* The word ‘ilaf’ refers to the security the Quraysh reportedly received from the surrounding powers of the Arabian Peninsula, i.e. the Roman Empire, Persia, Abyssinia and Yemen. In the winter, the Quraysh would travel to Yemen to purchase spices and other commodities imported from India. Then, in the summer, they carried these to Syria, selling them and purchasing agricultural products. According to some scholars, this verse refers to the respect the Quraysh received as Custodians of the Ka‘ba, which caused other tribes to grant them safe passage for their trade journeys, thus contributing to their wealth and affluence.