Surah 13. Ar-Ra'd, Ayah 4
| وَفِي الْأَرْضِ قِطَعٌ مُتَجَاوِرَاتٌ وَجَنَّاتٌ مِنْ أَعْنَابٍ وَزَرْعٌ وَنَخِيلٌ صِنْوَانٌ وَغَيْرُ صِنْوَانٍ يُسْقَىٰ بِمَاءٍ وَاحِدٍ وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهَا عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ فِي الْأُكُلِ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ |
| Transliteration | : | wa- fe al- 'ard. qit.ac mutajaawiraat wa- jannaat min acnaab wa- zarc wa- nakhel s.inwaan wa- ghayr s.inwaan yusqaa bi- maa' waah.id wa- nufad.d.il bacd. -haa calaa bacd. fe al- 'ukul 'inna fe dhaalika la- 'aayaat li- qawm yacqilon |
| Pickthall | : | And in the Earth are neighboring tracts, vineyards and ploughed lands, and date palms, like and unlike, which are watered with one water. And We have made some of them to excel others in fruit. Lo! herein verily are portents for people who have sense. |
| Asad | : | And there are on earth [many] tracts of land close by one another [and yet widely differing from one another8 ]; and [there are on it] vinyards, end fields of grain, and date-palms growing in clusters from one root or standing alone,9 [all] watered with the same water: and yet, some of them have We favoured above others by way of the food [which they provide for man and beast].10 Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for people who use their reason! |
| Malik | : | In the earth there are tracts side by side: gardens of grapes, cornfields and palm trees with single and double trunks - they are all watered with the same water, yet We make some of them excel others in taste. Surely in this, there are signs for people who use their common sense. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | And in the earth are tracts (diverse though) neighboring and gardens of vines and fields sown with corn and palm trees growing out of single roots or otherwise: watered with the same water yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat. Behold verily in these things there are Signs for those who understand! 1806 1807 |
Note - 8I.e., regarding the nature of the soil, fertility and
kind of vegetation. The necessity of this
interpolation-which, in the consensus of all
commentators, conveys the meaning of the above phrase -
becomes apparent from the subsequent clauses.
|
Note - 9Lit., "non-clustered" (ghayr sinwan) - i.e., each tree
having separate roots.
|
Note - 10Cf. 6:99 and {141}, where a similar stress is laid on
the multiformity of plants - and their varying
beneficence to man and animal - as some of the signs of
God's purposeful, creative activity.
|
Note - 1806Does "growing out of single roots or otherwise" qualify
"palm trees" or "vines" and "corn" as well? The former
construction is adopted by the classical Commentators: in
which case the reference is to the fact either that two
or more palm trees occasionally grow out of a single
root, or that palm trees grow sometimes as odd trees and
sometimes in great thick clusters. If the latter
construction is adopted, the reference would be to the
fact that date-palm (and palms generally) and some other
plants arise out of a single tap-root, while the majority
of trees arise out of a net-work of roots that spread out
extensively. Here is adaptation to soil and water
conditions,-another Sign or wonder of Creation.
|
Note - 1807The date-palm, the crops of food-grains, and the
grape-vine are all fed by the same kind of water, yet how
different the harvests which they yield! And that applies
to all vegetation. The fruit or eatable produce may vary
in shape, size, colour, flavour, etc., in endless
variety.
|
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I.e., regarding the nature of the soil, fertility and kind of vegetation. The necessity of this interpolation-which, in the consensus of all commentators, conveys the meaning of the above phrase - becomes apparent from the subsequent clauses. |
| |
Lit., "non-clustered" (ghayr sinwan) - i.e., each tree having separate roots. |
| |
Cf. 6:99 and {141}, where a similar stress is laid on the multiformity of plants - and their varying beneficence to man and animal - as some of the signs of God's purposeful, creative activity. |
| |
Does "growing out of single roots or otherwise" qualify "palm trees" or "vines" and "corn" as well? The former construction is adopted by the classical Commentators: in which case the reference is to the fact either that two or more palm trees occasionally grow out of a single root, or that palm trees grow sometimes as odd trees and sometimes in great thick clusters. If the latter construction is adopted, the reference would be to the fact that date-palm (and palms generally) and some other plants arise out of a single tap-root, while the majority of trees arise out of a net-work of roots that spread out extensively. Here is adaptation to soil and water conditions,-another Sign or wonder of Creation. |
| |
The date-palm, the crops of food-grains, and the grape-vine are all fed by the same kind of water, yet how different the harvests which they yield! And that applies to all vegetation. The fruit or eatable produce may vary in shape, size, colour, flavour, etc., in endless variety. |
