CHAPTER 106
QURAYSH
(The Makkan Tribe)
(4 VERSES)
VERSES 1 – 4
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Brief Introduction of 106:
Sura Al-Maoun (4 verses) was revealed in Makkah. (Imam Hassan Al-Askari-asws said): ‘And as for the years and the lack of fruits (harvest) – so Rasool-Allah-saww supplicated against (the clan of) Muzar, and he-saww said: ‘O Allah-azwj! Intensify Your-azwj Trampling upon (the clan of) Muzar and Make it to be upon them the years like the years of Yusuf-as.
Then Rasool Allah-saww pardoned (the clan of) Muzar and said ‘O Allah-azwj! Relieve them!’ So there returned unto them, the fertility (productivity of the land), and the well-being, and the prosperity.[1]
MERITS
وَ بِهَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ أَبِي الْمِعْزَى عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: مَنْ أَكْثَرَ قِرَاءَةَ لِإِيلافِ قُرَيْشٍ بَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلَى مَرْكَبٍ مِنْ مَرَاكِبِ الْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى يَقْعُدَ عَلَى مَوَائِدِ النُّورِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
And with this chain of transmission on the authority of Al-Hasan on the authority of Abu Al-Mu’za on the authority of Abu Basir on the authority of
Abu Abdullah-asws said: Whoever recites frequently the verses of the Quraysh (106), Allah-azwj will raise him on the Day of Resurrection on a mount from the mounts of Paradise until he sits at the tables of light on the Day of Resurrection.[2]
ثَوَابُ الْأَعْمَالِ، مَنْ قَرَأَ سُورَةَ الْفِيلِ فَلْيَقْرَأْ مَعَهَا لِإِيلَافِ فَإِنَّهُمَا جَمِيعاً سُورَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ
(The book) ‘Sawaab Al Amaal’ –
‘One who recites Surah Al-Feel, let him recite Surah Quraysh with it, for these two are together as one Chapter’’.[3]
ابن بابويه: بإسناده، عن أبي بصير، عن أبي عبد الله (عليه السلام)، قال: «من أكثر من قراءة (لإيلف قريش) بعثه الله يوم القيامة على مركب من مراكب الجنة حتى يقعد على موائد النور يوم القيامة
Ibn Babuwayh, by his chain from Abu Baseer,
Abu Abdullah-asws has said: ‘The one who frequents in reciting: For the protection of Quraysh [106:1] (Surah Quraysh) will be resurrected by Allah-azwj on the Day of Judgement on a ride from the rides of the Paradise until he would be seated at the table spreads of Light on the Day of Judgement’.[4]
و من (خواص القرآن): روي عن النبي (صلى الله عليه و آله) أنه قال: «من قرأ هذه السورة أعطاه الله من الأجر كمن طاف حول الكعبة و اعتكف في المسجد الحرام
And from Khawaas Al-Quran –
It has been reported from the Prophet-saww having said: ‘One who recites this Chapter (Surah Quraysh), would be Given by Allah-azwj the Rewards of the one who has performed Tawaaf of the Kabah and observed the I’tikaaf (seclusion) in the Sacred Masjid.
و إذا قرئت على طعام يخاف منه كان فيه الشفاء، و لم يؤذ آكله أبدا
And if you it is recited over food that you are scared from, there would be a healing in it, and would not harm the eater ever’.[5]
و قال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه و آله): «من قرأها على طعام لم ير فيه سوء أبدا
And Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘The one who recites it upon the food, would never see evil in it ever’.[6]
و قال الصادق (عليه السلام): «إذا قرئت على طعام يخاف منه كان شفاء من كل داء، و إذا قرأتها على ماء ثم رش الماء على من أشغل قلبه بالمرض و لا يدري ما سببه يصرفه الله عنه
And Al-Sadiq-asws said: ‘When it (Surah Quraysh) is recited upon food one fears from, it would be a healing from every illness. And when it is recited upon water, then the water is sprinkled upon one whose heart is pre-occupied (depression/possessed) with the sickness and he does not know what the cause of it is, Allah-azwj would Turn it away from him’’.[7]
VERSES 1 – 4
لِإِيلَافِ قُرَيْشٍ {1}
For the straightening of Quraysh (as they were helping Muraz tribe) [106:1]
NB: Most translators have translated 106:1 as ‘for the protection of the Quraysh’, which is misleading e.g.,[8]
إِيلَافِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ {2}
Their (matter will) straithen of trading caravans of the winter and the summer [106:2]
فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هَٰذَا الْبَيْتِ {3}
So let them worship Lord of this House (Kabah) [106:3]
الَّذِي أَطْعَمَهُمْ مِنْ جُوعٍ وَآمَنَهُمْ مِنْ خَوْفٍ {4}
Who Feeds them from hunger and Secures them from fear [106:4]
وَ أَمَّا السِّنِينُ وَ نَقْصٌ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ- فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص دَعَا عَلَى مُضَرَ فَقَالَ: «اللَّهُمَّ اشْدُدْ وَطْأَتَكَ عَلَى مُضَرَ، وَ اجْعَلْهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سِنِينَ كَسِنِي يُوسُفَ
(Imam Hassan Al-Askari-asws said): ‘And as for the years and the lack of fruits (harvest) – so Rasool-Allah-saww supplicated against (the clan of) Muzar, and he-saww said: ‘O Allah-azwj! Intensify Your-azwj Trampling upon (the clan of) Muzar and Make it to be upon them the years like the years of Yusuf-as.
