Surah Ash-Shura (42) — Ayah 22

(Ayah 22) ➊ By {تَرَى الظّٰلِمِيْنَ مُشْفِقِيْنَ مِمَّا كَسَبُوْا … : ’’ الظّٰلِمِيْنَ ‘‘} here also, the same wrongdoers are meant, i.e., the disbelievers and polytheists who were mentioned above, because when a definite noun with “al” comes again, it refers to the same as before, and because in contrast to them, the people of faith and righteous deeds are being mentioned, i.e., {’’ وَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ …۔‘‘} In this verse, the state of these polytheists on the Day of Resurrection is depicted. The intense fear before the punishment itself is a great torment, and in any case, the consequences of their disbelief and polytheism will inevitably befall them, whether they fear or not. In the world, the disbelievers were fearless of the Resurrection and used to mock it, as mentioned earlier: «يَسْتَعْجِلُ بِهَا الَّذِيْنَ لَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِهَا » [الشورٰی : ۱۸ ] “Those who do not believe in it seek to hasten it.” On the Day of Resurrection, those same disbelievers will be extremely fearful. In contrast, the believers in the world were extremely fearful of the Resurrection, as mentioned before: « وَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مُشْفِقُوْنَ مِنْهَا» [ الشورٰی : ۱۷ ] “And those who believe are fearful of it (the Resurrection).” So now they will be in the gardens of Paradise, free from fear.

➋ The meaning of {وَ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ فِيْ رَوْضٰتِ الْجَنّٰتِ …:’’رَوْضَةٌ‘‘} is {’’الْمَوْضِعُ النَّزِهُ الْكَثِيْرُ الْخُضْرَةِ‘‘}, that is, a very clean and lush place. {’’ رَوْضٰتِ الْجَنّٰتِ ‘‘} shows that there are many gardens in Paradise and many meadows, i.e., (whatever the rank of the believer, he will be in Paradise, but) those with faith and righteous deeds will be in the purest and lushest places of Paradise. Among them, the highest rank will be that of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, as Samurah bin Jundub, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated a long dream from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in which two angels first showed him scenes of punishment for various sins, then they told him to move forward. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: [ فَانْطَلَقْنَا حَتَّی انْتَهَيْنَا إِلٰی رَوْضَةٍ خَضْرَاءَ، فِيْهَا شَجَرَةٌ عَظِيْمَةٌ، وَ فِيْ أَصْلِهَا شَيْخٌ وَصِبْيَانٌ، وَإِذَا رَجُلٌ قَرِيْبٌ مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ نَارٌ يُوْقِدُهَا، فَصَعِدَا بِيْ فِي الشَّجَرَةِ، وَ أَدْخَلاَنِيْ دَارًا لَمْ أَرَ قَطُّ أَحْسَنَ مِنْهَا، فِيْهَا رِجَالٌ شُيُوْخٌ وَشَبَابٌ، وَ نِسَاءٌ وَصِبْيَانٌ، ثُمَّ أَخْرَجَانِيْ مِنْهَا فَصَعِدَا بِي الشَّجَرَةَ فَأَدْخَلاَنِيْ دَارًا هِيَ أَحْسَنُ وَ أَفْضَلُ، فِيْهَا شُيُوْخٌ وَ شَبَابٌ، فَقُلْتُ طَوَّفْتُمَانِي اللَّيْلَةَ، فَأَخْبِرَانِيْ عَمَّا رَأَيْتُ ؟ قَالاَ نَعَمْ، فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيْثَ حَتّٰی قَالَ وَالشَّيْخُ فِيْ أَصْلِ الشَّجَرَةِ إِبْرَاهِيْمُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ وَالصِّبْيَانُ حَوْلَهُ فَأَوْلاَدُ النَّاسِ، وَالَّذِيْ يُوْقِدُ النَّارَ مَالِكٌ خَازِنُ النَّارِ، وَالدَّارُ الْأُوْلَی الَّتِيْ دَخَلْتَ، دَارُ عَامَّةِ الْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ، وَأَمَّا هٰذِهِ الدَّارُ، فَدَارُ الشُّهَدَاءِ، وَ أَنَا جِبْرِيْلُ، وَ هٰذَا مِيْكَاءِيْلُ، فَارْفَعْ رَأْسَكَ، فَرَفَعْتُ رَأْسِيْ، فَإِذَا فَوْقِيْ مِثْلُ السَّحَابِ، قَالاَ ذَاكَ مَنْزِلُكَ، قُلْتُ دَعَانِيْ أَدْخُلْ مَنْزِلِيْ، قَالاَ إِنَّهُ بَقِيَ لَكَ عُمُرٌ لَمْ تَسْتَكْمِلْهُ، فَلَوِ اسْتَكْمَلْتَ أَتَيْتَ مَنْزِلَكَ ] [بخاري، الجنائز، باب ما قیل في أولاد المشرکین : ۱۳۸۶ ] “Then we set out until we reached a lush meadow (garden) in which there was a very large tree. At its base was an elderly man and some children, and near the tree was a man with a fire in front of him, which he was kindling. Then both of them took me up the tree and brought me into a house more beautiful than any I had ever seen. In it were some elderly men, young men, women, and children. Then they took me out of that house and took me further up the tree and into a house more beautiful and superior than the first. In it were some elderly men and some young men. I said: ‘You have taken me around a lot tonight, now tell me the reality of what I have seen?’ They said: ‘Yes, all right (then after explaining the scenes of punishment) as for the elderly man at the base of the tree, he was Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and around him were the children of people, and the one kindling the fire was the keeper of the Fire, Malik, and the first house you entered was the house of the general believers. As for this house, it is the house of the martyrs, and I am Jibreel and this is Mikaeel. Now raise your head!’ I raised my head and suddenly there was something like a cloud above me. They said: ‘That is your house.’ I said: ‘Let me go to my house.’ They said: ‘You have some life left which you have not completed. If you complete it, you will come to your house.’ From this hadith, the meaning of {’’ رَوْضٰتِ الْجَنّٰتِ ‘‘} is also well understood, and also that in {’’ رَوْضٰتِ الْجَنّٰتِ ‘‘} the highest {’’رَوْضَةُ الْجَنَّةِ‘‘} is reserved for our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

➌ In these verses, the greatness of the reward given to the believers is described in several ways: first, that they will be in {’’ رَوْضٰتِ الْجَنّٰتِ ‘‘}; second, that {’’ لَهُمْ مَّا يَشَآءُوْنَ ‘‘}, i.e., they will have whatever they wish there. From this, it is understood that the blessings they will receive have no limit, because after every blessing, a person desires an even greater blessing. Third, {’’ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ ‘‘}, that their dwellings will be in the neighborhood of their Lord. This is what the wife of Pharaoh prayed for: « رَبِّ ابْنِ لِيْ عِنْدَكَ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ » [ التحریم : ۱۱ ] “My Lord! Build for me, near You, a house in Paradise.” Fourth, that the blessings granted to them have been called “great bounty” by Allah Almighty, as He said: «ذٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيْرُ » So, if Allah Almighty calls something “Akbar” and “Kabir,” who can estimate its greatness? The fifth reason for the greatness of their reward is mentioned in the next verse.

➍ { ذٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيْرُ:} From this, it is understood that Paradise is purely the grace of Allah Almighty; no one has any right over it.