Ya-Sin 36:33
Ya Sin · Juz 23 · Page 442
وَءَايَةٞ لَّهُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ ٱلۡمَيۡتَةُ أَحۡيَيۡنَٰهَا وَأَخۡرَجۡنَا مِنۡهَا حَبّٗا فَمِنۡهُ يَأۡكُلُونَ ٣٣
And a sign for them is the dead earth. We have brought it to life and brought forth from it grain, and from it they eat.
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 36:33–36
Proof of the Creator of the Universe and of Life after Death
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says:
وَءَايَةٌ لَّهُمُ
(And a sign for them) means, evidence for them of the existence of the Creator and His perfect power and ability to resurrect the dead,
الاٌّرْضُ الْمَيْتَةُ
(is the dead land.) means, when it is dead and arid, with no vegetation, then Allah sends water upon it, it is stirred (to life), and it swells and puts forth every lovely kind (of growth). Allah says:
أَحْيَيْنَهَا وَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهَا حَبّاً فَمِنْهُ يَأْكُلُونَ
(We give it life, and We bring forth from it grains, so that they eat thereof.) meaning, `We have made it a provision for them and their cattle.'
وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا جَنَّتٍ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَبٍ وَفَجَّرْنَا فِيهَا مِنَ الْعُيُونِ
(And We have made therein gardens of date palms and grapes, and We have caused springs of water to gush forth therein.) means, `We have created therein rivers which flow to the places where they are needed, so that they may eat of their fruits.' When Allah reminds them of the blessing that He bestows upon His creation by creating crops and plants, He mentions the different types and kinds of fruits. Allah says:
وَمَا عَمِلَتْهُ أَيْدِيهِمْ
(and their hands made it not.) means, all of that could only come about by the mercy of Allah towards them, not by their own efforts and labor and strength. This was the view of Ibn `Abbas and Qatadah. Allah says:
أَفَلاَ يَشْكُرُونَ
(Will they not then give thanks) meaning, will they not then give thanks for the innumerable blessings that He has bestowed upon them. Ibn Jarir, however, understood the word Ma to mean Alladhi (i.e., a relative pronoun). In this case the meaning of the Ayah would be that they eat from the fruits provided by Allah's bounty and from what their own hands have done, i.e., by planting the seeds and tending the plants. Ibn Jarir mentioned other possible interpretations in his Tafsir, but this is the interpretation that he favored. This interpretation also fits with the recitation of Ibn Mas`ud: (لِيَأْكُلُوا مِنْ ثَمَرِهِ وَمِمَّا عَمِلَتْهُ أَيْدِيهِمْ أَفَلَا يَشْكُرُونَ) (So that they may eat of the fruit thereof -- and from what their own hands have done.) Then Allah says:
سُبْحَنَ الَّذِى خَلَق الاٌّزْوَجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنبِتُ الاٌّرْضُ
(Glory be to Him Who has created all the pairs of that which the earth produces,) meaning, of crops and fruits and plants.
وَمِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ
(as well as of their own (human) kind, ) means, He made them into male and female.
وَمِمَّا لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ
(and of that which they know not.) means, different kinds of creatures of which they know nothing. This is like the Ayah:
وَمِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَا زَوْجَيْنِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
(And of everything We have created pairs, that you may remember.) (51:49)
Page 442
36:28
۞ وَمَآ أَنزَلۡنَا عَلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦ مِن جُندٖ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا كُنَّا مُنزِلِينَ ٢٨
And We did not send down upon his people after him any soldiers from the heaven, nor would We have done so.
36:29
إِن كَانَتۡ إِلَّا صَيۡحَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ فَإِذَا هُمۡ خَٰمِدُونَ ٢٩
It was not but one shout,1 and immediately they were extinguished.
1 translator’s note
- From Gabriel or a blast from the sky. ↩
36:30
يَٰحَسۡرَةً عَلَى ٱلۡعِبَادِۚ مَا يَأۡتِيهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ ٣٠
How regretful for the servants. There did not come to them any messenger except that they used to ridicule him.
36:31
أَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ كَمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا قَبۡلَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقُرُونِ أَنَّهُمۡ إِلَيۡهِمۡ لَا يَرۡجِعُونَ ٣١
Have they not considered how many generations We destroyed before them - that they to them1 will not return?
1 translator’s note
- i.e., to those living presently in the world. ↩
36:32
وَإِن كُلّٞ لَّمَّا جَمِيعٞ لَّدَيۡنَا مُحۡضَرُونَ ٣٢
And indeed, all of them will yet be brought present before Us.
36:33
وَءَايَةٞ لَّهُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ ٱلۡمَيۡتَةُ أَحۡيَيۡنَٰهَا وَأَخۡرَجۡنَا مِنۡهَا حَبّٗا فَمِنۡهُ يَأۡكُلُونَ ٣٣
And a sign for them is the dead earth. We have brought it to life and brought forth from it grain, and from it they eat.
36:34
وَجَعَلۡنَا فِيهَا جَنَّٰتٖ مِّن نَّخِيلٖ وَأَعۡنَٰبٖ وَفَجَّرۡنَا فِيهَا مِنَ ٱلۡعُيُونِ ٣٤
And We placed therein gardens of palm trees and grapevines and caused to burst forth therefrom some springs -
36:35
لِيَأۡكُلُواْ مِن ثَمَرِهِۦ وَمَا عَمِلَتۡهُ أَيۡدِيهِمۡۚ أَفَلَا يَشۡكُرُونَ ٣٥
That they may eat of His fruit.1 And their hands have not produced it,2 so will they not be grateful?
36:36
سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلۡأَزۡوَٰجَ كُلَّهَا مِمَّا تُنۢبِتُ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَمِنۡ أَنفُسِهِمۡ وَمِمَّا لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٣٦
Exalted is He who created all pairs1 - from what the earth grows and from themselves and from that which they do not know.
1 translator’s note
- Or "all species." ↩
36:37
وَءَايَةٞ لَّهُمُ ٱلَّيۡلُ نَسۡلَخُ مِنۡهُ ٱلنَّهَارَ فَإِذَا هُم مُّظۡلِمُونَ ٣٧
And a sign for them is the night. We remove1 from it the [light of] day, so they are [left] in darkness.
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "strip" or "peel." Sunlight projected onto the earth is removed from it as the earth turns and night approaches. ↩
36:38
وَٱلشَّمۡسُ تَجۡرِي لِمُسۡتَقَرّٖ لَّهَاۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقۡدِيرُ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡعَلِيمِ ٣٨
And the sun runs [on course] toward its stopping point. That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing.
36:39
وَٱلۡقَمَرَ قَدَّرۡنَٰهُ مَنَازِلَ حَتَّىٰ عَادَ كَٱلۡعُرۡجُونِ ٱلۡقَدِيمِ ٣٩
And the moon - We have determined for it phases, until it returns [appearing] like the old date stalk.
36:40
لَا ٱلشَّمۡسُ يَنۢبَغِي لَهَآ أَن تُدۡرِكَ ٱلۡقَمَرَ وَلَا ٱلَّيۡلُ سَابِقُ ٱلنَّهَارِۚ وَكُلّٞ فِي فَلَكٖ يَسۡبَحُونَ ٤٠
It is not allowable [i.e., possible] for the sun to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each, in an orbit, is swimming.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy