Parable of the Sunnah like that of rain that falls on different types of soil

from he Prophet ﷺ who said: “The likeness of what Allah has sent me with of guidance and knowledge is like abundant rain that falls upon land.”

“Part of it is good soil that absorbs the water and produces much pasture and grass. Another part of it is barren ground that retains the water, and Allah benefits people through it: they drink from it, water others, and cultivate. And the rain falls upon another portion that is only flat, hard ground: it neither holds water nor produces pasture.” 

“That is the likeness of one who understands the religion of Allah and benefits from what Allah has sent me with, so he learns and teaches; and the likeness of one who does not raise his head for it and does not accept the guidance of Allah with which I was sent.”

Abu Abdullah said: Ishaq said: “And another portion of it is such that the water remains on it—flat land over which water lies, and level, smooth ground of the earth.”

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: «مَثَلُ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْعِلْمِ كَمَثَلِ الْغَيْثِ الْكَثِيرِ، أَصَابَ أَرْضًا فَكَانَ مِنْهَا نَقِيَّةٌ قَبِلَتِ الْمَاءَ، فَأَنْبَتَتِ الْكَلأَ وَالْعُشْبَ الْكَثِيرَ»،

«وَكَانَتْ مِنْهَا أَجَادِبُ أَمْسَكَتِ الْمَاءَ، فَنَفَعَ اللَّهُ بِهَا النَّاسَ فَشَرِبُوا وَسَقَوْا وَزَرَعُوا، وَأَصَابَتْ مِنْهَا طَائِفَةً أُخْرَى، إِنَّمَا هِيَ قِيعَانٌ، لاَ تُمْسِكُ مَاءً وَلاَ تُنْبِتُ كَلأً»،

«فَذَلِكَ مَثَلُ مَنْ فَقِهَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ وَنَفَعَهُ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ، فَعَلِمَ وَعَلَّمَ، وَمَثَلُ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْفَعْ بِذَلِكَ رَأْسًا وَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ هُدَى اللَّهِ الَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ»، 

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ وَكَانَ مِنْهَا طَائِفَةٌ قَيَّلَتِ الْمَاءَ قَاعٌ يَعْلُوهُ الْمَاءُ وَالصَّفْصَفُ الْمُسْتَوِي مِنَ الأَرْضِ

The similitude of that guidance and knowledge with which Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has sent me is that of rain falling upon the earth. There is a good piece of land which receives the rainfall (eagerly) and as a result of it there is grown in it herbage and grass abundantly. Then there is a land hard and barren which retains water and the people derive benefit from it and they drink it and make the animals drink. Then there is another land which is barren. Neither water is retained in it, nor is the grass grown in it. And that is the similitude of the first one who develops the understanding of the religion of Allah and it becomes a source of benefit to him with which Allah sent me. (The second one is that) who acquires the knowledge of religion and imparts it to others. (Then the other type is) one who does not pay attention to (the revealed knowledge) and thus does not accept guidance of Allah with which I have been sent. (Using translation from Muslim 2282)

وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ مَثَلَ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللهُ ﷻ بِهِ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْعِلْمِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَصَابَ الْأَرْضَ فَكَانَتْ مِنْهُ طَائِفَةٌ قَبِلَتْ فَأَنْبَتَتِ الْكَلَأَ وَالْعُشْبَ الْكَثِيرَ وَكَانَتْ مِنْهَا أَجَادِبُ أَمْسَكَتِ الْمَاءَ فَنَفَعَ اللهُ ﷻ بِهَا نَاسًا فَشَرِبُوا فَرَعَوْا وَسَقَوْا وَزَرَعُوا وَأَسْقَوْا وَأَصَابَتْ طَائِفَةً مِنْهَا أُخْرَى إِنَّمَا هِيَ قِيعَانٌ لَا تُمْسِكُ مَاءً وَلَا تُنْبِتُ كَلَأً فَذَلِكَ مَثَلُ مَنْ فَقُهَ فِي دِينِ اللهِ ﷻ وَنَفَعَهُ اللهُ ﷻ بِمَا بَعَثَنِي بِهِ وَنَفَعَ بِهِ فَعَلِمَ وَعَلَّمَ وَمَثَلُ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْفَعْ بِذَلِكَ رَأْسًا وَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ هُدَى اللهِ ﷻ الَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ

The similitude of that guidance and knowledge with which Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has sent me is that of rain falling upon the earth. There is a good piece of land which receives the rainfall (eagerly) and as a result of it there is grown in it herbage and grass abundantly. Then there is a land hard and barren which retains water and the people derive benefit from it and they drink it and make the animals drink. Then there is another land which is barren. Neither water is retained in it, nor is the grass grown in it. And that is the similitude of the first one who develops the understanding of the religion of Allah and it becomes a source of benefit to him with which Allah sent me. (The second one is that) who acquires the knowledge of religion and imparts it to others. (Then the other type is) one who does not pay attention to (the revealed knowledge) and thus does not accept guidance of Allah with which I have been sent. (Using translation from Muslim 2282)

