Surah Faatir (35) — Ayah 33

(Ayah 33) ➊ { جَنّٰتُ عَدْنٍ يَّدْخُلُوْنَهَا:} That is, all three groups will eventually enter the Gardens of Eden. Tabari and Bayhaqi have narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) with an authentic chain from Ali bin Abi Talhah: [ هُمْ أُمَّةُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ، وَرَّثَهُمُ اللّٰهُ كُلَّ كِتَابٍ أَنْزَلَهُ، فَظَالِمُهُمْ يُغْفَرُ لَهُ، وَ مُقْتَصِدُهُمْ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَّسِيْرًا، وَ سَابِقُهُمْ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ] [طبري : ۲۹۲۳۶۔ البعث والنشور للبیھقي : 68/1، ح : ۶۴ ] “These (the inheritors of the Book) are the people of the Ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him). Allah Almighty made them the inheritors of all the books He revealed. Among them, the wrongdoer will be forgiven, the moderate will have an easy reckoning, and the forerunners will enter Paradise without reckoning.” That is, those among the Muslim Ummah who wronged themselves, even if they enter Hell, will not remain there forever; rather, due to the blessing of faith, they will be taken out of Hell either through intercession or as a result of Allah’s special mercy upon the believers, and they will enter the Gardens of Eden. And this is a very great favor, which will never be attained by those who did not enter the Muslim Ummah and did not become inheritors of the Book of Allah, because Allah Almighty has made the blessings of Paradise forever forbidden to them, as He said: « اِنَّ اللّٰهَ حَرَّمَهُمَا عَلَى الْكٰفِرِيْنَ» [ الأعراف : ۵۰ ] “Allah Almighty has forbidden the water and provision of Paradise to the disbelievers.”

➋ Some commentators have considered {’’ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهٖ ‘‘} among these three groups to refer to the disbelievers, and have detailed the three groups according to those mentioned in Surah Al-Waqi’ah, that on the Day of Resurrection, people will be of three kinds: the companions of the right, the companions of the left, and the forerunners. Among them, the forerunners and the companions of the right will be in Paradise, and the companions of the left will be in Hell. But the first interpretation is more correct, because Allah Almighty, after mentioning the three groups, said regarding all three that they will enter the Gardens of Eden. This raises the question: if every individual of the Muslim Ummah will enter Paradise, then what is the need to warn and fear Hell after faith? The answer is that it is not said that none of them will enter Hell, but if someone, after remaining in Hell for ages, finally enters Paradise, this too is a great favor. Because when such people enter Paradise, the disbelievers will then wish that they too had been Muslims in any degree, so that they would not remain in Hell forever. Allah Almighty said: «رُبَمَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا لَوْ كَانُوْا مُسْلِمِيْنَ » [ الحجر : ۲ ] “Many times will those who disbelieved wish that they had been Muslims in any way.” See also the commentary of Surah Al-Hijr, verse (2).

➌ { يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيْهَا مِنْ اَسَاوِرَ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ … :} For its detailed commentary, see Surah Al-Hajj, verse (23).