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 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.
266. Would any one of you wish to have a garden of date palms and grapevines and every kind of fruit within it, but then old age strikes him while his children are still young, and a whirlwind with fire strikes and burns up the garden? Thus Allah makes His signs clear to you so that you may reflect.
[382]
The Example of One Who Destroys His Good Deeds:
Once, Hazrat Umarؓ asked the Companionsؓ about the meaning of this verse. The Companionsؓ said, “Allah knows best.” Hazrat Umarؓ angrily said, “What is this? Say clearly whether we know or do not know.” At that moment, Ibn Abbasؓ said, “Amir al-Mu’minin! A thought has come to my heart.” He said, “Nephew, speak and do not consider yourself insignificant.” Ibn Abbasؓ said, “Allah has given an example of a deed.” Hazrat Umarؓ asked, “Which deed?” Ibn Abbasؓ could not give any answer to this, so Hazrat Umarؓ said: This is the example of a wealthy person who keeps performing deeds in obedience to Allah. Then Allah gives Satan dominance over him, and he becomes engrossed in sins, and all his good deeds are destroyed. [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير] That is, the condition of such a person is that in old age, when he is in dire need of the produce of his garden, and there is no opportunity to plant a new garden, and his children cannot help him either—they themselves are even more needy than him. Therefore, after performing any good deed, such as giving charity, it is also necessary to fully protect it. That is, do not burn your garden by reminding others of your favor, demanding service in return, or falling into shirk, so that in the Hereafter, nothing from your deeds remains for you, at a time when you will be in utmost need of them. And in this hadith, the meaning of Satan’s dominance is that a person becomes so engrossed in acquiring wealth that he becomes heedless of obedience to Allah, or he commits such acts of disobedience, disbelief, and shirk that his deeds are wasted.
[382]
The Example of One Who Destroys His Good Deeds:
Once, Hazrat Umarؓ asked the Companionsؓ about the meaning of this verse. The Companionsؓ said, “Allah knows best.” Hazrat Umarؓ angrily said, “What is this? Say clearly whether we know or do not know.” At that moment, Ibn Abbasؓ said, “Amir al-Mu’minin! A thought has come to my heart.” He said, “Nephew, speak and do not consider yourself insignificant.” Ibn Abbasؓ said, “Allah has given an example of a deed.” Hazrat Umarؓ asked, “Which deed?” Ibn Abbasؓ could not give any answer to this, so Hazrat Umarؓ said: This is the example of a wealthy person who keeps performing deeds in obedience to Allah. Then Allah gives Satan dominance over him, and he becomes engrossed in sins, and all his good deeds are destroyed. [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير] That is, the condition of such a person is that in old age, when he is in dire need of the produce of his garden, and there is no opportunity to plant a new garden, and his children cannot help him either—they themselves are even more needy than him. Therefore, after performing any good deed, such as giving charity, it is also necessary to fully protect it. That is, do not burn your garden by reminding others of your favor, demanding service in return, or falling into shirk, so that in the Hereafter, nothing from your deeds remains for you, at a time when you will be in utmost need of them. And in this hadith, the meaning of Satan’s dominance is that a person becomes so engrossed in acquiring wealth that he becomes heedless of obedience to Allah, or he commits such acts of disobedience, disbelief, and shirk that his deeds are wasted.
