Surah Raad ayat 4 Tafsir Quran 13:4

﴿وَفِي الْأَرْضِ قِطَعٌ مُّتَجَاوِرَاتٌ وَجَنَّاتٌ مِّنْ أَعْنَابٍ وَزَرْعٌ وَنَخِيلٌ صِنْوَانٌ وَغَيْرُ صِنْوَانٍ يُسْقَىٰ بِمَاءٍ وَاحِدٍ وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهَا عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ فِي الْأُكُلِ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ﴾
[ الرعد: 4]

13:4 And within the land are neighboring plots and gardens of grapevines and crops and palm trees, [growing] several from a root or otherwise, watered with one water; but We make some of them exceed others in [quality of] fruit. Indeed in that are signs for a people who reason.

And on the earth are tracts diverse terrains neighbouring each other joined side by side some good some briny some of little yield and some fruitful — and these constitute proofs of His power exalted be He — and gardens orchards of vines and sown fields read zar‘un in the nominative as a supplement to jannātun ‘gardens’ or read zar‘in in the genitive as a supplement to a‘nābin ‘of vines’; similarly constituting proofs of His power are His words and date-palms sharing one root sinwān is the plural of sinw which are date-palms belonging to the same root but with many offshoots and date-palms otherwise each of individual root watered read tusqā as referring to jannāt ‘gardens’ and what is in them or read yusqā as referring to the mentioned date-palms by the same source of water; and We make some of them to excel wa-nufaddil or read wa-yufaddil ‘and He God makes some of them to excel’ others in flavour read fī’l-ukul or fī’l-ukl and so some are sweet others bitter — and these are also proofs of His power exalted be He. Surely in that which is mentioned are signs for a people who understand who reflect.

And in the earth are areas bordering each other, and orchards of vines and edible grain and palm trees bearing clusters of dates moulded on one stem or on more than one stem arising from the same root, alimented with the same water from the same source, yet We make the produce of one unlike that of the other in quality and quantity and We distinguish some in taste upon others. Indeed, here, there and everywhere are signs with prodigies emblematic of Omnipotence and Authority sensed by those who view facts with their minds eyes

Allah's Signs on the Earth After Allah mentioned the higher worlds, He started asserting His power, wisdom and control over the lower parts of the world.
Allah said, وَهُوَ الَّذِى مَدَّ الاٌّرْضَ ( And it is He Who spread out the earth ) made it spacious in length and width.
Allah has placed on the earth firm mountains and made rivers, springs and water streams run through it, so that the various kinds of fruits and plants of every color, shape, taste and scent are watered with this water, مِن كُلٍّ زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ ( and of every kind of fruit He made Zawjayn Ithnayn. ), two types from every kind of fruit, يُغْشِى الَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ ( He brings the night as a cover over the day. ) Allah made the day and night pursue each other, when one is about to depart, the other overcomes it, and vice versa.
Allah controls time just as He controls space and matter, إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لآيَـتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ( Verily, in these things, there are Ayat for people who reflect. ) who reflect on Allah's signs and the evidences of His wisdom.
Allah said, وَفِى الاٌّرْضِ قِطَعٌ مُّتَجَـوِرَتٌ ( And in the earth are neighboring tracts, ) Meaning, next to each other, some of them are fertile and produce what benefits people, while others are dead, salty and do not produce anything.
This meaning was collected from Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak and several others.
This also covers the various colors and types of diverse areas on the earth; some red, some white, or yellow, or black, some are stony, or flat, or sandy, or thick, or thin, all made to neighbor each other while preserving their own qualities.
All this indicates the existence of the Creator Who does what He wills, there is no deity or lord except Him.
Allah said next, وَجَنَّـتٌ مِّنْ أَعْنَـبٍ وَزَرْعٌ وَنَخِيلٌ ( and gardens of vines, and green crops (fields ), and date palms...) Allah's statement, next, صِنْوَنٌ وَغَيْرُ صِنْوَنٍ ( Sinwanun wa (or ) Ghayru Sinwan.) `Sinwan' means, growing into two or three from a single stem, such as figs, pomegranate and dates.
`Ghayru Sinwan' means, having one stem for every tree, as is the case with most plants.
From this meaning, the paternal uncle is called one's `Sinw' of his father.
There is an authentic Hadith that states that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to `Umar bin Al-Khattab,
«أَمَا شَعَرْتَ أَنَّ عَمَّ الرَّجُلِ صِنْوُ أَبِيه»
( Do you not know that man's paternal uncle is the Sinw of his father ) Allah said next, وَحِدٍ وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِى الاٍّكُلِ ( watered with the same water; yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat. ) Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet commented on Allah's statement, وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِى الاٍّكُلِ ( yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat. )
«الدَّقَلُ، وَالْفَارِسِيُّ، وَالْحُلْوُ، وَالْحَامِض»
( The Dagal, the Persian, the sweet, the bitter..." ) At-Tirmidhi collected this Hadith and said, "Hasan Gharib." Therefore, there are differences between plants and fruits with regards to shape, color, taste, scent, blossoms and the shape of their leaves.
There are plants that are very sweet or sour, bitter or mild, fresh; some plants have a combination of these attributes, and the taste then changes and becomes another taste, by Allah's will.
There is also some that are yellow in color, or red, or white, or black, or blue, and the same can be said about their flowers; and all these variances and complex diversities are watered by the same water.
Surely, in this there are signs for those who have sound reasoning, and surely, all this indicates the existence of the Creator Who does what He wills and Whose power made distinctions between various things and created them as He wills.
So Allah said, إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لآيَـتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ ( Verily, in these things there are Ayat for the people who understand. ) وَإِن تَعْجَبْ فَعَجَبٌ قَوْلُهُمْ أَءِذَا كُنَّا تُرَابًا أَءِنَّا لَفِى خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِرَبِّهِمْ وَأُوْلَئِكَ الاٌّغْلَـلُ فِى أَعْنَـقِهِمْ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَـبُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـلِدونَ

(13:4) And behold! there are different regions on the earth close to one another; *9 there are vineyards, corn fields and groves of date-palm with single or double trunk. *10 All are irrigated with the same water, but We make some more tasteful than others. Most surely there are many Signs in all these things for those who use their common sense. *11

And within the land are neighboring plots meaning

*9) That is, "If you observe carefully, you will find Divine wisdom, design and purpose in the diversity of the structure of the earth.
Though it has countless regions adjoining one another, they are different from one another in their shapes, colours, component parts, characteristics, potentialities, productive capacity and source of minerals.
This diversity has countless points of wisdom and advantage.
Let alone other creatures, if we consider the diversity of regions from the point of the good it has done to mankind, we shall have to acknowledge that this is the result of the well-thought and well-planned design of the All-Wise Creator.
For this diversity has helped the growth of human civilization so much that only an unreasonable person can assign this to mere accident.

*10) Some of the date-palm trees have only a single trunk from the root while others have two or more stems from the same root.

*11) The things mentioned in this verse contain many other Signs besides the proofs of Tauhid and the boundless powers and All-Comprehensive W isdom of Allah.
Let us consider one of these, that is the diversity in the universe, including mankind.
There is the one and the same earth but all its regions are quite different from one another.
Then there is one and the same water but it helps to produce different kinds of corn and fruits.
Then one and the same tree bears fruits which, in spite of likeness, differ from one another in shapes, sizes, and other features.
Then there is one and the same root from which sometimes one and at others two trunks sprout up, with their own different characteristics.
If one considers these aspects of diversity, one shall come to the conclusion that the Divine wisdom demands the same kind of diversity in the natures, temperaments and inclinations of human beings, and, therefore, in their conducts.
So, one need not worry about the existence of this diversity.
As it has been stated in v.
31, if Allah had willed, He could have created all human beings alike and virtuous by birth.
But the wisdom that underlies the creation of the universe, including mankind, requires diversity and not uniformity.
Otherwise, all this creation would have become meaningless.

