Quran Universe
14:37

رَّبَّنَآ إِنِّيٓ أَسۡكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيۡرِ ذِي زَرۡعٍ عِندَ بَيۡتِكَ ٱلۡمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ فَٱجۡعَلۡ أَفۡـِٔدَةٗ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ تَهۡوِيٓ إِلَيۡهِمۡ وَٱرۡزُقۡهُم مِّنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَشۡكُرُونَ

Rabbana innee askantu min thurriyyatee biwadin ghayri thee zarAAin AAinda baytika almuharrami rabbana liyuqeemoo alssalata faijAAal afidatan mina alnnasi tahwee ilayhim waorzuqhum mina alththamarati laAAallahum yashkuroona

Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful.

Word by word
  1. رَّبَّنَآOur Lord
  2. إِنِّيٓIndeed,I
  3. أَسۡكَنتُ[I] have settled
  4. مِن(some) of
  5. ذُرِّيَّتِيmy offsprings
  6. بِوَادٍin a valley
  7. غَيۡرِnot
  8. ذِيwith
  9. زَرۡعٍcultivation
  10. عِندَnear
  11. بَيۡتِكَYour Sacred House
  12. ٱلۡمُحَرَّمِYour Sacred House
  13. رَبَّنَاour Lord
  14. لِيُقِيمُواْThat they may establish
  15. ٱلصَّلَوٰةَthe prayers
  16. فَٱجۡعَلۡSo make
  17. أَفۡـِٔدَةٗhearts
  18. مِّنَof
  19. ٱلنَّاسِthe men
  20. تَهۡوِيٓincline
  21. إِلَيۡهِمۡtowards them
  22. وَٱرۡزُقۡهُمand provide them
  23. مِّنَwith
  24. ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِthe fruits
  25. لَعَلَّهُمۡso that they may
  26. يَشۡكُرُونَbe grateful
Ibrahim · 14:37Makkah

A barren valley, chosen so they would pray.

Ibrahim's family by the Sacred House

What he left behind
his descendantsin a barren valley
near
the Sacred Houseso they establish prayer
What he asked
hearts inclinedlove toward them
fruitsso they may give thanks

Ibn Kathir says Ibrahim made this dua after the House was built. He settled family in a valley with no crops so they could establish prayer. He asked that hearts incline to them and fruits reach them. Allah answered: fruit of every kind is brought to Makkah, though none grows there.

You are choosing where to live: the bigger flat far from any masjid, or the smaller one near. Ibrahim chose by one question. Where will my family be able to pray? Provision followed.

I choose where to live by comfort and price.

Like Ibrahim, I can choose for prayer first and trust Allah for provision.

Try this

Ask yourself one honest question: what in my home helps my family pray? Improve one thing.

Related28:57
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

"O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring dwell in an uncultivable valley by Your Sacred House in order, O our Lord, that they may perform Salah. So fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks (37)

This Ayah indicates that this was different supplication than the first one that Ibrahim said when he left Hajar and her son Isma'il in Makkah, before the Sacred House was built. This prayer, it appears, was said after the House was built, begging Allah and seeking His favor, and He is the Exalted and Most Honored. Ibrahim said here,

عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ

(by Your Sacred House...) then he,

رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ

(O our Lord, that they may perform Salah.) Ibn Jarir At-Tabari commented that this, "Refers to his earlier statement,

الْمُحَرَّمِ 

(the Sacred...)," meaning, 'You have made this House Sacred so that people establish the prayer next to it,'

فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ

(So fill some hearts among men with love towards them,) Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid and Sa'id bin Jubayr said, "Had Ibrahim said, 'The hearts of mankind', Persians, Romans, the Jews, the Christians and all other people would have gathered around it." However, Ibrahim said,

مِّنَ النَّاسِ

(among men), thus making it exclusive to Muslims only. He said next,

وَارْزُقْهُم مِّنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ

(and (O Allah) provide them with fruits) in order that they may be helped in obeying You, and because this is a barren valley; bring to them fruits that they might eat. Allah accepted Ibrahim's supplication,

أَوَلَمْ نُمَكِّن لَّهُمْ حَرَمًا آمِنًا يُجْبَىٰ إِلَيْهِ ثَمَرَاتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ رِّزْقًا مِّن لَّدُنَّا 

(Have We not established for them a secure sanctuary (Makkah), to which are brought fruits of all kinds, a provision from Ourselves.)[28:57] This only indicates Allah's compassion, kindness, mercy and blessing, in that there are no fruit producing trees in the Sacred City, Makkah, yet all kinds of fruits are being brought to it from all around; this is how Allah accepted the supplication of the Khalil - Allah's intimate friend, Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him.