But give glad tidings to those who believe and work righteousness, that theirs are gardens beneath which rivers flow. Every time they are fed with fruits therefrom, they say: “Why, this is what we were fed with before,” for they are given things in similitude; and they have therein companions pure [and holy]; and they abide therein [for ever]. (Wa bashshir alladhīna āmanū wa ‘amilū al‑ṣāliḥāt anna la-hum jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhār kullamā ruziqū minhā min thamaratin rizqan qālū hādhā alladhī ruziqnā min qablu wa utū bi-hi mutashābihan wa la-hum fī-hā azwājun muṭahharatun wa hum fī-hā khālidūn.)
Consider this: The composition and positioning (naẓm) of this verse, like its sisters, has three aspects:
the positioning of the verse as a whole [and its relationship] with what precedes it; the positioning [and relationships] of the verse’s phrases; and positioning [and relationships] of the constituents of the phrases.
The First: Between this verse’s meaning and the previous verses are various relations, and different lines stretch out from it to those verses’ phrases. Surely you see how at the start of the sura the Qur’an praises itself and the believers for [their] belief and good works, then with this verse indicates the result of belief and fruit of good works.
And similarly, how it censures the disbelievers and condemns the dissemblers and describes their way, which leads to eternal perdition, then alludes with this verse to the light of everlasting happiness, pointing it out to them to increase their sense of loss at having missed that supreme bounty.
And having charged [the people] O you people! Worship…, although this means hardship and difficulty and giving up immediate pleasures, it flings open to them the doors of postponed [future pleasures]. With this verse it satisfies and assures their souls.
And having proved divine unity, the principal pillar of belief and chief [religious] obligation, with this verse it announces the fruits of divine unity, the title‑page of mercy and preface of divine pleasure by pointing out Paradise and eternal happiness.
And having proved prophethood, the second pillar of belief, through the miraculousness of the verse And if you are in doubt…, with this verse and indirectly with the previous one, it alludes to the duties and obligations of prophethood, which are to warn and deliver good news through the tongue of the Qur’an.
And having threatened, intimidated, and warned in the previous verse, in accordance with the mystery of the relation between opposites, in this one it promises, excites desire, and gives good tidings.
Also, if a person is to make the souls [of others] submit and persist in obedience and make [their] consciences obey the dictates of reason, he will have to excite both the sense of fear and sense of longing by bringing together [the obligations] of frightening [away from wrong] and attracting [to right] (tarhīb wa targhīb). For the dictates of the intellect are only temporarily [effective], and there has to be in the conscience a permanent motivation and compelling incentive.
Moreover, having indicated one part of the hereafter with the previous verse, so with this one it indicates the other, which is the spring of eternal happiness. Similarly, there it alludes with fire to Hell, and here it explicitly mentions Paradise.
Now understand that Paradise and Hell are two fruits which point to eternity from the tree of creation, and are the two results of the chain of the universe. They are two storage tanks into which the universe is poured, and two pools for it as it flows into eternity.
An Elucidation of This: When Allah (May His glory be exalted) willed the creation of a world for examination and trial, for numerous instances of wisdom too fine [to be apprehended by] the mind, He willed the change and transformation of this world for [many] reasons.
He combined good and evil, and mixed in harm with benefit, and included ugliness in beauty. He joined [evil, harm, and ugliness] to Hell and sent them assistance from it. And He despatched good things and virtues to be manifested in Paradise. Furthermore, when He willed trial and competition in [the world of] human beings and [for there to be] differences and change among them, he mixed in bad people with good. Then when the period of testing closes and divine will [commands] that they should be eternal, He will make the bad people manifest the verse: Get you apart (…) O you guilty ones, while the good will be honoured and graced with the address: So enter there to dwell for ever!
Then when the two categories are separated out the universe will be purified, and evil and harmful matters will be withdrawn from the good and the beneficial and perfected, and they will collect on one side. In Short: If you study the universe carefully, you will encounter two basic elements, two long crawling stems [like melons], that when [the fruits of which are] collected together and made immortal, will become Hell and Paradise.
