ONE AYAT A DAY
وَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ مَّثَلَ الْحَيٰوةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَاۤءٍ اَنْزَلْنٰهُ مِنَ السَّمَاۤءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهٖ نَبَاتُ الْاَرْضِ فَاَصْبَحَ هَشِيْمًا تَذْرُوْهُ الرِّيٰحُ ۗوَكَانَ اللّٰهُ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا
Waḍrib lahum maṡalal-ḥayātid-dun-yā kamā'in anzalnāhu minas-samā'i fakhtalaṭa bihī nabātul-arḍi fa aṣbaḥa hasyīman tażrūhur-riyāḥ(u), wa kānallāhu ‘alā kulli syai'im muqtadirā(n).
And present to them the example of the life of this world, [its being] like rain which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it and [then] it becomes dry remnants, scattered by the winds. And Allāh is ever, over all things, Perfect in Ability.
The Parable of the Worldly LifeAllah says:وَاضْرِبْ لَهُم(And mention) O Muhammad, to the people,مَثَلُ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا(the parable of the worldly life), its transient nature and how it will eventually cease and come to an end.كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الاٌّرْضِ(it is like the water which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it,) It mingles with the seeds that are in the earth, so they grow and become good, producing bright, fresh flowers, then after that,فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا(it becomes dry and broken pieces,) withered up,تَذْرُوهُ الرِّياحُ(which the winds scatter.) tossing them about right and left.وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا(And Allah is able to do everything) He has the power to do this and that. In the Qur'an Allah often gives parables like this of the life of this world, as He says in Surah Yunus,إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الاٌّرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ النَّاسُ وَالاٌّنْعَـمُ(The parable of the worldly life is but that of water which We send down from the sky so by it arises the intermingled produce of the earth of which men and cattle eat. ..) 10:24 and in Surat Az-Zumar:أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَسَلَكَهُ يَنَابِيعَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُ بِهِ زَرْعاً مُّخْتَلِفاً أَلْوَ…