Avoid The Foam
Imam al-Nasafi shares a splendid reflection on the following verse that may help us understand what we leave in the lives of those around us, as well as those who come in and out of our own lives. Some are like gold, while others are just foam—weak, shallow, and lacking fidelity. After October 7th, this verse has helped me reflect and gain clarity of my own conduct and others.
أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَاۤءِ مَاۤءࣰ فَسَالَتۡ أَوۡدِیَةُۢ بِقَدَرِهَا فَٱحۡتَمَلَ ٱلسَّیۡلُ زَبَدࣰا رَّابِیࣰاۖ وَمِمَّا یُوقِدُونَ عَلَیۡهِ فِی ٱلنَّارِ ٱبۡتِغَاۤءَ حِلۡیَةٍ أَوۡ مَتَـٰعࣲ زَبَدࣱ مِّثۡلُهُۥۚ كَذَ ٰلِكَ یَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡحَقَّ وَٱلۡبَـٰطِلَۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلزَّبَدُ فَیَذۡهَبُ جُفَاۤءࣰۖ وَأَمَّا مَا یَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ فَیَمۡكُثُ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ كَذَ ٰلِكَ یَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَالَ
“He sends down water from the sky, causing valleys to flow according to their measure, and the torrent carries rising foam. And from that which they heat in the fire, seeking to make ornaments or utensils, comes a foam similar to it. Thus Allah compares truth and falsehood. As for the foam, it vanishes as scum; but what benefits people remains on the earth. Thus Allah sets forth examples.” Quran 13:17
Al-Nasafi writes,
“It is said that this is a parable that Allah has given about the truth and its people, and falsehood and its followers. He compared the truth and its people to the water that descends from the sky, filling the valleys of the people, bringing them life, and benefiting them in various ways. He also compared it to the metal that is used to craft jewelry and make different utensils and tools, which remains in the earth with a visible permanence, just as water retains its benefits and gems remain for extended periods.
Allah likened falsehood to the foam of a torrent, which is quickly gone, and to the scum that floats on metal when it is melted. The majority of scholars say that this is a parable that Allah, the Exalted, has given for the Quran, the hearts, truth, and falsehood. The water is the Quran that descended for the life of the soul, just as water is for the body, and the valleys are for the hearts. The phrase “according to its measure” refers to the capacity and openness of the heart. The scum represents the self’s whims and the devil’s whispers, while the clear, beneficial water is like the truth. Just as the foam vanishes, leaving the pure water, so do the self’s whims and the devil’s whispers disappear, leaving the truth as it is.
As for the adornment of gold and silver, it is a metaphor for noble conditions and virtuous morals. The utility of iron, copper, and lead is a metaphor for deeds that are extended by sincerity and prepared for salvation, as deeds bring reward and prevent punishment, just as some of these jewels are tools for earning and others are instruments for defense in war. As for the foam, it represents ostentation, faults, boredom, and laziness.”