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Yunus (Jonah)

Verse 24of 109

إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْأَنْعَٰمُ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَخَذَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَٱزَّيَّنَتْ وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَآ أَنَّهُمْ قَٰدِرُونَ عَلَيْهَآ أَتَىٰهَآ أَمْرُنَا لَيْلًا أَوْ نَهَارًۭا فَجَعَلْنَٰهَا حَصِيدًۭا كَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِٱلْأَمْسِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ لِقَوْمٍۢ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴿٢٤

Translation (Sahih International)

The example of [this] worldly life is but like rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb - [those] from which men and livestock eat - until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought.

Word-by-word meaning

إِنَّمَاinnamāOnly
مَثَلُmathalu(the) example
ٱلْحَيَوٰةِl-ḥayati(of) the life
ٱلدُّنْيَاl-dun'yā(of) the world
كَمَآءٍkamāin(is) like (the) water
أَنزَلْنَـٰهُanzalnāhuwhich We sent down
مِنَminafrom
ٱلسَّمَآءِl-samāithe sky
فَٱخْتَلَطَfa-ikh'talaṭaso absorbs
بِهِۦbihi[with] it
نَبَاتُnabātu(the) plants
ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍi(of) the earth
مِمَّاmimmāfrom which
يَأْكُلُyakulueat
ٱلنَّاسُl-nāsuthe men
وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمُwal-anʿāmuand the cattle
حَتَّىٰٓḥattāuntil
إِذَآidhāwhen
أَخَذَتِakhadhatitakes
ٱلْأَرْضُl-arḍuthe earth
زُخْرُفَهَاzukh'rufahāits adornment
وَٱزَّيَّنَتْwa-izzayyanatand is beautified
وَظَنَّwaẓannaand think
أَهْلُهَآahluhāits people
أَنَّهُمْannahumthat they
قَـٰدِرُونَqādirūnahave the power
عَلَيْهَآʿalayhāover it
أَتَىٰهَآatāhācomes (to) it
أَمْرُنَاamrunāOur command
لَيْلًاlaylan(by) night
أَوْawor
نَهَارًۭاnahāran(by) day
فَجَعَلْنَـٰهَاfajaʿalnāhāand We make it
حَصِيدًۭاḥaṣīdana harvest clean-mown
كَأَنka-anas if
لَّمْlamnot
تَغْنَtaghnait had flourished
بِٱلْأَمْسِ ۚbil-amsiyesterday
كَذَٰلِكَkadhālikaThus
نُفَصِّلُnufaṣṣiluWe explain
ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِl-āyātithe Signs
لِقَوْمٍۢliqawminfor a people
يَتَفَكَّرُونَyatafakkarūnawho reflect

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Parable of this LifeAllah 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.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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