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Ayah
Word by Word
وَٱلَّذِينَ
But those who
ءَامَنُواْ
believe
وَعَمِلُواْ
and do
ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ
[the] righteous deeds
لَا
not
نُكَلِّفُ
We burden
نَفۡسًا
any soul
إِلَّا
except
وُسۡعَهَآ
(to) its capacity
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ
Those
أَصۡحَٰبُ
(are the) companions
ٱلۡجَنَّةِۖ
(of) Paradise
هُمۡ
they
فِيهَا
in it
خَٰلِدُونَ
(will) abide forever
وَٱلَّذِينَ
But those who
ءَامَنُواْ
believe
وَعَمِلُواْ
and do
ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ
[the] righteous deeds
لَا
not
نُكَلِّفُ
We burden
نَفۡسًا
any soul
إِلَّا
except
وُسۡعَهَآ
(to) its capacity
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ
Those
أَصۡحَٰبُ
(are the) companions
ٱلۡجَنَّةِۖ
(of) Paradise
هُمۡ
they
فِيهَا
in it
خَٰلِدُونَ
(will) abide forever
Translation
But those who believed and did righteous deeds - We charge no soul except [within] its capacity. Those are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein eternally.
Tafsir
And those who believe and perform righteous deeds (wa'lladheena aamanoo wa-'amiloo'l-saalihaati is the subject) We do not charge any soul beyond its scope, its capacity for action (laa nukallifu nafsan illaa wus'ahaa, 'We do not charge any soul beyond its scope', constitutes a parenthetical statement, intervening between it [the above subject] and its predicate, which is [the following]) those are the inhabitants of the Paradise, abiding therein.
Doors of Heaven shall not open for Those Who deny Allah's Ayat, and They shall never enter Paradise
Allah said,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِأيَاتِنَا وَاسْتَكْبَرُواْ عَنْهَا
Verily, those who belie Our Ayat and treat them with arrogance,
لَا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاء
for them the gates of the heavens will not be opened,
According to Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ibn Abbas, as Al-`Awfi and Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from him,
meaning, their good deeds and supplication will not ascend through it,
Ath-Thawri narrated that, Layth said that Ata narrated this from Ibn Abbas.
According to Ad-Dahhak who reported this from Ibn Abbas that it was also said that;
the meaning here is that the doors of the heavens will not be opened for the disbelievers' souls,
As-Suddi and several others mentioned this meaning.
What further supports this meaning, is the report from Ibn Jarir that Al-Bara' said that the Messenger of Allah mentioned capturing the soul of the `Fajir' (wicked sinner or disbeliever), and that his or her soul will be ascended to heaven. The Prophet said,
فَيَصْعَدُونَ بِهَا فَلَ تَمُرُّ عَلَى مَلٍَ مِنَ الْمَلَيِكَةِ إِلاَّ قَالُوا مَا هَذِهِ الرُّوحُ الْخَبِيثَةُ
فَيَقُولُونَ فُلَنٌ بِأَقْبَحِ أَسْمَايِهِ الَّتِي كَانَ يُدْعَى بِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا
حَتَّى يَنْتَهَوا بِهَا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَيَسْتَفْتَحُونَ بَابَهَا لَهُ فَلَ يَفْتَحُ لَه
So they (angels) ascend it and it will not pass by a gathering of the angels, but they will ask, who's wicked soul is this?'
They will reply, `The soul of so-and-so,' calling him by the worst names he was called in this life.
When they reach the (lower) heaven, they will ask that its door be opened for the soul, but it will not be opened for it.
The Prophet then recited,
لَا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاء
(For them the gates of heaven will not be opened).
This is a part of a long Hadith which was also recorded by Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.
Ibn Jurayj commented on the Ayah,
لَا تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاء
(for them the gates of heaven will not be opened),
(The gates of heaven) will not be opened for their deeds or souls.
This explanation combines the two meanings we gave above, and Allah knows best.
Allah's statement,
وَلَا يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى يَلِجَ الْجَمَلُ فِي سَمِّ الْخِيَاطِ
and they will not enter Paradise until the Jamal goes through the eye of the needle.
refers to the male camel.
Ibn Mas`ud said it is a male camel from the she camel.
In another narration it refers to the spouse of the she camel.
Mujahid and Ikrimah said that Ibn Abbas used to recite this Ayah this way,
Until the Jummal goes through the eye of the needle, whereas `Jummal' is a thick rope.
وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُجْرِمِينَ
Thus do We recompense the criminals.
