The Quran

Preface

أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّماءِ ماءً فَسالَت أَودِيَةٌ بِقَدَرِها فَاحتَمَلَ السَّيلُ زَبَدًا رابِيًا ۚ وَمِمّا يوقِدونَ عَلَيهِ فِي النّارِ ابتِغاءَ حِليَةٍ أَو مَتاعٍ زَبَدٌ مِثلُهُ ۚ كَذٰلِكَ يَضرِبُ اللَّهُ الحَقَّ وَالباطِلَ ۚ فَأَمَّا الزَّبَدُ فَيَذهَبُ جُفاءً ۖ وَأَمّا ما يَنفَعُ النّاسَ فَيَمكُثُ فِي الأَرضِ ۚ كَذٰلِكَ يَضرِبُ اللَّهُ الأَمثالَ

Yusuf Ali

He sends down water¹ from the skies, and the channels flow, each according to its measure: But the torrent bears away to foam that mounts up to the surface. Even so, from that (ore) which they heat² in the fire, to make ornaments or utensils therewith, there is a scum likewise. Thus doth God (by parables) show forth Truth and Vanity. For the scum disappears like forth cast out; while that which is for the good of mankind remains on the earth. Thus doth God set forth parables.

This verse is full of parables. (1) It is God Who sends rain and sends it to all. See how it flows in different channels according to their capacities. Some are sluggish; some have a swift current. Some form great rivers and irrigate wide tracts of country; some are clear crystal streams, perhaps in hilly tracts, with beds of clean pebbles which you can see through the water. Some produce delicious edible fish: and some are infested by crocodiles or injurious monsters. And there are degrees, and degrees among brooks, streams, lakes, rivers, and seas. So with the rain of God’s mercy and the knowledge and wisdom and guidance which He sends. All can receive it. Different ones will respond according to their capacities. (2) In the physical world, water is pure and beneficial. But froth and scum will gather according to local conditions. As the floods will carry off the scum and purify the water, so will the flood of God’s spiritual mercy carry away our spiritual scum and purify the water. (3) The froth may make a greater show on the surface, but it will not last. So will there be frothy knowledge which will disappear, but God’s Truth will endure.
In continuation of the last note, the fourth parable is that of metal ores: (4) the ore is full of baser admixture, but the fire will separate the gold from the dross for ornaments, or (5) some metal of household utility, with which you make everyday utensils, which the fire will separate from admixtures which you do not want. So the fire of God’s test, either by adversity or by affluence, will search out the true metal in us and reject the dross. It will show us what is valuable or what is useful, all sorts of scum and vanity which we collect and miscall knowledge.