceding Sūrah, there are several possibilities:

Possibility 1: As stated by al-Zajjāj and Abū ‘Ubaydah, the implied meaning is: {Then We made them like eaten straw} for the Quraysh's familiarity (i.e., God destroyed the People of the Elephant so that the Quraysh might remain secure in the journeys they were accustomed to—the winter and summer trade routes).

• Objection: This is weak because they were made like "eaten straw" due to their disbelief, not for the sake of the Quraysh's familiarity.
• Rebuttal: This objection is weak for several reasons:
  1. We do not assert that God did this only because of their disbelief, as the ultimate recompense for disbelief is deferred to the Hereafter (cf. {This Day every soul will be recompensed for what it earned}). Furthermore, if He had done it solely for their disbelief, He would have done it to all disbelievers. Rather, He did it for the Quraysh's familiarity and to magnify their status and manifest their worth.
  2. Even if deterring them from disbelief was intended, it does not negate that another purpose (the Quraysh's security) was also intended, such that the ruling applies based on the combination of both factors.
  3. Even if they were destroyed solely for their disbelief, since that destruction resulted in the Quraysh's familiarity, it is permissible to say it was done for the Quraysh's familiarity, similar to the verse: {so that it might be a source of sorrow and grief for them} (though they did not pick up the child for that reason, the outcome made the attribution appropriate).

Possibility 2: The implied meaning is: {Did you not see how your Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant for the Quraysh's familiarity?} It is as if God is saying: Everything We did to them—making their plot go astray and sending flocks of birds against them until they became like eaten straw—was entirely for the sake of the Quraysh's familiarity.

Possibility 3: The lām here means "until" or "leading to," as stated by al-Farrā’. It implies: We did everything mentioned in the preceding Sūrah leading to another blessing upon them, which is their familiarity with {the winter and summer journeys}. The blessing of God and the blessing of familiarity are equivalent in meaning.

• Two Further Points Related to This Interpretation:
  1. Unification of the Sūrahs: Scholars disagree on whether this lām connects to the preceding Sūrah. Some argue they are one Sūrah, citing:
     • Each Sūrah must be self-sufficient; since the beginning of this Sūrah relates to the previous one, it cannot be independent.
     • Ubayy ibn Ka‘b combined them as one Sūrah in his Mushaf.
     • It is narrated that ‘Umar read At-Tīn in the first rak‘ah and Alam Tarā followed immediately by Li-Īlāfi Quraysh in the second rak‘ah of Maghrib prayer, without separating them with Basmalah.
  2. Separation of the Sūrahs: The famous view is that these are two separate Sūrahs. The connection is not proof of unification because the entire Qur'an is like one Sūrah and one verse, where parts confirm and explain others. (E.g., verses of warning are often connected to verses of repentance). As for Ubayy’s reading, it is contradicted by the consensus on separation. As for ‘Umar’s reading, it only shows that an Imam may recite two Sūrahs consecutively.

• Second Inquiry Related to This Interpretation: Why did God's action against the People of the Elephant become the reason for the Quraysh's familiarity?
  • Mecca was barren (as stated in {a valley without cultivation}). The leaders of Mecca undertook these two journeys for trade to bring necessary food and clothing for themselves and their people. They profited because the kings of the surrounding regions honored the people of Mecca, calling them neighbors of the House of God and guardians of the Ka‘bah.
  • If the Abyssinians had succeeded in destroying the Ka‘bah, this honor would have vanished, and the people of Mecca would have become vulnerable to attack from all sides regarding their lives and property.
  • When God destroyed the People of the Elephant, the standing of the people of Mecca in people's hearts increased, and the reverence shown by regional kings grew, thus increasing their trade benefits. This is why God said: {Did you not see how your Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant} for the Quraysh's familiarity [with] the winter and summer journeys.

• Third Point Supporting This Interpretation: The end of this Sūrah, {So let them worship the Lord of this House}, refers back to the beginning of Sūrat Al-Fīl. It is as if God says: Worship the Lord of this House whom the People of the Elephant intended to attack. The Lord of the House defended them because of your familiarity and benefit. The command to worship is best placed after mentioning the delivery of a benefit.

This is the view of al-Khalīl and Sībawayh: The lām relates to {Fa-liya‘budū} (So let them worship). The implied meaning is: So let them worship the Lord of this House for the Quraysh's familiarity, meaning they should make their worship a thanks and acknowledgment of this blessing.

• Objection: Why is the fā’ (so) prefixed to {Fa-liya‘budū}?
• Rebuttal: The fā’ implies a conditional sense. Since God’s blessings upon them are countless, it is as if God says: If they do not worship Him for His other blessings, then let them worship Him for this single, manifest blessing.

