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Ayah
Word by Word
وَشَجَرَةٗ
And a tree
تَخۡرُجُ
(that) springs forth
مِن
from
طُورِ
Mount Sinai
سَيۡنَآءَ
Mount Sinai
تَنۢبُتُ
(which) produces
بِٱلدُّهۡنِ
oil
وَصِبۡغٖ
and a relish
لِّلۡأٓكِلِينَ
for those who eat
وَشَجَرَةٗ
And a tree
تَخۡرُجُ
(that) springs forth
مِن
from
طُورِ
Mount Sinai
سَيۡنَآءَ
Mount Sinai
تَنۢبُتُ
(which) produces
بِٱلدُّهۡنِ
oil
وَصِبۡغٖ
and a relish
لِّلۡأٓكِلِينَ
for those who eat
Translation
Also a tree springing out of Mount Sinai, which produces oil, and relish for those who use it for food.
Tafsir
And, We produced, a tree that grows on Mount of Sinai (read Seenaa' or Saynaa', indeclinable as it is a proper noun with the feminine ending denoting a location) that produces (read either as tunbitu from the fourth form [anbata], or as tanbutu from the trilateral form [nabata]) oil (bi'l-duhni: in the case of the former [reading of tunbitu] the baa' [bi-] here would be extra, whereas in the case of the second [reading of tanbutu], it would be [a preposition needed] for the transitive) - and this [tree] is the olive tree, and seasoning for those who eat (wa-sibghin li'l-aakileena, a supplement to bi'l-duhni, 'oil', [that is to say] it is [like] a dye that colours a morsel dipped in it) - and this [seasoning] is the [olive] oil.
His Sign in the creation of the Heavens
Allah says here,
وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا فَوۡقَكُمۡ سَبۡعَ طَرَايِقَ وَمَا كُنَّا عَنِ الۡخَلۡقِ غَافِلِينَ
And indeed We have created above you seven Tara'iq, and We are never unaware of the creation.
After mentioning the creation of man, Allah then mentions the creation of the seven heavens.
Allah often mentions the creation of the heavens and earth alongside the creation of man, as He says elsewhere:
لَخَلۡقُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرۡضِ أَكۡـبَرُ مِنۡ خَلۡقِ النَّاسِ
The creation of the heavens and the earth is indeed greater than the creation of mankind. (40:57)
A similar Ayah appears at the beginning of Surah As-Sajdah, which the Messenger of Allah used to recite on Friday mornings. At the beginning it mentions the creation of the heavens and earth, then it says how man was created from semen from clay, and it also discusses the resurrection and rewards and punishments, and other matters.
سَبۡعَ طَرَايِقَ
(seven Tara'iq).
Mujahid said,
This means the seven heavens.
This is like the Ayat:
تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّمَـوَتُ السَّبۡعُ وَالاٌّرۡضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ
The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein, glorify Him. (17:44)
أَلَمۡ تَرَوۡاۡ كَيۡفَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سَبۡعَ سَمَـوَتٍ طِبَاقاً
See you not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another! (71:15)
اللَّهُ الَّذِى خَلَقَ سَبۡعَ سَمَـوَتٍ وَمِنَ الاٌّرۡضِ مِثۡلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الاٌّمۡرُ بَيۡنَهُنَّ لِّتَعۡلَمُواۡ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدۡ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَىۡءٍ عِلۡمَا
It is Allah Who has created seven heavens and of the earth the like thereof. His command descends between them (heavens and earth), that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah surrounds all things in (His) knowledge. (65:12)
Similarly, Allah says here:
وَلَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا فَوۡقَكُمۡ سَبۡعَ طَرَايِقَ وَمَا كُنَّا عَنِ الۡخَلۡقِ غَافِلِينَ
And indeed We have created above you seven Tara'iq, and We are never unaware of the creation.
meaning, Allah knows what goes into the earth and what comes out of it, what comes down from heaven and what goes up into it. He is with you wherever you are, and Allah sees what you do. No heaven is hidden from Him by another and no earth is hidden from Him by another. There is no mountain but He knows its features, and no sea but He knows what is in its depths. He knows the numbers of what is in the mountains, the hills, the sands, the seas, the landscapes and the trees.
وَمَا تَسۡقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلاَّ يَعۡلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِى ظُلُمَـتِ الاٌّرۡضِ وَلَا رَطۡبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلاَّ فِى كِتَـبٍ مُّبِينٍ
And not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record. (6:59)
Allah's Signs and Blessings in the Rain, Vegetation, Trees and Cattle
Allah mentions His innumerable blessings to His servants,
وَأَنزَلۡنَا مِنَ السَّمَاء مَاء بِقَدَرٍ
And We sent down from the sky water in measure,
meaning, according to what is needed, not so much that it damages the lands and buildings, and not so little to be insufficient for crops and fruits, but whatever is needed for irrigation, drinking and other benefits. If there is a land that needs a lot of water for its irrigation but its fertile soil would be carried away if rain fell on it, then Allah sends water to it from another land, as in the case of Egypt, which is said to be a barren land. Allah sends the water of the Nile to it, which brings red soil from Ethiopia when it rains there. The water brings the red soil which is used to irrigate the land of Egypt, and whatever of it is deposited is used for agriculture, because the land of Egypt is infertile, and most of it is sand. Glory be to the Subtle One, the All-Knowing, the Most Merciful, the Forgiving.
