11th of Jumada ath-Thaani
Suuratul Yunus Verse 24
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إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمُ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَخَذَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَٱزَّيَّنَتْ وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَآ أَنَّهُمْ قَـٰدِرُونَ عَلَيْهَآ أَتَىٰهَآ أَمْرُنَا لَيْلًا أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَـٰهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِٱلْأَمْسِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢٤
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24. Verily the likeness of (this) worldly life is as the water (rain) which We send down from the sky, so by it arises the intermingled produce of the earth of which men and cattle eat until when the earth is clad with its adornments and is beautified, and its people think that they have all the powers of disposal over it, Our Command reaches it by night or by day and We make it like a clean-mown harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday! Thus do We explain the Ayat in detail for the people who reflect.
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Tafsir Ibn Kathir Volume 4, Page 588
Allah the Almighty has set an example of the similitude of the life of this world, its glitter and the swiftness of its passage, likening it to the plant and vegetation that Allah brings out from the earth. This plant grows from the water that comes down from the sky. These plants are food for people, such as fruits and other different types and kinds of foods. Some other kinds are food for cattle such as clover plants (i.e. green fodder for the cattle) and herbage etc.
﴿حَتَّى إِذَآ أَخَذَتِ الاٌّرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا﴾
“until when the earth is clad in its adornments,”
﴿وَازَّيَّنَتْ﴾
“and is beautified”
Meaning, it became good by what grows on its hills such as blooming flowers of different shapes and colors.
﴿وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَآ﴾
“and its people think…”
Those who planted it and put it in the ground,
﴿أَنَّهُمْ قَادِرُونَ عَلَيْهَآ﴾
“that they have all the powers of disposal over it”
To cultivate it and harvest it. But while they were in that frame of mind, a thunderbolt or a severe, cold storm came to it. It dried its leaves and spoiled its fruits. Allah said:
﴿أَتَاهَآ أَمْرُنَا لَيْلاً أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَاهَا حَصِيدًا﴾
“Our command reaches it by night or by day and We make it like a clean-mown harvest,”
It became dry after it was green and flourishing.
﴿كَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِالاٌّمْسِ﴾
“as if it had not flourished yesterday!”
As if nothing existed there before. Qatadah said: “As if it had not flourished; as if it was never blessed.” Such are things after they perish, they are as if they had never existed.
Allah then said:
﴿كَذلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآيَـتِ﴾
“Thus do We explain the Ayat. ..”
﴿لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾
“for the people who reflect.”
We do explain the proofs, and evidences, in detail so they may take a lesson from this example in the swift vanishing of this world from its people while they are deceived by it. They would trust this world and its promises, and then it unexpectedly turns away from them. This world, in its nature, runs away from those who seek it but seeks those who run away from it.
AnAayahAtATime 