وَٱلتِّينِ وَٱلزَّيۡتُونِ
By the fig and the olive,
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 95:1
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 95:1] The names of things and events used in the Quran to make solemn statements are mostly symbols the knowledge of which, as Allah has willed, is beyond the grasp of ordinary minds. Tin (fig) and zaytun (olive) are two of the useful fruit-trees. Fig is the most approved of fruits and the most nutritious, quick of digestion, having nothing redundant, and a very useful medicine. In its early state, it is nothing but tiny seed, insipid and often full of worms and maggots, but after full growth it is one of the finest, most delicious, and most wholesome fruits in existence. So man at his best excels every created being and at his worst is the lowest of the low. Isa is said to have cursed a fig tree when he found no fruit on it. See Matthew 21: 18 to 20. See also the parable of the good and evil figs in Jeremiah 24: I to 10. There is also a parable of the fig tree in Matthew 24: 32 to 35. For the symbolism of the olive, see commentary of Nur: 35 where the parable of the lamp lit by Allah includes a reference to the olive. It may also refer to the mount of olives; just outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem, as mentioned in Matthew 24: 3. Sinin or Sinai is the name of the mountain where Musa received the divine commandments, so, it is the mountain of the giving of law. See commentary of Maryam: 52. On this mountain Allah manifested his glory to Musa and the people who had asked him to let Allah manifest His glory (see Araf: 155). Also refer to Tur: 1. Baladil amin (the city of security) is Makka. The Holy Prophet was known as al amin among the people of Makka where he was born, so Makka is the city of al amin.