Gems from Juzz 'Amma: "From The Blessed To The Most Blessed"

~ Gems from Juzz 'Amma ~

Day 18 / Gem 18

Surah At-Tin: "From The Blessed To The Most Blessed"

وَالتِّينِ وَالزَّيْتُونِ

I swear bythe fig and the olive.

وَطُورِ سِينِينَ

I swear by Mount Sinai.

وَهَٰذَاالْبَلَدِ الْأَمِينِ

And this entrusted/peaceful city.

[1-3]

Allah is swearing by 2 food items, and 2 locations.

Ayah 1:

At-Teen - 'the fig.' It has been mentioned both in the Qur'an and Sunnah.The Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasallam) mentioned figs and then stated, “If I had to mention a fruit that descended from paradise I would say this is it, because the paradisiacal fruits do not have pits… eat from these fruits for they prevent hemorrhoids, piles and gout”(Bukhari).

Thus, fig is a blessed fruit, which Allah and His Messenger have praised.

And this is why Allah is swearing by them.

In Classical Arabic, people would call a location by what it was famous for. So some scholars thought that fig and olive might be two locations.

The region where the fig grows. Some say it is;

- Syria, Damascus.
- Southern Iraq.

A Valley which has alot of Mountains, and on those mountains grow alot of Fig. Mount Judy is the location where Prophet Nuh's (Noah) Ark landed, and this is that location. [mentioned by al Aloosi in Rooh al Ma'ani]

Zaytoon (olive):

- Allah mentions Zaytoon in Surah Noor 24:35 - from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree - which signifies purity.

It is also mentioned in several hadith:

Abu Asid said: “The Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Eat the oil and use it on your hair and skin, for it comes from a blessed tree.” (Reported by al‐Tirmidhi, 1775; see also Sahih al‐Jami’)

Some say it refers to Mount of Olives, just like the Mountains of Figs mentioned earlier.

(Toori Teena, Toori Zaytaan- these are Hebrew/jewish terms.]

Ibn Abbas said, "Az-Zaytoon refers to Masjid al Aqsa in Palestine."

At-Teen possibly referring to Prophet Noah, the location where his Ark ship landed.

az-Zaytoon possibly referring to Jesus who was born in Palestine where olives grow.

Ash-Shinqeeti comments that these Oaths are referring to the 2 fruits and also their locations.

This is confirmed by the salaf including;
Ikrimah, Hasan and Mujahid.

So the idea that it is a fruit and a location was a view of the companions of Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wasallam) and their early students.

at-Tibyan: Altogether there are 3 locations, even though 4 things are mentioned.

3 locations: Palestine (ayah 1), Mount Sinai (ayah 2), the Peaceful city - Makkah (ayah 3). Why this sequence?

First, the fig was mentioned since it was praised by Allah's Messenger in the ahadith.

Then, Zaytoon is more blessed, as Allah praises it in Surah Noor.

After that came the mention of Mount Sinai - the location where Allah spoke to Moses/Musa.

And finally Allah mentioned, Balad al Ameen - the Peaceful City. Where the Ka'ba was built by Prophet Ibraheem/Abraham, where the final Messenger of Allah was born, and the city in which Allah sent down Revelation (wahy) to His final Messenger.

So why the sequence?

Because the ayahs mention things that are blessed to the Most blessed.

(Mentioned in Tafseer Ibn Katheer)

taken from www.naveds.com