Consuming Water, Air and Sunlight but Diverse Vegetation
13. [ar-R’ad, Medina 96]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَهُوَ
الَّذِي مَدَّ
الأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ
فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ
وَأَنْهَارًا...
13: 3. And it is He Who spread out the earth, and set thereon mountains standing firm, and (flowing) rivers:
...وَمِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ جَعَلَ فِيهَا زَوْجَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ...
and fruit of every kind He made in pairs, two and two:
C1804. I think that this refers to sex in plants, and I see M Pickthalls has translated accordingly.
Plants like animals have their reproductive apparatus, -male stamens and female pistils. In most cases the same flower combines both stamens and pistils, but in some cases these organs are specialized in separate flowers, and in some cases, even in separate trees. The date-palm of Arabia and the Papaya of India, are instances of fruit trees which are unisexual.
...يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ...
He draweth the Night as a veil o'er the Day.
C1805. Cf. 7:54 and n. 1032. The whole passage there may be compared with the whole passage here.
Both their similarity and their variation show how closely reasoned each argument is, with expressions exactly appropriate to each occasion.
...إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٣﴾
Behold, verily in these things there are Signs for those who consider!
وَفِي
الأَرْضِ قِطَعٌ
مُّتَجَاوِرَاتٌ...
13: 4. And in the earth are tracts (diverse though) neighboring,
وَجَنَّاتٌ
مِّنْ أَعْنَابٍ
وَزَرْعٌ وَنَخِيلٌ
صِنْوَانٌ
وَغَيْرُ صِنْوَانٍ
يُسْقَى بِمَاء
وَاحِدٍ وَنُفَضِّلُ...
and gardens of vines and fields sown with corn, and palm trees -- growing out of single roots or otherwise: watered with the same water,
C1806. Does "growing out of single roots or otherwise" qualify "palm trees" or "vines" and "corn" as well?
The former construction is adopted by the classical Commentators: in which case the reference is to the fact either;
- that two or more palm trees occasionally grow out of a single root, or
- that palm trees grow sometimes as odd trees and sometimes in great thick clusters.
If the latter construction is adopted, the reference would be to the fact that date-palm (and palms generally) and some other plants arise out of a single tap-root, while the majority of trees arise out of a net-work of roots that spread out extensively.
Here is adaptation to soil and water conditions,-another Sign or wonder of Creation.
...بَعْضَهَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِي الأُكُلِ...
yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat.
C1807. The date-palm, the crops of food-grains, and the grape-vine are all fed by the same kind of water, yet how different the harvests which they yield! And that applies to all vegetation.
The fruit or eatable produce may vary in shape, size, colour, flavour, etc., in endless variety.
...إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٤﴾
Behold, verily in these things there are Signs for those who understand!
13: 3
Asad It is He who has spread the earth wide and placed on it firm mountains and running waters, and created thereon two sexes of every [kind of]plant;……….Verily, in all this there are messages indeed for people who think!
Pickthall And He it is who spread out the earth and placed therein firm hills and flowing streams, and of all fruits be placed therein two spouses (male and female). He covereth the night with the day. Lo! herein verily are portents for people who take thought.
Transliteration Wa huwal lazi maddal arda wa ja'ala fiha_ rawa_siya wa anha_ra_(n), wa min kullis samara_ti ja'ala fiha_ zaujaini-snaini yugsyil lailan naha_r(a), inna fi za_lika la a_ya_til liqaumiy yatafakkaru_n(a).
13: 4
Pickthall And in the Earth are neighboring tracts, vineyards and ploughed lands, and date palms, like and unlike, which are watered with one water. And We have made some of them to excel others in fruit. Lo! herein verily are portents for people who have sense.
Yuksel On earth are neighboring pieces of land with gardens of grapes and plants and palm trees, some of which may be twins sharing the same root, or single, even though they are being watered with the same water source; and We make preference for some of them over others in what they consume. In that are signs for a people who reason.
Transliteration Wa fil ardi qita'um mutaja_wira_tuw wa janna_tum min a'na_biw wa zar'uw wa nakhilun sinwa_nuw wa gairu sinwa_niy yusqa_ bi ma_'iw wa_hid(in), wa nufaddilu ba'daha_ 'ala_ ba'din fil ukul(i), inna fi za_likala a_ya_til liqaumiy ya'qilu_n(a).
[[Nov 3, 2009 [Tuesday]
Dear Edip, Salaam
In the following verse I think your translation is not going with the idea. Could you review and let me know please?
I think the way the sentence is structured, it is to convey that the plants and trees share the same environment [water, air, sunlight, etc.] and same mechanism such as roots, leaves, brunches, etc. Yet each type is different as to kind, color, fruit, taste etc. Then the natural reason is that this diversity is deliberate and the differences are caused not by the environment or mechanisms but by the specific instruction given to each type [ by the specific genetic codes given in DNA].
The consumption of all plants are basically same: they take water and the nutrients from the soil and transform these into food with the help of sunlight [with chlorophyll]. This is the basic process the entire plant kingdom uses except few categories. Your idea of different consumption by different plants may not go with this principle.
Quran's verses manifest truth at different levels: different for different levels of knowledge and understanding. And they are all valid. For the lay people now and especially then it could appear as inspiration or Will of God makes things different. With today's understanding we know that this inspiration takes the form of DNA coding. However it is conveying the same truth.
I think the diversity arising from the same environment is a sign of God and that is being conveyed here. Pls let me know your thoughts.