وَحَدائِقَ غُلبًا
And densely-planted gardens.
EXEGESIS
Ḥadāʾiq (gardens) is the plural of ḥadīqah, meaning an enclosed garden. Any place that is enclosed by trees or palms can be called a ḥadīqah. If it is not enclosed in such a way, it cannot be called a ḥadīqah.
Ghulb (densely-planted) is the plural of aghlab, which originally describes a man with a thick neck. The description of the gardens in this way is figurative. It means that the garden is enclosed in a dense thicket of large, broad trees. Others have said it means a garden where one can take shade under its trees, but this is less probable as a meaning of the word.
INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS
- ‘He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.’
[1] Tibyan, 10/276; Tabari, 30/37.
[2] Attributed to Kalbī (Qurtubi, 19/222).
[3] Alusi, 15/249.
[4] Tibyan, 10/276; Tabari, 30/37.
[5] Attributed to Ibn Abbas (Tabari, 30/37).
[6] Psalms 147:8.
