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Ayah
Word by Word
هَلۡ
Is
جَزَآءُ
(the) reward
ٱلۡإِحۡسَٰنِ
for the good
إِلَّا
but
ٱلۡإِحۡسَٰنُ
good
هَلۡ
Is
جَزَآءُ
(the) reward
ٱلۡإِحۡسَٰنِ
for the good
إِلَّا
but
ٱلۡإِحۡسَٰنُ
good
Translation
Is the reward for good [anything] but good?
Tafsir
Is the reward of goodness, [manifested] through obedience, anything but goodness?, [granted] through bliss?
The Delight of Those Who have Taqwa in Paradise
Allah the Exalted said,
وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ
But for him who fears the standing before his Lord, there will be two Gardens.
on the Day of Resurrection,
وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَى
And restrained himself from the desires. (79:40,
and does not indulge nor prefer this worldly life. He who knows that the Hereafter is better and more lasting, so he fulfills what his Lord ordered him and stays away from His prohibitions, then he will earn two gardens from his Lord on the Day of Resurrection.
Al-Bukhari recorded that Abdullah bin Qays said that the Messenger of Allah said,
جَنَّتَانِ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ انِيَتُهُمَا وَمَا فِيهِمَا وَجَنَّتَانِ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ انِيَتُهُمَا وَمَا فِيهِمَا وَمَا بَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ وَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَنْظُرُوا إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلاَّ رِدَاءُ الْكِبْرِيَاءِ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ فِي جَنَّةِ عَدْن
There are two gardens made of silver -- their vessels and all that they contain. And there are two gardens made of gold -- their vessels and all that they contain. And nothing stands between the people in the `Adn Garden and looking at their Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored, but the covering of pride before His Face.
The Group, with the exception of Abu Dawud, collected this via the Hadith of Abdul-Aziz.
This Ayah is general and applies to both humans and Jinns, providing proof that those among the Jinns who believe and have Taqwa will enter Paradise, for Allah is reminding the Ath-Thaqalayn of this favor, as He says;
وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
But for him who fears the standing before his Lord, there will be two Gardens. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!
Then He describes these two gardens, by saying,
ذَوَاتَا أَفْنَانٍ
With Afnan.
their trees have beautiful young branches that hold and produce every type of ripened beautiful fruit,
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny:
Ata' Al-Khurasani and several others said that Afnan means spreading branches of trees that reach the branches of other trees,
فِيهِمَا عَيْنَانِ تَجْرِيَانِ
In them (both) will be two springs flowing.
free to water these trees and branches that produce all kinds of fruits,
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that one of these springs is called Tasnim, and the other called As-Salsabil.
Atiyah said that the water of one of these springs is from non-standing water and the other from wine that gives delight to those who drink it.
Allah's statement,
فِيهِمَا مِن كُلِّ فَاكِهَةٍ زَوْجَانِ
In them (both) will be every kind of fruit in pairs.
of every type and kind of fruit, that which they knew before, and better, and that which they did not know before. Therein, there are delights that no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard and no heart has ever imagined,
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!
Ibrahim bin Al-Hakam bin Aban said that his father narrated from Ikrimah that Ibn Abbas said,
There is not a fruit that exists in this life, sweet or bitter, but it exists in Paradise, even the colocynth.
Ibn Abbas also said,
There is nothing in the world that is in the Hereafter except in name.
Meaning there is such an enormous difference and contrast between the two in enjoyment and value
Allah said;
مُتَّكِيِينَ
Reclining, (in reference to the residents of Paradise, who will recline or sit cross-legged);
عَلَى فُرُشٍ بَطَايِنُهَا مِنْ إِسْتَبْرَقٍ
upon the couches lined with Istabraq,
which is thick silk brocade, according to Ikrimah, Ad-Dahhak and Qatadah.
Abu Imran Al-Jawni said,
It is thick silk embroidered with gold.
In this way, the honor of the outside is alluded to by mentioning the honor of the inside. Abu Ishaq narrated that Hubayrah bin Yarim said that Abdullah bin Mas`ud said,
This is their interior, so what about it if you see their exterior
Allah said,
وَجَنَى الْجَنَّتَيْنِ دَانٍ
and the fruits of the two Gardens will be near at hand.
close to the believers who will be able to take any of it they wish, whether they are reclining or otherwise,
قُطُوفُهَا دَانِيَةٌ
The fruits in bunches whereof will be low and near at hand. (69:23),
وَدَانِيَةً عَلَيْهِمْ ظِلَـلُهَا وَذُلِّلَتْ قُطُوفُهَا تَذْلِيلً
And the shade thereof is. close upon them, and the bunches of fruit thereof will hang low within their reach. (76:14),
meaning, these fruits descend from their branches to those who wish to have them, because they are close at hand,
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!
After Allah mentioned the couches, He then said
فِيهِنَّ
Wherein will be, (meaning on these couches or beds),
قَاصِرَاتُ الطَّرْفِ
Qasirat At-Tarf,
chaste females, wives restraining their glances, desiring none except their husbands, seeing them as the most beautiful men in Paradise.
This was said by Ibn Abbas, Qatadah, Ata' Al-Khurasani and Ibn Zayd.
It was reported that one of these wives will say to her husband,
By Allah! I neither see anything in Paradise more handsome than you nor more beloved to me than you. So praise be to Allah Who made you for me and made me for you.
Allah said,
لَمْ يَطْمِثْهُنَّ إِنسٌ قَبْلَهُمْ وَلَا جَانٌّ
whom never deflowered a human before nor Jinn.
meaning they are delightful virgins of comparable age who never had sexual intercourse with anyone, whether from mankind or Jinns, before their husbands.
This is also a proof that the believers among the Jinns will enter Paradise.
Artat bin Al-Mundhir said,
Damrah bin Habib was asked if the Jinns will enter Paradise and he said, `Yes, and they will get married. The Jinns will have Jinn women and the humans will have female humans.'
Allah's statement,
لَمْ يَطْمِثْهُنَّ إِنسٌ قَبْلَهُمْ وَلَا جَانٌّ
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
whom never deflowered a human before nor Jinn. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!
Then Allah describes these women for the proposed:
كَأَنَّهُنَّ الْيَاقُوتُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ
they are like Yaqut and Marjan.
Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Ibn Zayd and others said,
They are as pure as rubies and white as Marjan.
So here they described Marjan as pearls.
Imam Muslim recorded that Muhammad bin Sirin said,
Some people either boasted or just wondered who are more in Paradise, men or women.
Abu Hurayrah said, `Has not Abu Al-Qasim (Muhammad) said,
إِنَّ أَوَّلَ زُمْرَةٍ تَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ عَلَى صُورَةِ الْقَمَرِ لَيْلَةَ الْبَدْرِ وَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا عَلَى أَضْوَءِ كَوْكَبٍ دُرِّيَ فِي السَّمَاءِ لِكُلِّ امْرِىءٍ مِنْهُمْ زَوْجَتَانِ اثْنَتَانِ يُرَى مُخُّ سُوقِهِمَا مِنْ وَرَاءِ اللَّحْمِ وَمَا فِي الْجَنَّةِ أَعْزَب
Verily, the first group that will enter Paradise will look like the moon when it is full, and the next batch will be as radiant as the radiant star in the sky. Each one of them will marry two wives. The marrow of the bones of their shins will be seen through the flesh. None will be unmarried in Paradise.
This Hadith was recorded in the Two Sahihs.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas said that the Messenger of Allah said,
لَغَدْوَةٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ أَوْ رَوْحَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا وَلَقَابُ قَوسِ أَحَدِكُمْ أَوْ مَوْضِعُ قِدِّهِ يَعْنِي سَوْطَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا وَلَوِ اطَّلَعَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ نِسَاءِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ إِلَى الاَْرْضِ لَمَلََتْ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا رِيحًا وَلَطَابَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَلَنَصِيفُهَا عَلَى رَأْسِهَا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا
A morning or an evening journey in Allah's cause is better than the world and whatever is on its surface. And a place in Paradise as small as that occupied by the whip of one of you, is better than the world and whatever is on its surface. If one of the women of the people of Paradise looks directly at the earth, she will fill what is between Paradise and earth with a good scent and all of it will become delightful. Verily, the veil over her head is better than this life and all that is on its surface.
Al-Bukhari also collected a similar narration.
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!
Allah the Exalted said,
هَلْ جَزَاء الاِْحْسَانِ إِلاَّ الاِْحْسَانُ
Is there any reward for good other than good?
Allah declares that in the Hereafter, all that is good and righteous is the only befitting reward for those who do good deeds in this life,
لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُواْ الْحُسْنَى وَزِيَادَةٌ
For those who have done good is best (reward) and even more. (10:26)
All of these are tremendous blessings that cannot be earned merely by good deeds, but by Allah's favor and bounty, after all of these He says;
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny!
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