Quranic theme
Grapevines
العنب
12 verses
Rainwater falling from the sky yields climbing grapevines alongside towering date palms, pairing them as twin pillars of agricultural wealth. With this water, grains, olives, palms, and vines are grown as direct signs for those who reflect on the natural world (16:11). These vines emerge with pomegranates in dense, vibrant greenery (6:99). Despite sharing neighboring plots of land and absorbing the exact same water, the grapes and other crops develop vastly different, superior flavors—a biological reality framed as evidence for people who reason (13:4). As the fruits swell and ripen on the branch, the text commands the observer to actively watch this physical transformation take place.
Why do vineyards feature heavily in Quranic parables?
Wealth in the ancient landscape was visibly measured by ownership of walled gardens containing grapes and palms. When those opposing the Prophet demanded physical miracles to prove his message, they specifically challenged him to produce a garden of date palms and vines with rivers pouring through it (17:90, 17:91). Because vineyards require years of cultivation and represent long-term security, they frequently illustrate the fragility of worldly attachments.
One parable asks readers to imagine a man who owns a lush garden of palms and vines with flowing streams, only to have it struck by a fiery whirlwind and burned to ash just as he reaches old age with feeble children who cannot rebuild it (2:266). Another narrative features two men, one of whom arrogantly boasts over his two gardens of grapevines, bordered by date palms and separated by sown cornfields (18:32). In both instances, the vineyard represents an earthly triumph that men mistakenly assume will last forever.
What does the text say about grape juice and human consumption?
Beyond the fresh fruit itself, the vine provides liquid sustenance. The text explicitly notes that from the fruits of grapes and date palms, people derive both sweet juice and wholesome provisions (16:67). This distinction between wholesome sustenance and altered drink became a central point in Islamic jurisprudence regarding intoxication. As Muhammad Abu Zahra notes (Zahrat al-Tafasir, 2/701), classical legal discussions heavily scrutinized grape extracts, with some scholars restricting the strict definition of wine to the fermented juice of the grape, even while maintaining that other intoxicants were also forbidden.
The grapevine's ancient allure has even sparked historical speculation about the dawn of humanity. Classical commentators preserved an opinion from early exegetes like Muhammad bin Qais, who suggested that the forbidden tree Adam ate from in the garden was actually the grapevine (Mawsu'at al-Tafsir al-Ma'thur, 2/267).
In the present earth, gardens of grapes are nourished by springs that gush from the ground, flourishing alongside fresh vegetation to provide abundant fruit (23:19, 36:34, 80:28). Beyond the temporary harvests of this world, the ultimate reward reserved for the righteous consists of private, eternal vineyards (78:32).
Verses
All 12 verses, in mushaf order.
أَيَوَدُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ لَهُۥ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَابٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ لَهُۥ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ وَأَصَابَهُ ٱلْكِبَرُ وَلَهُۥ ذُرِّيَّةٌ ضُعَفَآءُ فَأَصَابَهَآ إِعْصَارٌ فِيهِ نَارٌ فَٱحْتَرَقَتْ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ
Would any of you like to have a garden of palm trees and vines, graced with flowing streams and all kinds of produce, which, when you are afflicted with old age and feeble offspring, is struck by a fiery whirlwind and burnt down? In this way God makes His messages clear to you, so that you may reflect on them.
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِۦ نَبَاتَ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ فَأَخْرَجْنَا مِنْهُ خَضِرًا نُّخْرِجُ مِنْهُ حَبًّا مُّتَرَاكِبًا وَمِنَ ٱلنَّخْلِ مِن طَلْعِهَا قِنْوَانٌ دَانِيَةٌ وَجَنَّـٰتٍ مِّنْ أَعْنَابٍ وَٱلزَّيْتُونَ وَٱلرُّمَّانَ مُشْتَبِهًا وَغَيْرَ مُتَشَـٰبِهٍ ۗ ٱنظُرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ ثَمَرِهِۦٓ إِذَآ أَثْمَرَ وَيَنْعِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكُمْ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ
It is He who sends down water from the sky. With it We produce the shoots of each plant, then bring greenery from it, and from that We bring out grains, one riding on the other in close-packed rows. From the date palm come clusters of low-hanging dates, and there are gardens of vines, olives, and pomegranates, alike yet different. Watch their fruits as they grow and ripen! In all this there are signs for those who would believe.
وَفِى ٱلْأَرْضِ قِطَعٌ مُّتَجَـٰوِرَٰتٌ وَجَنَّـٰتٌ مِّنْ أَعْنَـٰبٍ وَزَرْعٌ وَنَخِيلٌ صِنْوَانٌ وَغَيْرُ صِنْوَانٍ يُسْقَىٰ بِمَآءٍ وَٰحِدٍ وَنُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَهَا عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ فِى ٱلْأُكُلِ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
There are, in the land, neighbouring plots, gardens of vineyards, cornfields, palm trees in clusters or otherwise, all watered with the same water, yet We make some of them taste better than others: there truly are signs in this for people who reason.
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.
وَمِن ثَمَرَٰتِ ٱلنَّخِيلِ وَٱلْأَعْنَـٰبِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِنْهُ سَكَرًا وَرِزْقًا حَسَنًا ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
From the fruits of date palms and grapes you take sweet juice and wholesome provisions. There truly is a sign in this for people who use their reason.
وَقَالُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ ٱلْأَرْضِ يَنۢبُوعًا
They say, ‘We will not believe for you [Muhammad] until you make a spring gush out of the ground for us;
أَوْ تَكُونَ لَكَ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَعِنَبٍ فَتُفَجِّرَ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرَ خِلَـٰلَهَا تَفْجِيرًا
or until you have a garden of date palms and vines, and make rivers pour through them;
۞ 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;
فَأَنشَأْنَا لَكُم بِهِۦ جَنَّـٰتٍ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَـٰبٍ لَّكُمْ فِيهَا فَوَٰكِهُ كَثِيرَةٌ وَمِنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ
with it We produced for you gardens of date palms and vines, with many fruits there for you to eat,
وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا جَنَّـٰتٍ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَأَعْنَـٰبٍ وَفَجَّرْنَا فِيهَا مِنَ ٱلْعُيُونِ
We have put gardens of date palms and grapes in the earth, and We have made springs of water gush out of it
حَدَآئِقَ وَأَعْنَـٰبًا
private gardens, vineyards,
وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا
and vines, fresh vegetation,