10:24 Yunus (Jonas)

وهذا المثل من أحسن الأمثلة، وهو مطابق لحالة الدنيا، فإن لذاتها وشهواتها وجاهها ونحو ذلك يزهو لصاحبه إن زها وقتًا قصيرًا، فإذا استكمل وتم اضمحل، وزال عن صاحبه، أو زال صاحبه عنه، فأصبح صفر اليدين منها، ممتلئ القلب من همها وحزنها وحسرتها‏.‏ فذلك ‏{‏كَمَاءٍ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الْأَرْضِ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ نبت فيها من كل صنف، وزوج بهيج ‏{‏مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ النَّاسُ‏}‏ كالحبوب والثمار ‏{‏و‏}‏ مما تأكل ‏{‏الْأَنْعَامِ‏}‏ كأنواع العشب، والكلأ المختلف الأصناف‏.‏ ‏{‏حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذَتِ الْأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَازَّيَّنَتْ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ تزخرفت في منظرها، واكتست في زينتها، فصارت بهجة للناظرين، ونزهة للمتفرجين، وآية للمتبصرين، فصرت ترى لها منظرًا عجيبًا ما بين أخضر، وأصفر، وأبيض وغيره‏.‏ ‏{‏وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَا أَنَّهُمْ قَادِرُونَ عَلَيْهَا‏}‏ أي‏:‏ حصل معهم طمع، بأن ذلك سيستمر ويدوم، لوقوف إرادتهم عنده، وانتهاء مطالبهم فيه‏.‏ فبينما هم في تلك الحالة ‏{‏أَتَاهَا أَمْرُنَا لَيْلًا أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَاهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَنْ لَمْ تَغْنَ بِالْأَمْسِ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ كأنها ما كانت فهذه حالة الدنيا، سواء بسواء‏.‏ ‏{‏كَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ نبينها ونوضحها، بتقريب المعاني إلى الأذهان، وضرب الأمثال ‏{‏لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ‏}‏ أي‏:‏ يعملون أفكارهم فيما ينفعهم‏.‏ وأما الغافل المعرض، فهذا لا تنفعه الآيات، ولا يزيل عنه الشك البيان‏.‏

ضرب تبارك وتعالى مثلا لزهرة الحياة الدنيا وزينتها وسرعة انقضائها وزوالها بالنبات الذي أخرجه الله من الأرض بماء أنزل من السماء مما يأكل الناس من زروع وثمار على اختلاف أنواعها وأصنافها وما تأكل الأنعام من أب وقضب وغير ذلك "حتى إذا أخذت الأرض زخرفها" أي زينتها الفانية "وازينت" أي حسنت بما خرج في رباها من زهور نضرة مختلفة الأشكال والألوان "وظن أهلها" الذين زرعوها وغرسوها "أنهم قادرون عليها" أي على جذاذها وحصادها فبينما هم كذلك إذ جاءتها صاعقة أو ريح شديدة باردة فأيبست أوراقها وأتلفت ثمارها ولهذا قال تعالى "أتاها أمرنا ليلا أو نهارا فجعلناها حصيدا" أي يابسا بعد الخضرة والنضارة "كأن لم تغن بالأمس" أي كأنها ما كانت حينا قبل ذلك وقال قتادة: كأن لم تغن كأن لم تنعم وهكذا الأمور بعد زوالها كأنها لم تكن. ولهذا جاء في الحديث "يؤتى بأنعم أهل الدنيا فيغمس في النار غمسة فيقال له هل رأيت خيرا قط؟ هل مر بك نعيم قط ؟ فيقول لا ويؤتى بأشد الناس عذابا في الدنيا فيغمس في النعيم غمسة ثم يقال له هل رأيت بؤسا قط؟ فيقول لا" وقال تعالى إخبارا عن المهلكين "فأصبحوا في دراهم جاثمين كأن لم يغنوا فيها" ثم قال تعالى "كذلك نفصل الآيات" أي نبين الحجج والأدلة "لقوم يتفكرون" فيعتبرون بهذا المثل في زوال الدنيا من أهلها سريعا مع اغترارهم بها وتمكنهم وثقتهم بمواعيدها وتفلتها عنهم فإن من طبعها الهرب ممن طلبها والطلب لمن هرب منها وقد ضرب الله تعالى مثل الدنيا بنبات الأرض في غير ما آية من كتابه العزيز فقال في سورة الكهف "واضرب لهم مثل الحياة الدنيا كماء أنزلناه من السماء فاختلط به نبات الأرض فأصبح هشيما تذروه الرياح وكان الله على كل شيء مقتدرا" وكذا في سورة الزمر والحديد يضرب الله بذلك مثل الحياة الدنيا. وقال ابن جرير: حدثني الحارث حدثنا عبدالعزيز حدثنا ابن عيينة عن عمرو بن دينار عن عبدالرحمن بن أبي بكر بن عبدالرحمن بن الحارث بن هشام قال: سمعت مروان يعني ابن الحكم يقرأ على المنبر: "وازينت وظن أهلها أنهم قادرون عليها وما كان الله ليهلكهم إلا بذنوب أهلها" قال: قد قرئتها وليست في المصحف فقال عباس بن عبدالله بن عباس: هكذا يقرؤها ابن عباس فأرسلوا إلى ابن عباس فقال: هكذا أقرأني أبي بن كعب وهذه قراءة غريبة وكأنها زيدت للتفسير.

