Interpretation of surah At-Tin (The Fig): part 1

This surah descended at Mecca and it has 8 verses

The contents and virtues of Surah At-Tؤ«n (The Fig)

In fact this surah rotates around the topic of the beautiful human creation, his stages towards perfection, his decline and this subject started by the meaningful vows and after counting the causes of the victory and the saviour of man finally emphasised on the matter of the judgment day and ends with the total Sovereignty of the Supreme God.

This surah is descended in Mecca and the verse:

 وَهَذَا الْبَلَدِ الْأَمِينِ

In the above pledge it indicates the city of Mecca by a demonstrative pronoun which is signifying the nearness and it is the proof of it.

سورة التين

 بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

At-Tin (The Fig)

وَالتِّينِ وَالزَّيْتُونِ

(95:1)

By the fig, and the olive,

وَطُورِ سِينِينَ

(95:2)

And [by] Mount Sinai

وَهَذَا الْبَلَدِ الْأَمِينِ

(95:3)

And [by] this secure city [Mecca],

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ

(95:4)

We have certainly created man in the best of stature;

ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَاهُ أَسْفَلَ سَافِلِينَ

(95:5)

Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low,

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ فَلَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ

(95:6)

Except for those who believe and do righteous deeds, for they will have a never-ending reward.

فَمَا يُكَذِّبُكَ بَعْدُ بِالدِّينِ

(95:7)

Then what (or who) causes you (O disbelievers) to deny the Recompense (i.e. Day of Resurrection)?

(95:8)

Is not Allah the best of the Judges?

Definition:

We have created the man in the best stature

In the beginning of the Surah At-Tؤ«n (The Fig) we come across the four meaningful vows which is a preface to declare the important issue.

It said: swear by the fig and olive.

 وَالتِّينِ وَالزَّيْتُونِ

And swear by the tur e seenin.

 وَطُورِ سِينِينَ

Swear by this peaceful and secure city.

تين

In the dialect the above word means the fig.

زيتون

The above term means the olive from which the famous and useful liquid, olive oil is extracted.

The interpreters have many views in defining these two famous fruits that whether the pledge is about these fruits or is it about something else?

Whereas some of them declared that both are the famous fruits which have lot of nutritious values which have a lot of curative and remedial specialities, a number of them believe that by these terms it means, they are two mountains where the cities of Damascus and Baitul Maqdas (Palestine) is established as these two places are the lands of the many great prophets and messengers where they rose up. And these two pledges coordinate with the third and fourth pledges which remind the holy places.

In addition some defined these two mountains as they are named as fig and olive because upon one of them grows the plants of figs and on another grow the plants of olives.

Some believe that the fig indicated towards the period of Adam as the dress of Adam and havva was consisting of fig leaves. And pointed out the olive towards the period of Nuh (A.S). As at the last stage of the Nuh’s (A.S) floods he took off a pigeon so that to search the dry land after the floods and it returned back with a stem of olive leaf. And Nuh (A.S) felt the flood is finished and the dry land appeared from the water (hence the olive stem is the sign of peace and security).

Some believe that the fig is signifying the mosque of Nuh (A.S) which is built upon the mount Judi.

Hakim Jalinus prepared a specific diet for the champion. The fig was been specified for the athletes of ancient Rome and Greece.

The scholars of the nutrition said: The fig is full of various vitamins, sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavour. In the treatment of various ailments it is used in the Medicines. Particularly whenever fig and the honey are mixed up equally, it is very effective. Eating the dried fig give the boost up to the thoughts. To be precise, as the minerals elements which are present in the fig that causes the balance in the blood and the body strength, they introduced the fig as a food for every age under some conditions for it.

Source: imamreza.net

Author:  Nasir Makarim Shirazi

Other links:

Tafsir Surah Al-Maarij (The Ways of Ascent)-part 1

Tafsir Surah Al-Maarij (The Ways of Ascent)-part 2

Tafsir Surah Al-Maarij (The Ways of Ascent)-part 3

Tafsir Surah Al-Maarij (The Ways of Ascent)-part 4

Tafsir Surah Al-Maarij (The Ways of Ascent)-part 5