The lām is not related to what precedes or follows it. Al-Zajjāj reports that some scholars consider this the lām of wonder/astonishment. The meaning is: Be amazed at the Quraysh's familiarity! This is because every day they sink deeper into error and idol worship, yet God gathers their unity, wards off calamities from them, and organizes the means of their livelihood. This is certainly astonishing regarding God's immense forbearance and generosity. This view is preferred by al-Kisā’ī, al-Akhfash, and al-Farrā’.

Issue 2: The Meaning of Īlāf (Familiarity/Habituation)

Three interpretations are given for Īlāf:

1. It means Ilf (Habit): Linguists state that alifta shay’an and aliftuhu īlāfan mean the same thing: I became accustomed to it. Thus, the meaning is: For the Quraysh's habit of these two journeys so they continue uninterrupted. (Abū Ja‘far recited it as li-ilfi Quraysh, while others recited li-īlāfi Quraysh, and ‘Ikrimah recited li-yāfī Quraysh).
2. It means God Caused the Habituation: This comes from the phrase, "I became attached to a place, and God made me attached to it." The meaning is that this familiarity was established for the Quraysh through a divine arrangement that gently fostered it. This aligns with {But Allah fostered affection between them} and {And He put affection between your hearts, and you became, by His favor, brothers}. Pleasure can be a cause of intimacy and agreement, as happened after the defeat of the People of the Elephant for the Quraysh. In this case, the verbal noun (maṣdar) is attributed to the object (the Quraysh), meaning: So that God would make the Quraysh adhere to their two journeys.
3. It means Preparation/Provisioning: This is the view of al-Farrā’ and Ibn al-A‘rābī. The maṣdar is attributed to the actor (the Quraysh). The meaning is: For the Quraysh's preparation of their two journeys so they continue uninterrupted. (Abū Ja‘far recited liyāfī without the hamza of If‘āl, a complete omission, consistent with his reading of yastahzi’ūn).

Issue 3: The Repetition in {Li-Īlāfi Quraysh * Īlāfuhum}

The repetition involves stating the general term (Īlāf) first, then specifying it with the possessive pronoun (Īlāfuhum) to magnify the matter of familiarity and remind them of the great favor involved.

The most likely interpretation is that {Li-Īlāfi Quraysh} is general, encompassing all their intimacy, agreement, status, journeys, and all their conditions. Then, the familiarity of the two journeys is singled out because their livelihood depended on them, similar to {and Jibrīl}.

The benefit of omitting the conjunction wāw (and) is to emphasize that this is the entire blessing. Arabs say aliftu shay’an (I became familiar with something), which implies adherence (ilzām). Adherence has two types: adherence through command/obligation, and adherence through affection/intimacy. If a person loves something, he adheres to it. (Cf. {And He made them adhere to the word of righteousness}).

Similarly, compulsion (ilja’) has two types: one to repel harm (like fleeing a lion), and the second to seek immense benefit (like finding great wealth with no rational, religious, or sensory barrier to taking it—one is compelled to take it). The motivations that fall short of compulsion are sometimes for repelling harm and sometimes for attracting benefit, which is what is meant by {Īlāfuhum}.

Issue 4: The Naming of Quraysh

There is consensus that Quraysh are the descendants of an-Naḍr ibn Kinānah, based on the Prophet's saying: "We are the children of an-Naḍr ibn Kinānah; we are those who are made familiar (or secure) and we do not deny our father."

Several reasons are given for this name:

1. Diminutive of Qirsh (Whale): Qirsh is a huge sea creature that harasses ships and only moves with fire. Mu‘āwiyah asked Ibn ‘Abbās why Quraysh were named so, and he replied: "Because of a sea creature that eats but is not eaten, rises but is not overcome." A poet said:

   And Quraysh is that which dominates the sea, By it, Quraysh was named Quraysh. The diminutive form here is for magnification. Quraysh are described with these attributes because they held the leadership of the Ummah; the Imams are from Quraysh.

2. From Qarsh (Earning/Acquiring): Because they were earners through their trade and travels across the lands.
3. From Taqarush (Gathering): Al-Layth said they were scattered outside the Sanctuary. Quṣayy ibn Kilāb gathered them within the Sanctuary, making it their dwelling place. They were named Quraysh because taqarush means gathering. The poet said:

   Your father Quṣayy was called Al-Mijma‘ (The Gatherer), By him, God gathered the tribes of Fihr.

4. From Qarsh (Searching/Investigating): They used to fulfill the needs of the needy pilgrims. Qarsh means searching or investigating. Ibn Hurrah said:

   O mocker who investigates us, Regarding ‘Amr, is there permanence to that?

! 7 < {Īlāfuhum riḥlata ash-shitā’i waṣ-ṣayf} (Their familiarity [with] the winter and summer journeys). > 7

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