Quranic theme
Crops
الحرث
14 verses
Rain driven into barren earth brings forth grain, olives, trellised and untrellised grapevines, and pomegranates that appear similar yet yield entirely different flavors (6:141, 32:27). Agricultural cultivation, termed harth in Arabic, encompasses all the vegetation that people plant and grow from the soil, as al-Tabari notes (Jami al-bayan, 4/242). The sudden emergence of these green shoots provides direct sustenance for both humans and their grazing livestock (32:27). Rather than treating agriculture merely as a product of human labor, the verses frame the harvest as a precise divine allocation that tests the cultivator's recognition of who actually sends the water.
Who dictates the harvest rules?
The verses dismantle the idea that a farmer produces the crop alone. It is God who sends water from the sky, guiding it into earthly springs to generate vast orchards (39:21). One parable details two men, where one was granted two gardens of grapevines surrounded by date palms, with thriving corn fields placed in between and a stream flowing directly through them (18:32-33).
Because the yield ultimately belongs to its Creator, the text explicitly condemns cultivators who invent their own agricultural regulations. The idolaters of the past would falsely apportion shares of their produce between God and their deities, claiming certain portions of the livestock and crops for their idols (6:136). They also falsely attributed regulations to God by declaring specific crops strictly reserved for certain people, or exempting certain animals from labor (6:138). Discarding these invented restrictions, the actual divine command regarding cultivation requires only three actions: eat when the crop bears fruit, pay what is rightfully due to others on the day of harvest, and do not act wastefully, for God dislikes wasteful people (6:141).
What forces threaten the fields?
A standing crop is inherently fragile, serving as a physical barometer of both natural law and social decay. When a corrupt person gains power and sets out to spread ruin across the land, one of their primary targets is the active destruction of crops and livestock (2:205).
Beyond human malice, natural elements act as severe correctives. A biting, frosty wind can strike and completely ruin the fields of those who have wronged themselves; this devastation is framed not as divine oppression, but as the direct consequence of their own actions (3:117). The lifecycle of the plant itself stands as a stark visual warning. The sky's water brings forth vegetation in vibrant, diverse colors, but these stalks eventually wither, turn yellow before the watcher's eyes, and crumble into dry dust at a divine command (39:21). Yet even when a scorching wind sweeps through and reduces once-green fields to yellow husks, some observers will watch their harvest die and still stubbornly continue in their disbelief (30:51).
How do crops enter legal disputes?
Because agricultural yields form the backbone of physical survival, they were the subject of high-level prophetic legal rulings. Prophets David and Solomon both issued formal judgments concerning a specific field of crops after a flock of sheep slipped away at night and grazed on another man's plants (Mawsu'at al-Tafsir al-Ma'thur, 14/598).
Cultivators invest their entire lives into these borders and boundaries, but the physical reality of the corn fields and orchards always outlasts those who tend them. The men who fiercely guard the land eventually depart from it, leaving behind many a garden and spring (44:25). In the end, the earth reclaims the vegetation, and the cultivator is left only with the measure of what they distributed without waste on the day of harvest (6:141).
Verses
All 14 verses, in mushaf order.
وَإِذَا تَوَلَّىٰ سَعَىٰ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ لِيُفْسِدَ فِيهَا وَيُهْلِكَ ٱلْحَرْثَ وَٱلنَّسْلَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْفَسَادَ
When he leaves, he sets out to spread corruption in the land, destroying crops and live-stock- God does not like corruption.
مَثَلُ مَا يُنفِقُونَ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَثَلِ رِيحٍ فِيهَا صِرٌّ أَصَابَتْ حَرْثَ قَوْمٍ ظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ فَأَهْلَكَتْهُ ۚ وَمَا ظَلَمَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَـٰكِنْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
and whatever they give away in this life will be nullified: a frosty wind strikes and destroys the harvest of people who have wronged themselves. It was not God who wronged them; they wronged themselves.
وَجَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ مِمَّا ذَرَأَ مِنَ ٱلْحَرْثِ وَٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ نَصِيبًا فَقَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَا لِلَّهِ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَهَـٰذَا لِشُرَكَآئِنَا ۖ فَمَا كَانَ لِشُرَكَآئِهِمْ فَلَا يَصِلُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَمَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ فَهُوَ يَصِلُ إِلَىٰ شُرَكَآئِهِمْ ۗ سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ
They apportion to God a share of the produce and the livestock He created, saying, ‘This is for God’- so they claim!- ‘ and this is for our idols.’ Their idols’ share does not reach God, but God’s share does reach their idols: how badly they judge!
وَقَالُوا۟ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ أَنْعَـٰمٌ وَحَرْثٌ حِجْرٌ لَّا يَطْعَمُهَآ إِلَّا مَن نَّشَآءُ بِزَعْمِهِمْ وَأَنْعَـٰمٌ حُرِّمَتْ ظُهُورُهَا وَأَنْعَـٰمٌ لَّا يَذْكُرُونَ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا ٱفْتِرَآءً عَلَيْهِ ۚ سَيَجْزِيهِم بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ
They also say, ‘These cattle and crops are reserved, and only those we allow may eat them’- so they claim! There are some animals they exempt from labour and some over which they do not pronounce God’s name [during slaughter], falsely attributing these [regulations] to Him: He will repay them for the falsehoods they invent.
۞ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنشَأَ جَنَّـٰتٍ مَّعْرُوشَـٰتٍ وَغَيْرَ مَعْرُوشَـٰتٍ وَٱلنَّخْلَ وَٱلزَّرْعَ مُخْتَلِفًا أُكُلُهُۥ وَٱلزَّيْتُونَ وَٱلرُّمَّانَ مُتَشَـٰبِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَـٰبِهٍ ۚ كُلُوا۟ مِن ثَمَرِهِۦٓ إِذَآ أَثْمَرَ وَءَاتُوا۟ حَقَّهُۥ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِۦ ۖ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ
It is He who produces both trellised and untrellised gardens, date palms, crops of diverse flavours, the olive, the pomegranate, alike yet different. So when they bear fruit, eat some of it, paying what is due on the day of harvest, but do not be wasteful: God does not like wasteful people.
يُنۢبِتُ لَكُم بِهِ ٱلزَّرْعَ وَٱلزَّيْتُونَ وَٱلنَّخِيلَ وَٱلْأَعْنَـٰبَ وَمِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
With it He grows for you grain, olives, palms, vines, and all kinds of other crops. There truly is a sign in this for those who reflect.
۞ وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلًا رَّجُلَيْنِ جَعَلْنَا لِأَحَدِهِمَا جَنَّتَيْنِ مِنْ أَعْنَـٰبٍ وَحَفَفْنَـٰهُمَا بِنَخْلٍ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمَا زَرْعًا
Tell them the parable of two men: for one of them We made two gardens of grape vines, surrounded them with date palms, and put corn fields in between;
كِلْتَا ٱلْجَنَّتَيْنِ ءَاتَتْ أُكُلَهَا وَلَمْ تَظْلِم مِّنْهُ شَيْـًٔا ۚ وَفَجَّرْنَا خِلَـٰلَهُمَا نَهَرًا
both gardens yielded fruit and did not fail in any way; We made a stream flow through them,
وَلَئِنْ أَرْسَلْنَا رِيحًا فَرَأَوْهُ مُصْفَرًّا لَّظَلُّوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ يَكْفُرُونَ
Yet they will continue in their disbelief, even if We send a [scorching] wind and they see their crops turn yellow.
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّا نَسُوقُ ٱلْمَآءَ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلْجُرُزِ فَنُخْرِجُ بِهِۦ زَرْعًا تَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ أَنْعَـٰمُهُمْ وَأَنفُسُهُمْ ۖ أَفَلَا يُبْصِرُونَ
Do they not consider how We drive rain to the barren land, and with it produce vegetation from which their cattle and they themselves eat? Do they not see?
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَسَلَكَهُۥ يَنَـٰبِيعَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُ بِهِۦ زَرْعًا مُّخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصْفَرًّا ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُۥ حُطَـٰمًا ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ
Have you not considered that God sends water down from the sky, guides it along to form springs in the earth, and then, with it, brings forth vegetation of various colours, which later withers, turns yellow before your eyes, and is crumbled to dust at His command? There is truly a reminder in this for those who have understanding.
كَمْ تَرَكُوا۟ مِن جَنَّـٰتٍ وَعُيُونٍ
Many a garden and spring they left behind,
وَزُرُوعٍ وَمَقَامٍ كَرِيمٍ
many a cornfield and noble building,
لَوْ نَشَآءُ لَجَعَلْنَـٰهُ حُطَـٰمًا فَظَلْتُمْ تَفَكَّهُونَ
If We wished, We could turn your harvest into chaff and leave you to wail,