الآية رقم (141) - وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنشَأَ جَنَّاتٍ مَّعْرُوشَاتٍ وَغَيْرَ مَعْرُوشَاتٍ وَالنَّخْلَ وَالزَّرْعَ مُخْتَلِفًا أُكُلُهُ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالرُّمَّانَ مُتَشَابِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَابِهٍ كُلُواْ مِن ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ وَآتُواْ حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ وَلاَ تُسْرِفُواْ إِنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ

(141) - (And He it is who causes gardens to grow, [both] trellised and untrellised, and palm trees and crops of different [kinds of] food and olives and pomegranates, similar and dissimilar. Eat of [each of] its fruit when it yields and give its due [zakah] on the day of its harvest. And be not excessive. Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess.)

 ( أَنشَأَ ) (He it is who causes): The word (causes) used in the Arabic text of the verse means to create something out of nothing with np previous example.

(جَنَّات) (gardens): The Arabic stem word of (gardens) indicates covering and veiling. The gardens are places covered by the numerous trees.

(مَّعْرُوشَاتٍ ) (trellised): The Arabic word indicates height. So these Gardens contain plants which are held up by supports.

(وَغَيْرَ مَعْرُوشَاتٍ ) (and untrellised): Stemless plants, like watermelons.

(الزَّرْعَ) (crops): (Crops) refer to grains.

( مُخْتَلِفًا أُكُلُهُ) (of different [kinds of] food): Although they are supplied with the same water, planted on the same ground, and in the same soil, but the outcome is different. Citruses is a good example of that where we have different sorts of lemons and oranges although they all came from the same soil, glory be to Allah (swt).

(مُتَشَابِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَابِهٍ) (similar and dissimilar): For example, pomegranate can be sweet or sour. Some olives are green and others are black.

( كُلُوا مِن ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ وَآتُوا حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ ) (Eat of [each of] its fruit when it yields and give its due [zakah] on the day of its harvest.): Similar to the verse we read previously:

 وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ نَبَاتَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهُ خَضِرًا نُّخْرِجُ مِنْهُ حَبًّا مُّتَرَاكِبًا وَمِنَ النَّخْلِ مِن طَلْعِهَا قِنْوَانٌ دَانِيَةٌ وَجَنَّاتٍ مِّنْ أَعْنَابٍ وَالزَّيْتُونَ وَالرُّمَّانَ مُشْتَبِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَابِهٍ ۗ انظُرُوا إِلَىٰ ثَمَرِهِ إِذَا أَثْمَرَ وَيَنْعِهِ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكُمْ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

(And it is He who sends down rain from the sky, and We produce thereby the growth of all things. We produce from it greenery from which We produce grains arranged in layers. And from the palm trees – of its emerging fruit are clusters hanging low. And [We produce] gardens of grapevines and olives and pomegranates, similar yet varied. Look at [each of] its fruit when it yields and [at] its ripening. Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.) (Al-An’aam: 99)

In the verse of Surah Al-An’aam, we find evidence to support the calling for belief in Allah (swt) because it ends with: (Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe). So, Allah (swt) demonstrates these signs of His Power (swt) as evidence to support believing in Him (swt). While in this verse in Surah Al-A’raaf, these signs of Allah’s (swt) Power are mentioned to be benefited from, because Allah (swt) says: (Eat of [each of] its fruit when it yields and give its due [zakah] on the day of its harvest.): Give the amount of money due for charity and alms. Therefore, both verses do not have the same meaning, for there is no repetition in the Holy Quran, rather it is a Book full of secrets.

( يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ ) (on the day of its harvest): When the fruits are ripe for harvest.

( وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ) (And be not excessive. Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess): Excessiveness means to exceed the limits. Scholars said, “There is no goodness in wasting, and there is no wasting in goodness”. Allah (swt) does not like people to be excessive because they would be wasting His blessings (swt). This is why we recommend people not to waste Allah’s blessings, like water, electricity, gas, and all other various bestowments from Allah (swt).