from al-‘Awwām ibn Hawshab, from Ibrāhīm al-Taymī, who reported that Abū Bakr al-Siddīq was asked about His words:

“and fruit and pasture.”

He said: “What sky would shelter me, and what earth would bear me, if I were to say about the Book of Allah what I do not know?” Its chain of transmission is interrupted.

Abū ‘Ubayd also said: Yazīd narrated to us, from Humayd, from Anas, that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb recited from the pulpit:

“and fruit and pasture.”

He said: “We know what fruit is, but what is meant by pasture?” Then he reconsidered and said: “This is indeed overburdening yourself, ‘Umar!”

‘Abd ibn Humayd said: Sulaymān ibn Harb narrated to us, saying: Hammād ibn Zayd narrated to us, from Thābit, from Anas, who said: We were with ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb, whose shirt had four patches on its back. He recited:

“and fruit and pasture.”

He said: “What is meant by pasture?” Then he said: “This is indeed overburdening yourself. What harm is there in not knowing it?”

All of this is to be understood as meaning that the two of them—may Allah be pleased with them—only sought to ascertain the precise nature of pasture. Otherwise, that it is vegetation growing from the earth is plainly evident and cannot be unknown, for He, the Most High—exalted is He—says:

“We caused grain to grow therein,”
“and grapes and fresh fodder,”
“and olives and palm trees,”
“and gardens of dense growth.”

Ibn Jarīr said: Ya‘qūb ibn Ibrāhīm narrated to us, saying: Ibn ‘Ulayyah narrated to us, from Ayyūb, from Ibn Abī Mulaykah, that Ibn ‘Abbās was asked about a verse which some of you would have offered an explanation of had you been asked about it, yet he declined to explain it. Its chain of transmission is sound.

Abū ‘Ubayd said: Ismā‘īl ibn Ibrāhīm narrated to us, from Ayyūb, from Ibn Abī Mulaykah, who said: A man asked Ibn ‘Abbās about:

“a day whose measure is a thousand years.”

He said to him: