| 1) For the tradition of the Quraysh, 2) their tradition of the winter and summer caravans: 3) so let them worship the Lord of this House, 4) who has fed them against hunger and has secured them from fear. |
For the tradition, many of the exegetes have stated that this section of the chapter continues on from the previous chapter. In this case the meaning would be, We did what We did for the tradition of the Quraysh, their safety and their benefit, and so that their winter and summer caravans to Yemen and Syria continue as they are, bearing profit. Allah destroyed those who wished to harm them; He magnified the standing of the Sanctified House and raised the status of its inhabitants in the hearts of the Arabs such that they held those who lived around it in great respect. Moreover, He did not stop them from undertaking any journey they wished. Of the Quraysh, their tradition of the winter and summer caravans, it is for these reasons that He ordered them to show Him gratitude by saying, so let them worship the Lord of this House, let them single Him out alone for worship and direct their worship to Him and Him alone. Who has fed them against hunger and has secured them from fear, being able to eat freely and living in safety are two of the greatest worldly blessings which call for gratitude to Allah, Most High.[1] O Allah! All praise and thanks are Yours for Your blessings, the outer and inner!
Allah specifically mentions that He is the Lord of the House because of its nobility and excellence. In reality, He is the Lord of everything.
Endnotes
1. Allah mentions this further in al-Baqara (2): 126: And when Ibrahim said, My Lord, make this a place of safety and provide its inhabitants with fruits all of them who have faith in Allah and the Last Day, He said, I will let anyone who becomes a disbeliever enjoy himself a little but then I will drive him to the punishment of the Fire. What an evil destination! and al-Qasas (28): 57, They say, If we follow the guidance with you, we shall be forcibly uprooted from our land. Have We not established a safe haven for them to which produce of every kind is brought, provision direct from Us? But most of them do not know it.
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