Tafseer of The Ant · An-Naml · 27:60
[More precisely], is He [not best] who created the heavens and the earth and sent down for you rain from the sky, causing to grow thereby gardens of joyful beauty which you could not [otherwise] have grown the trees thereof? Is there a deity with Allah? [No], but they are a people who ascribe equals [to Him].
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.
Allah, exalted be His remembrance, says to the polytheists (mushrikīn) of Quraysh: Is the worship of what you worship of your idols, which bring neither harm nor benefit, better — or the worship of Him Who created the heavens and the earth? وَأَنـزَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً (and sent down for you water from the sky) — that is, rain; and it is possible that thereby He means the springs which He has caused to gush forth in the earth, for all that is of His creation — فَأَنْبَتْنَا بِهِ (and We caused to grow thereby) — that is, by the water which He sent down from the sky — حَدَائِقَ (gardens): this is the plural of ḥadīqa (garden), and the ḥadīqa is an orchard with a surrounding wall around it; if there is no wall around it, it is not a ḥadīqa. And His word: ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ (of beautiful appearance): he says: of fair aspect. And ذَاتَ is in the singular, although it was said concerning حَدَائِقَ (plural), just as it is said: وَلِلَّهِ الأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى — and I have already explained this earlier.
In the manner which we have mentioned concerning this, the exegetes spoke.
Mention of those who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both of them — on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: حَدَائِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ (gardens of beautiful appearance): he said: Al-bahjah are the blossoms of what people and cattle eat.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: حَدَائِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ (gardens of beautiful appearance): he said: Of everything that people and cattle eat.
And His word: مَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تُنْبِتُوا شَجَرَهَا (it was not for you to cause its trees to grow): Allah, exalted be His remembrance, says: We caused these gardens to grow for you by the water which We sent down from the sky, since you — had He not sent down water for you from the sky — would not have had the power to cause the trees of these gardens to grow, nor would you have been able to prevent that, for that cannot flourish except by water.
And His word: أَإِلَهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ (Is there a god alongside Allah?): Allah, exalted be His remembrance, says: Is there an object of worship alongside Allah — O ignorant ones — who has created that and sent down water from the sky and caused gardens to grow for you thereby? His word أَإِلَهٌ (is there a god) is brought back to the meaning of: is there alongside Allah a god? بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ يَعْدِلُونَ (but they are a people who deviate): Allah, exalted be His glory, says: but these polytheists are a straying people who deviate from the truth and turn away from it, knowingly and deliberately, while they know that they are in error and mistake — and they did not deviate from the truth out of ignorance that one who is unable to bring harm or benefit is better than Him Who created the heavens and the earth and performed these deeds — but they deviated with knowledge and awareness, in imitation of the custom of their forefathers who came before them.
