As-salaam wa-alaikum, brothers and sisters.
Summary
Today’s selection is the entirety of Surah 95, At-Tin or The Fig, verses 1-8. This Surah appeals to four sacred symbols to show that God created man in the best of molds but that man is capable of the utmost degradation unless he has Faith and leads a good life.
Tafseer concerns the four sacred symbols mentioned in verse 1-3.
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Verses
Bis-millahi ar-rahman, ar-raheem.
In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.By the fig and by the olive,[1] by the mount of Sinai[2] and by this city of security (Makkah).[3] 95:[1-3]
We have indeed created man in the best of molds;[4] then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low[5] except those who believe and do good deeds – for they shall have a never-ending reward.[6] So, what causes them to disbelieve you concerning the Day of Judgment?[7] Is not Allah the best of all Judges?[8] 95:[4-8]
Ameen.
Tafseer
Concerning the four sacred symbols (the fig, the olive, Mount Sinai and Makkah itself) mentioned in verses 1-3:
About the precise nature of the first two symbols, and especially of the symbol of the Fig, there is much difference of opinion. If we take the Fig literally to refer to the fruit or the tree, it can stand as a symbol of man’s destiny in many ways. Under cultivation, it can be one of the finest, most delicious, and most wholesome fruits in existence; in its wild state, it is nothing but tiny seeds, and is insipid, and often full of worms and maggots. So, a man at his best has a noble destiny: at his worst, he is the “lowest of the low”. Christ is said to have cursed a fig tree for having only leaves, and not producing fruit (Matthew, xxi., 18-29), enforcing the same lesson. There is also a parable of the fig tree in Matthew, xxiv, 32-35. See also the parable of the good and evil figs in Jeremiah, xxiv, 1-10.
It is possible that the Olive here refers to the Mount of Olives, just outside the walls of the City of Jerusalem for this is the scene in the Gospels (Matthew, xxiv, 3-4) of Christ description for the Judgment to come.
[Mt Sinai] was the mountain on which the Law was given to Moses. The Law was given, and the glory of God was made visible.
“This city of security” is undoubtedly Makkah. Even in Pagan times, its sacred character was respected, and no fighting was allowed in its territory. But the same City, with all its sacred associations, persecuted the greatest of the Prophets and gave itself up for a time to idolatry and sin, thus presenting the contrast of the best and the worst.
This concludes today’s episode of the 17 Verses Podcast. I hope that this selection has helped increase your understanding of the holy Qur’an just a little bit.
Thank you and be well.