سُوْرَةُ الرَّعْدِ
Surah Ar-Ra'd (13) — Ayah 4
وَفِى ٱلْأَرْضِ قِطَعٌ مُّتَجَـٰوِرَٰتٌ وَجَنَّـٰتٌ مِّنْ أَعْنَـٰبٍ وَزَرْعٌ وَنَخِيلٌ صِنْوَانٌ وَغَيْرُ صِنْوَانٍ يُسْقَىٰ بِمَآءٍ وَٰحِدٍ وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهَا عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ فِى ٱلْأُكُلِ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿4﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And in the earth are neighbouring tracts, and gardens of vines, and green crops (fields), and date-palms, growing into two or three from a single stem root, or otherwise (one stem root for every palm), watered with the same water; yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat. Verily, in these things there are Ayât (proofs, evidence, lessons, signs) for the people who understand.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَفِى
wafī
And in
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
the earth
قِطَعٌۭ
qiṭaʿun
are tracks
مُّتَجَـٰوِرَٰتٌۭ
mutajāwirātun
neighboring
وَجَنَّـٰتٌۭ
wajannātun
and gardens
مِّنْ
min
of
أَعْنَـٰبٍۢ
aʿnābin
grapevines
وَزَرْعٌۭ
wazarʿun
and crops
وَنَخِيلٌۭ
wanakhīlun
and date-palms
صِنْوَانٌۭ
ṣin'wānun
trees (growing) from a single root
وَغَيْرُ
waghayru
and not
صِنْوَانٍۢ
ṣin'wānin
trees (growing) from a single root
يُسْقَىٰ
yus'qā
watered
بِمَآءٍۢ
bimāin
with water
وَٰحِدٍۢ
wāḥidin
one
وَنُفَضِّلُ
wanufaḍḍilu
but We cause to exceed
بَعْضَهَا
baʿḍahā
some of them
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
over
بَعْضٍۢ
baʿḍin
others
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْأُكُلِ ۚ
l-ukuli
the fruit
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
فِى
fī
in
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ
laāyātin
surely (are) Signs
لِّقَوْمٍۢ
liqawmin
for a people
يَعْقِلُونَ
yaʿqilūna
who use reason
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.
4. And in the earth are neighboring tracts, and gardens of grapevines, and crops, and date palms—some growing from a single root and others from separate roots. They are all watered with the same water, yet We make some of them taste better [8] than others. Surely in these are signs for people who use reason.
[8]
Differences in Plants Despite Countless Similarities:
Among the astonishing powers of Allah Ta’ala is that fields are located in the same place. The same kind of seed is sown in them. The same water rains upon them or they are irrigated with the same kind of water. Yet, in one field, the crop produced is of the highest quality, while in the adjacent field, the crop is both less and inferior. Similarly, for example, there are two date palm trees, but their root is the same; above the ground, they have become two. Now, the same root draws water from the earth and keeps both trees fresh and provides them strength to bear fruit. Yet, the taste of the fruit of one tree is different from the other. The fruit of one is excellent, and the other’s is inferior. Have they ever thought about why this happens and which being is it that, despite so many similarities, still brings about differences in their fruits? Or, from the same piece of land, there are two trees: one is a date palm, the other is a neem tree. Both their roots are drawing water from the same piece of land. Sweetness is being filled in the fruit of the date palm, while bitterness is in the neem or bakain tree. That in this same piece of land, so much sweetness and, at the same time, so much bitterness exists that it can simultaneously provide both trees’ fruits with sweetness and bitterness? In short, if these people reflect on such matters, they can find countless proofs of the recognition of Allah.
[8]
Differences in Plants Despite Countless Similarities:
Among the astonishing powers of Allah Ta’ala is that fields are located in the same place. The same kind of seed is sown in them. The same water rains upon them or they are irrigated with the same kind of water. Yet, in one field, the crop produced is of the highest quality, while in the adjacent field, the crop is both less and inferior. Similarly, for example, there are two date palm trees, but their root is the same; above the ground, they have become two. Now, the same root draws water from the earth and keeps both trees fresh and provides them strength to bear fruit. Yet, the taste of the fruit of one tree is different from the other. The fruit of one is excellent, and the other’s is inferior. Have they ever thought about why this happens and which being is it that, despite so many similarities, still brings about differences in their fruits? Or, from the same piece of land, there are two trees: one is a date palm, the other is a neem tree. Both their roots are drawing water from the same piece of land. Sweetness is being filled in the fruit of the date palm, while bitterness is in the neem or bakain tree. That in this same piece of land, so much sweetness and, at the same time, so much bitterness exists that it can simultaneously provide both trees’ fruits with sweetness and bitterness? In short, if these people reflect on such matters, they can find countless proofs of the recognition of Allah.
