Tafseer of The Cave · Al-Kahf · 18:45
And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allah is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of His exalted word: وَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ مَثَلَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَاءٍ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الأَرْضِ فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا تَذْرُوهُ الرِّيَاحُ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُقْتَدِرًا ("And present to them the parable of the life of this world: like water that We have sent down from the sky, with which the vegetation of the earth mingled, and which then became dry stubble that the winds scatter. And Allah is over all things omnipotent") (18:45).
He, whose remembrance is mighty, says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: And present, for the life of these — the arrogant ones who said to you: "Drive away from yourself those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, whenever we come to you" — present to them a parable from the worldly life. He says: a likeness. كَمَاءٍ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ ("like water that We have sent down from the sky") — He says: like rain that We have sent down from the sky. فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الأَرْضِ ("with which the vegetation of the earth mingled") — He says: and with that water the vegetation of the earth mingled. فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا ("and which then became dry stubble") — He says: and the vegetation of the earth became dry and crumbled. تَذْرُوهُ الرِّيَاحُ ("that the winds scatter") — He says: the winds cause it to fly up and disperse it. Of this one says: "the wind scattered it (dharat-hu al-rīḥ tadhrū-hu dharwan)," and "dharat-hu dharyan," and "adhrat-hu tudhrī-hi idhrāʾan," as the poet said:
Then I said to him: aim downward and do not drive him too hard, lest he cast you off from the back of the seat so that you slip away.
One says: "I threw the man off the mount and off the camel (adhraytu)," when you make him fall off it.
And His word: وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُقْتَدِرًا ("And Allah is over all things omnipotent") — He says: and Allah was able to destroy the garden of this speaker, when he entered his garden and said: مَا أَظُنُّ أَنْ تَبِيدَ هَذِهِ أَبَدًا ("I do not think that this will ever perish") وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ قَائِمَةً ("and I do not think that the Hour will come to pass"); and able to annihilate the possessions of the possessor of riches who are miserly with them regarding their due rights; and able to take away the worldly goods of the disbelievers (kuffār) who do not believe in Him from them; and everything else that He wills. He is capable; nothing that He desires renders Him powerless, and no matter that He wills wearies Him.
He says: so let the possessor of riches not boast of the abundance of his possessions, and let him not arrogantly exalt himself thereby over another, and let the people of the worldly life not be deceived by their worldly life. For indeed, its likeness is as the likeness of these plants whose growth became beautifully even through the rain, and which scarcely had time before the water was cut off from them, so that it reached its end and dried up again, scattered by the winds, spoiled, so that the eyes of the beholders turn away from it in revulsion. Rather, let him work for that which abides and does not perish, and for the lasting which does not vanish and does not change.
