سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 266
أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُۥ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ لَهُۥ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ وَأَصَابَهُ ٱلْكِبَرُ وَلَهُۥ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَآءُ فَأَصَابَهَآ إِعْصَارٌ فِيهِ نَارٌ فَٱحْتَرَقَتْ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿266﴾
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
أَيَوَدُّ
ayawaddu
Would like
أَحَدُكُمْ
aḥadukum
any of you
أَن
an
that
تَكُونَ
takūna
it be
لَهُۥ
lahu
for him
جَنَّةٌۭ
jannatun
a garden
مِّن
min
of
نَّخِيلٍۢ
nakhīlin
date-palms
وَأَعْنَابٍۢ
wa-aʿnābin
and grapevines
تَجْرِى
tajrī
flowing
مِن
min
[from]
تَحْتِهَا
taḥtihā
underneath it
ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ
l-anhāru
the rivers
لَهُۥ
lahu
for him
فِيهَا
fīhā
in it
مِن
min
of
كُلِّ
kulli
all (kinds)
ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ
l-thamarāti
(of) [the] fruits
وَأَصَابَهُ
wa-aṣābahu
and strikes him
ٱلْكِبَرُ
l-kibaru
[the] old age
وَلَهُۥ
walahu
and [for] his
ذُرِّيَّةٌۭ
dhurriyyatun
children
ضُعَفَآءُ
ḍuʿafāu
(are) weak
فَأَصَابَهَآ
fa-aṣābahā
then falls on it
إِعْصَارٌۭ
iʿ'ṣārun
whirlwind
فِيهِ
fīhi
in it
نَارٌۭ
nārun
(is) fire
فَٱحْتَرَقَتْ ۗ
fa-iḥ'taraqat
then it is burnt
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Thus
يُبَيِّنُ
yubayyinu
makes clear
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لَكُمُ
lakumu
for you
ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ
l-āyāti
(His) Signs
لَعَلَّكُمْ
laʿallakum
so that you may
تَتَفَكَّرُونَ
tatafakkarūna
ponder
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).