An Introduction
This verse and the preceding ones betoken the resurrection of the dead and great gathering. There are four noteworthy points in this matter:
Firstly: The possibility of the world’s destruction and its death.
Secondly: Their occurrence.
Thirdly: Its repair and being raised to life.
Fourthly: Their occurrence.
Firstly
The Possibility of the Universe’s Death:
If a thing is subject to the law of evolution (qānūn al‑takāmul), it undergoes growth and development. It has therefore a natural lifespan and allotted time of death; it cannot escape death’s call.
According to inductive reasoning, [this goes for] most members of the species (afrād al‑anwā‘). So just as man, the microcosm, cannot be saved from destruction; so too there is no refuge from death for the world, the macroanthropos. Similarly, a tree is a miniature copy of the universe and is pursued by demolition and dissolution; so too the chain of the universe is a part of the tree of creation and cannot be saved from the hand of destruction and reconstruction. So if not struck by a violent wind or an external illness [ordained by] pre‑eternal divine will before [the end of] its natural lifespan, and if its Maker does not annihilate it earlier, there will necessarily and certainly and even according to scientific reckoning come a day when the verses When the sky is rent apart, When the sun is rolled up and And when the stars grow dark will be realized. Then the macroanthropos will suffer its death agonies and utter a horrible growl, an appalling roar that will resound through space.
Second Point
Its occurrence: As is agreed by all the revealed religions, and testified to by all sound natures, and indicated by the change, transformation, and renewal of the universe, – and if you wish, imagine the world’s death agonies and its roar – the universe is bound together with a delicate, elevated order and clings to those wondrous bonds.
So when one of the heavenly bodies receives the order: “Be!” or “Quit your orbit!” you will see the world [suddenly] smitten by its death agonies and the stars and heavenly bodies beginning to clash and collide. Infinite space will thunder and roar. On one part striking another sparks will fly off as big as the earth or bigger. Can you imagine the awful sound of millions of firing cannons the smallest shells of which are larger than the earth? For that will be the sound of its death.
With the onset of its demise, the creation will be convulsed and beings will separate out, and Hell will emerge together with its inhabitants and matters, and Paradise will become manifest, bringing together all the subtleties derived from its elements.
If You Were to Ask: Why is the universe subject to change and time and [so] will be destroyed, then at the resurrection of the dead will be made eternal, fixed, and unchanging?
You Would Be Told: Since pre‑eternal wisdom and providence necessitated trial and examination, and the development of potentialities and unfolding of abilities, and the disclosure of the relative truths (al‑ḥaqā’iq al-nisbiyya), which in the hereafter will be total truths (al‑ḥaqā’iq al-ḥaqīqiyya), and the existence of relative degrees and many instances of wisdom the human mind is powerless to perceive; the Maker (May His glory be exalted) made the natures and dispositions of things different, and combined harmful things with useful ones, and interspersed evils among good, and He brought together ugly things and beautiful. The Hand of Power kneaded together opposites and the universe became subject to the law of change, alternation, variation, and development (al‑takāmul).
Thus, the Maker (May His glory be exalted) willed through His grace that when the arena of examination is closed, and the time of trial finished, and the harvest‑time has come, He will purify the various opposites to make them eternal, and separate out the causes of change, and distinguish the matters of difference. Then Hell will be formed with its solid body, receiving the address of So get you apart! And Paradise will be manifested with its eternal, stable body and foundations.
[This will be] in accordance with [the rule] “relations are essential for order,” [That is, there is no contrariety between the elements and parts forming Paradise and Hell; there are only relations and bonds between them and order is the cause of continuity. Moreover, through His perfect power, the Most High will give the dwellers of those two eternal abodes stable existences that will not be subject to dissolution or change, for change here, which leads to extinction, arises from the relative differences [that is, the imbalance] between what is formed and what dissolves. But the relative stability there [that is, the balance] will permit change that will not lead to disintegration.
The Third and Fourth Points
I mean the possibility of the repair and raising to life of the earth, and their occurrence:
Since proofs of divine unity and prophethood taken from the Qur’an and Hadiths (al‑dalīl al-naqlī) alone are not valid as it would necessitate a circular argument.
