لَمَّا أَتَمَّ إِبْرَاهِيمُ، خَلِيلُ اللهِ، بِنَاءَ بَيْتِ الْعِبَادَةِ، الْكَعْبَةِ، وَطَهَّرَهُ، تَوَجَّهَ إِلَى اللهِ بِهَذَا الدُّعَاءِ: «رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِنًا وَارْزُقْ أَهْلَهُ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ مَنْ آمَنَ مِنْهُمْ بِاللهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ» {البقرة: ١٢٦}. جَعَلَ اللهُ ذَلِكَ الْبَيْتَ بَيْتَ سَلَامٍ، خَالِيًا مِنْ كُلِّ سُلْطَانٍ بَشَرِيٍّ وَمِنْ كُلِّ ظُلْمٍ وَطُغْيَانٍ. وَمَنَحَ الْأَمْنَ وَالسَّلَامَ لِكُلِّ مَنْ يَلْتَمِسُ اللَّجْوَءَ إِلَى ذَلِكَ الْبَيْتِ، بَيْنَمَا كَانَ الْخَوْفُ يُحِيطُ بِهِ مِنْ كُلِّ جَانِبٍ. وَحَتَّى حِينَ تَعَدَّى النَّاسُ حُدُودَهُمْ، وَأَشْرَكُوا بِاللهِ غَيْرَهُ، وَعَبَدُوا الْأَصْنَامَ، ظَلَّ فِيهِ الْأَمْنُ وَالسَّلَامُ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ قَضَى بِحِكْمَةٍ لِهَذَا الْبَيْتِ الْحَرَامِ.

When Abraham, God’s friend, or khalīl as he is called in Arabic, completed the building of the House of worship, the Ka`bah, and had purified it he turned to God with the following prayer: “Lord, make this a land of security and make provisions of fruits for those of its people who believe in God and the Last Day.” (2: 126) o God made that House one of peace; free from all human authority and from all tyranny. He granted security and peace to anyone seeking shelter in that House, while fear was all around it. Even when the people transgressed, ascribed divinity to beings other than God and worshipped idols, there was peace and security in it; for God had designed a purpose for this sacred House.

لَمَّا سَارَ أَصْحَابُ الْفِيلِ لِهَدْمِ الْبَيْتِ، وَقَعَ بِهِمْ مَا ذُكِرَ فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي قَبْلَهَا، سُورَةِ الْفِيلِ. فَحَفِظَ اللَّهُ لِلْبَيْتِ أَمْنَهُ وَسَلَامَتَهُ وَحُرْمَتَهُ. وَفِي شَأْنِ مَنْ كَانُوا يَسْكُنُونَ حَوْلَهُ، قَالَ اللَّهُ:

When the people of the Elephant marched to destroy the House, there happened to them what is described in the preceding sūrah, The Elephant. God preserved for the House its peace, security and sacredness. Of those who lived around it, God said:

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا حَرَمًا آمِنًا وَيُتَخَطَّفُ النَّاسُ مِنْ حَوْلِهِمْ؟ (العنکبوت: ٦٧)

“Do they not see that We have made a secure Sanctuary, and that men are being snatched away from all around them?” (29: 67)

كان لحادثة الفيل أثرٌ إضافيّ في تعظيم حرمة البيت بين العرب في جميع أنحاء الجزيرة. كما عزّزت مكانة قريش، سدنةِ البيت، في سائر بلاد العرب، فصاروا يسافرون بعيدًا وقريبًا في أمنٍ وسلام، وأينما ذهبوا لقوا الكرم وحسن المكانة. وقد شجّعهم ذلك على إنشاء طريقين عظيمين لقوافلهم التجارية: أحدهما إلى اليمن في الجنوب، والآخر إلى الشام في الشمال. فنظّموا رحلتين تجاريتين ضخمتين: إحداهما إلى اليمن في الشتاء، والأخرى إلى الشام في الصيف.

The Elephant incident had an added effect in greatly enhancing the sanctity of the House amongst the Arabs all over the Peninsula. It also strengthened the position of the Quraysh, the custodians of the House, in all Arabia. They were thus able to travel far and wide in peace and security. Wherever they went they met with generosity and high esteem. This encouraged them to establish two great routes for their commercial caravans, to the Yemen in the south and to Syria in the north. They organized two enormous trading expeditions; one to the Yemen in winter and the other to Syria in summer.