وَٱلْبَلَدُ ٱلطَّيِّبُ يَخْرُجُ نَبَاتُهُۥ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِۦ ۖ وَٱلَّذِى خَبُثَ لَا يَخْرُجُ إِلَّا نَكِدًا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَشْكُرُونَ 58
Translations
And the good land - its vegetation emerges by permission of its Lord; but that which is bad - nothing emerges except sparsely, with difficulty. Thus do We diversify the signs for a people who are grateful.
Transliteration
Wal-baladu at-tayyibu yakhruju nabaatuhu bi-idhni rabbih, wal-ladhi khabutha laa yakhruju illaa nakidan, kadhalika nusarrifu al-ayati li-qawmin yashkurun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah uses the metaphor of fertile and barren land to illustrate the difference between receptive and unreceptive hearts. The good land (tayyib) produces abundant vegetation by Allah's permission, while corrupt land (khabith) yields only sparse, difficult growth—paralleling how sincere believers benefit from divine signs while those with hardened hearts derive little benefit. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi interpret this as both a literal agricultural lesson and a spiritual allegory for the human soul's capacity to receive divine guidance.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Al-A'raf, which emphasizes divine signs and human responsibility. It contextualizes the broader theme of the surah: just as Allah's signs in nature are evident to all, yet only the grateful and thoughtful benefit from them, so too does divine revelation affect hearts differently based on their spiritual condition and receptivity.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'The example of the one who recites the Qur'an is like the citron, whose fragrance is pleasant and taste is good; and the one who does not recite the Qur'an is like the date-palm tree which has no fragrance but has a good taste.' (Sahih Bukhari 5059). This hadith similarly illustrates differential spiritual fruit from receptive versus unreceptive conditions.
Themes
Key Lesson
Our spiritual growth depends not merely on exposure to divine guidance, but on the condition of our hearts—we must cultivate receptivity, sincerity, and gratitude to truly benefit from Allah's signs. Like fertile soil requires proper preparation, the human heart must be cleansed of arrogance and pride to flourish spiritually.
Related Ayahs
قَالُوٓا۟ أُوذِينَا مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَأْتِيَنَا وَمِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جِئْتَنَا ۚ قَالَ عَسَىٰ رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُهْلِكَ عَدُوَّكُمْ وَيَسْتَخْلِفَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ
They said, "We have been harmed before you came to us and after you have come to us." He said, "Perhaps your Lord will destroy your enemy and grant you succession in the land and see how you will do."
فَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَةَ رَبِّى وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن لَّا تُحِبُّونَ ٱلنَّـٰصِحِينَ
And he [i.e., Ṣāliḥ] turned away from them and said, "O my people, I had certainly conveyed to you the message of my Lord and advised you, but you do not like advisors."
وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِى صُدُورِهِم مِّنْ غِلٍّ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهِمُ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ ۖ وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى هَدَىٰنَا لِهَـٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِىَ لَوْلَآ أَنْ هَدَىٰنَا ٱللَّهُ ۖ لَقَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ وَنُودُوٓا۟ أَن تِلْكُمُ ٱلْجَنَّةُ أُورِثْتُمُوهَا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
And We will have removed whatever is within their breasts of resentment, [while] flowing beneath them are rivers. And they will say, "Praise to Allāh, who has guided us to this; and we would never have been guided if Allāh had not guided us. Certainly the messengers of our Lord had come with the truth." And they will be called, "This is Paradise, which you have been made to inherit for what you used to do."
قَالَ فَٱهْبِطْ مِنْهَا فَمَا يَكُونُ لَكَ أَن تَتَكَبَّرَ فِيهَا فَٱخْرُجْ إِنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰغِرِينَ
[Allāh] said, "Descend from it [i.e., Paradise], for it is not for you to be arrogant therein. So get out; indeed, you are of the debased."