“It yields its fruit at all times by its Lord’s permission. Allah sets forth parables for people so that they may take heed. The likeness of an evil word is that of an evil tree, uprooted from the surface of the earth, having no stability.”

“It yields its fruit,” meaning its produce, “at all times by its Lord’s permission.” The same is true of the tree of faith: its roots are firmly established in the believer’s heart through knowledge and conviction, while its branches—wholesome words, righteous deeds, pleasing character, and excellent conduct—continually reach into the heavens. The deeds and words produced by the tree of faith ascend from the believer to Allah, benefiting both the believer and others. “Allah sets forth parables for people so that they may take heed” of what He has commanded and forbidden them. Parables bring intelligible meanings closer to the mind through perceptible examples, making Allah’s intended meaning perfectly clear and manifest. This is part of His mercy and excellent instruction. To Allah, therefore, belongs the fullest, most perfect, and most comprehensive praise. This is the description of the declaration of monotheism and how firmly rooted it is in the believer’s heart.

He then mentions its opposite—the word of disbelief and its branches—saying: “The likeness of an evil word is that of an evil tree,” foul as food and foul in taste, namely the colocynth tree and others like it. “Uprooted”—this tree is uprooted—“from the surface of the earth, having no stability,” meaning that it has no firm foundation: it has no roots to hold it fast and produces no wholesome fruit. Even if it does bear fruit, its fruit is foul. The same is true of the word of disbelief and of sins: they have no beneficial foothold in the heart and produce nothing but foul words and evil deeds, by which their perpetrator is harmed without gaining any benefit. No righteous deed from him ascends to Allah; he does not benefit himself, nor do others benefit from him.