10. Surah Yunus

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَاء أَنزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاء...   

10: 24.  The likeness of the life of the present is as the rain which We send down from the skies:

C1412. Another beautiful Parable, explaining the nature of our present life.

The rain comes down in drops and mingles with the earth. Through it, by Allah's matchless artistry, the womb of the earth is made fruitful. All kinds of good, useful, and beautiful grains, vegetables, and fruits are produced for men and animals. The earth is covered in its bravery of green and gold and all kinds of colours.

Perhaps the "owner" takes all the credit to himself, and thinks that this will last eternally. A hailstorm or a blast, a frost or a volcanic eruption, comes and destroys it, or it may be even normally, that the time of harvest comes, and the fields and orchards are stripped bare by some blight or disease.

Where is the beauty and bravery of yesterday?

All that is left is dust and ashes!

What more can we get from this physical material life?

... فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الأَرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ النَّاسُ وَالأَنْعَامُ...

by its mingling arises the produce of the earth -- which provides food for men and animals:

...حَتَّىَ إِذَا أَخَذَتِ الأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَازَّيَّنَتْ وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَا أَنَّهُمْ قَادِرُونَ عَلَيْهَآ...

(it grows) till the earth is clad with its golden ornaments and is decked out (in beauty):

the people to whom it belongs think they have all powers of disposal over it:

...أَتَاهَا أَمْرُنَا لَيْلاً أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَاهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَن لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِالأَمْسِ...

there reaches it Our command by night or by day, and We make it like a harvest clean-mown, as if it had not flourished only the day before!

...كَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢٤﴾  

Thus do We explain the Signs in detail for those who reflect.

Asad’s Version:

10: 24 The parable of this life of this world is but that of rain which We send down from the sky, and which is absorbed by the plants of the earth whereof men and animals draw nourishment, until – when the earth has assumed its artful adornment and has been embellished, and they who dwell on it believe that they have gained mastery over it – there comes down upon it Our judgment, by night or by day, and We cause it to become a field mown down, as if there had been no yesterday. Thus clearly do We spell out these messages unto people who think!