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.