What does Quran 23:20 mean?

Quran 23:20 (Surah Al-Muminoon, Ayah 20) translates to: "And [We brought forth] a tree issuing from Mount Sinai which produces oil and food for those who eat."

Which Surah and Juz is Quran 23:20 from?

This ayah is from Surah Al-Muminoon (The Believers), the 23th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 18.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 23:20?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sunan Ibn Majah, Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Sahih al-Bukhari.

What tafsir is available for Quran 23:20?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Al-Jalalayn — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 23:20 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Divine Provision, Sin, Creation, Wisdom, Spiritual Reflection.

Ayah 19

فَأَنشَأْنَا لَكُم بِهِۦ جَنَّٰتٍۢ مِّن نَّخِيلٍۢ ...

23:20Al-Muminoon

Ayah 21

وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ لَعِبْرَةًۭ ۖ نُّس...

وَشَجَرَةًۭ تَخْرُجُ مِن طُورِ سَيْنَآءَ تَنۢبُتُ بِٱلدُّهْنِ وَصِبْغٍۢ لِّلْءَاكِلِينَ

Wa shajaratan takhruju min Toori Sainaaa'a tambutu bidduhni wa sibghil lil aakileen

And [We brought forth] a tree issuing from Mount Sinai which produces oil and food for those who eat.

Themes in this ayah

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Signs in creation87

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Signs in creation

23:20Ayah 1118

6 ayahs in Al-Muminoon are strongly about signs in creation. This is one of them.

← Previous on Signs in creation23:19And We brought forth for you thereby gardens of palm trees and grapevines in which for you are abundant fruits and from which you eat.Next on Signs in creation →23:21And indeed, for you in livestock is a lesson. We give you drink from that which is in their bellies, and for you in them are numerous benefits,

Tafsir

Scholars offer complementary perspectives

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 23:20→

And We produced a tree that grows on Mount of Sinai read Sīnā’ or Saynā’ indeclinable as it is a proper noun with the feminine ending denoting a location that produces read either as tunbitu from the fourth form anbata or as tanbutu from the trilateral form nabata oil bi’l-duhni in the case of the former reading of tunbitu the bā’ bi- here would be extra whereas in the case of the second reading of tanbutu it would be a preposition needed for the transitive — and this tree is the olive tree and seasoning for those who eat wa-sibghin li’l-ākilīna a supplement to bi’l-duhni ‘oil’ that is to say it is like a dye that colours a morsel dipped in it — and this seasoning is the olive oil.

‘Season (your food) with olive oil and anoint yourselves with it, for it comes from a blessed tree.”

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #1916Narrated Abu Asid:Sahih

"The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Eat of its oil and use it (the olives), for indeed it is from a blessed tree." This Hadith is Gharib from this route. We only know of it from the narration of Sufyan At-Thawri, from 'Abdullah bin 'Eisa.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #1914Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab:

That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Eat olive and use its oil, for indeed it is a blessed tree." We do not know of this Hadith except through the narration of 'Abdur-Razzaq from Ma'mar (narrators in the chain of this Hadith). 'Abdur-Razzaq would narrate this with Idtirab. Sometimes he mentioned in it: "From 'Umar, from the Prophet (ﷺ)" and sometimes he reported it indicating doubt, saying: "I think it is from 'Umar from the Prophet (ﷺ)." And sometimes he said: "From Zaid bin Aslam, from his father, from the Prophet (ﷺ)" in a Mursal form.

Sahih al-Bukhari #72Narrated Ibn `Umar:Sahih

We were with the Prophet (ﷺ) and fresh dates of a palm tree were brought to him. On that he said, "Amongst the trees, there is a tree which resembles a Muslim." I wanted to say that it was the datepalm tree but as I was the youngest of all (of them) I kept quiet. And then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It is the date-palm tree."

Sahih al-Bukhari #5231Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:Sahih

While we were sitting with the Prophet, fresh dates were brought to him. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There is a tree among the trees which is as blessed as a Muslim" I thought that it was the date palm tree and intended to say, "It is the date-palm tree, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" but I looked behind to see that I was the tenth and youngest of ten men present there, so I kept quiet' Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It is the datepalm tree."