Intermediate
Glorification
Surah: Al-Baqarah (261)
Those Who Spend Are Like a Grain — Multiplication of Giving in a Plant Image
كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنۢبَتَتۡ سَبۡعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنۢبُلَةٍ مِّاْئَةُ حَبَّةٍ
— البقرة الآية 261
Verse: "The example of those who spend in the way of Allah is like a grain that sprouts seven ears, in every ear a hundred grains." (2:261)
Compound simile: One of the most complex simile types — comparing a state to a state. The donor is likened to a grain growing seven ears, each with a hundred grains. Math: 1 → 700.
The visual image is more stable in memory than a number: The Quran didn't say "multiply reward 700 times" — but drew an image that engages imagination and sticks in memory.
Compound simile: One of the most complex simile types — comparing a state to a state. The donor is likened to a grain growing seven ears, each with a hundred grains. Math: 1 → 700.
The visual image is more stable in memory than a number: The Quran didn't say "multiply reward 700 times" — but drew an image that engages imagination and sticks in memory.
Source: Al-Jurjani; Al-Zarkashi (3/398)
Test Yourself
Why did the Quran prefer the pictorial image over a number in the spending verse?
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