Allah said,

وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا ﴿٣١﴾

And fruits (Fakihah) and herbage (Abb).

Fakihah includes every type of fruit.

Ibn Abbas said,

- "Al-Fakihah is everything that is eaten ripe, and

- Al-Abb is what the earth grows that is eaten by grazing animals and not people.''

In one narration reported from him he said,

"It is the grass for the livestock animals.''

Abu `Ubayd Al-Qasim bin Sallam reported from Ibrahim At-Taymi that he said,

"Abu Bakr As-Siddiq was asked about Allah's statement,وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا (And fruits (Fakihah) and herbage (Abb). and he said,

`What sky would shade me and what earth would carry me if I said about the Book of Allah that which I did not have knowledge of.' ''

In reference to what Ibn Jarir recorded from Anas, that he said,

"Umar bin Al-Khattab recited عَبَسَ وَتَوَلَّى then when he reached this Ayah وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا (And fruits (Fakihah) and herbage (Abb).) he said,

`We already know what Al-Fakihah is, but what is Al-Abb?'

Then he said,

`By your life, O Ibn Al-Khattab, this is something over burdensome (i.e., unnecessary to ask about).'''

This report has an authentic chain of narration. More than one person has narrated it from Anas.

The meaning of the narration is that

Umar wanted to know how it looks, its type and its exact description, because he (Umar) and everyone who reads this Ayah knows that it is one of the plants that grows from the earth.

This is clear due to the Allah's saying,

فَأَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبّاً

وَعِنَباً وَقَضْباً

وَزَيْتُوناً وَنَخْلاً

وَحَدَآئِقَ غُلْباً

وَفَـكِهَةً وَأَبّاً

And We cause therein the Habb to grow. And grapes and Qadb, and olives and date palms. And Ghulb Hada'iq. And fruits (Fakihah) and herbage (Abb).