Al-Qur'an Surah Ibrahim Verse 24

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Have you not seen how Allah has set forth a parable: A good word is like a good tree, having its root firm and its branches in the sky.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Do you not see how Allah compares a good word to a good tree? Its root is firm and its branches reach the sky,

Ruwwad Translation Center

Do you not see how Allah compares a good word to a good tree? Its root is firm and its branches reach the sky,

A. J. Arberry

Hast thou not seen how God has struck a similitude? A good word is as a good tree -- its roots are firm, and its branches are in heaven;

Abdul Haleem

[Prophet], do you not see how God makes comparisons? A good word is like a good tree whose root is firm and whose branches are high in the sky,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Beholdest thou not how Allah hath propounded the similitude of the clean word? It is like a clean tree, its root firmly fixed, and its branches reaching unto heaven.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Seest thou not how Allah sets forth a parable? - A goodly word like a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the heavens,- of its Lord. So Allah sets forth parables for men, in order that they may receive admonition.

Abul Ala Maududi

Do you not see how Allah has given the example of a good word? It is like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and whose branches reach the sky,

Ahmed Ali

Do you not see how God compares a noble act to a healthy tree whose roots are firm and branches in the sky, which yields

Ahmed Raza Khan

Did you not see how Allah illustrated the example of a sacred saying? Like a sacred tree, which has firm roots and branches reaching into heaven.

Ali Quli Qarai

Have you not regarded how Allah has drawn a parable? A good word is like a good tree: its roots are steady and its branches are in the sky.

Ali Ünal

Do you not see how God strikes a parable of a good word: (a good word is) like a good tree – its roots holding firm (in the ground) and its branches in heaven,

Amatul Rahman Omar

Have you (O reader!) not considered how Allâh compares a holy word to a good tree whose (each) root is firm and whose (every) branch (spreads out) to the very sky.

English Literal

Do you not see/understand how God gave an example/proverb, (of) a good/pure word/expression ,as a good/pure tree, its root (is) affirmed/established (fixed) and its branch/top (is) in the sky?

Faridul Haque

Did you not see how Allah illustrated the example of a sacred saying? Like a sacred tree, which has firm roots and branches reaching into heaven.

Hamid S. Aziz

Do you not see how Allah strikes out a parable? A goodly Saying is like a goodly tree whose root is set firm, and whose branches reach into the heavens;

Hilali & Khan

See you not how Allah sets forth a parable? - A goodly word as a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the sky (i.e. very high).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And those who believe and do good are made to enter Gardens, wherein flow rivers, abiding therein by their Lord’s permission. Their greeting therein is, Peace!

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Have you not considered how Allah sets forth a parable of a good word (being) like a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches are in heaven,

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Seest thou not how Allah coineth a similitude: A goodly saying, as a goodly tree, its root set firm, its branches reaching into heaven,

Muhammad Sarwar

Consider (Muhammad) how God (in a parable) compares the blessed Word to that of a blessed tree which has firm roots and branches rising up into the sky

Qaribullah & Darwish

Have you not seen how Allah sets forth a parable that a good deed is like a good tree, its roots are firm and its branches are in the heaven,

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

See you not how Allah sets forth a parable A goodly word as a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the sky.

Wahiduddin Khan

Do you not see how God compares a good word to a good tree? Its root is firm and its branches are in the sky,

Talal Itani

Do you not see how God presents a parable? A good word is like a good tree—its root is firm, and its branches are in the sky.

Tafsir jalalayn

Have you not seen, observed, how God has struck a similitude? (mathalan is substituted by [the following words, kalimatan tayyibatan]); a goodly saying, which is, `there is no god but God', is as a goodly tree, a palm tree, its root set firm, in the ground, and its shoots, its branches, are in heaven;

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Parable of the Word of Islam and the Word of Kufr

Allah says;

أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ اللّهُ مَثَلً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاء



See you not how Allah sets forth a parable! A goodly word as a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the sky.

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Abdullah bin Abbas commented that Allah's statement,

مَثَلً كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً
(a parable;a goodly word),

refers to testifying to La ilaha illallah, (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)

while,
كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ
(as a goodly tree),

refers to the believer,

and that,
أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ
(whose root is firmly fixed),

indicates that La ilaha illallah, (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah) is firm in the believers' heart,

وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاء
(and its branches (reach) to the sky.

with which the believer's works are ascended to heaven.

Similar is said by Ad-Dahhak, Sa'id bin Jubayr, Ikrimah, Mujahid and several others.

They stated that this parable describes the believer's deeds, good statements and good actions. The believer is just like the beneficial date tree, always having good actions ascending at all times, by day and by night.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Abdullah bin Umar said,

"We were with the Messenger of Allah when he asked,

أَخْبِرُونِي عَنْ شَجَرَةٍ تُشْبِهُ أَوْ كَالرَّجُلِ الْمُسْلِمِ لَا يَتَحَاتُّ وَرَقُهَا صَيْفًا وَلَا شِتَاءً وَتُوْتِي أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا


Tell me about a tree that resembles the Muslim, the leaves of which do not fall in summer or winter and gives its fruit at all times by the leave of its Lord."

Ibn Umar said, "I thought of the date palm tree, but felt shy to answer when I saw that Abu Bakr and Umar did not talk.

When they did not give an answer, the Messenger of Allah said,

هِيَ النَّخْلَة

It is the date palm tree.

When we departed, I said to Umar, `My father, by Allah! I thought that it was the date tree.'

He said, `Why did you not speak then?'

I said, `I saw you were silent and I felt shy to say anything.'

Umar said, `Had you said it, it would have been more precious to me than such things (i.e., would have been very precious to me)."'

Abdullah bin Abbas said that,
كَشَجَرةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ
(as a goodly tree),

is a tree in Paradise.

Allah said next