وَفِى ٱلْأَرْضِ قِطَعٌ مُّتَجَـٰوِرَٰتٌ وَجَنَّـٰتٌ مِّنْ أَعْنَـٰبٍ وَزَرْعٌ وَنَخِيلٌ صِنْوَانٌ وَغَيْرُ صِنْوَانٍ يُسْقَىٰ بِمَآءٍ وَٰحِدٍ وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهَا عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ فِى ٱلْأُكُلِ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ 4
Translations
And within the land are neighboring plots and gardens of grapevines and crops and palm trees, [growing] several from a root or otherwise, watered with one water; but We make some of them exceed others in [quality of] fruit. Indeed in that are signs for a people who reason.
Transliteration
Wa fi al-ardi qita'un mutajawirātun wa jannātun min a'nābin wa zar'un wa nakhīlun sınwān wa ghayru sınwān yusqā bi-māin wāhid wa nufarddilu ba'dahā 'alā ba'din fī al-ukul. Inna fī dhālika la-āyātin li-qawmin ya'qilūn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah highlights the diversity and excellence of agricultural lands and crops on earth, where adjacent plots of land produce different yields despite receiving the same water and conditions. Ibn Kathir emphasizes that Allah causes different fruits and crops to grow in neighboring lands—palm trees (some single-trunked, some multi-trunked), vineyards, and grain—demonstrating Divine wisdom in creation. The verse concludes that these variations are signs (āyāt) for people of intellect who reflect upon Allah's power and the reasons behind this differentiation, inviting believers to contemplate the hidden wisdom in apparent similarities.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Ar-Ra'd (The Thunder), a Medinan surah focused on establishing Divine oneness and the signs of Allah throughout creation. The surah addresses the Meccan pagans' denial and mockery, using natural phenomena as evidence of monotheism. This particular verse uses agricultural observations—familiar to the Arabian context—to demonstrate Allah's power and the variety within His creation.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Whoever plants a tree, and it produces fruit, will have charity recorded for him.' (Musnad Ahmad). Additionally, the Quran itself in Surah Abasa (80:31) mentions: 'We cause gardens of date-palms and grapevines to grow for you,' connecting to the agricultural theme of this verse.
Themes
Key Lesson
Even in apparent uniformity—such as adjacent lands receiving the same water—Allah manifests infinite wisdom through diversity in results, reminding believers that difference and variation are divinely ordained and purposeful. This encourages us to reflect deeply on natural phenomena around us as evidence of Allah's existence and perfect knowledge, rather than attributing outcomes to mere chance.