Surah Muhammad (47) — Ayah 15

(Ayah 15) ➊ The meaning of { مَثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِيْ وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُوْنَ… : ’’ مَثَلُ ‘‘} here is state or attribute. Before this, the entry of the believers into gardens beneath which rivers flow was mentioned, and the abode of the disbelievers was described as the Fire. Now, some further details of this Paradise and Hell are described, especially the rivers of Paradise, because in the Noble Qur’an, the mention of rivers often comes with Paradise. In this verse, four types of rivers in Paradise are mentioned. It should be clear that the source of all the rivers of Paradise is under the Throne, in Jannat al-Firdaws. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ فَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُ اللّٰهَ فَسَلُوْهُ الْفِرْدَوْسَ، فَإِنَّهُ أَوْسَطُ الْجَنَّةِ وَأَعْلَی الْجَنَّةِ، وَ فَوْقَهُ عَرْشُ الرَّحْمٰنِ، وَمِنْهُ تَفَجَّرُ أَنْهَارُ الْجَنَّةِ ] [ بخاري، التوحید، باب : « و کان عرشہ علی الماء»… : ۷۴۲۳ ] “So when you ask Allah, ask Him for al-Firdaws, for it is the best and highest part of Paradise, and above it is the Throne of the Most Merciful, and from it the rivers of Paradise spring forth.” And Mu’awiyah bin Haydah al-Qushayri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ بَحْرَ الْمَاءِ وَ بَحْرَ الْعَسَلِ وَبَحْرَ اللَّبَنِ وَبَحْرَ الْخَمْرِ ثُمَّ تُشَقَّقُ الْأَنْهَارُ بَعْدُ ] [ ترمذي، صفۃ الجنۃ، باب ما جاء في صفۃ أنھار الجنۃ : ۲۵۷۱، و قال الترمذي و الألباني صحیح ] “In Paradise, there is a sea of water, a sea of honey, a sea of milk, and a sea of wine, then after that, rivers flow forth from them.”

➋ { فِيْهَاۤ اَنْهٰرٌ مِّنْ مَّآءٍ غَيْرِ اٰسِنٍ: ’’ اٰسِنٍ ‘‘ ’’أَسِنَ يَأْسَنُ‘‘} is an active participle, just as {’’أَمِنَ يَأْمَنُ‘‘} is the active participle from {’’آمِنٌ‘‘}. This comes on the pattern of {’’ضَرَبَ‘‘} and {’’ نَصَرَ‘‘} as well: {’’أَيْ مُتَغَيَّرُ اللَّوْنِ وَالرِّيْحِ وَالطَّعْمِ‘‘} “Whose color, smell, and taste have changed.” That is, in Paradise, there are such rivers of water that are so pure that their taste, color, or smell never changes, unlike the water of this world, which after some time loses its clarity of color, taste, and smell, becomes covered with moss, gets dirty with dust and grime, and the germs and other things that develop in it make it unfit for drinking.

➌ { وَ اَنْهٰرٌ مِّنْ لَّبَنٍ لَّمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهٗ:} In this world, the milk that comes from the udders of animals gets mixed with some impurities from the udders and some from the hands of the milker and the dust of the environment. Then, if the milk is left for a while, it curdles, its taste becomes sour and unpleasant, and it starts to smell bad. In Paradise, milk will not come from udders but will flow from springs like water and will always remain in its original state, with no change in its taste.

➍ { وَ اَنْهٰرٌ مِّنْ خَمْرٍ لَّذَّةٍ لِّلشّٰرِبِيْنَ: ’’ لَذَّةٍ ‘‘ ’’لَذٌّ‘‘} is the feminine of {’’لَذٌّ’’}, because it is the attribute of {’’ خَمْرٍ ‘‘}, which is a feminine noun by hearing. {’’ لَذٌّ‘‘} and {’’لَذِيْذٌ‘‘} are both adjectives with the same meaning. In this world, people drink wine only for the intoxication it brings, and for the sake of this intoxication, they endure all the evils found in it, some of which are that it is extremely foul-smelling, bitter, and bad-tasting. Drinking it causes a person to lose his senses, vomit, and when the intoxication wears off, dizziness and headache begin. The wine of Paradise will have none of the faults of worldly wine—no headache, no dizziness, no bad smell, and no bitterness of taste. Rather, it will be extremely delicious and bring joy and delight, without veiling the intellect or causing any other harm.