This is because the validity of evidences taken from Qur’an and Hadiths is tied to the authenticity and veraciousness of prophethood; to prove prophethood by such evidences therefore would entail an impossibility and circular argument. The Qur’an alludes to rational proofs of them [as well]. It is permissible however for the resurrection of the dead to be proven by both reason and the Qur’an and Hadiths [bi’l‑‘aql wa’l-naql).
For rational proofs, you may consult what we explained to our utmost when expounding And have certain belief in the hereafter Briefly, order, mercy, and grace only become order, mercy and grace with the coming of the resurrection.
The transmitted (naqlī) evidences consist of what everyone has said [all the prophets], and what the miraculous Qur’an states about its occurrence.
For these evidences as well as indications of the rational ones, you may refer to this subject in Fakhr al‑Dīn al-Rāzī’s commentary, for he enumerates the verses that prove the resurrection of the dead.
In Short: A person has only to peruse the samples, examples, and similitudes of the resurrection in very many realms (lit. species – al‑anwā‘) [of beings] to surmise from their diverse signs the existence of bodily resurrection and eternal happiness.
The Positioning and Relationships of the Phrases
You should be aware that the string on which the pearls of this verse are threaded in successive order is this: Eternal happiness is of two sorts:
The First and Foremost: Allah the Most High’s pleasure, and His grace, manifestation, and nearness.
The Second: Physical bliss, which is attained through one’s house, food, and marriage, and their continuing for all eternity, which completes and perfects them.
The first sorts are not in need of detailed explanation, or anyway such explanation is not possible.
As for the second, the most agreeable of dwellings is that set among plants and flowing water. You surely know that the plashing, gurgling waters of rivers, whispering beneath pavilions and gardens, inspire poetry and breathe love into hearts.
As for food, it is sustenance, and while the most delicious of basic sustenance is that which is familiar, fruits are best in one respect when varied, for familiarity [allows] one to recognize the high degree of the bounty and its superiority over similar things. Moreover, one of its highest pleasures is knowing that [the sustenance] is the reward for one’s actions. Another is its source and store being right before one’s eyes, yielding the pleasure of confident assurance.
Concerning marriage, one of man’s most intense needs is to have someone respond to him with heartfelt love and to share with [his partner] pleasure and intimacy, and for them to together feel wonder [at the divine bounties] and to ponder over them.
You must have observed that if someone sees something unusual that perplexes him and makes him think, he calls on someone, if only mentally, to share his perplexity. And the gentlest of hearts, and the kindest and warmest, are those of the second sex. And those whose spirits will blend fully and hearts will achieve complete intimacy, and whose outward union will be pure and chaste are those of the second sex who have been purified and cleansed of bad morals and unpleasant traits.
If You Were to Ask: [The purpose of] food is to perpetuate a person’s [life] for by means of it those parts of the body that dissolve are re‑formed, and marriage is to perpetuate the human race, but in the hereafter people will be immortal and not subject to change and dissolution. Anyway, there will be no reproduction in the hereafter, will there?
You Would Be Told: The benefits of food and marriage are not restricted to perpetuating life and reproduction; they are a source of great pleasure in this painful world. So why shouldn’t there be pleasure of a pure, elevated kind in the realm of bliss?
If You Were to Ask: Pleasure here [in this world is obtained] through dispelling pain and suffering, [but in the hereafter, there will be none]?
You Would Be Told: Dispelling pain is only one cause of pleasure.
Also, it is not possible to compare the eternal realm and this world. Indeed, the garden of Horhor here is to the lofty gardens of Paradise, what the [pain‑tainted] pleasures of this world are to the pleasures of the hereafter. However superior Paradise is to the garden here, its pleasures are superior to the same extent. Ibn ‘Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) alluded to this vast difference when he said: The only thing in Paradise will be their names. That is, the fruits of this world.
