The Quran

Preface

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّماءِ ماءً فَسَلَكَهُ يَنابيعَ فِي الأَرضِ ثُمَّ يُخرِجُ بِهِ زَرعًا مُختَلِفًا أَلوانُهُ ثُمَّ يَهيجُ فَتَراهُ مُصفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَجعَلُهُ حُطامًا ۚ إِنَّ في ذٰلِكَ لَذِكرىٰ لِأُولِي الأَلبابِ

Yusuf Ali

Seest thou not that God sends down rain from the sky, and leads it through springs in the earth?¹ Then He causes to grow, therewith, produce of various colours: then it withers; thou wilt see it grow yellow; then He makes it dry up and crumble away. Truly, in this, is a Message of remembrance to men of understanding.

The circuit of water, by which the rain falls from the clouds, is absorbed through the earth, and flows through rivers or underground streams to the sea, where it again rises as vapour and forms clouds, was explained in notes 311-312 to 25:53. Here our attention is drawn to one portion of the process. The rain fructifies the soil and the seeds. Produce of various kinds is raised. The harvest ripens and is gathered in. The plants wither, dry up, and crumble away. Men and animals are fed. And the circuit starts again in another season.