The Terms Trade (Tijarah) and Road (Rihlah) in Qur’anic Context: With Special References to the Trade of Prophet Muhammad in Sirah

Abstract

The term rihlah, which means ‘commercial journey in summer and winter’ in Surah Quraysh, holds a special position in the vocabulary of the Qur’an. This term corresponds to a significant aspect of the real politics in the sīrah of Prophet Muhammad, particularly in seventh-century Mecca. Although rihlah, literally meaning road and journey, is used in the context of commerce, it is also in alignment with a group of similar words such as sabil, sirat, and ṭariq in the Qur’an. For instance, the words huda (guidance) and dalal (misguidance), which are key concepts in the Qur’an, are closely associated with the notion of the rihlah. This correlation will be explored in the article, shedding light on the sīrah of the Prophet. The close relationship between commerce and roads in the Qur’an constitutes a vast semantic field, which will be discussed from various perspectives. This discussion aims to elucidate how this relationship, briefly mentioned in Surah Quraysh, is reflected throughout the entirety of the Qur’an.