Tafseer of The Criterion · Al-Furqaan · 25:8
Or [why is not] a treasure presented to him [from heaven], or does he [not] have a garden from which he eats?" And the wrongdoers say, "You follow not but a man affected by magic."
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.
﴾ أَوْ تَكُونُ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ ﴿ — that is: or that he has an orchard ﴾ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا ﴿.
The Qurʾān reciters differed among themselves over the reading of this. The majority of the Qurʾān reciters of Medina and Basra, and some of the Kūfan reciters, read it as ﴾ يَأْكُلُ ﴿ — with a yāʾ — in the meaning of: the Messenger eats from it. The majority of the Kūfan Qurʾān reciters read it as "naʾkulu minhā" — with a nūn — in the meaning of: we eat from the garden.
The more correct of the two readings, in my judgment, is the reading with the yāʾ. This is because of the report which we have mentioned above: that the request of those among the polytheists who asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was that he should ask his Lord for these favors for himself — not for them. If their request to him was thus, it is not permissible that they would say to him: "ask that for yourself, so that we may eat."
Moreover, His word — the Exalted: ﴾ تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي إِنْ شَاءَ جَعَلَ لَكَ خَيْرًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ ﴿ contains a clear proof that they said to him only: ask that for yourself, so that you may eat from it — not us.
His word ﴾ وَقَالَ الظَّالِمُونَ ﴿ — that is: the polytheists said to those who believe in Allah and His Messenger: ﴾ إِنْ تَتَّبِعُونَ ﴿ — O people, by your following of Muḥammad ﴾ إِلا رَجُلا ﴿ who is bewitched.
