Tafsir of An-Nahl 16:10

(He it is Who sends down water from the sky): This is the commencement of another type of blessing that indicates the Oneness of the Glorified. The "water" intended here is a specific kind, namely rain. As for "the sky," it is either the clouds, by way of metaphor or metonymy, or the well-known firmament; in which case the statement implies an omitted genitive, meaning: from the direction or side of the sky. To interpret it otherwise without this omission is necessitated by the apparent meaning of some reports, though I do not subscribe to that. In every estimation, "from" (min) indicates the point of origin, and it is related to what follows it. The postponement of the explicit object (water) until after the prepositional phrase serves to sharpen the mind in anticipation of it, allowing it to become firmly established when it finally arrives.

His saying: (for you) may be interpreted as a predicate placed in advance, and the statement of the Glorified: (from it is drink) occupies the position of a state (hal) describing the word "drink"—or it is a delayed subject, or it acts as the agent of the preceding prepositional phrase, with the clause acting as an adjective for "water." The "from" (min) denotes partiality; there is no suggestion of exclusivity in placing it first. Whoever imagines such a thing is told: There is no harm in it, for all potable fresh water is, in its origin, from it, as indicated by the saying of the Exalted: "And He caused it to traverse as springs in the earth," and His saying: "And We caused it to dwell in the earth." It is also possible that it is related to what precedes it, and "from it is drink" acts as a subject and predicate, or "drink" acts as the agent of the prepositional phrase.

It has been argued that inserting the accusative between the two prepositional phrases, and placing the second of them between the "water" and its adjective, is inconsistent with the eloquence of the glorious arrangement, and so it is.

(And from it [is] trees/vegetation): Meaning plants in general, whether or not they possess a trunk, as narrated by al-Zajjaj. It is literal in the first sense. Among the instances of its use in the second sense is the statement of the Rajaz poet: "We feed them meat when the vegetation (shajar) becomes scarce," for there is harm in feeding camels meat. It has been said that "shajar" here means fodder (kala'), as it is what is fed to them. It was interpreted thus in al-Nihayah regarding the saying of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "Do not eat the price of vegetation (shajar), for it is illicit gain." Perhaps this is because the Hadith came to prohibit the withholding of surplus water, just as the withholding of surplus fodder is prohibited, and [because] people share in water, fodder, and fire. Others maintain its literal meaning and do not treat it as a metaphor encompassing [all plants].

The "from" (min) is either for partiality, metaphorically—because since the plant comes into existence through the watering, it is as if it is from it, like the saying: The humps of the camels [are] from its rain—meaning the rain by which what the camels eat grows, so their humps become fat. Or, it is for the origin, meaning: there exists vegetation from it. The former is more appropriate in relation to what precedes it.

Abu al-Baqa' said it indicates causality, meaning: and because of it [is] the growth of vegetation, and this is evidenced by: (He causes to grow for you thereby crops). Ibn al-Anbari permitted the first two interpretations based on the appearance of the statement: the expression is based on an assumed addition, either before the pronoun, meaning: from its direction or from its watering [is] vegetation; or before "vegetation," meaning: "and from it is drink [and] vegetation," like the saying of the Exalted: "And they were made to drink the calf into their hearts"—meaning the love of it. This is far-fetched, even if one were to say that the act of implying (idmar) is better than a metaphor—not the reverse, which some have gone toward; they affirmed equality because each of them stands in need of a context.

(In it you pasture [your cattle]): Meaning you graze them. It is said: "Asama al-mashiyah" and "sawwamaha," meaning he caused them to graze. And if they grazed on their own, they are "sa'imah" (grazing livestock) or "suwam" (grazing herds), meaning they grazed wherever they wished. The root of this, as al-Zajjaj said, is the "sumah," which is like the "simah" (brand or mark), because the livestock leave marks upon the land and the places where they graze. Zayd ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both) recited "tusimun" with a fathah on the ta'. If "sama" is heard as a transitive verb, then it and "asama" share the same meaning; otherwise, the interpretation is that the speech contains an omitted addition, meaning: you pasture your livestock.