Surah Quraysh
قريش
Quraysh (Quraysh)
Overview
- Revelation: Meccan
- Verses: 4
- Theme: Reminds the Quraysh tribe of Allah’s blessings - their safe trade journeys and the security of Mecca - and calls them to worship the Lord of the Ka’bah.
- Grammar Focus: لِإِيلَافِ (li-ilafi) construction expressing causation, idafa (possessive constructions), imperative mood verbs, relative clauses with الَّذِي (alladhi)
Structural Overview
| Verse | Arabic | Sentence Type | Key Grammar | Message |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | لِإِيلَافِ قُرَيْشٍ | Prepositional (causation) | لِ + masdar + iḍāfah | Because of their custom |
| 2 | إِيلَافِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ | Apposition/clarification | Verbal noun governing accusative object | Their winter and summer journeys |
| 3 | فَلْيَعْبُدُوا رَبَّ هَـٰذَا الْبَيْتِ | Imperative (3rd person) | لَمْ al-amr + jussive + iḍāfah chain | Worship the Lord of this House |
| 4 | الَّذِي أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ وَآمَنَهُم مِّنْ خَوْفٍ | Relative clause | الَّذِي + Form IV parallel verbs | He who fed and secured them |
Verse-by-Verse Analysis
Verse 1
For the accustoming of Quraysh
— Quraysh 106:1
Word-by-Word Breakdown
| # | Arabic | Transliteration | Root | Morphology | I’rab | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | لِ | li | - | Particle - preposition | Preposition (for causation/purpose) - not declinable | for, because of |
| 2 | إِيلَافِ | ʾīlāfi | ا ل ف | Noun - verbal noun (masdar), masculine, singular, definite (by idafa) | Object of preposition (majrur) - genitive with kasra | accustoming, familiarizing |
| 3 | قُرَيْشٍ | quraysh | - | Proper noun - indefinite | Second part of idafa (mudaf ilayh) - genitive with tanwin kasra | Quraysh (tribe name) |
Nahw-Sarf-Balagha Synthesis
Nahw (Syntax): The لِ preposition governs إِيلَافِ in the genitive. إِيلَافِ قُرَيْشٍ is an iḍāfah construction where the masdar (verbal noun) is the muḍāf and the proper noun قُرَيْشٍ is the muḍāf ilayhi (genitive). This verse is grammatically incomplete — it states the cause but the consequence (worship) comes in verse 3.
Sarf (Morphology): إِيلَافِ is the masdar of Form IV آلَفَ, following the إِفْعَال pattern. Form IV adds a causative meaning: while أَلِفَ (Form I) means “to be familiar with,” آلَفَ (Form IV) means “to make familiar/accustomed.” قُرَيْشٍ is a diminutive form (تَصْغِير), possibly from قِرْش (shark) — a tribal name.
Balagha (Rhetoric): Opening with لِ (because of) immediately establishes a logical argument: a reason is being presented before its consequence. The audience must listen to discover what the cause leads to. This rhetorical delay builds anticipation across two verses before the command arrives in verse 3.
Verse 2
Their accustoming to the journey of winter and summer
— Quraysh 106:2
Word-by-Word Breakdown
| # | Arabic | Transliteration | Root | Morphology | I’rab | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | إِيلَافِهِمْ | ʾīlāfihim | ا ل ف | Noun - verbal noun (masdar), masculine, singular, definite + attached pronoun | Apposition/clarification of previous إِيلَافِ - genitive (majrur), + possessive pronoun genitive | their accustoming |
| 2 | رِحْلَةَ | riḥlata | ر ح ل | Noun - feminine, singular, definite (by idafa) | Object of the verbal noun - accusative (mansub) with fatha | journey, caravan |
| 3 | الشِّتَاءِ | ash-shitāʾi | ش ت و | Noun - masculine, singular, definite | Second part of idafa (mudaf ilayh) - genitive with kasra | the winter |
| 4 | وَ | wa | - | Particle - conjunction | Coordinating conjunction - not declinable | and |
| 5 | الصَّيْفِ | aṣ-ṣayfi | ص ي ف | Noun - masculine, singular, definite | Coordinate with ash-shita’i - genitive (majrur) with kasra | the summer |
Nahw-Sarf-Balagha Synthesis
Nahw (Syntax): إِيلَافِهِمْ is an apposition (badal) or clarification of the إِيلَافِ in verse 1, adding the pronoun هِمْ (their). The masdar governs رِحْلَةَ as its maf’ūl bihi (direct object) in the accusative. رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ is a nested iḍāfah: “the journey of winter and summer.” الشِّتَاءِ and الصَّيْفِ are coordinated by وَ, both in the genitive as muḍāf ilayhi.
