إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَاءٍ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الْأَرْضِ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ النَّاسُ وَالْأَنْعَامُ حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذَتِ الْأَرْضُ زُخْرُفَهَا وَازَّيَّنَتْ وَظَنَّ أَهْلُهَا أَنَّهُمْ قَادِرُونَ عَلَيْهَا أَتَاهَا أَمْرُنَا لَيْلًا أَوْ نَهَارًا فَجَعَلْنَاهَا حَصِيدًا كَأَنْ لَمْ تَغْنَ بِالْأَمْسِ كَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿۲۴﴾ وَاللَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى دَارِ السَّلَامِ وَيَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ ﴿۲۵﴾

﴾24﴿ Innamaa masalul hayaatid dunyaa ka maaa'in anzalnaahu minas samaaa'i fakhtalata bihee nabaatul ardi mimmaa ya'kulun naasu wal an'aam; hattaaa izaaa akhazatil ardu zukhrufahaa wazzayyanat wa zanna ahluhaaa annahum qaadiroona 'alaihaaa ataahaaa amrunaa lailan aw nahaaran faja'alnaahaa haseedan ka 'an lam taghna bil-ams; kazaalika nufassilul aayaati liqawminy yatafakkaroon
﴾25﴿ Wallaahu yad'ooo ilaa daaris salaami wa yahdee many yashaaa'u ilaa Siraatin Mustaqeem

﴾24﴿ This is nothing but an example of the worldly life: it is like water that We send down from the sky, causing the plants of the earth to grow—of which men and cattle eat—until the earth takes on its adornment and is beautified, and its owners think they have power over it. Then Our command comes upon it by night or day, and We make it like a harvested field, as if it had not flourished the day before. Thus, We explain the signs for a people who reflect
﴾25﴿ And Allah almighty invites His servants to the abode of peace and guides whomever He wills to the straight path

[24] Since the worldly life and its enjoyment (matā‘ al-ḥayāt al-dunyā) was mentioned, now an example of its perishing and disappearance is given—to create zuhd (detachment) from the world.
(Al-ḥayāt al-dunyā) here refers to lifespan and the worldly necessities.
(Zukhrufahā) refers to the beauty of flowers and plants with their various colors—red, white, yellow—that beautify the land. This is likened to a bride adorned with jewelry who captures hearts with her charm.
(Qādirūn ‘alayhā) indicates that the crops have ripened and are nearly ready to be harvested.
(Bil-ams) refers to a recent or nearby time.
The essence: Allah sends rain, the land becomes green, and flowers bloom in beautiful colors. The landowner becomes certain that the crops are ready. But suddenly, a calamity strikes and destroys the entire field.
In the same way, man becomes deceived by his life, holding onto countless hopes—but suddenly death comes, and all those hopes are left incomplete.
So the message is: do not abandon the religion of Allah, the Exalted, for the sake of this fleeting worldly life.
[25] After describing the perishing nature of this world, the verse encourages longing for Paradise.
(Yad‘ū)—The calling of Allah refers to His sending of messengers, the preaching of truth by those who convey it, the establishment of proofs, and the revelation of scriptures. This shows that calling to the truth is a lofty station—it is a work of Allah Himself.
That’s why guidance (yahdī) is mentioned afterward—because true guidance follows after the divine call.
(Dār as-Salām)—This is one of the names of Paradise, because it is the place of peace and greetings, as mentioned in verse 10 of this same surah. Also, it is free from all harm and affliction. Alternatively, Salām could refer to it being attributed to Allah—Al-Salām being one of His names.
(Man yashā’)—This shows that Allah is independent of His creation and acts by His own will.
(Yahdī)—Here, guidance means being led to the correct destination and being granted success (tawfīq).