ROOT ه ش م

10:25; 57:21.

Important Words:

ھشیما (dry grass broken into pieces) is derived from ھشم. They say ھشم الشیء i.e. he broke the thing. ھشمه (hashshama-hu) means, he broke it much or crushed it, namely a dry thing or anything hollow. ھشیما means, a plant that is dry and breaks or is broken into pieces (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The subject of the worldly life has been further elaborated by another parable in this verse. It purports to say that in the beginning worldly life looks very beautiful and attractive but its end is most wretched and miserable. On the other hand, spiritual life appears very hard and unpleasant at first but it ends most auspiciously and pleasantly. In the heyday of their power nations are very gay and happy and it appears that their glory will endure forever but once their decay and decline set in they are scattered by the winds of adversity like dry broken grass and are so completely forgotten as if they had never lived on this earth.

7:79; 11:68; 26:159; 41:18.

Important Words:

المحتظر (maker of enclosure) is act. part. from احتظرwhich is derived from حظر which means, he forbade, he prohibited. احتظرmeans he took for himself an enclosure. احتظر به means, he took it for protection محتظر means, a maker of enclosure. (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse signifies either that the disbelievers were completely crushed or that they were as worthless in the sight of God as whittled down and crushed stubble, collected by a maker of hedges.