it is part of what the earth brings forth, and it was certainly not hidden from Abū Bakr and ʿUmar that abb is a plant growing from the ground. What they wished—may Allah be pleased with them both—was to pinpoint exactly what this abb is: which particular plant is it? That point remained obscure to them. Some commentators have said that abb is a herb that resembles the qit known in our region, yet the more apparent view—and Allah knows best—is that it denotes any beneficial vegetation, meaning that it is a broad, inclusive term for everything that grows.

Ibn Jarīr said: “Yaʿqūb ibn Ibrāhīm narrated to us; Ibn ʿUlayyah narrated to us, from Ayyūb, from Ibn Abī Mulaykah that Ibn ʿAbbās was asked about a verse which, were some of you to be asked about it, you would venture an interpretation, yet he refused to comment on it.” The chain of transmission is sound.

Explanation

That is, Ibn ʿAbbās—may Allah be pleased with him—whom the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, supplicated for, saying that Allah teach him the interpretation (1), declares that if he were asked about a verse which some of you today would promptly explain, he would nonetheless refrain. This shows the necessity of caution when interpreting the speech of Allah, exalted is He.

Abū ʿUbayd said: “Ismāʿīl ibn Ibrāhīm narrated to us, from Ayyūb, from Ibn Abī Mulaykah who said: A man asked Ibn ʿAbbās about the verse, ‘a day whose measure is a thousand years’ (Q 32:5). Ibn ʿAbbās replied, ‘Then what of “a day whose measure is fifty thousand years” (Q 70:4)?’ The man said, ‘I only asked you so that you would explain it to me.’ Ibn ʿAbbās said, ‘They are two days…’”