Surah Al-Kahf: (45) And present to them a parable...

The objective here is to present another parable that indicates the insignificance of the world (Dunya) and the brevity of its existence.

This statement is connected to what preceded it concerning the polytheists who were arrogant toward the poor believers. He said:

{And present to them}—meaning, to those who boasted of their wealth and supporters over the poor Muslims—{a parable of the worldly life}.

Then He mentioned the parable: {like water which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it}.

At that stage, this vegetation grows, flourishes, and its appearance becomes beautiful, just as the Almighty said: {until, when the earth has taken on its rich ornament and has been embellished, and [its inhabitants] think they have power over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as if it had never been there} (Al-Hajj: 5).

Then, when that [rain] ceases for a period, that vegetation dries up and becomes hashīman (brittle, broken stubble). This is the broken, crumbling plant matter. From this root comes the saying: "He broke his nose" (hashama anfah) and "He broke the thareed" (a type of bread soaked in broth).

Poetry is cited:

'Amr, who broke the thareed for his people, While the men of Mecca were lean and barren.

When the vegetation becomes like this, the winds scatter it, carrying its parts in all directions: {And Allah is over all things competent}, by creating it initially, nurturing it in the middle stage, and annihilating it in the end.

The conditions of the world are also like this: they first appear in the utmost beauty and freshness, then they increase little by little, and then they begin to decline until they reach ruin and annihilation. A rational person should not rejoice over something like this.

Regarding the phrase: {and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it}, there are several interpretations for the preposition bā' (with):

1. Interpretation 1: It means that some types of vegetation mingle with other types because of this water. This is because when rain descends, the plants strengthen, and some intermingle and intertwine with others, resulting in a scene of utmost beauty and adornment.
2. Interpretation 2: That water mingles with the vegetation, and that vegetation mingles with the water until it is thoroughly saturated and flourishes. The linguistic structure would favor the reading: fa-ikhtalata bi-nabāt al-ard (and it mingled with the vegetation of the earth). The validity of this interpretation lies in the fact that when two things mingle, each one is described by the attribute of the other.

{Wealth and sons are the adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better with your Lord for reward and better for [one's] hope.}