وَزُرُوعࣲ وَنَخۡلࣲ طَلۡعُهَا هَضِيمࣱ
And corn-fields and date-palms with spathes near breaking (with the weight of fruit)
And tilled fields and heavy-sheathed palm-trees
And crops and date palms with soft clusters
Pick a tafsir to read the full commentary. Everything is served from QiblaWeb — your browser does not contact any third-party host.
أيترككم ربكم فيما أنتم فيه من النعيم مستقرين في هذه الدنيا آمنين من العذاب والزوال والموت؟ في حدائق مثمرة وعيون جارية وزروع كثيرة ونخل ثمرها يانع لين نضيج، وتنحتون من الجبال بيوتًا ماهرين بنحتها، أَشِرين بَطِرين.
Source: King Fahd Complex via spa5k/tafsir_api · reference
وَزُرُوعٍ وَنَخْلٍ طَلْعُهَا هَضِيمٌ أي نضيد كثير أي أتحسبون أنكم تتركون في هذه الخيرات والنعم سدى تتنعمون وتتمتعون كما تتمتع الأنعام وتتركون سدى لا تؤمرون ولا تنهون وتستعينون بهذه النعم على معاصي الله
Source: Saadi via spa5k/tafsir_api · reference
ولهذا قال "ونخل طلعها هضيم" قال العوفي عن ابن عباس أينع وبلغ فهو هضيم وقال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس "ونخل طلعها هضيم" يقول معشبة وقال إسماعيل بن أبي خالد عن عمرو بن أبي عمرو - وقد أدرك الصحابة - عن ابن عباس في قوله "ونخل طلعها هضيم" قال إذا رطب واسترخى رواه ابن أبي حاتم ثم قال: وروي عن أبي صالح نحو هذا وقال أبو إسحاق عن أبي العلاء "ونخل طلعها هضيم" قال هو المذنب من الرطب وقال مجاهد: هو الذي إذا يبس تهشم وتفتت وتناثر وقال ابن جريج سمعت عبد الكريم أنبأنا أمية سمعت مجاهدا يقول: "ونخل طلعها هضيم" قال: حين يطلع تقبض عليه فتهضمه فهو من الرطب الهضيم ومن اليابس الهشيم تقبض عليه فتهشمه وقال عكرمة وقتادة: الهضيم الرطب اللين وقال الضحاك: إذا كثر حمل الثمرة وركب بعضها بعضا فهو هضيم وقال مرة: هو الطلع حين يتفرق ويخضر وقال الحسن البصري هو الذي لا نوى له وقال أبو صخر: ما رأيت الطلع حين ينشق عنه الكم فترى الطلع قد لصق بعضه ببعض فهو الهضيم.
Source: Ibn Kathir via spa5k/tafsir_api · reference
A Reminder to Them of their Circumstances and the Blessings
They enjoyed Salih preached to them, warning them that the punishment of Allah could overtake them and reminding them of the blessings that Allah had bestowed upon them, by giving them ample provision and making them safe from all kinds of dangers, giving them gardens and flowing springs, and bringing forth for them crops and fruits.
وَنَخْلٍ طَلْعُهَا هَضِيمٌ
(and date palms with soft clusters.) Al-`Awfi narrated from Ibn `Abbas, "Ripe and rich." `Ali bin Abi Talhah narrated from Ibn `Abbas that this meant growing luxuriantly. Isma`il bin Abi Khalid narrated from `Amr bin Abi `Amr -- who met the Companions -- from Ibn `Abbas that this means, "When it becomes ripe and soft." This was narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim, then he said: "And something similar was narrated from Abu Salih."
وَتَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتاً فَـرِهِينَ
(And you hew out in the mountains, houses with great skill.) Ibn `Abbas and others said, "With great skill." According to another report from him: "They were greedy and extravagant." This was the view of Mujahid and another group. There is no contradiction between the two views, because they built the houses which they carved in the mountains as a form of extravagant play, with no need for them as dwelling places. They were highly skilled in the arts of masonry and stone-carving, as is well known to anyone who has seen their structures. So, Salih said to them:
فَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
(So, have Taqwa of Allah, and obey me.) Pay attention to that which could benefit you in this world and the Hereafter; worshipping your Lord Who created you, who granted you provisions so that you could worship Him alone and glorify Him morning and evening.
وَلاَ تُطِيعُواْ أَمْرَ الْمُسْرِفِينَ - الَّذِينَ يُفْسِدُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ وَلاَ يُصْلِحُونَ
(And follow not the command of the extravagant, who make mischief in the land, and reform not.) meaning, their chiefs and leaders, who called them to Shirk, disbelief and opposition to the truth.
قَالُواْ إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مِنَ الْمُسَحَّرِينَ - مَآ أَنتَ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا فَأْتِ بِـَايَةٍ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّـدِقِينَ - قَالَ هَـذِهِ نَاقَةٌ لَّهَا شِرْبٌ وَلَكُمْ شِرْبُ يَوْمٍ مَّعْلُومٍ - وَلاَ تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوءٍ فَيَأْخُذَكُمْ عَذَابُ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ - فَعَقَرُوهَا فَأَصْبَحُواْ نَـدِمِينَ - فَأَخَذَهُمُ الْعَذَابُ إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لأَيَةً وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
Source: Ibn Kathir abridged via spa5k/tafsir_api · reference
and farms and date palms with slender delicate and tender spathes?
Source: Jalalayn (English) via spa5k/tafsir_api · reference
Commentary
Explanation of some difficult words
أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ آيَةً تَعْبَثُونَ ﴿128﴾ وَتَتَّخِذُونَ مَصَانِعَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ ﴿129﴾
Do you erect on every height a sign having no sound purpose, [ 128] and take the objects of architecture as if you are going to live forever, (26:128-129)
Ibn Jarir (رح) has related from Mujahid (رح) that the passage between two hills is called Ri (ریع). But Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ and majority have taken the meaning of Ri (ریع) as a high place, and its derivative is ri`-un-na bat' (ریع البنات), which means growing and climbing vegetation. Literal meaning of 'Ayah (آیۃ) is symbol or sign, but here it means a high palace. تَعْبَثُونَ is derived from ` abath (عَبَث), which is something of no value and benefit neither in reality nor by implication. So, the meaning of the verse is that they used to make very high palaces of no benefit and which they did not need. It was just to fulfill their ego and pride. masani' (مَصَانِع) is the plural of Masna` (مَصنَع). Sayyidna Qatadah has taken masani' (مَصَانِع) for the water tank, whereas Hadrat Mujahid (رح) take it to mean strong palace.
لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ (as if you are going to live forever) Imam al-Bukhari (رح) has commented in Sahih al-Bukhari that the word la'alla (لَعَلَّ ) in the verse, is used as a word of simile, and that Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has translated it as کانَكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ that is ` as if you are..'. (Ruh al-Ma’ ani)
Construction of buildings without any need is contemptible
This verse indicates that the construction of houses and buildings without need is a condemnable act. The hadith quoted by Imam Tirmidhi (رح) on the authority of Sayyidna Anas ؓ conveys exactly the same message: النفقۃ کلھا فی سبیل اللہ إلّا البناء فلا خیر فیہ (All spendings are in Allah's way, except construction, which has no merit). It means that the building which is constructed in excess of requirement has no benefit or virtue. Another narration of Sayyidna Anas ؓ also confirms this: اِن کُلّ بناء وبال علی صاحبہ إلّا – مَالا ، إلّا مالا، یعنی اِلَّا مالا بدّ منہ - ` Every building is a tribulation for the builder, except that which is necessary, because it is not a nuisance'. It is commented in Ruh al-Ma’ ani that without genuine requirement construction of tall buildings is contemptible and condemned under the Sharl'ah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ .
Source: Maarif-ul-Quran via spa5k/tafsir_api · reference
Arabic text: Tanzil project (tanzil.net) — Uthmani Hafs edition. Translations: Yusuf Ali and Pickthall (public domain) and Mubarakpuri (King Fahd Quran Printing Complex). For audio recitation sources and data-handling details, see the privacy policy .