وَقَالَ ﷺ «إِنَّ مَثَلَ مَا آتَانِي اللَّهُ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْعِلْمِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَصَابَ أَرْضًا فَكَانَتْ مِنْهَا طَائِفَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ قَبِلَتْ ذَلِكَ فَأَنْبَتَتِ الْكَلَأَ وَالْعُشْبَ الْكَثِيرَ وَأَمْسَكَتِ الْمَاءَ فَنَفَعَ اللَّهُ بِهَا النَّاسَ فَشَرِبُوا مِنْهَا وَسَقَوْا وَزَرَعُوا وَأَصَابَ مِنْهَا طَائِفَةٌ أُخْرَى إِنَّمَا هِيَ قِيعَانٌ لَا تُمْسِكُ مَاءً وَلَا تُنْبِتُ كَلَأً فَذَلِكَ مَثَلُ مَنْ فَقُهَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ وَنَفَعَهُ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ فَعَلِمَ وَعَمِلَ وَمَثَلُ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْفَعْ بِذَلِكَ رَأْسًا وَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ هُدَى اللَّهِ الَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ»

The similitude of that guidance and knowledge with which Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has sent me is that of rain falling upon the earth. There is a good piece of land which receives the rainfall (eagerly) and as a result of it there is grown in it herbage and grass abundantly. Then there is a land hard and barren which retains water and the people derive benefit from it and they drink it and make the animals drink. Then there is another land which is barren. Neither water is retained in it, nor is the grass grown in it. And that is the similitude of the first one who develops the understanding of the religion of Allah and it becomes a source of benefit to him with which Allah sent me. (The second one is that) who acquires the knowledge of religion and imparts it to others. (Then the other type is) one who does not pay attention to (the revealed knowledge) and thus does not accept guidance of Allah with which I have been sent. (Using translation from Muslim 2282)

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «إِنَّ مَثَلَ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللهُ بِهِ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْعِلْمِ كَمَثَلِ غَيْثٍ أَصَابَ الْأَرْضَ فَكَانَتْ مِنْهَا طَائِفَةٌ قَبِلَتِ الْمَاءَ فَأَنْبَتَتِ الْكَلَأَ وَالْعُشْبَ الْكَثِيرَ وَكَانَتْ مِنْهَا أَجَادِبُ أَمْسَكَتِ الْمَاءَ فَنَفَعَ اللهُ بِهَا النَّاسَ فَشَرِبُوا مِنْهَا وَرَعَوْا وَسَقَوْا وَأَصَابَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهَا أُخْرَى إِنَّمَا هِيَ قِيعَانٌ لَا تُمْسِكُ مَاءً وَلَا تُنْبِتُ كَلَأً فَذَلِكَ مَثَلُ مَنْ فَقُهَ فِي دِينِ اللهِ فَنَفَعَهُ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللهُ بِهِ وَنَفَعَ بِهِ فَعَلِمَ وَعَلَّمَ وَمَثَلُ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْفَعْ بِذَلِكَ رَأْسًا وَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ هُدَى اللهِ الَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ»

"مَثَلُ مَا بَعَثَنِى اللهُ بهِ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْعِلْمِ، كَمَثَلِ الْغَيثِ الْكَثِيرٍ، أَصَابَ أَرْضًا، فَكَانَ مِنْها نَقِيَّةٌ قَبِلَتِ الْماءَ فأَنْبَتَتِ الْكَلأَ والْعُشْبَ الْكَثِيرَ، وَكَانَتْ مِنْهَا أَجَادِبُ أَمْسَكَتِ الْماءَ فَنَفَعَ اللهُ بِهَا النَّاسَ، فَشَربُوا مِنْهَا وَسَقَوا وَزَرَعوا، وَأَصابَ طَائِفَةً مِنْهَا أُخْرى إِنَّما هى قِيعَانٌ لَا تُمْسِكُ مَاءً، وَلَا تُنْبِتُ كَلأ، فَذلِكَ مَثَلُ مَنْ فَقُهَ فِي دِينِ اللهِ ونَفَعَهُ مَا بَعَثَنى اللهُ بِهِ فَعَلم وَعَلَّمَ، ومَثَلُ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْفَعْ بِذلِكَ رَأْسًا، وَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ هُدَى اللهِ الَّذِي أُرسلْتُ بِهِ".