Surah Al An'am Tafseer

Allah Created the Produce, Seed Grains and Cattle

Allah states that He created everything, including the produce, fruits and cattle that the idolators mishandled by their misguided ideas, dividing them into various designated parts, allowing some and prohibiting some.

Allah said,

وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنشَأَ جَنَّاتٍ مَّعْرُوشَاتٍ وَغَيْرَ مَعْرُوشَاتٍ

And it is He Who produces gardens Ma`rushat and not Ma`rushat,

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas commented,

"Ma`rushat refers to what the people trellises, while `not Ma`rushat' refers to fruits (and produce) that grow wild inland and on mountains."

Ata Al-Khurasani said that Ibn Abbas said,

"Ma`rushat are the grapevines that are trellised, while `not Ma`rushat' refers to grapevines that are not trellised."

As-Suddi said similarly.

وَالنَّخْلَ وَالزَّرْعَ مُخْتَلِفًا أُكُلُهُ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالرُّمَّانَ مُتَشَابِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَابِهٍ

and date palms, and crops of different shape and taste, and olives, and pomegranates, similar, and different.

As for these fruits being similar, yet different, Ibn Jurayj said,

"They are similar in shape, but different in taste."

كُلُواْ مِن ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ

Eat of their fruit when they ripen,

Muhammad bin Ka`b said that the Ayah means,

"(Eat) from the dates and grapes they produce."

Allah said next,

وَاتُواْ حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ

but pay the due thereof on the day of their harvest,

Mujahid commented,

"When the poor people are present (on the day of harvest), give them some of the produce."

Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Mujahid commented on the Ayah,

"When planting, one gives away handfuls (of seed grains) and on harvest, he gives away handfuls and allows them to pick whatever is left on the ground of the harvest."

Ath-Thawri said that Hammad narrated that Ibrahim An-Nakhai said,

"One gives away some of the hay."

Ibn Al-Mubarak said that Shurayk said that Salim said that Sa`id bin Jubayr commented;

وَاتُواْ حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ

(but pay the due thereof on the day of their harvest),

"This ruling, giving the poor the handfuls (of seed grains) and some of the hay as food for their animals, was before Zakah became obligatory."

Allah has chastised those who harvest, without giving away a part of it as charity. Allah mentioned the story of the owners of the garden in Surah Nun, (68:18-33)

إِنَّا بَلَوْنَـهُمْ كَمَا بَلَوْنَأ أَصْحَـبَ الْجَنَّةِ...

لَوْ كَانُواْ يَعْلَمُونَ

When they swore to pluck the fruits of the (garden) in the morning. Without saying:"If Allah wills." Then there passed by on the (garden) a visitation (fire) from your Lord at night, burning it while they were asleep. So the (garden) became black by the morning, like a pitch dark night (in complete ruins). Then they called out one to another as soon as the morning broke. Saying:"Go to your tilth in the morning, if you would pluck the fruits."

So they departed, conversing in secret low tones (saying). "No poor person shall enter upon you into it today." And they went in the morning with strong intention, thinking that they have power (to prevent the poor taking anything of the fruits therefrom). But when they saw the (garden), they said:"Verily, we have gone astray." (Then they said):"Nay! Indeed we are deprived of (the fruits)!"

The best among them said:"Did I not tell you, why say you not:`If Allah wills'." They said:"Glory to Our Lord! Verily, we have been wrongdoers."

Then they turned one against another, blaming. They said:"Woe to us! We have transgressed. We hope that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this. Truly, we turn to our Lord."

Such is the punishment (in this life), but truly, the punishment of the Hereafter is greater if they but knew. (68:18-33)

Prohibiting Extravagance

Allah said,

وَلَا تُسْرِفُواْ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ

And waste not by extravagance. Verily, He likes not the wasteful.

It was said that;

the extravagance prohibited here refers to excessive charity beyond normal amounts.

Ibn Jurayj said,

"This Ayah was revealed concerning Thabit bin Qays bin Shammas, who plucked the fruits of his date palms. Then he said to himself, `This day, every person who comes to me, I will feed him from it.'

So he kept feeding (them) until the evening came and he ended up with no dates. Allah sent down,

وَلَا تُسْرِفُواْ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ

(And waste not by extravagance. Verily, He likes not the wasteful)."

Ibn Jarir recorded this statement from Ibn Jurayj.

However, the apparent meaning of this Ayah, and Allah knows best, is that;

كُلُواْ مِن ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ وَاتُواْ حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ

وَلَا تُسْرِفُواْ

(Eat of their fruit when they ripen, but pay the due thereof on the day of their harvest, and waste not...) refers to eating,

meaning, do not waste in eating because this spoils the mind and the body.

Allah said in another Ayah,

وكُلُواْ وَاشْرَبُواْ وَلَا تُسْرِفُواْ

And eat and drink but waste not by extravagance. (7:31)

In his Sahih, Al-Bukhari recorded a Hadith without a chain of narration;

كُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا وَالْبَسُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ إِسْرَافٍ وَلَا مَخِيلَة

Eat, drink and clothe yourselves without extravagance or arrogance.

Therefore, these Ayat have the same meaning as this Hadith, and Allah knows best.

Benefits of Cattle

Allah's statement