Tafseer of He frowned · Abasa · 80:31
And fruit and grass -
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 statement concerning the interpretation of His saying, the Exalted: وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا ("And fruit and pasturage") (80:31).
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: ( وَفاكِهَةً ) ("and fruit"): that is what people eat of the fruits of trees; and al-abb (وَأَبًّا): that is what the livestock eat of grass and herbage.
In accordance with what we have said about this, the people of interpretation (the exegetes) have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of Mubārak, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: ( وَفاكِهَةً ) ("and fruit"), he said: that is what the son of Adam eats.
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 on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: ( وَفاكِهَةً ) ("and fruit"), he said: that is what people eat.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: ( وَفاكِهَةً ) ("and fruit"), he said: as for the fruit, that is for you.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning His saying: ( وَفاكِهَةً ) ("and fruit"), he said: the fruit is for us.
Ḥumayd ibn Masʿada related to us, saying: Bishr ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Anas ibn Mālik said: ʿUmar recited عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّى ("He frowned and turned away") until he reached this verse: ( وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا ) ("And fruit and pasturage"). He said: we already know what the fruit is, but what is al-abb? Thereupon — I think he said that ("Ṭabarī expresses doubt about this") — he said: this is truly affected over-exertion.
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Ibn Abī ʿAdiyy related to us, on the authority of Ḥumayd, on the authority of Anas, he said: ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased with him, recited عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّى ("He frowned and turned away"), and when he reached this verse: ( وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا ) ("And fruit and pasturage"), he said: the fruit we already know. But what is al-abb? He said: by your life, O son of al-Khaṭṭāb, this is truly affected over-exertion.
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Mūsā ibn Anas, on the authority of Anas, he said: ʿUmar recited: ( وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا ) ("And fruit and pasturage") while he had a staff in his hand, and he said: what is al-abb? Then he said: it is enough for us what we already know, and he cast the staff from his hand.
Ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Jaʿfar related to us, saying: Shuʿba related to us, on the authority of Khulayd ibn Jaʿfar, on the authority of Abū Iyās Muʿāwiya ibn Qurra, on the authority of Anas, on the authority of ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: this is truly affected over-exertion.
He said: and Qatāda related to me, on the authority of Anas, on the authority of ʿUmar, with this entire narration in a similar manner.
Abū Kurayb and Abū al-Sāʾib and Yaʿqūb related to us, they said: Ibn Idrīs related to us, saying: I heard ʿĀṣim ibn Kulayb, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, he said: he counted seven of them: He made his (man's) sustenance from seven things, and He made him (man) from seven things, and at the end of that he said: al-abb is what the earth makes grow of that which people do not eat.
Abū Hishām related to us, saying: Ibn Fuḍayl related to us, saying: ʿĀṣim related to us, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, he said: al-abb is the herbage of the earth of that which the beasts of burden eat and which people do not eat.
Abū Kurayb and Abū al-Sāʾib related to us, they said: Ibn Idrīs related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Malik related to us, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, he said: Ibn ʿAbbās counted and said: al-abb is what the earth makes grow for the livestock. This is the wording of the narration of Abū Kurayb. And Abū al-Sāʾib said in his narration: he said: what the earth makes grow of that which people eat and the livestock eat.
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my paternal uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, he said: al-abb is the fodder and all pasturage.
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Abū Razīn, he said: al-abb is the herbage.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Abū Razīn, the like of it.
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash or another, on the authority of Mujāhid, he said: al-abb is the pasturage.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, he said: Mujāhid said: ( وأبًّا ) ("and pasturage") is the pasturage.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of Mubārak, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: ( وأبًّا ) ("and pasturage"), he said: al-abb is what the livestock eat.
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 on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning his saying ( وأبًّا ) ("and pasturage"), he said: al-abb is what the livestock eat.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: as for al-abb, that is for your livestock — favors of Allah following abundantly upon one another.
Ibn Bishr related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Wāḥid related to us, saying: Yūnus related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, concerning his saying: ( وأبًّا ) ("and pasturage"), he said: al-abb is the grass.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of al-Ḥasan and Qatāda, concerning his saying ( وأبًّا ) ("and pasturage"), he said: it is what the beasts of burden eat.
It was related to me on the authority of al-Ḥusayn, he said: I heard Abū Muʿādh saying: ʿUbayd related to us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk saying concerning his saying ( وأبًّا ) ("and pasturage"): he means the pasturage.
Yūnus related to us, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning his saying ( وأبًّا ) ("and pasturage"), he said: al-abb is for our livestock; he said: and al-abb is what they graze.