Regarding Eternal Life and Perpetual Pleasure, Consider This: pleasure is only true pleasure if it is untouched by evanescence, for just as the dispelling of pain is pleasure or a cause of it, so the passing of pleasure is pain; indeed, even to imagine its passing is painful. In fact, the poetry of metaphorical (majāzī) lovers all consists of lamentations at such pain. The dīwāns of these purveyors of a love that is not ‘true’ are nothing but their weeping and wailing at this pain, which arises from the imagined passing of the beloved.
Indeed, most temporary pleasures produce lasting pains when they disappear, and every time a person recalls them, regret surges up in him and he exclaims: “Alas! Alack!”, cursing this pain of the spirit. Then most suffering yields lasting pleasure when it subsides, and every time the person thinks of his being saved from it, he exclaims: “Praise and thanks be to Allah!”, alluding to this immaterial bounty.
Yes, man was created for eternity and he can obtain true pleasure only from eternal things such as knowledge of Allah, love, perfection, knowledge, and so on. In Short: Pleasure and bounty are only pleasure and bounty if they are eternal.
Now that you have seen the string, thread the phrases of the verses on it.
The phrase But give glad tidings to those who believe and work righteousness (Wa bashshir alladhīna āmanū wa ‘amilū al‑ṣāliḥāt):
When the Most High charged the people [with worship], and proved [the Messenger’s] prophethood, and charged the Messenger with conveying His commands – so that by giving the glad tidings [of Paradise] he would ensure they complied with the obligations, which entailed difficulties and the giving up of worldly pleasures – he was commanded both to warn and to convey the good news of Allah the Most High’s pleasure, and His grace, and nearness, and of everlasting happiness.
And the phrase that theirs are gardens beneath which flow (anna la‑hum jannātin tajrī):
As was mentioned above, man’s most essential need, since he has a body, is a place and a dwelling. The most beautiful places are those with plants and trees, and the most pleasant are those with pools among their verdant gardens, and the most splendid are those that have abundant streams flowing among their trees and under their pavilions. This is why it says beneath which rivers flow.
After somewhere [to live] man’s greatest need, the finest of physical pleasures, is food and drink. These are indicated by [the words] gardens and rivers.
And the finest of sustenance is that which is familiar, so one may appraise the degree of its superiority over similar foods. And the most delicious are fruits, as long as they are varied. And the purest pleasure is from [fruits] that are known and picked from close by. But most delicious of all is knowing that they are the fruits of one’s labours. This is why it says Every time they are fed with fruits therefrom, they say: ‘Why, this is what we were fed with before.’
That is, in this world or before now.
The phrase for they are given things in similitude (wa utū bihi mutashābihan): It says in a Hadith that they will be similar in form but different in taste. Hence, the verse indicates that the pleasure of fruits lies in their change and variation, and that perfect pleasure is when the person is served and [the fruit] is given to him.
The phrase and they have therein companions pure (wa la‑hum fī-hā azwājun muṭahharatun): As you saw above [when describing] the string [for the verse’s pearls], a person needs a wife, a companion, to dwell with, through whose eyes he may look and who may see through his eyes, and whose love he may benefit from, this being the gentlest of the rays of divine mercy. Complete intimacy too is with her.
And the phrase and they abide therein [for ever] (wa hum fī‑hā khālidūn): When a person encounters a bounty or delight, the first thing that occurs to him is “Is it going to continue or will it be spoiled by ceasing?” For this reason, [the Qur’an] indicates with the words and they abide therein for ever the completion of the bounty through its enduring in Paradise, and it and his wives being perpetual there, and the continuation of the pleasures and his benefiting from them for ever.
The Positioning and Relationships of the Parts of the Verse’s Phrases
The phrase But give glad tidings to those who believe and work righteousness (Wa bashshir alladhīna āmanū wa ‘amilū al‑ṣāliḥāt): The [conjunction] But (lit. And) (al‑wāw) points to the warning that drips from the previous [verse].
Give glad tidings (bashshir) is a sign that Paradise is [purely] a favour of the Most High and not incumbent on Him, and moreover, that actions should not be on account of Paradise [that is, in the hope of it].
And [the verb] being in the imperative suggests: “Convey it as though you’re conveying good news!” For [the Prophet] was charged with communicating the message.
Then the use of those who believe and work (alladhīna āmanū wa ‘amilū) instead of the more succinct the believers (al‑mu’minūn),
alludes to the who (believe in the Unseen) (alladhīna) at the beginning of the sura so that the details given there may elucidate the brevity here.
The use of the perfect tense here in believe and work (āmanū wa ‘amilū) although there [at the start of the sura] the imperfect is used for believe (yu’minūn) and spend (yunfiqūn)
indicates that the imperfect is appropriate [in connection with] praise and encouragement, but that the perfect is suitable [in reference to] recompense and requital, for reward follows on after service.
The and of and work… indicates, due the mystery of dissimilarity, that contrary to [the assertions of] the Mu‘tazilites, actions are not included in belief, and that belief without action is insufficient. While the word ‘work’ (‘amal) signifies that the thing about which good tidings are given resembles recompense [though it is not].
As for righteousness (lit. good works) (al‑ṣāliḥāt), it is vague and concise. According to Shaykh Muhammad ‘Abduh of Egypt, it has a general meaning here because people know perfectly well what good works are.
But I say that in addition, it is thus since it looks to [the details given] at the start of the sura.
The phrase that theirs are gardens beneath which rivers flow (anna la‑hum jannātin tajrī min taḥtihā al-anhār):
Consider all the parts of this phrase:
the confirmative anna – that
the specifying lām [of theirs (la‑hum)],
the precedence of la‑hum – theirs,
the plural gardens (jannāt) and its being indefinite
and the mention of the flowing waters,
the mention of min and taḥt – beneath,
the specifying [the plural] of rivers (anhār) and its being definite;
– like moisture trickling from all sides of the dry earth into a central pool, all these parts assist and respond to each other reinforcing the main aim, which is joy, pleasure, and requital.
[To explain:] That (anna) indicates that since the mind might be hesitant about the stupendousness of the thing about which the good news is given, it needs to be corroborated. Also, it is characteristic of a context (maqām) [inducing] joy that it repels ungrounded fears, for the least anxiety shatters the imagining and chases away the joy. It is also a sign that this is not a mere promise but an actual reality.
The lām of la‑hum – theirs indicates particularity, ownership, and entitlement, [meaning that the thing about which good news is given] is exclusive [to the believers], and is theirs, and that they are deserving of it, which perfects [their] pleasure and augments [their] joy. Otherwise it would be like a king entertaining a pauper.
The precedence of theirs (la‑hum) indicates that among the people it is [the believers] who are singled out for Paradise. [As a result], they observe the situation of the people of Hell, which will make apparent the value of paradisical pleasure.
The plural of gardens (jannāt) indicates the [great] number of gardens or paradises and their various degrees proportionate to the [many] various degrees of actions.
It is a sign too that every part of Paradise is a paradise, and infers also that whatever portion is allotted to a person, with its great extent it will seem like the whole of Paradise; [individuals] will not be herded together with their group [or community] to a [particular] place.
Gardens (jannāt) being indefinite reads out to the minds of listeners: “[The gardens] contain what no eye has seen, nor any ear heard, nor has occurred to the heart of man.” It also refers it to the listeners’ minds so that they may all conceive of it in a manner they find pleasing. Furthermore, it is as though the indefinite is a substitute for there will be there all that the souls could desire.
Flow (tajrī): As is known, the most beautiful of gardens are those which have water; and the most beautiful of these are those in which the water is flowing; and the most beautiful of these are those in which the flow of water is perpetual. Thus, the word flow conjures up the picture of continuously running water.
As for beneath which (min taḥtihā), you know that the most beautiful of running water is that which flows through plants and shrubs, gushing out pure and clear from the garden, and flowing gurgling beneath its pavilions and in many rivulets among the trees. Beneath which indicates these three [that is, the waters flowing beneath the gardens, the pavilions, and the trees].
Rivers (al‑anhār): Running water in gardens is most beautiful if plentiful, and it is most pleasing if in the form of rivulets chasing each other, and if these are symmetrical they increase the charm and beauty of that part. But most beautiful of all is when the water is deliciously sweet and cold, as in the verse: of waters incorruptible. The plural form and use of the definite indicate the above.
