Surah Baqarah ayat 266 Tafsir Quran 2:266

﴿أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ لَهُ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَأَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَاءُ فَأَصَابَهَا إِعْصَارٌ فِيهِ نَارٌ فَاحْتَرَقَتْ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾
[ البقرة: 266]

2:266 Would one of you like to have a garden of palm trees and grapevines underneath which rivers flow in which he has from every fruit? But he is afflicted with old age and has weak offspring, and it is hit by a whirlwind containing fire and is burned. Thus does Allah make clear to you [His] verses that you might give thought.

Would any of you wish to have a garden an orchard of date-palms and vines with rivers flowing beneath it for him there is in it all manner of fruit then old age smites him and makes him too weak to profit from it and he has seed but they are weak young children who cannot manage it; then a whirlwind i‘sār are violent winds with fire smites it and it is consumed? so that he loses what he is most in need of and now he and his children have become incapacitated confused without any resources. This is a similitude of how the expenditure of the one expending for show or the one who reproaches after having expended vanishes and how it is of no avail when he will be most in need of it in the Hereafter the interrogative a-yawaddu ‘would any wish’ is intended as a denial. According to Ibn ‘Abbās this is the person who performs deeds of obedience but when Satan comes to him he begins to work disobedience until all his good deeds have been consumed. So in the way that He has explained what has been mentioned God makes clear the signs to you so that you might reflect and take heed.

Would any of you like to have an orchard of date palms and vines, and rivers streaming beneath it providing him with diversified fruit trees, and when he advances in age and his progeny are still young or feeble, the orchard is struck by a fiery whirlwind? Thus, Allah explicates to you people His revelations and He makes His signs obvious to the senses that you may hopefully ponder

The Example of Evil Deeds Nullifying Good Deeds Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas and `Ubayd bin `Umayr said that `Umar bin Al-Khattab asked the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "According to your opinion, about whom was this Ayah revealed, أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ ( Would any of you wish to have a garden with date palms and vines... )." They said, "Allah knows best." `Umar became angry and said, "Say we know or we do not know." Ibn `Abbas said, "O Leader of the Faithful! I have an opinion about it." `Umar said, "O my nephew! Say your opinion and do not belittle yourself." Ibn `Abbas said, "This is an example set for a deed." `Umar said, "What type of deed" Ibn `Abbas said, "For a wealthy man who works in Allah's pleasure and then Allah sends Shaytan to him, and he works in disobedience, until he annuls his good works." This Hadith suffices as an explanation for the Ayah, for it explains the example it sets by a person who does good first and then follows it with evil, may Allah save us from this end.
So, this man annulled his previous good works with his latter evil works.
When he desperately needed the deeds of the former type, there were none.
This is why Allah said, وَأَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَآءُ فَأَصَابَهَآ إِعْصَارٌ ( while he is striken with old age, and his children are weak (not able to look after themselves ), then it is struck with a whirlwind) with heavy wind, فِيهِ نَارٌ فَاحْتَرَقَتْ ( that is fiery, so that it is burnt ) meaning, its fruits were burnt and its trees were destroyed.
Therefore, what will his condition be like Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Al-`Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah has set a good parable, and all His parables are good.
He said, أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَـرُ لَهُ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَتِ ( Would any of you wish to have a garden with date palms and vines, with rivers flowing underneath, and all kinds of fruits for him therein. ) But he lost all this in his old age, وَأَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ ( while he is striken with old age ) while his offspring and children are weak just before the end of his life.
Then a lightning storm came and destroyed his garden.
Then he did not have the strength to grow another garden, nor did his offspring offer enough help.
This is the condition of the disbeliever on the Day of Resurrection when he returns to Allah, for he will not have any good deeds to provide an excuse - or refuge - for him, just as the man in the parable had no strength to replant the garden.
The disbeliever will not find anything to resort to for help, just as the offspring of the man in the parable did not provide him with help.
So he will be deprived of his reward when he most needs it, just as the man in the parable was deprived of Allah's garden when he most needed it, when he became old and his offspring weak." In his Mustadrak, Al-Hakim recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say in his supplication,
«اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ أَوْسَعَ رِزْقِكَ عَلَيَ عِنْدَ كِبَرِ سِنِّي وَانْقِضَاءِ عُمُرِي»
( O Allah! Make Your biggest provision for me when I am old in age and at the time my life ends. ) This is why Allah said, كَذلِكَ يُبيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الآيَـتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ ( Thus Allah makes clear to you His Laws in order that you may give thought ) meaning, comprehend and understand the parables and their intended implications.
Similarly, Allah said, وَتِلْكَ الاٌّمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ وَمَا يَعْقِلُهَآ إِلاَّ الْعَـلِمُونَ ( And these similitudes We put forward for mankind; but none will understand them except those who have knowledge (of Allah and His signs )) 29:43. يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ أَنفِقُواْ مِن طَيّبَـتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّآ أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُم مّنَ الاْرْضِ وَلاَ تَيَمَّمُواْ الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُم بِأَخِذِيهِ إِلا أَن تُغْمِضُواْ فِيهِ وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ الشَّيْطَـنُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَآء وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مّنْهُ وَفَضْلاً وَاللَّهُ وسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

(2:266) Would anyone of you wish that he should have a green garden of palm trees and vines, watered by canals and laden with all sorts of fruit and then it should be consumed by a fiery whirlwind at the very time when he himself has grown very old and his small children are too feeble to earn anything? *307 Thus Allah makes His revelations clear and plain to you that you may ponder over them.

Would one of you like to have meaning

*307).
It is obvious that a man does not like to see the earnings of his lifetime destroyed in his old age, when he needs them badly and when he can no longer earn.
How is it, then, that he can contemplate stepping into the realm of the Hereafter and finding suddenly that he is empty-handed; that he has sown nothing from which he can reap the fruit? In the Next World there will he no opportunity to begin earning anew.
Whatever one can do towards ensuring one's well-being in the Hereafter must he done in this world.
If one devotes oneself totally to the pursuit of the riches of this world rather than to the Hereafter, one's situation will be as pitiable as that of the age-stricken man whose orchard ( his source of income in his old age ) is reduced to ashes too late for him to produce a new one.

 

The Example of Evil Deeds Nullifying Good Deeds Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas and `Ubayd bin `Umayr said that `Umar bin Al-Khattab asked the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "According to your opinion, about whom was this Ayah revealed, أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ ( Would any of you wish to have a garden with date palms and vines... )." They said, "Allah knows best." `Umar became angry and said, "Say we know or we do not know." Ibn `Abbas said, "O Leader of the Faithful! I have an opinion about it." `Umar said, "O my nephew! Say your opinion and do not belittle yourself." Ibn `Abbas said, "This is an example set for a deed." `Umar said, "What type of deed" Ibn `Abbas said, "For a wealthy man who works in Allah's pleasure and then Allah sends Shaytan to him, and he works in disobedience, until he annuls his good works." This Hadith suffices as an explanation for the Ayah, for it explains the example it sets by a person who does good first and then follows it with evil, may Allah save us from this end.
So, this man annulled his previous good works with his latter evil works.
When he desperately needed the deeds of the former type, there were none.
This is why Allah said, وَأَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ وَلَهُ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَآءُ فَأَصَابَهَآ إِعْصَارٌ ( while he is striken with old age, and his children are weak (not able to look after themselves ), then it is struck with a whirlwind) with heavy wind, فِيهِ نَارٌ فَاحْتَرَقَتْ ( that is fiery, so that it is burnt ) meaning, its fruits were burnt and its trees were destroyed.
Therefore, what will his condition be like Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Al-`Awfi said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah has set a good parable, and all His parables are good.
He said, أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَـرُ لَهُ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَتِ ( Would any of you wish to have a garden with date palms and vines, with rivers flowing underneath, and all kinds of fruits for him therein. ) But he lost all this in his old age, وَأَصَابَهُ الْكِبَرُ ( while he is striken with old age ) while his offspring and children are weak just before the end of his life.
Then a lightning storm came and destroyed his garden.
Then he did not have the strength to grow another garden, nor did his offspring offer enough help.
This is the condition of the disbeliever on the Day of Resurrection when he returns to Allah, for he will not have any good deeds to provide an excuse - or refuge - for him, just as the man in the parable had no strength to replant the garden.
The disbeliever will not find anything to resort to for help, just as the offspring of the man in the parable did not provide him with help.
So he will be deprived of his reward when he most needs it, just as the man in the parable was deprived of Allah's garden when he most needed it, when he became old and his offspring weak." In his Mustadrak, Al-Hakim recorded that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say in his supplication, «اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ أَوْسَعَ رِزْقِكَ عَلَيَ عِنْدَ كِبَرِ سِنِّي وَانْقِضَاءِ عُمُرِي» ( O Allah! Make Your biggest provision for me when I am old in age and at the time my life ends. ) This is why Allah said, كَذلِكَ يُبيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الآيَـتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ ( Thus Allah makes clear to you His Laws in order that you may give thought ) meaning, comprehend and understand the parables and their intended implications.
Similarly, Allah said, وَتِلْكَ الاٌّمْثَالُ نَضْرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِ وَمَا يَعْقِلُهَآ إِلاَّ الْعَـلِمُونَ ( And these similitudes We put forward for mankind; but none will understand them except those who have knowledge (of Allah and His signs )) 29:43. يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ أَنفِقُواْ مِن طَيّبَـتِ مَا كَسَبْتُمْ وَمِمَّآ أَخْرَجْنَا لَكُم مّنَ الاْرْضِ وَلاَ تَيَمَّمُواْ الْخَبِيثَ مِنْهُ تُنفِقُونَ وَلَسْتُم بِأَخِذِيهِ إِلا أَن تُغْمِضُواْ فِيهِ وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ الشَّيْطَـنُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَآء وَاللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مّنْهُ وَفَضْلاً وَاللَّهُ وسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

( Would any of you like ) wish ( to have a garden of palm-trees and vines, with rivers flowing beneath it ) under its trees, houses and rooms, ( with all kinds of fruit for him therein ) in the garden; ( and old age hath stricken him and he hath feeble offspring ) who cannot fend for themselves; ( and a fiery whirlwind ) a strong cold or hot wind ( striketh it ) i.e. the garden ( and it is (all ) consumed by fire. Thus Allah maketh plain His revelations) His signs through commands and prohibitions ( unto you, in order that you may give thought ) so that you may reflect on the similes of the Qur’an. This is also like the unbelievers in the Hereafter, they shall have no power neither will they be able to come back to the life of this world just as a person advanced in age is without strength and cannot revert to his former vigour and youth.

Would any of you wish to have a garden with date-palms and vines, with rivers flowing underneath, and all kinds of fruits for him therein, while he is striken with old age, and his children are weak (not able to look after themselves), then it is struck with a fiery whirlwind, so that it is burnt? Thus does Allah make clear His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses) to you that you may give thought.

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