410. The assurance given to Makkans on alleviation of poverty.
The city of Makkah being a desert those days was a center of pilgrimage and the people there eked out a living from the pilgrims who visited, and allowed all kinds of evils to take place to encourage more and more people to visit believing it might increase their income.
It was at this juncture Allah prohibited disbelieving people or people who created an equal to Him from visiting the place of worship in Makkah through this verse (9:28) of the Quran.
Due to the ban imposed, fewer people visited Makkah, triggering a fear about their livelihood and future in the hearts of Makkans. To remove this fear about their livelihood Allah in this verse assured their prosperity through this verse of the Quran. After the commandment of prohibition of entry to Kabbah for infidels, people started to accept Islam in droves, and more and more people started to visit Kaaba on pilgrimage. As a result, the standard of the lives of people went up and it still continues up till now, thus fulfilling the assurance by the Almighty.
This verse sends a necessary message not only to the people of Makkah but also to all the believers in Monotheism.
We come across people who compromise themselves fully well knowing the the income they eke out is against the principles of Islam and also the people who refuse to give evil, in spite coming to know it is against the concept of Monotheism.
There is a lesson in this verse of the Quran for those to stay away from evil in the belief the Almighty will provide for them in alternative ways.
And the verse (65:2) of the Quran ‘Allah will provide for those who fear Him’ confirms this.