It is He Who produces gardens spread on the ground and above, and the date-palm, and crops of various flavours, and the olive and the pomegranate, similar in some respects and unlike in others; eat from its fruit when it bears yield, and pay the due (obligatory charity) from it on the day it is harvested; and do not be wasteful; indeed the wasteful are not liked by Allah.

The example of the life of this world is similar to the water which We sent down from the sky, so due to it the earth’s vegetation grew in abundance – that which men and cattle eat; to the extent that when the earth has taken on her ornaments and is well beautified, and her owners thought that it is within their control, Our command came to it at night or at day – so We made it harvested as if it had not existed yesterday; this is how We explain the verses for the people who ponder.

These are the tidings of the townships, which We relate to you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) – some of them still stand and some are cut off.

He said, “You will cultivate for seven years continuously; so leave all that you harvest in the ear, except a little which you eat.”

So they kept saying this until We made them cut off, extinguished.