سُوْرَةُ يُوْنُسَ
Surah Yunus (10) — Ayah 24
إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمُ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَخَذَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَٱزَّيَّنَتْ وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَآ أَنَّهُمْ قَـٰدِرُونَ عَلَيْهَآ أَتَىٰهَآ أَمْرُنَا لَيْلًا أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَـٰهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِٱلْأَمْسِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿24﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Verily, the likeness of (this) worldly life is as the water (rain) which We send down from the sky; so by it arises the intermingled produce of the earth of which men and cattle eat: until when the earth is clad in its adornments and is beautified, and its people think that they have all the powers of disposal over it, Our Command reaches it by night or by day and We make it like a clean-mown harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday! Thus do We explain the Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, laws, etc.) in detail for the people who reflect.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
إِنَّمَا
innamā
Only
مَثَلُ
mathalu
(the) example
ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ
l-ḥayati
(of) the life
ٱلدُّنْيَا
l-dun'yā
(of) the world
كَمَآءٍ
kamāin
(is) like (the) water
أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ
anzalnāhu
which We sent down
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلسَّمَآءِ
l-samāi
the sky
فَٱخْتَلَطَ
fa-ikh'talaṭa
so absorbs
بِهِۦ
bihi
[with] it
نَبَاتُ
nabātu
(the) plants
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
(of) the earth
مِمَّا
mimmā
from which
يَأْكُلُ
yakulu
eat
ٱلنَّاسُ
l-nāsu
the men
وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمُ
wal-anʿāmu
and the cattle
حَتَّىٰٓ
ḥattā
until
إِذَآ
idhā
when
أَخَذَتِ
akhadhati
takes
ٱلْأَرْضُ
l-arḍu
the earth
زُخْرُفَهَا
zukh'rufahā
its adornment
وَٱزَّيَّنَتْ
wa-izzayyanat
and is beautified
وَظَنَّ
waẓanna
and think
أَهْلُهَآ
ahluhā
its people
أَنَّهُمْ
annahum
that they
قَـٰدِرُونَ
qādirūna
have the power
عَلَيْهَآ
ʿalayhā
over it
أَتَىٰهَآ
atāhā
comes (to) it
أَمْرُنَا
amrunā
Our command
لَيْلًا
laylan
(by) night
أَوْ
aw
or
نَهَارًۭا
nahāran
(by) day
فَجَعَلْنَـٰهَا
fajaʿalnāhā
and We make it
حَصِيدًۭا
ḥaṣīdan
a harvest clean-mown
كَأَن
ka-an
as if
لَّمْ
lam
not
تَغْنَ
taghna
it had flourished
بِٱلْأَمْسِ ۚ
bil-amsi
yesterday
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Thus
نُفَصِّلُ
nufaṣṣilu
We explain
ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ
l-āyāti
the Signs
لِقَوْمٍۢ
liqawmin
for a people
يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
yatafakkarūna
who reflect
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 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.
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.
