أَو يُصبِحَ ماؤُها غَورًا فَلَن تَستَطيعَ لَهُ طَلَبًا

Or its water will sink down, so that you cannot obtain it.’

EXEGESIS

Ghawr (sink down) is to go down into the depths of the earth,^{‎[1]Razi, 21/465.} like in the verse, Tell me, should your water sink down (ghawran) [into the ground], who will bring you running water? (67:30).^{‎[2]It may be interesting to note that 98% of the freshwater available for use is groundwater, and it is about sixty times more plentiful than what is found in all the lakes and streams. See for example Kimberly Mullen, Information on Earth’s Water (accessed at: https://www.ngwa.org/what-is-groundwater/About-groundwater/information-on-earths-water).}

Ṭalab (obtain) means to seek to achieve or reach something.^{‎[3]Tibyan, 7/48.} Here then it would literally mean: you will not be able to try and reach it. It is used to mean obtaining the water, and it indicates that any reasonable person would, upon assessing the situation, understand that it is beyond reach and would not expend efforts in even trying.^{‎[4]Alusi, 8/267.}

EXPOSITION

The faithful man ends his warnings with a final example. The water that keeps his gardens lush, could sink down. The sinking down of the water and the futility of trying to obtain it indicate that the water source should have been a spring of groundwater that gushed out at the location of that man’s gardens. As discussed in the previous verse, this could mean that no matter how much he tried, and no matter how many wells or canals he dug, he would no longer be able to bring forth the source of groundwater.

We should also note that in the previous verse the man warned him of a heavenly storm which would cause the destruction of his garden, while here he warns of a more natural cause, informing his companion that he only had the garden because God had facilitated it by water which He had provided. Another contrast is how the previous verse talks of punishment coming down from the heavens, while this one speaks of the removal of mercy (the groundwater sinking). Indeed, simply the removal of bounties can be in and of itself a terrible calamity. Consider also the juxtaposing of heaven and earth, water from the sky and water in the ground.

Water is symbolic of life, both in general and in the specific context of the Quran, as is soon more explicitly stated, Draw for them the parable of the life of this world: [it is] like the water We send down from the sky (verse 45). The sinking down of life-giving waters into the recesses of the earth conjures the vivid image of man being laid into his grave. Like the bare plain spoken of in the previous verse, it is a reminder of the temporality and precariousness of life, whether it be lush gardens or a man in his prime. Once death is decreed and descends upon a person, who may avoid it or return from it?

A question remains: is the faithful man through these words (and what he said in the last verse) hoping for the destruction of his companion’s gardens, or is he simply warning him of a possibility? Instinctively, we might say that hoping for such destruction is immoral. However, that is of course if it is based on feelings such as jealousy. On the other hand, if his desire is that through this destruction his companion would be shook out of his misguided thinking and then reach a much better garden – the garden of paradise – then this is in reality wishing something good for him. This is of course very important to keep in mind considering the main theme of the surah and is soon explored further in the next story of this chapter. In any case, the more likely meaning is that he is simply warning his friend.

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Ālūsī argues that not every ḥusbān^{‎[5]See the previous verse.} would result in water sinking and going beyond reach, which indicates that it is by the decree and will of God that this happens, and therefore ḥusbān would mean decree.^{‎[6]See also Alusi, 8/267.} It is not clear though that the ḥusbān would be responsible for the water sinking and that could be a completely different event, like an earthquake, which caused that, as indicated by the word Or (Or its water will sink down). Albeit if we understand ḥusbān to be divine punishment in general, then this would be much clearer.

[1] Razi, 21/465.
[2] It may be interesting to note that 98% of the freshwater available for use is groundwater, and it is about sixty times more plentiful than what is found in all the lakes and streams. See for example Kimberly Mullen, Information on Earth’s Water (accessed at: https://www.ngwa.org/what-is-groundwater/About-groundwater/information-on-earths-water).
[3] Tibyan, 7/48.
[4] Alusi, 8/267.
[5] See the previous verse.
[6] See also Alusi, 8/267.