Surah 13

Surah 13:4

"On the earth (there are) parts neighboring (each other), and gardens of grapes, and (fields of) crops, and palm trees, (growing in) bunches and singly, (all) watered with one water. Yet We favor some of it over others in fruit. Surely in that are signs indeed for a people who understand."
Allah's Signs on the Earth Verses 13:3-4
Show Full Scripture Context (13:3-4) — 2 Verses
Verse 3

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِي مَدَّ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَٰسِيَ وَأَنۡهَٰرٗاۖ وَمِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ جَعَلَ فِيهَا زَوۡجَيۡنِ ٱثۡنَيۡنِۖ يُغۡشِي ٱلَّيۡلَ ٱلنَّهَارَۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

He (it is) who stretched out the earth, and placed on it firm mountains and rivers. And of all the fruits He has placed on it two in pairs. He covers the day with the night. Surely in that are signs indeed for a people who reflect.

Verse 4

وَفِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ قِطَعٞ مُّتَجَٰوِرَٰتٞ وَجَنَّـٰتٞ مِّنۡ أَعۡنَٰبٖ وَزَرۡعٞ وَنَخِيلٞ صِنۡوَانٞ وَغَيۡرُ صِنۡوَانٖ يُسۡقَىٰ بِمَآءٖ وَٰحِدٖ وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعۡضَهَا عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ فِي ٱلۡأُكُلِۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَعۡقِلُونَ

On the earth (there are) parts neighboring (each other), and gardens of grapes, and (fields of) crops, and palm trees, (growing in) bunches and singly, (all) watered with one water. Yet We favor some of it over others in fruit. Surely in that are signs indeed for a people who understand.

After Allah mentioned the higher worlds, He started asserting His power, wisdom and control over the lower parts of the world. Allah said,
{And it is He Who spread out the earth}

made it spacious in length and width. Allah has placed on the earth firm mountains and made rivers, springs and water streams run through it, so that the various kinds of fruits and plants of every color, shape, taste and scent are watered with this water,
{and of every kind of fruit He made Zawjayn Ithnayn.}, two types from every kind of fruit,
{He brings the night as a cover over the day.}

Allah made the day and night pursue each other, when one is about to depart, the other overcomes it, and vice versa. Allah controls time just as He controls space and matter,
{Verily, in these things, there are Ayat for people who reflect.} who reflect on Allah's signs and the evidences of His wisdom.
Allah said,
{And in the earth are neighboring tracts,}

Meaning, next to each other, some of them are fertile and produce what benefits people, while others are dead, salty and do not produce anything. This meaning was collected from Ibn 'Abbas Mujahid, Sa'id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak and several others. This also covers the various colors and types of diverse areas on the earth; some red, some white, or yellow, or black, some are stony, or flat, or sandy, or thick, or thin, all made to neighbor each other while preserving their own qualities. All this indicates the existence of the Creator Who does what He wills, there is no deity or lord except Him. Allah said next,
{and gardens of vines, and green crops (fields), and date palms...}

Allah's statement, next,
{Sinwanun wa (or) Ghayru Sinwan.}

'Sinwan' means, growing into two or three from a single stem, such as figs, pomegranate and dates. 'Ghayru Sinwan' means, having one stem for every tree, as is the case with most plants. From this meaning, the paternal uncle is called one's 'Sinw' of his father. There is an authentic Hadith that states that the Messenger of Allah said to 'Umar bin Al-Khattab,
"Do you not know that man's paternal uncle is the Sinw of his father?"
Allah said next,
{watered with the same water; yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat.}

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet commented on Allah's statement,
{yet some of them We make more excellent than others to eat.}

"The Daqal, the Persian, the sweet, the bitter..."
At-Tirmidhi collected this Hadith and said, "Hasan Gharib." Therefore, there are differences between plants and fruits with regards to shape, color, taste, scent, blossoms and the shape of their leaves. There are plants that are very sweet or sour, bitter or mild, fresh; some plants have a combination of these attributes, and the taste then changes and becomes another taste, by Allah's will. There is also some that are yellow in color, or red, or white, or black, or blue, and the same can be said about their flowers; and all these variances and complex diversities are watered by the same water. Surely, in this there are signs for those who have sound reasoning, and surely, all this indicates the existence of the Creator Who does what He wills and Whose power made distinctions between various things and created them as He wills. So Allah said,
{Verily, in these things there are Ayat for the people who understand.}

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.