Al-Mu'minun · Makki · ayah 20 of 118

Al-Mu'minun 23:20

وَشَجَرَةً تَخْرُجُ مِن طُورِ سَيْنَآءَ تَنۢبُتُ بِٱلدُّهْنِ وَصِبْغٍ لِّلْـَٔاكِلِينَ

“And [We brought forth] a tree issuing from Mount Sinai which produces oil and food [i.e., olives] for those who eat.”

Saheeh International

Essence

From the mountain where Musa was spoken to comes a tree that rises carrying its own oil, giving light, ointment and a dip for every mouthful of bread.

A reflection

The tree that asks for so little

After gardens of palms and vines, the ayah singles out one tree: shajaratan, a tree, which the commentators agree is the olive. One classical commentator explains why it is named on its own. It has immense benefits across the lands, he says, and it needs far less watering, digging and tending than other trees.

That detail is worth sitting with. Most crops demand constant labour. The olive gives oil for food, for light, for skin and for medicine, and asks remarkably little in return. It grows on poor, stony hillsides where little else will. It is one of the most generous trees on earth, and one of the least demanding.

Picture a terraced hillside abandoned when a village emptied, its owners gone to the cities. Twenty years on, the stone walls have slumped and the paths have vanished under thorn. Yet the old olive trees on the terraces are still fruiting every autumn, silver leaves turning in the wind, unpruned and unwatered, dropping black olives that no one gathers.

Human beings like to believe their provision comes mainly from their own effort. They work hard, so they think they deserve what they have. This tree quietly overturns that pride. Its fruit is almost entirely gift and almost not at all labour. The One who raised it is giving, whether or not anyone is there to tend it.

That is not a reason to stop working. It is a reason to work humbly. Even the farmer who prunes and harvests with great care is only gathering what was given. The ayah reminds every proud worker that the oil was in the tree before anyone touched it.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.