The Parable of this Life

Allah 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.

حَتَّى إِذَآ أَخَذَتِ الاٌّرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا

(until when the earth is clad in its adornments ,)

وَازَّيَّنَتْ

(and is beautified ) meaning, it became good by what grows on its hills such as blooming flowers of different shapes and colors.

وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَآ

(and its people think...) those who planted it and put it in the ground,

أَنَّهُمْ قَادِرُونَ عَلَيْهَآ

(that they have all the powers of disposal over it) to cultivate it and harvest it. But while they were in that frame of mind, a thunderbolt or a severe, cold storm came to it. It dried its leaves and spoiled its fruits. Allah said:

أَتَاهَآ أَمْرُنَا لَيْلاً أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَاهَا حَصِيدًا

(Our command reaches it by night or by day and We make it like a clean-mown harvest, ) it became dry after it was green and flourishing.

كَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِالاٌّمْسِ

(as if it had not flourished yesterday!) as if nothing existed there before. Qatadah said: "As if it had not flourished; as if it was never blessed." Such are things after they perish, they are as if they had never existed. Similarly, the Hadith,

«يُؤْتَى بِأَنْعَمِ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا، فَيُغْمَسُ فِي النَّارِ غَمْسَةً، فَيُقَالُ لَهُ: هَلْ رَأَيْتَ خَيْرًا قَطُّ؟ هَلْ مَرَّ بِكَ نَعِيمٌ قَطُّ؟ فَيَقُولُ: لَا، وَيُؤْتَى بِأَشَدِّ النَّاسِ عَذَابًا فِي الدُّنْيَا، فَيُغْمَسُ فِي النَّعِيمِ غَمْسَةً، ثُمَّ يُقَالُ لَهُ: هَلْ رَأَيْتَ بُؤْسًا قَطُّ؟ فَيَقُولُ لَا»

(A person who led the most prosperous life in this world will be brought up and dipped once in the Fire. He will then be asked: `Have you ever found any good or comfort' He will reply: `No.' And a person who had experienced extreme adversity in this world will be brought up and dipped once in the bliss (of Paradise). Then he will be asked: 'Did you ever face any hardship or misery' He will reply: `No.') Allah said about those who were destroyed:

فَأَصْبَحُواْ فِى دِيَارِهِمْ جَـثِمِينَكَأَن لَّمْ يَغْنَوْاْ فِيهَآ

(So they lay (dead), prostrate in their homes; as if they had never lived there.)11:67-68 Allah then said:

كَذلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآيَـتِ

(Thus do We explain the Ayat. ..) We do explain the proofs, and evidences, in detail

لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

(for the people who reflect.) so they may take a lesson from this example in the swift vanishing of this world from its people while they are deceived by it. They would trust this world and its promises, and then it unexpectedly turns away from them. This world, in its nature, runs away from those who seek it but seeks those who run away from it. Allah mentioned the parable of this world and the plants of the earth in several Ayat in His Noble Book. He said in Surat Al-Kahf:

وَاضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلَ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنْزَلْنَـهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الاٌّرْضِ فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا تَذْرُوهُ الرِّياحُ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا

(And put forward to them the example of the life of this world: it is like the water (rain) which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it, and becomes fresh and green. But (later) it becomes dry and broken pieces, which the winds scatter. And Allah is able to do everything.) (18:45) He also gave similar examples in both Surat Az-Zumar 39:21 and Surat Al-Hadid 57:20.

