Surah 2. Al-Baqara, Ayah 266
| أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ تَكُونَ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ مِنْ نَخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ لَهُ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَأَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَاءُ فَأَصَابَهَا إِعْصَارٌ فِيهِ نَارٌ فَاحْتَرَقَتْ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ |
| Transliteration | : | 'a- yawadd 'ah.ad -kum 'an takon la- -hu jannah min nakhel wa- acnaab tajre min tah.ti -haa al- anhaar la- -hu fe -haa min kull ath- thamaraat wa- as.aaba -hu al- kibar wa- la- -hu dhurreyah d.ucafaa' fa- as.aaba -haa ics.aar fe -hi naar fa- ih.taraqat ka- dhaalika yubayyin 'allaah la- -kum al- 'aayaat lacalla -kum tatafakkaron |
| Pickthall | : | Would any of you like to have a garden of palm trees and vines, with rivers flowing underneath it, with all kinds of fruit for him therein; and old age hath stricken him and he hath feeble off spring; and a fiery whirlwind striketh it and it is (all) consumed by fire. Thus Allah maketh plain His revelations unto you, in order that ye may give thought. |
| Asad | : | Would any of you like to have a garden of date-palms and vines, through which running waters flow, and have all manner of fruit therein - and then be overtaken by old age, with only weak children to [look after] him - and then [see] it smitten by a fiery whirlwind and utterly scorched? In this way God makes clear His messages unto you, so that you might take thought. |
| Malik | : | Would anyone of you like that his garden, which is full of palm trees, grape vines, and all kinds of fruits and watered by running streams, be blasted and consumed by a fiery whirlwind at the time when he has become too old and his children are too feeble to earn anything? Thus Allah makes His revelations clear to you so that you may think over them. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | Does any of you wish that he should have a garden with date-palms and vines and streams flowing underneath and all kinds of fruit while he is stricken with old age and his children are not strong (enough to look after themselves) that it should be caught in a whirlwind with fire therein and be burnt up? Thus doth Allah make clear to you (His) signs; that ye may consider. 312 313 |
Note - 312The truly spiritual nature of charity having been
explained in three parables (ii. 261, 264, 265) a fourth
parable is now added, explaining its bearing on the whole
of our life. Suppose we had a beautiful garden
well-watered and fertile, with delightful views of
streams, and a haven of rest for mind and body; suppose
old age were creeping in on us, and our children were
either too young to look after themselves or too feeble
in health; how should we feel if a sudden whirlwind came
with lightning or fire in its train, and burnt it up;
thus blasting whe whole of our hopes for the present and
for the future, and destroying the result of all our
labor and savings in the past? Well, this life of ours
is a probation. We may work hard, we may save, we may
have good luck. We may make ourselves a goodly pleasance,
and have ample means of support for ourselves and our
children. A great whirlwind charged with lightning and
fire comes and burns up the whole show. We are too old
to begin again: our children are too young or feeble to
help us to repair the mischief. Our chance is lost,
because we did not provide against such a contingency.
The whirlwind is the "wrath to come"; the provision
against it is a life of true charity and righteousness,
which is the only source of true and lasting happiness in
this world and the next. Without it we are subject to
all the vicissitudes of this uncertain life. We may even
spoil our so-called "charity" by insisting on the
obligation which others owe to us or by doing some harm,
because our motives are not pure.
|
Note - 313Not strong (enough): dhu'afa-u: literally weak,
decrepit, infirm, possibly referring to both health and
will or character.
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The truly spiritual nature of charity having been explained in three parables (ii. 261, 264, 265) a fourth parable is now added, explaining its bearing on the whole of our life. Suppose we had a beautiful garden well-watered and fertile, with delightful views of streams, and a haven of rest for mind and body; suppose old age were creeping in on us, and our children were either too young to look after themselves or too feeble in health; how should we feel if a sudden whirlwind came with lightning or fire in its train, and burnt it up; thus blasting whe whole of our hopes for the present and for the future, and destroying the result of all our labor and savings in the past? Well, this life of ours is a probation. We may work hard, we may save, we may have good luck. We may make ourselves a goodly pleasance, and have ample means of support for ourselves and our children. A great whirlwind charged with lightning and fire comes and burns up the whole show. We are too old to begin again: our children are too young or feeble to help us to repair the mischief. Our chance is lost, because we did not provide against such a contingency. The whirlwind is the "wrath to come"; the provision against it is a life of true charity and righteousness, which is the only source of true and lasting happiness in this world and the next. Without it we are subject to all the vicissitudes of this uncertain life. We may even spoil our so-called "charity" by insisting on the obligation which others owe to us or by doing some harm, because our motives are not pure. |