فَأَسۡكَنَّاهُ فِي الاۡأَرۡضِ
and We gave it lodging in the earth,
means, `when the water comes down from the clouds, We cause it to settle in the earth, and We cause the earth to absorb it and the seeds etc. in the earth to be nourished by it.'
وَإِنَّا عَلَى ذَهَابٍ بِهِ لَقَادِرُونَ
and verily, We are able to take it away.
means,
`if We wanted to cause it not to rain, We could do so;
if We wanted to divert it towards the wilderness and wastelands, We could do so;
if We wanted to make it salty so that you could not benefit from it for drinking or irrigation, We could do so;
if We wanted to cause it not to be absorbed by the earth, but to remain on the surface, We could do so;
if We wanted to make it go deep underground where you would not be able to reach it and you could not benefit from it, We could do so.'
But by His grace and mercy, He causes sweet, fresh water to fall on you from the clouds, then it settles in the earth and forms springs and rivers, and you use it to irrigate your crops and fruits, and you drink it and give it to your livestock and cattle, and you bathe and purify yourselves with it. To Him is due the praise and thanks.
فَأَنشَأۡنَا لَكُم بِهِ جَنَّاتٍ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعۡنَابٍ
Then We brought forth for you therewith gardens of date palms and grapes,
means, `from that which We send down from the sky, We bring forth for you gardens and orchards which look beautiful.'
مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعۡنَابٍ
of date palms and grapes,
These were the kinds of gardens that were known to the people of the Hijaz, but there is no difference between a thing and its counterpart. The people of each region have fruits which are the blessing of Allah given to them, and for which they cannot properly thank Allah enough.
لَّكُمۡ فِيهَا فَوَاكِهُ كَثِيرَةٌ
wherein is much fruit for you,
means, of all fruits.
As Allah says elsewhere:
يُنبِتُ لَكُمۡ بِهِ الزَّرۡعَ وَالزَّيۡتُونَ وَالنَّخِيلَ وَالَاعۡنَـبَ وَمِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَتِ
With it (the rain) He causes to grow for you the crops, the olives, the date palms, the grapes, and every kind of fruit. (16:11)
وَمِنۡهَا تَأۡكُلُونَ
and whereof you eat.
This implies that you look at its beauty, wait for it to ripen, then eat from it
وَشَجَرَةً تَخۡرُجُ مِن طُورِ سَيۡنَاء
And a tree that springs forth from Tur Sinai,
means the olive tree.
Tur means a mountain.
Some of the scholars said,
It is called Tur if there are trees on it, and if it is bare it is called Jabal, not Tur.
And Allah knows best.
Mount Sinai is the same as Tur Sinin, and it is the mountain on which Allah spoke to Musa bin Imran, peace be upon him, and in the surrounding mountains there are olive trees.
تَنبُتُ بِالدُّهۡنِ
that grows oil,
Some scholars think it (linguistically) means that it brings forth oil.
Others say it (linguistically) means comes forth with oil.
Allah said,
وَصِبۡغٍ
and relish,
According to Qatadah,
meaning a condiment.
لِّلۡكِلِينَ
for the eaters.
means, it contains a beneficial oil and condiment.
Abd bin Humayd recorded in his Musnad and Tafsir from Umar that the Messenger of Allah said:
ايۡتَدِمُوا بِالزَّيۡتِ وَادَّهِنُوا بِهِ فَإِنَّهُ يَخۡرُجُ مِنۡ شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَة
Eat (olive) oil as a condiment and apply it as oil, for it comes from a blessed tree.
It was recorded by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.
Allah's saying;
وَإِنَّ لَكُمۡ فِي الاۡإَنۡعَامِ لَعِبۡرَةً نُّسقِيكُم مِّمَّا فِي بُطُونِهَا وَلَكُمۡ فِيهَا مَنَافِعُ كَثِيرَةٌ وَمِنۡهَا تَأۡكُلُونَ
وَعَلَيۡهَا وَعَلَى الۡفُلۡكِ تُحۡمَلُونَ
And verily, in the cattle there is indeed a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies. And there are, in them, numerous benefits for you, and of them you eat. And on them and on ships you are carried,
Here Allah mentions the benefits He has given to His servants in cattle, for they drink their milk which comes out from between dung and blood, they eat their meat and clothe themselves with their wool and hair, they ride on their backs and carry heavy burdens on them to far away lands, as Allah says:
وَتَحۡمِلُ أَثۡقَالَكُمۡ إِلَى بَلَدٍ لَّمۡ تَكُونُواۡ بَـلِغِيهِ إِلاَّ بِشِقِّ الَانفُسِ إِنَّ رَبَّكُمۡ لَرَوُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
And they carry your loads to a land that you could not reach except with great trouble to yourselves. Truly, your Lord is full of kindness, Most Merciful. (16:7)
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاۡ أَنَّا خَلَقۡنَا لَهُم مِمَّا عَمِلَتۡ أَيۡدِينَأ أَنۡعـماً فَهُمۡ لَهَا مَـلِكُونَ
وَذَلَّلۡنَـهَا لَهُمۡ فَمِنۡهَا رَكُوبُهُمۡ وَمِنۡهَا يَأۡكُلُونَ
وَلَهُمۡ فِيهَا مَنَـفِعُ وَمَشَـرِبُ أَفَلَ يَشۡكُرُونَ
Do they not see that We have created for them of what Our Hands have created, the cattle, so that they are their owners. And We have subdued them unto them so that some of them they have for riding and some they eat. And in them there are benefits for them, and drink. Will they not then be grateful! (36:71-73)
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