فَابْتَلَاهُمُ اللَّهُ بِالْقَحْطِ وَ الْجُوعِ، فَكَانَ الطَّعَامُ يُجْلَبُ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ كُلِّ نَاحِيَةٍ، فَإِذَا اشْتَرَوْهُ وَ قَبَضُوهُ لَمْ يَصِلُوا بِهِ إِلَى بُيُوتِهِمْ- حَتَّى يَتَسَوَّسَ وَ يُنْتِنَ وَ يَفْسُدَ
So, Allah-azwj Afflicted them with the drought and the hunger, and it became such that the foodstuff would be brought to them from every area, and when they bought it and would take possession of it, they could not arrive with it to their houses – until it would rot, and stink, and spoil.
فَيَذْهَبَ أَمْوَالُهُمْ، وَ لَا يُجْعَلُ لَهُمْ فِي الطَّعَامِ نَفْعٌ حَتَّى أَضَرَّ بِهِمُ الْأَزْمُ وَ الْجُوعُ الشَّدِيدُ الْعَظِيمُ حَتَّى أَكَلُوا الْكِلَابَ الْمَيْتَةَ، وَ أَحْرَقُوا عِظَامَ الْمَوْتَى فَأَكَلُوهَا، وَ حَتَّى نَبَشُوا عَنْ قُبُورِ الْمَوْتَى فَأَكَلُوهُمْ، وَ حَتَّى رُبَّمَا أَكَلَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ طِفْلَهَا
So their wealth was gone, and there did not happen to be any benefit for them in the foodstuff until they were harmed in the crisis, and the hunger became severe, great, to the extent that they were eating the dead dogs, and they would burn the bones of the deceased and eat them, and to the extent that they would exhume the dead ones from their graves and eat them, and to the extent that sometimes the woman ate her child.
إِلَى أَنْ مَشَى جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْ رُؤَسَاءِ قُرَيْشٍ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فَقَالُوا: يَا مُحَمَّدُ هَبْكَ عَادَيْتَ الرِّجَالَ، فَمَا بَالُ النِّسَاءِ وَ الصِّبْيَانِ وَ الْبَهَائِمِ
(It went on like this) until a group of the chiefs of Quraysh walked over to Rasool-Allah-saww and they said, ‘We concur that the men are your-saww enemies, but what is the case (fault) of the women, and the children, and the animals?’
فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص: أَنْتُمْ بِهَذَا مُعَاقَبُونَ، وَ أَطْفَالُكُمْ وَ حَيَوَانَاتُكُمْ [بِهَذَا] غَيْرُ مُعَاقَبَةٍ بَلْ هِيَ مُعَوَّضَةٌ بِجَمِيعِ الْمَنَافِعِ- حِينَ يَشَاءُ رَبُّنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَ الْآخِرَةِ، وَ سَوْفَ يُعَوِّضُهَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَمَّا أَصَابَهُمْ
So Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘You (men) are being Punished with this, and your children and your animals are not being Punished with this, but it is instead (offset) with the entirety of the benefits – wherever our Lord-azwj so Desires, in the world and the Hereafter, and soon Allah-azwj the Exalted would Offset it from what has hit them’.
ثُمَّ عَفَا عَنْ مُضَرَ وَ قَالَ: «اللَّهُمَّ افْرِجْ عَنْهُمْ» فَعَادَ إِلَيْهِمُ الْخِصْبُ وَ الدَّعَةُ وَ الرَّفَاهِيَةُ
Then he-saww pardoned (the clan of) Muzar and said ‘O Allah-azwj! Relieve them!’ So there returned unto them, the fertility (productivity of the land), and the well-being, and the prosperity.
فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِيهِمْ يُعَدِّدُ (عَلَيْهِمْ نِعَمَهُ): فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هذَا الْبَيْتِ. الَّذِي أَطْعَمَهُمْ مِنْ جُوعٍ وَ آمَنَهُمْ مِنْ خَوْفٍ
And that is in the Words of the Mighty and Majestic, Recounting His-azwj Bounties upon them: So let them worship the Lord of this House (Kabah) [106:3] Who Feeds them from the hunger and Secures them from the fear [106:4]’.[9]
ابن شهر آشوب: روي أن النبي (صلى الله عليه و آله) قال: «اللهم العن رعلا و ذكوان، أللهم اشدد وطأتك على مضر، اللهم اجعل سنيهم كسني يوسف
Ibn Shehr Ashub –
It has been reported from the Prophet-saww having said: ‘Our Allah-azwj! Curse Ra’ala and Zakwaan! O Allah-azwj! Intensify Your-azwj Crushing upon (the tribe of) Muzar! O Allah-azwj! Make their years to be like the years of (drought of) Yusuf-as!’
ففي الخبر أن الرجل منهم كان يلقى صاحبه فلا يمكنه الدنو، فإذا دنا منه لا يبصره من شدة دخان الجوع، و كان يجلب إليهم من كل ناحية، فإذا اشتروه و قبضوه لم يصلوا به إلى بيوتهم حتى يتسوس و ينتن، فأكلوا الكلاب الميتة و الجيف و الجلود، و نبشوا القبور، و أحرقوا عظام الموتى فأكلوها، و أكلت المرأة طفلها
It is in the Hadeeth that the man among them will be meeting his companion and will not be able to approach him. And if he approaches him, will not be able to visualise him due to the intensity of the smoke and the hunger, which will come to them from all directions. And if they were to buy (food) and capture it, they will not reach with it to their houses until it decays and rots away. So, they will eat the dead dogs, and the carcasses, and the skins, and they will be digging up the graves and burn the bones of the dead in order to eat these, and the woman will eat her young child.
و كان الدخان يتراكم بين السماء و الأرض، و ذلك قوله تعالى: فَارْتَقِبْ يَوْمَ تَأْتِي السَّماءُ بِدُخانٍ مُبِينٍ يَغْشَى النَّاسَ هذا عَذابٌ أَلِيمٌ
And the smoke would be seen from the sky to the earth, and these are His-azwj Words: So watch out for the day the sky would come with evident smoke [44:10] Overwhelming the people. (They would say), ‘This is a painful Punishment! [44:11].
فقال أبو سفيان و رؤساء قريش: يا محمد، أ تأمرنا بصلة الرحم، فأدرك قومك فقد هلكوا فدعا لهم
So, Abu Sufyan and the elders of the Quraysh said, ‘O Muhammad-saww! You-saww are ordering us for maintaining the ties of kinship, but I see you-saww that your-saww people have perished, so supplicate for them’.
و ذلك قوله تعالى: رَبَّنَا اكْشِفْ عَنَّا الْعَذابَ إِنَّا مُؤْمِنُونَ، فقال الله تعالى: إِنَّا كاشِفُوا الْعَذابِ قَلِيلًا إِنَّكُمْ عائِدُونَ، فعاد إليهم الخصب و الدعة، و هو قوله تعالى: فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هذَا الْبَيْتِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَهُمْ مِنْ جُوعٍ وَ آمَنَهُمْ مِنْ خَوْفٍ
And these are the Words of the Exalted: Our Lord! Remove the Punishment from us, we are Momineen!’ [44:12]. So Allah-azwj the Exalted Said: We would be Removing the Punishment a little, (but) you will be returning (to evil) [44:15], so there would return to them their richness, and their complacency, and these are the Words of the Exalted: So let them worship Lord of this House (Kabah) [106:3] Who Feeds them from hunger and Secures them from fear [106:4]’.[10]
[1] Tafseer Imam Hassan Al-Askari-asws – S 287
[2] ثواب الأعمال و عقاب الأعمال، النص، ص: 126
[3] Bihar Al-Anwaar V 81 – The Book Salat – Ch 45 H 38
[4] (ثواب الأعمال: 126.)
[5] Tafseer Al Burhan – H 11913
[6] Tafseer Al Burhan – H 11914
[7] خواص القرآن: 16 «نحوه».
[8] [Shakir 106:1] For the protection of the Qureaish–
[Yusufali 106:1] For the covenants (of security and safeguard enjoyed) by the
[9] Tafseer Imam Hassan Al Askariasws – S 287, also see, بحار الأنوار (ط – بيروت)، ج17، ص: 230
[10] المناقب 1: 82 و 107 «نحوه»، البحار 16: 411/ 1.