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rizqan li-l-ʿibādi wa-ʾaḥyaynā bihī baldatan maytan ka-dhālika l-khurūju
as a provision for Our servants, and with it We revive a dead country. Likewise will be the rising [from the dead].
— Ali Quli Qarai
50QāfقVerse 11 of 45
Qaf50. Qāfق
Qāf
Qaf
MeccanVerse 11 of 45
Surah Qaf - Verses 9-11
9. And We send down blessed water [rain] from the sky, then We produce therewith gardens and grain [every kind of harvests] that are reaped.
10. And tall date-palms, with ranged clusters.
11. A provision for [Allah’s] servants. And We give life therewith to a dead land. Thus will be the Resurrection [of the dead from the graves].
Rain is a natural phenomenon but it depends on Divine Will. It rejuvenates the earth, provides it with blessings including destruction of blights, growth of plants, delicacy of the air, and flowing of springs. The Arabic word basiq is employed in the sense of “tall”; tal‘ designates “a blossom newly turned into date”; nadhid designates “ranged, compact”; and hasid denotes “reaped.” The most joyous moments for agriculturalists are the time of ripening and harvesting their crops;
(“grains that are reaped”).
The blessed Verses in question make use of rain and growth of plants to illustrate Resurrection. Regarding;
“We send down blessed water from the sky,”
Imam Baqir (as) says:
“There is no water in the earth unless it is mingled with that from the sky.” 6
Imam ‘Ali (as) washed his hands7 and face when it rained saying:
“This blessing is from the sky untouched by any hand or vessel.”
Thus the blessed Verses in question are saying that the Glorious Divine Essence of Unity reminds His servants to bring His blessings to completion saying:
“We sent down rain so that trees and other plants grow and gardens and orchards be available to man for his sustenance and pleasure. We made tall and fruitful date-palms grow by rain.”
The blessed Verse 11 is saying that God Almighty provided His servants with all plants as a blessing for their provision and sustenance. Making mention of ‘servants’ may make a reference to the point that the main goal behind the creation of such natural phenomena including the growth of plants and sending down rain is to provide those who worship God Almighty and are obedient to Him with provision and sustenance and disbelievers and the disobedient make use of such natural resources because of the former as it is mentioned in the Divine tradition addressed to the Noble Prophet (S):
“Had it been not for your sake, I would not have created the heavens.”
The tradition reflects that the natural world of existence was created for his sake. God Almighty gave life to dead cities through sending down rain.
“Thus will be the Resurrection [of the dead from the graves]”
alludes to convincing those who deny Resurrection such that in the same manner that God Almighty gives life to dead lands through water therewith plants grow from the earth, He is Omnipotent to give a new life to those who have died and have turned into dust.
Footnotes