سُوْرَةُ الْكَهْفِ
Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 45
وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا تَذْرُوهُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحُ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا ﴿45﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And put forward to them the example of the life of this world: it is like the water (rain) which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it, and becomes fresh and green. But (later) it becomes dry and broken pieces, which the winds scatter. And Allâh is Able to do everything.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَٱضْرِبْ
wa-iḍ'rib
And present
لَهُم
lahum
to them
مَّثَلَ
mathala
the example
ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ
l-ḥayati
(of) the life
ٱلدُّنْيَا
l-dun'yā
(of) the world
كَمَآءٍ
kamāin
like water
أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ
anzalnāhu
which We send down
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلسَّمَآءِ
l-samāi
the sky
فَٱخْتَلَطَ
fa-ikh'talaṭa
then mingles
بِهِۦ
bihi
with it
نَبَاتُ
nabātu
(the) vegetation
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
(of) the earth
فَأَصْبَحَ
fa-aṣbaḥa
then becomes
هَشِيمًۭا
hashīman
dry stalks
تَذْرُوهُ
tadhrūhu
it (is) scattered
ٱلرِّيَـٰحُ ۗ
l-riyāḥu
(by) the winds
وَكَانَ
wakāna
And Allah
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
And Allah
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
over
كُلِّ
kulli
every
شَىْءٍۢ
shayin
thing
مُّقْتَدِرًا
muq'tadiran
(is) All Able
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.
45. 1. In this verse, the transience and impermanence of the world is clarified through the example of a crop, that when rain descends from the sky upon the plants and trees in the field, the crop flourishes with the water, and the plants and trees become fresh with new life. But then a time comes when the crop dries up. Due to the lack of water or because the crop has ripened, then the winds scatter it. A gust of wind sometimes bends it to the right and sometimes to the left. The life of this world is also like a gust of wind, or like the bubble of that water, or like the crop itself, which after displaying its brief spring, descends into annihilation. And all these changes are in the hands of that Being who is One and Powerful over everything. Allah Almighty has mentioned the example of the world in the Noble Quran in several places. (مثلًا (وَاللّٰهُ يَدْعُوْٓا اِلٰى دَار السَّلٰمِ ۭ وَيَهْدِيْ مَنْ يَّشَاۗءُ اِلٰى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَــقِيْمٍ) 10. Yunus:25), (اَلَمْ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ اَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاۗءِ مَاۗءً فَسَلَكَهٗ يَنَابِيْعَ فِي الْاَرْضِ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُ بِهٖ زَرْعًا مُّخْتَلِفًا اَلْوَانُهٗ ثُمَّ يَهِيْجُ فَتَرٰىهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهٗ حُطَامًا ۭ اِنَّ فِيْ ذٰلِكَ لَذِكْرٰى لِاُولِي الْاَلْبَابِ) 39. Az-Zumar:21) and other such verses.
