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 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.
24. The example of the life of this world is like the water We send down from the sky, by which the vegetation of the earth becomes lush [35], from which both humans and cattle eat. Until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified, and its owners think they have full control over it, Our command (punishment) comes to it by night or by day, and We make it as if it had been mown down [36], as if nothing had existed there the day before. Thus do We explain Our signs in detail for people who reflect.
[35] ﴿فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهٖ نَبَاتُ الْاَرْضِ﴾ has two meanings: one is that such an abundance of produce was generated from the rainwater that they became entangled with each other—one plant’s branches intertwined with another’s, and vice versa. The second meaning is that the produce or vegetation obtained from the water was mixed or shared between humans and animals, such as wheat grains being food for humans and the straw for animals. And in most types of vegetation, this is the case.
[36]
The Parable of the Crop of Worldly Life:
In this verse, the fleeting nature of worldly life is illustrated. Just as vegetation reaches its prime, with fruits and flowers of various colors adorning that piece of land beautifully, similarly, youth comes upon humans, when everything in the world appears beautiful to them and they become fully engrossed in the charms of the world, thinking that now they will spend some days in pleasure and comfort and enjoy life. But then suddenly, Allah’s command—that is, death—overtakes them. And just as after an unexpected calamity or the harvesting of a crop, its existence vanishes within a few days, likewise, a deceased person is erased from people’s hearts after a short time, and a time comes when even his trace and name are wiped from the world. This is the fate of ninety-nine percent of those who settle in this world and then depart.
[35] ﴿فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهٖ نَبَاتُ الْاَرْضِ﴾ has two meanings: one is that such an abundance of produce was generated from the rainwater that they became entangled with each other—one plant’s branches intertwined with another’s, and vice versa. The second meaning is that the produce or vegetation obtained from the water was mixed or shared between humans and animals, such as wheat grains being food for humans and the straw for animals. And in most types of vegetation, this is the case.
[36]
The Parable of the Crop of Worldly Life:
In this verse, the fleeting nature of worldly life is illustrated. Just as vegetation reaches its prime, with fruits and flowers of various colors adorning that piece of land beautifully, similarly, youth comes upon humans, when everything in the world appears beautiful to them and they become fully engrossed in the charms of the world, thinking that now they will spend some days in pleasure and comfort and enjoy life. But then suddenly, Allah’s command—that is, death—overtakes them. And just as after an unexpected calamity or the harvesting of a crop, its existence vanishes within a few days, likewise, a deceased person is erased from people’s hearts after a short time, and a time comes when even his trace and name are wiped from the world. This is the fate of ninety-nine percent of those who settle in this world and then depart.
