Tafsir of Al-Furqan 25:48

"And it is He who sent..."

It is read as al-rīḥ (the wind) and al-riyāḥ (the winds). Nushuran (as a herald): meaning revival. Nushuran is the plural of nushūr, meaning that which brings to life. Nushuran is also a lightened form of nushur, just as bushran is a lightened form of bushur and bushrā.

"Before His mercy" This is an elegant metaphor, meaning: in front of the rain.

"Pure" (ṭahūran) Meaning highly effective in its purity. According to Ahmad ibn Yahya, it is that which is pure in itself and purifies others. If what he said is an explanation of its eloquence in purity, then it is sound. This is supported by the Almighty’s saying: "And He sends down upon you from the sky, rain by which to purify you" (Al-Anfal: 11). Otherwise, the form fa‘ūl has nothing to do with the verbal noun taf‘īl.

In Arabic, ṭahūr has two aspects:

1. An adjective: As in your saying "pure water" (mā’ ṭahūr), similar to saying "clean" (ṭāhir).
2. A noun (not an adjective): As in your saying "a ṭahūr" for that with which one purifies oneself, similar to wuḍū’ (water for ablution) and wuqūd (fuel for fire).

Their saying "I performed a good ṭahūr" is like saying "a good wuḍū’." Sibawayh mentioned this, and from it is the saying of the Prophet (ﷺ): "There is no prayer except with a ṭahūr," meaning purification.

If you ask: What removes the name "pure" (ṭahūr) from water? I say: The certainty of impurity mixing with it, or the dominance of that suspicion, whether one of its three characteristics (color, taste, or smell) has changed or not. Or, according to Abu Hanifa, its use on the body to perform an act of worship. According to Malik ibn Anas (may Allah be pleased with them both), as long as none of its characteristics have changed, it remains ṭahūr.

If you ask: What do you say regarding the saying of the Prophet (ﷺ) when he was asked about the well of Buḍā‘ah, and he said: "Water is pure; nothing makes it impure except that which changes its color, taste, or smell"? I say: Al-Waqidi said: The well of Buḍā‘ah was a path for water to the orchards.

"That We may bring to life by it a dead land and give it as drink to those We created of the livestock and many people."