Allah's statement
لَهُم مِّن جَهَنَّمَ مِهَادٌ
Theirs will be Mihad from the Fire,
means, beds, while;
وَمِن فَوْقِهِمْ غَوَاشٍ
and over them Ghawash,
According to Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi,
means, coverings,
Similar was said by Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim and As-Suddi.
Allah said next,
وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الظَّالِمِينَ
Thus do We recompense the wrongdoers.
Destination of Righteous Believers
After Allah mentioned the condition of the miserable ones, He then mentioned the condition of the happy ones, saying,
وَالَّذِينَ امَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّالِحَاتِ
But those who believed, and worked righteousness,
Their hearts have believed and they performed good deeds with their limbs and senses, as compared to those who disbelieved in the Ayat of Allah and were arrogant with them.
Allah also said that embracing faith and implementing it are easy, when He said,
وَالَّذِينَ امَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّالِحَاتِ لَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا أُوْلَـيِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِم مِّنْ غِلٍّ
But those who believed, and worked righteousness -- We burden not any person beyond his scope -- such are the dwellers of Paradise. They will abide therein. And We shall remove from their breasts any Ghill;
meaning, envy and hatred.
Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said that the Messenger of Allah said,
إِذَا خَلَصَ الْمُوْمِنُونَ مِنَ النَّارِ حُبِسُوا عَلَى قَنْطَرَةٍ بَيْنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ فَاقْتُصَّ لَهُمْ مَظَالِمَ كَانَتْ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى إِذَا هُذِّبُوا وَنُقُّوا أُذِنَ لَهُمْ فِي دُخُولِ الْجَنَّةِ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ بِمَنْزِلِهِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ أَدَلُّ مِنْهُ بِمَسْكَنِهِ كَانَ فِي الدُّنْيَا
After the believers are saved from entering the Fire, they will be kept in wait by a bridge between Paradise and Hellfire. Then, transgression that occurred between them in the life of this world will be judged. Until, when they are purified and cleansed, they will be given permission to enter Paradise. By He in Whose Hand is my soul! One of them will be able to find his dwelling in Paradise more so than he did in the life of this world.
وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِم مِّنْ غِلٍّ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهِمُ الَانْهَارُ
And We shall remove from their breasts any Ghill; rivers flowing under them,
As-Suddi said,
When the people of Paradise are taken to it, they will find a tree close to its door, and two springs from under the trunk of that tree. They will drink from one of them, and all hatred will be removed from their hearts, for it is the cleansing drink. They will take a bath in the other, and the brightness of delight will radiate from their faces. Ever after, they will never have messy hair or become dirty.
An-Nasa'i and Ibn Marduwyah (this being his wording) recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
كُلُّ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ يَرَى مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ فَيَقُولُ لَوْلَا أَنَّ اللهَ هَدَانِي فَيَكُونُ لَهُ شُكْرًا وَكُلُّ أَهْلِ النَّارِ يَرَى مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَقُولُ لَوْ أَنَّ اللهَ هَدَانِي فَيَكُونُ لَهُ حَسْرَة
Each of the people of Paradise will see his seat in the Fire and he will say, `Had not Allah guided me! And this will cause him to be grateful. Each of the people of the Fire will see his seat in Paradise, and he will say, `Might that Allah had guided me!' So it will be a cause of anguish for him.
وَقَالُواْ
and they will say:
الْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ الَّذِي هَدَانَا لِهَـذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِيَ لَوْلا أَنْ هَدَانَا اللّهُ لَقَدْ جَاءتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِالْحَقِّ
All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has guided us to this, and never could we have found guidance, were it not that Allah had guided us! Indeed, the Messengers of our Lord did come with the truth.
This is why when the believers are awarded seats in Paradise that belonged to the people of the Fire, they will be told,
وَنُودُواْ أَن تِلْكُمُ الْجَنَّةُ أُورِثْتُمُوهَا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
And it will be cried out to them:This is the Paradise which you have inherited for what you used to do.
This means, because of your good deeds, you earned Allah's mercy and thus entered Paradise and took your designated dwellings in it, comparable to your deeds.
This is the proper meaning here, for it is recorded in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet said,
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَنْ يُدْخِلَهُ عَمَلُهُ الْجَنَّة
And know that the good deeds of one of you will not admit him into Paradise.
They said, Not even you, O Allah's Messenger!
He said,
وَلَا أَنَا إِلاّ أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِيَ اللهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِنْهُ وَفَضْل
Not even I, unless Allah grants it to me out of His mercy and favor.
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