Sarf (Morphology): رِحْلَةَ from root ر-ح-ل on the فِعْلَة pattern denotes a single instance of traveling (a single journey/caravan). الشِّتَاءِ from root ش-ت-و on the فِعْلَاء pattern, and الصَّيْفِ from root ص-ي-ف on the فَعْل pattern — contrasting seasons named by different morphological patterns.
Balagha (Rhetoric): The repetition of إِيلَاف (from verse 1 to verse 2) with the added pronoun هِمْ (their) creates emphasis through elaboration. Historical context enriches the grammar: Quraysh had two annual trade caravans — winter to Yemen, summer to Syria — which were their economic lifeline. The pairing of الشِّتَاءِ وَالصَّيْفِ (winter and summer) represents the totality of the year, implying constant divine provision.
Verse 3
Let them worship the Lord of this House
— Quraysh 106:3
Word-by-Word Breakdown
| # | Arabic | Transliteration | Root | Morphology | I’rab | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | فَ | fa | - | Particle - conjunction | Consequential conjunction - not declinable | so, then |
| 2 | لْ | li | - | Particle - command | Imperative particle (lam al-amr) - not declinable | let (command) |
| 3 | يَعْبُدُوا | yaʿbudū | ع ب د | Verb - Form I, present tense (jussive), 3rd person, masculine, plural | Jussive verb (fi’l mudari’ majzum) after lam al-amr - jussive with dropped nun | they worship |
| 4 | رَبَّ | rabba | ر ب ب | Noun - masculine, singular, definite (by idafa) | Direct object (maf’ul bihi) - accusative (mansub) with fatha | Lord |
| 5 | هَـٰذَا | hādhā | - | Demonstrative pronoun - near, masculine singular | First part of idafa (mudaf ilayh) - genitive position | this |
| 6 | الْبَيْتِ | al-bayti | ب ي ت | Noun - masculine, singular, definite | Second part of idafa (mudaf ilayh) - genitive with kasra | the House |
Nahw-Sarf-Balagha Synthesis
Nahw (Syntax): فَ connects the command as the logical consequence of verses 1-2 (consequential فَ). لْ (lam al-amr) places يَعْبُدُوا in the jussive mood. رَبَّ هَـٰذَا الْبَيْتِ forms a three-level iḍāfah chain: رَبَّ is muḍāf (accusative as maf’ūl bihi), هَـٰذَا is a demonstrative in genitive position, and الْبَيْتِ is in the genitive with kasra. “The Lord of this House” = the Lord of the Ka’bah.
Sarf (Morphology): يَعْبُدُوا from root ع-ب-د on the Form I pattern يَفْعُل. The jussive is marked by dropping the نْ from يَعْبُدُونَ → يَعْبُدُوا. رَبَّ from root ر-ب-ب with doubled final radical on the فَعْل pattern.
Balagha (Rhetoric): The entire surah’s grammatical structure resolves here: لِ (because of, verse 1) → فَ (therefore, verse 3). Two verses of cause lead to one verse of consequence. The specification “this House” (هَـٰذَا الْبَيْتِ) rather than just “Allah” grounds the command in their lived reality — the Ka’bah they know, the trade they depend on, the security they enjoy.
Verse 4
Who has fed them against hunger and made them safe from fear
— Quraysh 106:4
Word-by-Word Breakdown
| # | Arabic | Transliteration | Root | Morphology | I’rab | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | الَّذِي | alladhī | - | Pronoun - relative, masculine singular | Adjective describing rabba - accusative (mansub) position | Who, the One who |
| 2 | أَطْعَمَهُم | aṭʿamahum | ط ع م | Verb - Form IV, past tense, 3rd person, masculine, singular + attached pronoun | Predicate verb (fi’l madi) + object pronoun accusative | fed them |
| 3 | مِّن | min | - | Particle - preposition | Preposition - not declinable | from, against |
| 4 | جُوعٍ | jūʿin | ج و ع | Noun - masculine, singular, indefinite | Object of preposition (majrur) - genitive with tanwin kasra | hunger |
| 5 | وَ | wa | - | Particle - conjunction | Coordinating conjunction - not declinable | and |
| 6 | آمَنَهُم | āmanahum | ا م ن | Verb - Form IV, past tense, 3rd person, masculine, singular + attached pronoun | Predicate verb (fi’l madi) + object pronoun accusative | made them safe |
| 7 | مِّنْ | min | - | Particle - preposition | Preposition - not declinable | from |
| 8 | خَوْفٍ | khawfin | خ و ف | Noun - masculine, singular, indefinite | Object of preposition (majrur) - genitive with tanwin kasra | fear |
Nahw-Sarf-Balagha Synthesis
Nahw (Syntax): الَّذِي is a relative pronoun (ism mawṣūl) describing رَبَّ from verse 3, maintaining the accusative position. It introduces a relative clause (ṣilat al-mawṣūl). Both أَطْعَمَهُم and آمَنَهُم carry attached object pronouns هُم (them). مِّن in both instances means “from/against” — protection from a negative state.
Sarf (Morphology): أَطْعَمَ from root ط-ع-م and آمَنَ from root ا-م-ن — both on the Form IV أَفْعَلَ pattern. This pattern is the most common way to create causative verbs in Arabic. The attached pronoun هُم (them) serves as the maf’ūl bihi (direct object). Both جُوعٍ and خَوْفٍ are indefinite masdars on the فُعْل and فَعْل patterns respectively.
Balagha (Rhetoric): The perfect parallelism is striking: أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ / آمَنَهُم مِّنْ خَوْفٍ — same verb form, same pronoun, same preposition, balanced nouns. This creates rhythmic symmetry that emphasizes the two fundamental human needs: sustenance (food against hunger) and security (safety against fear). The indefiniteness of جُوعٍ and خَوْفٍ (no الـ) makes them general — not just specific hunger but ALL hunger, not just specific fear but ALL fear.
Practice Exercises
Identify all iḍāfah constructions in this surah. For each, state the muḍāf and muḍāf ilayhi, and explain whether the iḍāfah is possessive, descriptive, or another type.
1. إِيلَافِ قُرَيْشٍ (Verse 1)
- Muḍāf: إِيلَافِ (genitive, governed by لِ)
- Muḍāf ilayhi: قُرَيْشٍ (genitive)
- Type: Subjective iḍāfah — Quraysh is the one doing the “accustoming” (the subject of the verbal noun)
2. رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَاءِ (Verse 2)
- Muḍāf: رِحْلَةَ (accusative, as object of masdar)
- Muḍāf ilayhi: الشِّتَاءِ (genitive)
- Type: Temporal iḍāfah — “the journey OF winter” specifies when the journey happens
3. رَبَّ هَـٰذَا الْبَيْتِ (Verse 3)
- Muḍāf: رَبَّ (accusative, as maf’ūl bihi)
- Muḍāf ilayhi: هَـٰذَا الْبَيْتِ (genitive)
- Type: Possessive iḍāfah — “the Lord OF this House” shows ownership/lordship
Key insight: The same grammatical structure (iḍāfah) serves different semantic relationships: subjective (who does the action), temporal (when it happens), and possessive (who owns what). Context determines the meaning, not the grammar alone.
Explain why يَعْبُدُوا in verse 3 is in the jussive mood. What is the jussive marker? What would the verb look like in indicative mood?
Why jussive: يَعْبُدُوا is in the jussive mood (majzūm) because it follows لْ (lam al-amr), the imperative particle for third-person commands. Lam al-amr is one of the jawāzim (particles that cause the jussive mood).
Jussive marker: For verbs conjugated with واو الجماعة (masculine plural suffix), the jussive is marked by dropping the نْ from the end:
- Indicative: يَعْبُدُونَ (with نَ at the end — the نْ is the marker of the indicative for this conjugation pattern)
- Jussive: يَعْبُدُوا (نَ dropped — this is the jussive marker)
In indicative mood: يَعْبُدُونَ (ya’budūna) — “they worship” (a statement of fact)
Comparison:
- يَعْبُدُونَ (indicative) = “they worship” — describing what happens
- يَعْبُدُوا (jussive after لْ) = “let them worship” — commanding what should happen
- The فَ before لْ adds “therefore” — “therefore, let them worship”
This is one of the five signs of i’rāb for the present tense verb: the five conjugations that end in نْ (ينَ, انِ, ونَ, etc.) drop their نْ in the jussive.
Key Vocabulary
| Arabic | Root | Pattern | Meaning | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| لِ | - | particle | for, because of | Very common |
| إِيلَافِ | ا ل ف | إِفْعَال | accustoming, familiarizing | Rare |
| قُرَيْشٍ | - | proper noun | Quraysh (tribe) | Rare |
| رِحْلَةَ | ر ح ل | فِعْلَة | journey, caravan | Common |
| الشِّتَاءِ | ش ت و | فِعْلَاء | the winter | Common |
| الصَّيْفِ | ص ي ف | فَعْل | the summer | Common |
| فَلْيَعْبُدُوا | ع ب د | Form I | let them worship | Very common |
| رَبَّ | ر ب ب | فَعْل | Lord | Very common |
| هَـٰذَا | - | demonstrative | this | Very common |
| الْبَيْتِ | ب ي ت | فَعْل | the House (Ka’bah) | Very common |
| الَّذِي | - | relative pronoun | who, the one who | Very common |
| أَطْعَمَ | ط ع م | Form IV | fed | Common |
| جُوعٍ | ج و ع | فُعْل | hunger | Common |
| آمَنَ | ا م ن | Form IV | made safe | Very common |
| خَوْفٍ | خ و ف | فَعْل | fear | Very common |