40. When the disbelievers saw that the Quran is going on winning the hearts of the listeners, and they have no answer to its arguments, they stooped to creating disturbances. Their leaders told them that when the Quran may be recited they should not hear it, but they should make so much noise that its reading may not be heard. But it was the truth, and however hard they tried to suppress it, it went on increasing its influence, and today it is being read, day and right, so abundantly that there is no book in the world that can claim to equal it.

41. It has become clear that to obstruct the spread of Quran is the work of only those people who are the enemies of Allah.

42. When the disbelievers will enter the Hell, they will realise that the astray jinn and leaders and guides led them astray. They were misguided by their mischief. They will be extremely resentful and will request God to show them their leaders so that they may trample them under their feet.

In the world the disbelievers express complete devotion for their misguiding religious guides, and follow them blindly, but after going into Hell they will curse them and will like to trample them under their feet.

43. In the above ayah the condition of the disbelievers was described, now the condition of the believers is being mentioned.

44. The meaning of saying Allah to be one’s Lord is to admit that Allah alone is one’s Creator, Nourishes, Master, Deity, Ruler, and Guide. A person who admits this reality with full consciousness admits this position of his own self that he is His creature, His nourished one, His subject, and His slave. To worship Him is his job, and also to follow His commands and to obey His directions.

And to stick to this stance and to be firm on it means to follow it till the last breath, and to adopt righteousness in one’s personal practical life. In the following ayah the good tidings about the Paradise is for people who adopt this line. At various places Quran has given glad tidings about Paradise to those persons who believe in Allah’s religion and act righteously. In this ayah also those who said Our Lord is Allah refers to Islamic faith and sticking firm to it means righteous acts. But stress is laid on special aspects in accordance with the demands of the occasion. The statement in the hadith that

“ A slave who says La Ilaha Illallahu and dies on that, he will enter the Paradise,” (Muslim, Kitabul Iman) signifies the same sense, and calls for all the requirements. But those who believe in formal religiosity they consider mere lip service as sufficient, and are under this wrong that mere recitation of kalimah is sufficient for them gain entrance into the Paradise; and that they will be to quite safe from the Hell. Imam Razi in explaining the ayah: those who say Our Lord is Allah, writes :

“It does not mean saying merely by the words of mouth only, for them the word “istiqamat” (sticking firmly) has no meaning, but by subsequently saying with “istiqamat” means that they say it with full belief, faith recognition. -(Tafseer Kabir, Vol.27, Page 121).

Imam Razi has further explained that the companions of the Prophet had regarded ‘Istiqamat’ as good and righteous acts.

45. Sending down of the angels for giving glad tidings of Paradise can be for the people of faith only who had adopted righteousness in their life till their death. In the world a man is put to trial for the whole of his life, and the result about success or failure comes out when the time for the examination gets over, therefore, when the righteous people of faith are about to breathe their last, the angels give them good tidings of the Paradise.

On seeing the angels of death, man must be getting very much frightened and terror stricken, but to virtuous Momin the angels at that very moment give comfort that there is no reason for him to grieve or fear, for his future is very bright and there cannot be any sadness for him for leaving the world, because he is reaching his desired destination. Rejoice that we have brought a life invigorating good news of Paradise for you! In this ayah the glimpse of the last moment of passing away that has been shown is very soul nourishing !

And who is better in speech than a person who invites others to (the path of) Allah, and acts righteously and says: “I am one of Muslims.” (Al-Quran)

46. While taking away the life of the people of faith, the angels introduce themselves in this way that they were their friends in the earthly life also though they could not see them, and in the Hereafter also they are their friends, therefore, they need not get frightened, they should be comforted that they are among friends only.

In the world the friends of the people of faith who are virtuous are angels, while the friends of disbelievers and evil doers are satans. The friendship of angels with the people of faith is a great means of auspiciousness and blessing. They pray for them for Allah’s mercy, besides they also with Allah’s permission help them in encouraging them in delicate moments of stress when due to pressure there is a chance of faltering or taking a wrong step, so that they may remain firm and uncompromising. (See Surah Anfal, ayah No.12, Note No.19). And in the hadith it is stated that whoever is appointed as a Qazi (justice) of the Shariah court, without himself seeking the post, Allah sends an angel to guide him to the right path (decision). (Tirmizi, Abwabul Ahkam). It is also stated in a hadith that angels gather round the persons remembering and eulogizing Allah (Tirmizi Abwabud Dawat).

And in the Hereafter angels will greet the people of faith with salutation of peace, they will speak to them in person, and in the Paradise they will get their companionship.

47. From this distinctive characteristic of the Paradise its grandeur can be imagined. Whoever gets this desired pearl, he gets all his desires fulfilled. It is natural for a man to seek whatever his heart desires, and when he gets it he feels satisfied. But there is none in the world who has all his desires fulfilled. Even if a man has lots of money or is the ruler of a very large kingdom, even then it is not possible that all his desires be satisfied and all his wishes be fulfilled. Sometimes sickness troubles him, and sometimes he is affected by the sorrow of some dear one’s death, and sometimes there is the danger of an impending war. It is therefore confirmed that this world is not a place where a man may get all his desires and wishes fulfilled. If it were so, then this world would have been a Paradise, but Allah has arranged this human demand to be satisfied in the Hereafter, that is in the Paradise where every wish, desire and craving will be satisfied.

It is a natural urge in man that he should wish that every desire of his may be fulfilled, which means that it has an inner desire to have a desire for the paradise, which is a proof of the fact that the desire for the Paradise promised by the Quran to the people of faith is in man’s heart, in his nature, therefore the deniers’ sarcasm that paradise is merely imaginary is nothing but ignorance. If they ponder over the demand of their own nature and view the Paradise in the light of Quran, they will realise their mistake.

It may be noted that those who will go to Paradise will be people of virtuous attributes and of clean ideas. Therefore, there will be no existence there of any evil thing, evil ideas and playful absurdities. There will not only be provision for satisfying the taste of palate and mouth, but there will also be provision for the pleasure of the spirit, spiritual satisfaction.

48. That is: the people of faith will be presented these blissful things with such respect and honour as if they are the royal guests, for entertaining whom the royal board has been laid, and this Paradise will be a manifest of Allah’s attribute of forgiveness and mercy. The sweetness and the pleasure accompanying this concept of the Paradise is such that it can be imagined by only those who know the taste of faith and enjoy it.