Tafsir of Al-Mu'minoon 23:20

And a tree that emerges from...

(And a tree) in the accusative case (nasb), as a conjunction to "(gardens)," and it has been read in the nominative case (raf') as an incipient (mubtada') whose predicate is omitted. The best approach is to estimate it as preceding it; that is, "We created for you a tree that emerges from Mount Sinai." This is the mountain of Moses—peace be upon him—at which he held a private conversation with his Lord, may He be glorified. It lies between Egypt and Aila (which is called Al-Aqabah today). It has been said that it is in Palestine, in the land of the Levant. It is also called Mount Sinin. The majority of Arabs pronounce the 'sin' in "Sinai" (Sina') with a fatha, and with elongation (madd). This is how Umar ibn al-Khattab—may Allah be pleased with him—read it, as well as Ya'qub and most of the Seven. It is a proper noun for the location. "At-Tur" (The Mount) is the name of the specific mountain or any mountain. It is joined to "Sinai" as they have all agreed. The intent is to treat it as an indefinite noun in the first case, as is the rule for other proper nouns when they are genitally connected (idafah). In the second case, "Tur Sinai" is like "Manarat al-Masjid" (the minaret of the mosque).

It has been permitted that it be like (the poetry of) Imru’ al-Qays, in that he made the combination of the genitive and the genitive-possessor a proper noun for that object. It is said that "Sinai" is a name for specific stones to which the mountain was connected because they are found there; this is narrated from Mujahid. In Al-Sahih, it is stated that Mount Sinai is a mountain in the Levant, which is a mountain connected to Sinai. It is also said that it is the name of the mountain and the connection is of the general to the specific, as in "Mount Uhud."

The discussion on this is recorded in Al-Bahr from the majority, but it confirms the view that it is the name of the location. It is diptote (mamnu' min al-sarf) due to the elongated alif; its pattern is fa'la' like sahra'. It is said it is diptote due to being a proper noun and being foreign, or due to being a proper noun and feminine (by interpreting it as a location). Its pattern is fi'al, not fi'lal, since this pattern is not found in the speech of the Arabs in other than the doubled verbs except rarely, such as khuza'al (for the limping of camels), as narrated by Al-Farra', though Abu al-Baqa' did not confirm it. The majority hold that it is not Arabic, but rather either Nabataean or Abyssinian, and its original meaning is "the good" or "the blessed." Some have permitted it to be Arabic from al-nisa' (with elongation), meaning "height," or al-sana (with abbreviation), meaning "light." Abu Hayyan criticized this, saying that the two roots are different because the middle letter of al-nisa' or al-sana is 'nun,' while the middle letter of Sinai is 'ya'. It was countered that the one who says that claims it is fi'al, making its middle letter the 'nun' and its 'ya' an augmentation, and its hamza is changed from a 'waw'.

The Meccans, Abu 'Amr, Al-Hasan, and others read it (Sina'a) with a kasra on the 'sin' and elongation; it is a dialect of the Banu Kinana. It is also diptote due to the elongated alif according to the Kufans, because they confirm that the hamza of fa'la' is for the feminine. According to the Basrans, it is diptote due to being a proper noun and foreign, or a proper noun and feminine, because the alif of fa'la' according to them is not for the feminine but for appending it to fi'lal like 'alba' and hirba', and it is appended to qirtas and sardah, and its hamza is changed from 'waw' or 'ya' because the appending happens with them. Abu al-Baqa' said: The hamza of Sinai with the kasra is a root like himlaq, and it is not for the feminine, for there is no such word in the language like hamra', and the 'ya' is a root, for there is no Sana' in the language. Some have permitted it to be fi'al like dimas. Al-A'mash read it as (Sina) with a fatha and abbreviation. It was also read (Sina) with a kasra and abbreviation, for the feminine if it is not foreign.

The intent by this tree is the olive tree. It is specified by mention among all other trees because of its uniqueness in known benefits. It has been said that it is the first tree that sprouted after the Flood, and it lives very long. In Al-Tadhkirah, it is stated that it lasts for a thousand years; this is not far from correct, but (the author) cited as its cause: "because of its connection to the high planet," which is far from correct. In the Tafsir of Al-Khazin, it is said that it remains for three thousand years. Its specification with the description of emerging from the Mount, despite it emerging from other locations as well—and it is most abundant in places where the latitude exceeds a mile in its coldness, and it is mountainous with white or red soil—is for its glorification, or because that is its original origin. Perhaps treating it as for glorification is better, so it becomes a praise for it considering its location.

His saying: (growing with oil) is a praise for it considering what it is in itself. The 'ba' (in bil-duhn) is for accompaniment and association, like it is in your saying, "He came with the clothes of travel." It is connected to an omitted (predicate) that acts as a state (hal) from the pronoun of the tree; meaning, "accompanied by oil," which is the extract of everything that has fat. The intent here is olive oil. Its accompaniment by it is by way of its fruit being accompanied by it, for it is the one that is truly accompanied by it. It has been permitted that the 'ba' is connected to the verb, making it transitive as in your saying, "I went with Zayd," as if it were said: "It produces the oil," meaning it contains and yields it. It is not hidden that this, although correct, is that the production of oil is not known in usage.

