It produces its fruit every season (ḥīn), by leave of its Lord…He [Abū Bakr al-Sijzī] said, ‘Ibn al-Musayyib used to say the word ḥīn is six months. A man posed the question: “I have sworn an oath that my wife will not visit her family for a ḥīn. So what is a ḥīn?” Saʿd said, “The ḥīn lasts from the time that the date palm flowers until the time that its datesripen, or from the time that its dates ripen until it blossoms.” Ibn ʿAbbās y said, “Kulla ḥīn means morning and night.” He is of the same view as Sahl Ibn ʿAbd Allāh who said, “God coined this similitude referring to the people who have gnosis (maʿrifa) of God with regard to their performing His obligations night and day.”’Sahl was asked about the meaning of His words: