Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 23 Al-Mu'minun, Ayat 18-20

وَاَنۡزَلۡنَا مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءًۢ بِقَدَرٍ فَاَسۡكَنّٰهُ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ​ۖ وَاِنَّا عَلٰى ذَهَابٍۢ بِهٖ لَقٰدِرُوۡنَ​ ۚ‏ ﴿23:18﴾ فَاَنۡشَاۡنَا لَـكُمۡ بِهٖ جَنّٰتٍ مِّنۡ نَّخِيۡلٍ وَّ اَعۡنَابٍ​ ۘ لَـكُمۡ فِيۡهَا فَوَاكِهُ كَثِيۡرَةٌ وَّمِنۡهَا تَاۡكُلُوۡنَ ۙ‏ ﴿23:19﴾ وَشَجَرَةً تَخۡرُجُ مِنۡ طُوۡرِ سَيۡنَآءَ تَنۡۢبُتُ بِالدُّهۡنِ وَصِبۡغٍ لِّلۡاٰكِلِيۡنَ‏ ﴿23:20﴾

(23:18) We sent down water from the sky in right measure, and caused it to stay in the earth,17 and We have the power to cause it to vanish18 (in the manner We please). (23:19) Then through water We caused gardens of date-palms and vines to grow for you wherein you have an abundance of delicious fruits19 and from them you derive your livelihood.20 (23:20) And We also produced the tree which springs forth from Mount Sinai,21 containing oil and sauce for those that eat.

Notes

17. The water may refer to the rainfall, which comes down every now and then. It may also refer to the great store of water which Allah sent down at the time of the creation of the earth to fulfill its various needs till the Last Day, and which still exists in the shape of seas, lakes, sub-soil water, etc. It is the same water which evaporates in summer and freezes in winter and is carried by winds from place to place and spread over the earth by rivers, springs and wells to cause the growth of multitudes of things, and then is again restored to the seas, lakes, etc. Neither has this store of water been decreased by a drop nor was there any need to increase it by a drop since its creation. Today it is too well known how water comes about by the combination of oxygen and hydrogen in a certain ratio. The question is why can’t more water be produced when oxygen and hydrogen still exist in abundance in the world? Who caused them to combine in the proper ratio in the beginning to produce oceans of water and who now stops them from coming together to produce an extra drop? Then when water evaporates, who causes oxygen and hydrogen to remain combined in water vapors even in the gaseous state. Do the atheists and polytheists, who believe in independent deities for water, air, summer and winter, have any answer to this question?

18. This is to warn that Allah is able to take away the water if He so wills, and deprive the world of its most important means of life. Thus, this verse is more comprehensive in meaning than (verse 30 of Surah Al-Mulk): Ask them, have you ever considered that if the water of your wells should sink down into the earth, who would then restore to you running springs of water?

19. That is, other kinds of fruits than dates and grapes.

20. That is, you sustain yourselves by the produce that you get from these gardens in the shape of fruit, corn, wood, etc.

21. That is, the olive-tree, which is the most important product of the lands around the Mediterranean Sea. The olive-tree can last for 2,000 years or so, so much so that some trees in Palestine are said to be existing since the time of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him). It has been attributed to Mount Sinai probably for the reason that the area whose well known and prominent place is Mount Sinai is its original habitat.