Sūrat al-Tīn

Meccan. It has 8 verses. (Revealed after al-Burūj).

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

{By the fig and the olive, and [by] Mount Sinai, and [by] this secure city. We have certainly created man in the best of stature; then We returned him to the lowest of the low, except for those who believe and do righteous deeds, for they will have a reward uninterrupted. So what yet causes you to deny the Recompense? Is Allah not the most just of judges?}

"By the Fig and the Olive"

He swore by them because they are the most wondrous among all fruit-bearing trees. It is narrated that a platter of figs was gifted to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He ate from it and said to his companions: "Eat, for if I were to say that a fruit descended from Paradise, I would say it is this, for the fruit of Paradise has no pit. Eat it, for it cuts off hemorrhoids and is beneficial for gout."

Mu'adh ibn Jabal passed by an olive tree, took a branch from it, and used it as a siwak (toothbrush), saying: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: 'The olive is an excellent siwak from the blessed tree; it sweetens the mouth and removes decay.' And I heard him say: 'It is my siwak and the siwak of the prophets before me.'"

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "It is your Prophet and your olive." Others say they are two mountains in the Holy Land called in Syriac Tur-Tina and Tur-Zayta, as they are the places where figs and olives grow. It is also said that "The Fig" refers to the mountains between Hulwan and Hamadan, and "The Olive" to the mountains of the Levant, as these are their habitats—as if to say: "By the places where the fig and olive grow."

"And [by] Mount Sinai" The Tur (mountain) is attributed to Sinin (the location). It is like Sinun and Yabrun, in the permissibility of declension with waw and ya, while keeping the ya and vocalizing the nun with the signs of declension.

"And [by] this secure city" Meaning Makkah—may Allah protect it. Al-Amin (the secure) comes from the root amana (to be trustworthy/secure). It is said to mean aman (security), just as kiram (noble) is used for karim. Its security is that it protects those who enter it just as a trustee protects what is entrusted to him. It is also possible that fa'il is in the sense of maf'ul (passive), meaning it is "secured" from calamities, as it is described with security in His saying: "...a sanctuary [haram] secure..." (Al-Qasas: 57).

The meaning of swearing by these things is to demonstrate the nobility of these blessed lands and the goodness and blessings that appeared in them through the dwelling of the prophets and the righteous. The habitat of the fig and olive is the place of Ibrahim’s migration and the birthplace of ‘Isa. The Tur is the place where Musa was called. Makkah is the place of the House which is a guidance for the worlds, and the birthplace and mission of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

"In the best of stature" In the best modification of his form and image, and the best proportioning of his limbs.

"Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low" Meaning: We returned him to a state lower than the lowest in creation and composition—that is, the ugliest in appearance and the most deformed in creation. These are the people of the Fire, or those who fall into the lowest depths.

Alternatively, it means: We returned him after that stature and beauty to the lowest of the low in appearance and form, by reversing his creation: his back becomes hunched after being straight, his hair turns white after being black, his skin wrinkles after being smooth, his hearing and sight fail after being sharp, and everything about him changes: his walk becomes a shuffle, his voice a whisper, his strength weakness, and his sharpness senility. Abdullah [ibn Mas'ud] recited: Asfal al-safilin.

If you ask: "How does the exception apply in these two interpretations?" I say: In the first, it is a direct, clear exception. In the second, it is a disconnected exception. It means: "But those who were righteous among the elderly, they shall have a reward that is never-ending for their obedience and their patience during Allah’s trial of old age and senility, and for enduring hardships and performing worship despite their failing strength."

"So what makes you deny [O man] the Recompense?" Who is being addressed? It is an address to man using the style of iltifat (turning). It means: "What makes you a liar regarding the religion and its denial after this evidence?" It means you are a liar if you deny the Recompense, for every denier of the truth is a liar. So what compels you to be a liar by denying the Recompense?

The meaning is: The creation of man from a drop, his shaping into a balanced human, his progression through stages of growth until he is complete and balanced, then his reversal until he reaches the most decrepit age—you will not see evidence clearer than this of the Creator’s power. And He who is capable of all this in man is not incapable of resurrecting him. So what is the reason for your denial, O man, of the Recompense after this decisive proof?

It is also said the address is to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

"Is not Allah the most just of judges?" This is a threat to the disbelievers, that He will judge them according to what they deserve. It is narrated that when the Prophet (ﷺ) recited this, he would say: "Yes, and I am of those who bear witness to that."

From the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Whoever recites Surah At-Tin, Allah will grant him two qualities: well-being and certainty as long as he remains in this world. And when he dies, Allah will grant him the reward of as many people as have recited this surah."