➎ { وَ اَنْهٰرٌ مِّنْ عَسَلٍ مُّصَفًّى:} The honey of this world comes from the bellies of bees, and when it is obtained, some parts of the bees and their larvae, wax, dust, and twigs inevitably get mixed in. Then, if it is left for a long time, it becomes sour and ferments. In short, there is no way for it to remain completely pure. Whereas the honey of the rivers of Paradise is not dependent on the bellies of bees, but comes directly from the sea of honey to every dweller’s home, and always remains extremely pure, clear, and free from every kind of impurity.

The author of Ahsan al-Tafasir writes: “Although all the things to eat, drink, wear, and use in Paradise only share names with things of this world, there is a great difference between the things of Paradise and those of this world. For example, where in this world is there such milk whose river always flows and which does not turn sour even the next day? Where is there such honey whose river flows and in which bees do not die in swarms, and dust and rubbish from the air do not fall into it? Where is there such wine whose river flows and, due to its stench, the path near the river does not get blocked after a few days?”

➏ { وَ لَهُمْ فِيْهَا مِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرٰتِ:} After mentioning drinks, foods are mentioned briefly, and among them, instead of grains, fruits are mentioned, because the foods of Paradise will not be for quenching hunger but purely for pleasure. It is said: « اِنَّ لَكَ اَلَّا تَجُوْعَ فِيْهَا وَ لَا تَعْرٰى » [طٰہٰ: ۱۱۸] “Indeed, for you is that you will neither be hungry therein nor naked.” And everyone knows the place of fruits in pleasure.

➐ In {وَ مَغْفِرَةٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّهِمْ: ’’ مَغْفِرَةٌ ‘‘}, the tanween is for magnification, so the translation will be “great or immense forgiveness.” And the greatest blessing of Allah will be that they will be granted immense forgiveness. The original meaning of {’’غَفَرَ يَغْفِرُ‘‘} is to cover, that is, in Paradise, such a great covering will be placed over their sins by their Lord that their mention will not even come before them, lest they feel ashamed.

➑ { كَمَنْ هُوَ خَالِدٌ فِي النَّارِ:} This is the predicate of an omitted subject, which is understood from the previous verse: « اَفَمَنْ كَانَ عَلٰى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّهٖ كَمَنْ زُيِّنَ لَهٗ سُوْٓءُ عَمَلِهٖ وَ اتَّبَعُوْۤا اَهْوَآءَهُمْ» {’’ أَيْ أَفَمَنْ هُوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ هٰذِهِ الْجَنَّةِ كَمَنْ هُوَ خَالِدٌ فِي النَّارِ‘‘} “That is, can the one who is among the people of Paradise with these attributes be like the one who will remain forever in the Fire?”

➒ { وَ سُقُوْا مَآءً حَمِيْمًا:} and those who will be given boiling water to drink. In the previous sentence, in {’’ كَمَنْ هُوَ خَالِدٌ فِي النَّارِ ‘‘}, due to the singular word {’’مَنْ‘‘}, the singular verb {’’ هُوَ ‘‘} is used, and in this sentence, considering the general meaning of {’’مَنْ‘‘}, the plural verb {’’ سُقُوْا ‘‘} is used.

➓ { فَقَطَّعَ اَمْعَآءَهُمْ: ’’قَطَعَ يَقْطَعُ قَطْعًا‘‘} (fa) means to cut. { ’’ قَطَّعَ يُقَطِّعُ تَقْطِيْعًا ‘‘} (taf‘il) is for emphasis, meaning to cut into pieces. {’’ اَمْعَآءَهُمْ ‘‘ ’’مِعًي‘‘} is the plural of {’’مِعَيٌ‘‘}, which is on the pattern of {’’عِنَبٌ‘‘}. Due to the heaviness of the dammah on the ya, it was dropped, and due to the meeting of two sukoons (ya and nun of tanween), the ya was dropped, so it became {’’مِِعًي‘‘}, whose dual is {’’مِعَيَانِ‘‘} and {’’مِعَيَيْنِ‘‘}. Another similar word is {’’ آنَاءٌ‘‘}, which is the plural of {’’ إِنًي‘‘}. {’’ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ‘‘} “The hours of day and night.” That is, the people of Hell will be given extremely hot, boiling water to drink, which will tear their intestines into pieces.