Surah Ibrahim (14) — Ayah 24

(Ayah25,24) ➊ {اَلَمْ تَرَ:} This address is initially to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and then to every person who is worthy of being addressed. The interrogative here is not for asking but for informing. This is called an interrogative for affirmation. "Have you not seen?" Here, seeing means knowledge and understanding, which is obtained by observing the universe and reflecting upon it. The summary of the words of the commentator Al-Alusi is that the addressee of {’’اَلَمْ تَرَ ‘‘} is sometimes a person who is already aware of the matter; in such a case, the purpose is to express amazement. Sometimes the addressee is someone who is not aware of it; then the purpose is both to inform him and to express amazement that such a well-known matter is unknown to you, which everyone knows as if they have seen it. Then, the address is made to the addressee as if he knows it well.

➋ {’’ مَثَلًا ‘‘} This is the object of {’’ ضَرَبَ ‘‘}, and {’’ كَلِمَةً ‘‘} is either its substitute or an explanatory apposition. The word "example" is used to clarify something by giving an example with something even clearer.

➌ { كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً :} This includes every pure word, such as tasbih, taqdis, tahmid, and tahlil, etc., and the summary of every pure word is "La ilaha illallah," because the basis of every pure word or deed is this. Therefore, the commentators have generally taken this to mean the word of Islam and every pure saying and deed that results from it.

➍ {كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ اَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ … :} Several qualities of the pure and excellent tree have been mentioned: first, its root is firm, due to which it is difficult to uproot and it obtains nourishment from the earth well and stands firmly. Second, its top is very high, due to which it is difficult to harm it, and it is protected from pollution and obtains its full nourishment from sunlight and clean air. The commentator Tantawi has written in "Al-Wasit" that modern research has proven that a tree obtains only five percent of its nourishment from the earth, the rest from the atmosphere. Third, it gives its fruit at all times by the command of its Lord. The commentators have faced difficulty in interpreting this quality. In Sahih Bukhari (6122, 6144), in the hadith of Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, likened the date palm tree to the believer, that its leaves never fall and it always gives its fruit by the command of its Lord, but he did not liken it to the pure word. In Tirmidhi (3119), it is narrated from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that here the pure word «{ كَشَجَرَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ }» refers to the date palm, but Shaykh Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, declared it weak as marfu‘ and authentic as mawquf. In any case, those commentators who take it to mean the date palm tree say that from the beginning of the fruit of the date palm, its pulp, unripe dates, semi-ripe, fresh ripe dates—in short, the fruit at every stage is eaten for about six months, then it is preserved and eaten throughout the year. The commentator Tantawi said that in his opinion, it is not correct to limit {’’ تُؤْتِيْۤ اُكُلَهَا ‘‘} only to fruit; the meaning is that the tree benefits at all times—in the form of fruit, shade, fragrance, building wood or fuel, products from leaves, branches, and gum, and as medicine; even if nothing else, then by purifying the air from pollution and producing oxygen, it benefits at all times. Obviously, besides the date palm, all those trees are included in this which have these three qualities. Similarly, the word of Islam, by Allah's command, brings countless benefits to the believer at every stage of this world and the Hereafter, and at all times some good deed of the believer ascends towards the sky. Since things are well understood through examples, Allah Almighty thus presents examples for the admonition and understanding of people.