Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Would any of you wish to have a garden with date-palms and vines, with rivers flowing underneath, and all kinds of fruits for him therein, while he is striken with old age, and his children are weak (not able to look after themselves), then it is struck with a fiery whirlwind, so that it is burnt? Thus does Allâh make clear His Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses) to you that you may give thought.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَيَوَدُّayawadduWould like
أَحَدُكُمْaḥadukumany of you
أَنanthat
تَكُونَtakūnait be
لَهُۥlahufor him
جَنَّةٌۭjannatuna garden
مِّنminof
نَّخِيلٍۢnakhīlindate-palms
وَأَعْنَابٍۢwa-aʿnābinand grapevines
تَجْرِىtajrīflowing
مِنmin[from]
تَحْتِهَاtaḥtihāunderneath it
ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُl-anhāruthe rivers
لَهُۥlahufor him
فِيهَاfīhāin it
مِنminof
كُلِّkulliall (kinds)
ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِl-thamarāti(of) [the] fruits
وَأَصَابَهُwa-aṣābahuand strikes him
ٱلْكِبَرُl-kibaru[the] old age
وَلَهُۥwalahuand [for] his
ذُرِّيَّةٌۭdhurriyyatunchildren
ضُعَفَآءُḍuʿafāu(are) weak
فَأَصَابَهَآfa-aṣābahāthen falls on it
إِعْصَارٌۭiʿ'ṣārunwhirlwind
فِيهِfīhiin it
نَارٌۭnārun(is) fire
فَٱحْتَرَقَتْ ۗfa-iḥ'taraqatthen it is burnt
كَذَٰلِكَkadhālikaThus
يُبَيِّنُyubayyinumakes clear
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
لَكُمُlakumufor you
ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِl-āyāti(His) Signs
لَعَلَّكُمْlaʿallakumso that you may
تَتَفَكَّرُونَtatafakkarūnaponder
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 266) ➊ { اَيَوَدُّاَحَدُكُمْاَنْتَكُوْنَلَهٗجَنَّةٌ …: } That is, when a garden burns down in old age, neither does he himself have enough strength to plant the garden again, nor is his offspring capable of helping him; similarly, a hypocrite gives charity but does so with show-off, so on the Day of Resurrection, which will be a time of utmost need, his reward will be lost, and at that time there will be no opportunity to do good deeds again to earn reward. In Sahih Bukhari, another interpretation of this has come from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), which was supported by Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Its summary is that this example is of a person who does righteous deeds all his life, but at the end of his life his character changes and instead of good deeds, he starts doing evil deeds. In this way, he ruins his previous good deeds as well, and on the Day of Resurrection, which will be a time of great distress, those good deeds will be of no use to him, and at that critical moment, his deeds will betray him. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A servant acts like the people of Paradise in the eyes of the people, though he is from the people of Hell, and sometimes a servant acts like the people of Hell in the eyes of the people, though he is from the people of Paradise, and the outcome of deeds depends on the last deeds." [بخاری، الرقاق، باب الأعمال بالخواتیم … : ۶۴۹۳، عن سہل بن سعد رضی اللہ عنہ ] ➋ In { ”مِنْكُلِّالثَّمَرٰتِ“ }, due to { ”مِنْ“ } (tab‘īḍiyyah) and { ”كُلِّالثَّمَرٰتِ“ }, it has been translated as "some of every kind of fruit."
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
266. 1. To further clarify the harms of this ostentation and to warn against it, another example is being given: just as a person has a garden in which there are all kinds of fruits (that is, there is hope for abundant income), that person becomes old and has small children. Due to old age, he is unable to work hard and strive, and his children, instead of bearing the burden of his old age, are not even capable of bearing their own burden. In this state, fierce and strong winds blow and the entire garden burns down. Now, neither is he himself able to restore the garden, nor are his children. This is the same condition that will befall those who spend with ostentation on the Day of Judgment: due to hypocrisy and ostentation, all their deeds will be wasted. At that time, there will be a dire need for good deeds, and there will be no opportunity or chance to do good deeds again. Allah Almighty says: Do you wish for this to be your condition? Ibn Abbas ؓ and Umar ؓ have also considered the referent of this example to be those people who do good deeds all their lives, but in the end, fall into the trap of Satan and become disobedient to Allah, causing a lifetime of good deeds to be wasted (Sahih Bukhari, Kitab al-Tafsir, Fath al-Qadir by Shawkani, Tafsir Ibn Jarir Tabari).
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
266. Would any one of you wish to have a garden of date palms and grapevines and every kind of fruit within it, but then old age strikes him while his children are still young, and a whirlwind with fire strikes and burns up the garden? Thus Allah makes His signs clear to you so that you may reflect.
[382] The Example of One Who Destroys His Good Deeds:
Once, Hazrat Umarؓ asked the Companionsؓ about the meaning of this verse. The Companionsؓ said, “Allah knows best.” Hazrat Umarؓ angrily said, “What is this? Say clearly whether we know or do not know.” At that moment, Ibn Abbasؓ said, “Amir al-Mu’minin! A thought has come to my heart.” He said, “Nephew, speak and do not consider yourself insignificant.” Ibn Abbasؓ said, “Allah has given an example of a deed.” Hazrat Umarؓ asked, “Which deed?” Ibn Abbasؓ could not give any answer to this, so Hazrat Umarؓ said: This is the example of a wealthy person who keeps performing deeds in obedience to Allah. Then Allah gives Satan dominance over him, and he becomes engrossed in sins, and all his good deeds are destroyed. [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير] That is, the condition of such a person is that in old age, when he is in dire need of the produce of his garden, and there is no opportunity to plant a new garden, and his children cannot help him either—they themselves are even more needy than him. Therefore, after performing any good deed, such as giving charity, it is also necessary to fully protect it. That is, do not burn your garden by reminding others of your favor, demanding service in return, or falling into shirk, so that in the Hereafter, nothing from your deeds remains for you, at a time when you will be in utmost need of them. And in this hadith, the meaning of Satan’s dominance is that a person becomes so engrossed in acquiring wealth that he becomes heedless of obedience to Allah, or he commits such acts of disobedience, disbelief, and shirk that his deeds are wasted.
