Commentary Qur’an ...

Commentary Qur’an : And (remember) when We made the House a rendezvous for men and a (place of) security: It refers to the legislation of the hajj and the sanctuary offered by the House. ” al-Mathabah *”*** اَلمَثابََـة ُُ ) = rendezvous; a place to which one returns) is derived from thaba, yathubu ثـَابَ ، يَثــُوبَُ ) = he returned, he will return).

Qur’an: and take (for yourselves) a place of prayer on the standing-place of Ibrahim: The conjunctive “and” joins this order with the preceding sentence turning that also into order. In that case the complete sentence would have the following con-notation: And when We told the people, return to, and do the hajj of the House and take (for yourself) a place of prayer... Other alternative, suggested by some exegetes, is to imply a deleted word “We said”.

Accordingly, the meaning would be: and We said, take (for yourselves) a place of prayer... al-Musalla ( اَلمُصَلـّی ) is deverbal noun of place, derived from as-salah (( اَلصَّلوةُ ) = to pray, to invoke); the sentence means: take (for yourselves) a place of prayer and invocation at the place where Ibrahim (a.s.) had stood.

Apparently, the preceding sentence is a sort of introduction, pointing to the reason why prayer in that place was prescribed; that is why this sentence does not put emphasis on “prayer” - in other words, it does not say, and pray in the standing-place of Ibrahim; it literally says, and take on the standing-place of Ibrahim (a.s.) a place of prayer. Qur’an: And We enjoined Ibrahim and Isma'il (saying): “Purify (you two) My House...” : al-'Ahd اَلعَهْدُ ) = to enjoin, to obligate).

The order to purify the House may mean to keep it exclusively reserved for the worship by those who go around it making circuits, those who abide in it for devotion, and those who pray in it. In this sense, it would be an isti'arah bi 'l-kinaya, and would imply: keep My House exclusively reserved for My worship. Alternatively, the order may be to keep it clean; to be on guard lest it is dirtied by careless people.

ar-Rukka' ( اَلرُّكَّعُ ) and as-sujud ( اَلسُّجُودُ ) are plurals of ar-raki' ( اَلرَّاكِعُ ) = one who bows down) and as-sajid ( اَلسَّّاجـِدُُ ) = one who prostrates, one who does sajdah ) respectively, the phrase refers to those who pray. Qur’an: And (remember) when Ibrahim said: “My Lord! make it a secure town... ” : In this way Ibrahim (a.

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