Ibn Kathir, Abu 'Amr, Salam, Sahl, Ruways, and Al-Jahdari read (tunbitu) with a damma on the ta' and a kasra on the ba', as being from the form of af'ala. This is explained as being from anbata (to produce) in the sense of nabata (to grow); thus, the hamza in it is not for making it transitive. It has come in such a way in the saying of Zuhayr: "I saw those with needs around their houses, as dwellers for them until the pasture produced (anbata) its produce." Al-Asma'i denied this and said: "The narration in the verse is nabata without the hamza," although it is possible that the hamza of anbata therein, if it were for making it transitive, is by estimating an object, meaning: "The pasture produced its fruit or what they eat." Some have explained what is in the verse based on that and said: The estimate is "it produces its olives with the oil," and the prepositional phrase in this case is in the place of a state from the object or from the hidden pronoun in the verb. It is said: The 'ba' is extra, as in His saying, "And do not cast with your hands into destruction." Attributing production to the tree, and even to the oil, is metaphorical. Al-Khafaji said: It is possible for anbata to be made transitive by the 'ba' to a second object. Al-Hasan, Al-Zuhri, and Ibn Hurmuz read (tunbatu) with a damma on the first and a fatha on what is before the last, in the passive voice, and the prepositional phrase is in the position of a state. Zar ibn Hubaysh read (tanbutu) from the form of af'ala (meaning it sprouts), with (al-duhn) in the accusative. Sulayman ibn 'Abd al-Malik and Al-Ashhab read (bil-dihan), the plural of duhn like rimah is the plural of rumh. What they narrated from the reading of 'Abdullah—"It brings out the oil"—and the reading of Ubayy—"It bears fruit with oil"—is interpreted as an explanation according to what is in Al-Bahr, because it opposes the orthography of the agreed-upon Mushaf, and because the established narration from them is like the reading of the majority.

And a condiment for the eaters.

(And a condiment) is conjoined to "oil," and its distinction from it—which the conjunction requires in terms of concept—is (merely conceptual). Otherwise, their essence is one according to many commentators. It has occurred often that the difference in two concepts is treated as the difference of two essences, such as his saying: "To the King, the brave, the son of the brave, and the lion of the battalion in the fray." The meaning is: It produces something that combines being an oil that is smeared and used in lamps, and being a side-dish (idam) that bread is dipped into for seasoning. He said in Al-Maghrib: "It is said: sabagha the cloth with a good dye (sabgh) and sibagh." From this comes al-sabgh and al-sibagh from the food, because the bread is dipped into it and colored by it, like vinegar and oil. The outward meaning of this is that it is specific to every liquid side-dish, and this was explicitly stated in Al-Misbah. Some explicitly stated that applying the word "sabgh" to that is metaphorical, and perhaps in the speech of Al-Maghrib there is a kind of indication of that. It is narrated from Muqatil that he said: "The duhn is the oil, and the sibagh is the olive." According to this, the conjunction is a conjunction of two things different in essence, which is the most frequent in conjunctions. It must be said upon this: "The sibagh is the side-dish absolutely, which is what is eaten as a supplement to bread in most cases, whether it is liquid or solid." Olives are mostly eaten by the poor in our lands as a supplement to bread, while the wealthy eat them as a supplement to things like rice, and they rarely eat them as a supplement to bread. I have been fond of it since I was a youth, so I often eat it as a supplement or on its own. As for oil, I have not seen among the people of Baghdad anyone who uses it as a side-dish, and it is rare for one of them to eat a food in which it is present. Most of them are amazed at those who eat it, and the origin of that is its scarcity among them and the lack of understanding for it, so their souls find it repulsive. I myself used to find it repulsive, and gradually I became accustomed to it, and praise be to Allah the Exalted. The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to eat it, and it is authenticated that he (peace be upon him) had a sheep's tongue cooked for him with oil, and he ate from it. Abu Nu'aym reported in Al-Tibb from Abu Hurayrah, he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Eat the oil and use it for anointing, for it is a cure for seventy diseases, including leprosy." Al-Tirmidhi reported in Al-At'imah from 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in a raised (marfu') hadith: "Eat the oil and use it for anointing, for it comes from a blessed tree." However, some have said: "This command is for those who are able to use it and it agrees with their temperament." This is indeed the case, so there is no objection against one whose temperament does not agree with it for not using it; rather, it is apparent that its usage for him is prohibited if it harms him, as they said regarding the prohibition of using honey for the bilious-tempered. There is no difference in that between eating and anointing, for anointing with it may be harmful just as eating it is. Ibn al-Qayyim said: "Oil in hot lands like the Hijaz is one of the causes of maintaining health and fixing the body, and it is like a necessity for its people. As for in cold lands, it is harmful, and much anointing of the head with oil in those lands has risks for the eyesight." Finished.

'Amir ibn 'Abdullah read (wa sibaghan), and it is in the meaning of sibgh as indicated before, and from it is dabgha and dibagh. It is in the accusative by conjunction with the place of (bil-duhn). In the Tafsir of Ibn 'Atiyyah: 'Amir ibn 'Abd Qays read "And an enjoyment for the eaters," and it is interpreted as an explanation.