The sentence Every time they are fed with fruits therefrom, they say: ‘Why, this is what we were fed with before’ (kullamā ruziqū minhā min thamaratin rizqan qālū hādhā alladhī ruziqnā min qablu):
You should be aware that the parts of [this sentence] include many implied sentences [or phrases]. Since it is not tied to the preceding sentence (istīnāf), it is the answer to an implied question, and this question is a mixture of eight successive questions.
For when given the good news of such a lofty dwelling‑place, it occurs to the listener:
“Will there be food there or not?”
And if there is food, where will it come from and how will it be obtained?
And if it is to be obtained from the garden, what does it consist of?
And if it is its fruits, do they resemble the fruit of this world?
And if they do resemble it, do they resemble each other?
And if those fruits do resemble each other, are their tastes different?
And if they are different, will they diminish [in number] when picked or will they be replaced [with new fruits]?
And if they are replaced by others, will these [new fruits] still be food?
And if they are still food, will those who eat them feel delight?
And if they do feel delight, what will they say?
If you have understood these questions, consider now how the Qur’an replies to them with the parts of the [above‑mentioned] section of the verse:
The word whenever (kullamā) indicates continuity and corroboration.
They are fed (lit. they have been fed) (ruziqū) being in the perfect tense indicates its realization. Also, it infers their being reminded by something similar, of the food of this world. And its being in the passive mood indicates the absence of any difficulty [in obtaining it] and their being served and its being given to them.
The choice of with fruits therefrom (minhā min thamaratin) rather than ‘with their fruits’ is in order to give certain answers to two of the above‑mentioned questions.
The indefiniteness of from fruits makes it general and indicates that whichever of the fruits it is, it is sustenance.
And sustenance (rizqan) being indefinite indicates that it is not the sort of food that they know, which assuages hunger.
The word they say (qālū) has the meaning of “they say to each other” [that is, the VIth form of the verb], which signifies their delight, wonder, and happiness.
The phrase This is what we were fed with before (hādhā alladhī ruziqnā min qablu): This being general [and unspecific] it comprises four meanings:
The First: “What we are fed with here is the good works [we performed] in the [last] world.” The strong tie between actions and requital will as though cause the [good] actions [to be transformed] in the hereafter into embodied rewards. And they rejoice at this.
The Second: “We are fed here with the foods of the last world, but there is a vast difference between their tastes.” And they feel wonder at this.
The Third: “This resembles what we ate previously, but though it is similar in form it is different in meaning since it combines the pleasures of familiarity [on the one hand] and variation and change [on the other].” And they delight in this.
The Fourth: “Whatever we eat from the tree’s branches is replaced instantaneously, as though with the one we had eaten.” It is known from this that the [fruits] will never decrease.
Now the phrase for they are given things in similitude (wa utū bihi mutashābihan): This is a parenthetical clause confirming and explaining the previous one, and is a summary and appendix of it.
The use of the passive mood in they are given indicates that they are served.
While in similitude alludes to the combining of two pleasures as you already know.
The phrase and they have therein companions pure (wa la‑hum fī-hā azwājun muṭahharatun): By virtue of the relationship between two sentences joined by a conjunction, the and [here] indicates that just as they are in need of dwellings for their bodies, so are they need a means of rest and tranquillity for their spirits.
They have (la‑hum) indicates particularity and possession, and specifying and restriction, and infers that besides their wives of this world they shall have houris, created specially for them.
And therein (fī‑hā) indicates that these wives will be worthy of Paradise and that their beauty will be proportionate to their elevated degree.
Moreover, in this is a concealed sign that Paradise is adorned and decked out with them.
The word pure (muṭahharatun) indicates that someone has cleansed and purified them, but don’t suppose that anyone cleansed by the hand of power [can be described]!
Its being a transitive verb [the IInd form] suggests that the women of this world are cleansed and purified so they become as beautiful as houris, who are of themselves pure.
And the phrase and they abide therein for ever (wa hum fī‑hā khālidūn) indicates that both themselves, and their wives, and the delights of Paradise, and all of Paradise, are eternal.