Surah Yunus (10) — Ayah 24

(Ayah 24) ➊ {اِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا … :} In the previous verse, it was mentioned that no matter how much rebellion you commit here or, being engrossed in pleasures, deny Our signs, this worldly life is but a little provision and will soon perish. In this verse, its example is given: when water descends from the sky, various crops, fields, fodder, and fruits grow from the earth for people and their cattle to eat and enjoy. Then they flourish abundantly, the land becomes adorned, and the owners begin to think that they have full power to benefit from it and to obtain grain, fruits, and vegetables from it.

➋ By { اَتٰىهَاۤ اَمْرُنَا لَيْلًا اَوْ نَهَارًا … : ’’ اَمْرُنَا ‘‘} is meant the command for its destruction, whether it has ripened, turned yellow, and been harvested, or an enemy has destroyed it while still unripe, or a calamity from Allah comes in the form of a flood, frost, fire, or storm, so that before ripening, it is cut off and vanishes as if it never existed here. {’’ حَصِيْدًا ‘‘} means {’’مَحْصُوْدٌ‘‘}, that is, cut off.

➌ {كَاَنْ لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِالْاَمْسِ: ’’ لَمْ تَغْنَ ‘‘ ’’ غَنِيَ يَغْنٰي ‘‘} (ʿ) means to reside in a place. The same is the case with human life: the soul descends from the sky like water, and the body flourishes with it. When youth arrives, one learns knowledge and skills, and there is hope that after living a few days, one will enjoy pleasures. The family is confident that now he will earn and bring home, when suddenly death comes and turns all hopes to dust, and it seems as if {’’ كَاَنْ لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِالْاَمْسِ ‘‘} (as if he never existed yesterday); after some time, he is erased from minds as well. And even if he completes his lifespan, just as a ripe crop is harvested or, by itself, turns to chaff and scatters, in the same way, after old age, he too falls prey to annihilation. In Surah Hadid (20) and Qalam (17–33), the fleeting nature of the world is described in the same way. That is why, in a lengthy hadith, it is mentioned: [ يُؤْتٰی بِأَنْعَمِ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيُصْبَغُ فِي النَّارِ صَبْغَةً ثُمَّ يُقَالُ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ خَيْرًا قَطُّ؟ هَلْ مَرَّ بِكَ نَعِيْمٌ قَطُّ؟ فَيَقُوْلُ لاَ وَاللّٰهِ ! يَا رَبِّ! وَيُؤْتٰی بِأَشَدِّ النَّاسِ بُؤْسَا فِی الدُّنْيَا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيُقَالُ لَهٗ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ ! هَلْ رَأَيْتَ بُؤْسًا قَطُّ؟ هَلْ مَرَّ بِكَ شِدَّةٌ قَطُّ؟ فَيَقُوْلُ لاَ وَاللّٰهِ ! يَا رَبِّ ! مَا مَرَّ بِيْ بُؤْسٌ قَطُّ وَلاَ رَأَيْتُ شِدَّةً قَطُّ ] [ مسلم، صفات المنافقین، باب صبغ أنعم أہل الدنیا فی النار : ۲۸۰۷، عن أنس رضی اللہ عنہ ] "On the Day of Resurrection, the person from the people of Hell who was the most prosperous in the world will be brought, he will be dipped once in the Fire and then taken out, then he will be asked: 'Did you ever see any prosperity, did any comfort come to you?' He will reply: 'No, by Allah, O my Lord!' Then the person from the people of Paradise who was the most miserable in the world will be brought, he will be dipped once in Paradise and then taken out, then he will be asked: 'Did you ever see any misery in the world, or did any hardship befall you?' He will reply: 'No, by Allah, O my Lord! No hardship ever befell me, and I never saw any misery.'"

➍ { يَتَفَكَّرُوْنَ:} So that they may reflect upon them and take lessons from them.

24. 1. حصیدا is a fa'eel in the meaning of maf'ool, that is, محصود. By likening the life of this world to a crop, its temporary nature and instability are made clear, as a crop also grows and flourishes with rainwater and becomes lush and green, but after that, it is cut down and brought to an end.

24. The example of the life of this world is like the water We send down from the sky, by which the vegetation of the earth becomes lush [35], from which both humans and cattle eat. Until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified, and its owners think they have full control over it, Our command (punishment) comes to it by night or by day, and We make it as if it had been mown down [36], as if nothing had existed there the day before. Thus do We explain Our signs in detail for people who reflect.

[35] ﴿فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهٖ نَبَاتُ الْاَرْضِ﴾ has two meanings: one is that such an abundance of produce was generated from the rainwater that they became entangled with each other—one plant’s branches intertwined with another’s, and vice versa. The second meaning is that the produce or vegetation obtained from the water was mixed or shared between humans and animals, such as wheat grains being food for humans and the straw for animals. And in most types of vegetation, this is the case.

[36]
The Parable of the Crop of Worldly Life:

In this verse, the fleeting nature of worldly life is illustrated. Just as vegetation reaches its prime, with fruits and flowers of various colors adorning that piece of land beautifully, similarly, youth comes upon humans, when everything in the world appears beautiful to them and they become fully engrossed in the charms of the world, thinking that now they will spend some days in pleasure and comfort and enjoy life. But then suddenly, Allah’s command—that is, death—overtakes them. And just as after an unexpected calamity or the harvesting of a crop, its existence vanishes within a few days, likewise, a deceased person is erased from people’s hearts after a short time, and a time comes when even his trace and name are wiped from the world. This is the fate of ninety-nine percent of those who settle in this world and then depart.