 

Allah's Signs on the Earth After Allah mentioned the higher worlds, He started asserting His power, wisdom and control over the lower parts of the world.
Allah said, وَهُوَ الَّذِى مَدَّ الاٌّرْضَ ( And it is He Who spread out the earth ) made it spacious in length and width.
Allah has placed on the earth firm mountains and made rivers, springs and water streams run through it, so that the various kinds of fruits and plants of every color, shape, taste and scent are watered with this water, مِن كُلٍّ زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ ( and of every kind of fruit He made Zawjayn Ithnayn. ), two types from every kind of fruit, يُغْشِى الَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ ( He brings the night as a cover over the day. ) Allah made the day and night pursue each other, when one is about to depart, the other overcomes it, and vice versa.
Allah controls time just as He controls space and matter, إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لآيَـتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ( Verily, in these things, there are Ayat for people who reflect. ) who reflect on Allah's signs and the evidences of His wisdom.
Allah said, وَفِى الاٌّرْضِ قِطَعٌ مُّتَجَـوِرَتٌ ( And in the earth are neighboring tracts, ) Meaning, next to each other, some of them are fertile and produce what benefits people, while others are dead, salty and do not produce anything.
This meaning was collected from Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak and several others.
This also covers the various colors and types of diverse areas on the earth; some red, some white, or yellow, or black, some are stony, or flat, or sandy, or thick, or thin, all made to neighbor each other while preserving their own qualities.
All this indicates the existence of the Creator Who does what He wills, there is no deity or lord except Him.
Allah said next, وَجَنَّـتٌ مِّنْ أَعْنَـبٍ وَزَرْعٌ وَنَخِيلٌ ( and gardens of vines, and green crops (fields ), and date palms...) Allah's statement, next, صِنْوَنٌ وَغَيْرُ صِنْوَنٍ ( Sinwanun wa (or ) Ghayru Sinwan.) `Sinwan' means, growing into two or three from a single stem, such as figs, pomegranate and dates.
`Ghayru Sinwan' means, having one stem for every tree, as is the case with most plants.
From this meaning, the paternal uncle is called one's `Sinw' of his father.
There is an authentic Hadith that states that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to `Umar bin Al-Khattab, «أَمَا شَعَرْتَ أَنَّ عَمَّ الرَّجُلِ صِنْوُ أَبِيه» ( Do you not know that man's paternal uncle is the Sinw of his father ) Allah said next, وَحِدٍ وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِى الاٍّكُلِ ( watered with the same water; yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat. ) Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet commented on Allah's statement, وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِى الاٍّكُلِ ( yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat. ) «الدَّقَلُ، وَالْفَارِسِيُّ، وَالْحُلْوُ، وَالْحَامِض» ( The Dagal, the Persian, the sweet, the bitter..." ) At-Tirmidhi collected this Hadith and said, "Hasan Gharib." Therefore, there are differences between plants and fruits with regards to shape, color, taste, scent, blossoms and the shape of their leaves.
There are plants that are very sweet or sour, bitter or mild, fresh; some plants have a combination of these attributes, and the taste then changes and becomes another taste, by Allah's will.
There is also some that are yellow in color, or red, or white, or black, or blue, and the same can be said about their flowers; and all these variances and complex diversities are watered by the same water.
Surely, in this there are signs for those who have sound reasoning, and surely, all this indicates the existence of the Creator Who does what He wills and Whose power made distinctions between various things and created them as He wills.
So Allah said, إِنَّ فِى ذلِكَ لآيَـتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ ( Verily, in these things there are Ayat for the people who understand. ) وَإِن تَعْجَبْ فَعَجَبٌ قَوْلُهُمْ أَءِذَا كُنَّا تُرَابًا أَءِنَّا لَفِى خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِرَبِّهِمْ وَأُوْلَئِكَ الاٌّغْلَـلُ فِى أَعْنَـقِهِمْ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَـبُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـلِدونَ

( And in the Earth are neighbouring ) adjacent ( tracts ) places: a bad, swampy land close to a good, fertile land, ( vineyards and ploughed lands, and date-palms, like ) which have the same roots, whether they are ten or less ( and unlike ) have different roots, ( which are watered with one water ) they are watered with the rain or water from rivers. ( And We have made some of them to excel others in fruit ) in bearing and taste. ( Lo! Herein ) in their difference and different colours ( verily are portents ) signs ( for people who have sense ) for people who believe that they are from Allah.

And in the earth are neighbouring tracts, and gardens of vines, and green crops (fields etc.), and date-palms, growing out two or three from a single stem root, or otherwise (one stem root for every palm), watered with the same water, yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat. Verily, in these things, there are Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs) for the people who understand.

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