عَمَُّْ ْ 1564 اَلْقُرَیْش
لِإِيلَافِ قُرَيْشٍ ﴿۱﴾ إِيلَافِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ ﴿۲﴾ فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ ﴿۳﴾
﴾1﴿ Li-eelaafi quraish
﴾2﴿ Eelaafihim rihlatash shitaaa'i wassaif
﴾3﴿ Faly'abudoo rabba haazal-bait
﴾1﴿ It is astonishing, the love of Quraysh for the world
﴾2﴿ Their love for the winter and summer journeys
﴾3﴿ So they must devote their worship exclusively to the Lord of this House
Relevancy:
This surah is connected to the previous surah in several ways.
The first connection is that in the previous surah, there was a worldly warning to the enemies of the House of Allah, whereas in this surah, there is an invitation to monotheism as a means of expressing gratitude for those dwelling near the House of Allah.
The second connection is that the previous surah contained a worldly warning, while this surah serves as a reprimand.
Claim of this surah:
The reprimand is regarding the love of the world, while the invitation is to monotheism. One name of Allah, the Exalted, (Rabb), is mentioned, along with two attributes of action.
Summary of the surah:
First, there is a reprimand regarding the love of the world in general.
Then, there is a mention of journeys as a specific example of love for the world.
After that, there is an invitation to monotheism in worship.
Finally, two blessings are mentioned as a proof of monotheism.
[1] In this passage, the reprimand to the Quraysh is for their attachment to the world. The best interpretation is that the lām (ل) in the phrase indicates amazement, meaning: Be astonished at the Quraysh's love for the world. Ibn Jarir has stated that this interpretation is correct and sound.
According to this interpretation, the reprimand is directed at the Quraysh for their love of worldly wealth. The Quraysh are the descendants of Nadr ibn Kinana ibn Khuzaimah ibn Mudrikah ibn Ilyas ibn Nadr. Anyone who is not a descendant of Nadr is not considered Quraysh.
Imam Bukhari narrates a hadith in which the Messenger of Allah (May Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
"Indeed, Allah, the Exalted, chose Kinana from among the descendants of Ismail (peace be upon him), and He chose the Quraysh from among the descendants of Kinana. He chose Banu Hashim from among the Quraysh, and He chose me from among Banu Hashim."
Thus, it is evident that the lineage of the Quraysh is the most noble and superior among all the lineages of the world—provided they have faith.
[2] This is an example of specification after generalization.
It is narrated from Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) that the year is divided into two main seasons: winter and summer, while spring and autumn are incidental and not given primary consideration.
(رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ) — During the winter season, the Quraysh would travel to Yemen, as it was a warm land.
(وَالصَّيْفِ) — During the summer season, they would travel to the Levant (Sham), as it was a cold region.
These journeys had three main purposes:
The people honored and respected them because they were neighbors of the House of Allah, the Exalted, and belonged to a noble lineage. As a result, they were given many offerings and gifts.
Their travels were also for trade and commerce.
Additionally, they undertook these journeys to protect themselves from extreme heat and cold.
[3] This passage is an invitation to monotheism in worship and the abandonment of polytheism.
(فَلْيَعْبُدُوا) — The polytheists practiced outward forms of worship, such as prayer, fasting, Ashura, Hajj, Umrah, circumambulation (tawaf), designating a portion of their wealth in the name of Allah, giving charity, paying blood money (diyyah), taking oaths (qisamah), and enforcing retribution (qisas), among other religious practices. These are attested by Quranic verses, hadiths, and Arab historical records.
However, while they performed these rituals, they lacked true faith (iman) and monotheism (tawhid). Therefore, in this verse, "worship" refers specifically to tawhid (pure monotheism).
(رَبَّ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ) — The phrase "Lord of this House" contains an implicit indication that the Quraysh did believe in the Tawhid of Rububiyyah—meaning they acknowledged Allah as the Creator and Sustainer.
The specification of the Kaaba ("this House") in the verse serves as a reference to the blessing mentioned in Surah Al-Fil: Allah has preserved and protected this House, while your idols (asnam) have no role or influence in that protection.