Invitation to the Everlasting Gifts that do not vanish

Allah said:

وَاللَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى دَارِ السَّلاَمِ

(And Allah calls to the Abode of Peace) When Allah mentioned the swiftness of this world and its termination, He invited people to Paradise and encouraged them to seek it. He called it the Abode of Peace. It is the Abode of Peace because it is free from defects and miseries. So Allah said:

وَاللَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى دَارِ السَّلاَمِ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

(Allah calls to the Home of Peace and guides whom He wills to the straight path.) It was narrated that Jabir bin `Abdullah said: "Allah's Messenger ﷺ came out one day and said to us:

«إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ فِي الْمَنَامِ كَأَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِي، وَمِيكَائِيلَ عِنْدَ رِجْلَيَّ، يَقُولُ أَحَدُهُمَا لِصَاحِبِهِ: اضْرِبْ لَهُ مَثَلًا، فَقَالَ: اسْمَعْ، سَمِعَتْ أُذُنُكَ، وَاعْقِلْ، عَقَلَ قَلْبُكَ، إِنَّمَا مَثَلُكَ وَمَثَلُ أُمَّتِكَ كَمَثَلِ مَلِكٍ اتَّخَذَ دَارًا، ثُمَّ بَنَى فِيهَا بَيْتًا، ثُمَّ جَعَلَ فِيهَا مَأْدَبةً، ثُمَّ بَعَثَ رَسُولًا يَدْعُو النَّاسَ إِلَى طَعَامِهِ، فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ أَجَابَ الرَّسُولَ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ تَرَكَهُ، فَاللهُ الْمَلِكُ، وَالدَّارُ الْإِسْلَامُ، وَالْبَيْتُ الْجَنَّةُ، وَأَنْتَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ رَسُولٌ، فَمَنْ أَجَابَكَ دَخَلَ الْإِسْلَامَ، وَمَنْ دَخَلَ الْإِسْلَامَ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ، وَمَنْ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ أَكَلَ مِنْهَا»

(I have seen in my sleep that it was as if Jibril was at my head and Mika'il at my leg. They were saying to each other: `Give an example for him.' He said: `Listen, your ear may listen. And fathom, your heart may fathom. The parable of you and your Ummah is that of a king who has built a house on his land. He arranged a banquet in it. Then he sent a messenger to invite the people to his food. Some accepted the invitation and others did not. Allah is the King and the land is Islam, the house is Paradise and you Muhammad are the Messenger. Whosoever responds to your call enters Islam. And whosoever enters Islam enters Paradise. And whosoever enters Paradise eats from it.) Ibn Jarir recorded this Hadith. It was also reported that Abu Ad-Darda' said that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said:

«مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ طَلَعَتْ فِيهِ الشَّمْسُ إِلَّا وَبِجَنْبَيْهَا مَلَكَانِ يُنَادِيَانِ يَسْمَعُهُ خَلْقُ اللهِ كُلُّهُمْ إِلَّا الثَّقَلَيْنِ: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ هَلُمُّوا إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ، إِنَّ مَا قَلَّ وَكَفَى خَيْرٌ مِمَّا كَثُرَ وَأَلْهَى»

(Two angels descend every day in which the sun rises and say that which all Allah's creatures would hear except Jinn and humans: `O people! Come to your Lord! Anything little and sufficient is better than a lot but distractive.') And He sent this down in the Qur'an when He said:

وَاللَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى دَارِ السَّلاَمِ

("Allah calls to the Abode of Peace".) Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir recorded this.

The likeness the description of the life of this world is only as water rain which We send down from the heaven then the plants of the earth mingle with it they mingle because of it attaching themselves one to another whereof mankind eat plants such as wheat and barley and so on and cattle eat of pasture until when the earth has taken on its ornaments its splendour of plants and has adorned itself with flowers izzayyanat ‘adorned itself’ is originally tazayyanat but the tā’ has been substituted with the zāy and assimilated with it and its inhabitants think that they are masters of it fully capable of harvesting its fruits Our command Our decree or Our chastisement comes upon it by night or day and We make it that is its crops as reaped corn like that which has been reaped with sickles as though ka-an is softened in other words read it as ka-annahā the previous day it had not flourished as though it never were. Thus do We detail do We make clear the signs for a people who reflect.

The warning given in verse 23: إِنَّمَا بَغْيُكُمْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُم (your rebellion is, in fact, against your own-selves) tells us that the curse of injustice is certain and, much before matters are settled in the Hereafter, one who is guilty of doing injustice must suffer from its evil consequences in this world as well.

The Holy Prophet ﷺ has said: ` Allah Ta` ala hastens to repay mercy shown to relatives and favour done to people (whereby its blessings start becoming visible in this world, much before the Hereafter). And He also hastens to repay injustices done and relationships severed (in that its consequences have to be faced within the life of this world).' (Reported by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah with a hasan chain of narrators) In another Hadith narrated by Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ ، the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, ` there are three sins the curse whereof falls on the sinner himself: Injustice, breach of trust and deception.' (Reported by Abu ash-Shaykh and Ibn Marduwayh in Tafsir) (See Mazhari)