The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 5) — Page 554
CH. 106 QURAISH PT. 30 4. They should worship the Lord of this House," 5. Who has fed them against hunger, and has given them security against fear. 4848 "3:97; 27:92. W فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هَذَا الْبَيْتِ ) الَّذِي أَطْعَمَهُمُ مِّنْ جُوعٍ ن وَأَمَنَهُمْ مِّنْ خَوْفٍ winter to Yemen and in summer to the hearts of the Quraish to their Syria and Palestine, the Quraish brought necessities of life to Mecca. By this trading activity, they developed a certain prestige and also became acquainted with the prophecies about the appearance of a great Prophet in Arabia by coming into contact with Jews of Yemen and Christians of Syria who knew those prophecies. It was indeed a great Divine favour that God created in the hearts of the Quraish a liking, for making journeys to Yemen and Syria. They were so rooted in the soil and had such great attachment for the Ka'bah that they would rather starve than leave it, even temporarily. It was by the exhortation of Hashim, the Holy Prophet's great grandfather, that they took to this calling. Thus it constituted a great Divine favour upon the Quraish that by their journeys to these places they, besides other advantages of these journeys, were being prepared to accept the coming Prophet when he appeared. Apart from the expression taken as understood, there is another explanation of the verses which fits in, perhaps more appropriately, with the context. This is as follows: "Thy Lord destroyed the Owner of the Elephant to attach journeying freely in winter and summer, which constituted a great Divine favour upon them. " This is because if Abraha had not been destroyed it would have been impossible for the Quraish to make journeys to Yemen. The destruction of Abraha, therefore, besides opening the way for trade journeys to Yemen, made the Ka'bah all the more sacred in the eyes of the Arabs for whom it was already a place of Pilgrimage. This in its turn gave added impetus to the trade of the Quraish. 4848. Commentary: It was indeed a great Divine favour that as servants of the Ka'bah the Quraish were granted perfect security from fear, while all around them raged fear and insecurity. Besides, they were provided round the year, with every kind of fruit and food. All this was not due to mere chance. It was in pursuance of a Divine plan and in fulfilment of a prophecy made by the Patriarch Abraham 2500 years before (14:36, 38 & 2:127, 130). The verse drives home to the disbelieving Quraish their guilt of ingratitude by telling them that they had taken to the worship of gods made of wood and stone. 3450