Surah Muhammad 47:12-19 - Quran Translation Commentary

12. Verily Allah will admit those who believed and did righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow. And those who disbelieved are enjoying (this world) and are eating as cattle eat.¹⁹ Fire is their abode.

13. And how many a city stronger than your city which has driven you (O Muhammad!) out, ²⁰ have we destroyed and they had no saviour.

14. With those who rely on a clear proof from their Lord²¹ become like those whose evil deed has been made fairseeming for them and they follow their own lust?

15. The special peculiarity of the Garden which has been promised to the Godfearing is that therein will flow rivers having incorruptible water²² and rivers of milk having unchangeable flavour²³ and rivers of wine delicious to the drinkers ²⁴ and rivers of pure and clear honey.²⁵ There will be every kind of fruit for them²⁶ and pardon from their Lord.²⁷ Will such people be like those who will live in Fire forever and will be given boiling water to drink which will cutup their bowels?²⁸

16. And among them are some who listen to you. But when they go forth from your presence, they ask those who have been given knowledge: What did (the Prophet) say just now?²⁹ These are those whose hearts Allah has sealed.³⁰ They are following their own lust.³¹

17. And those who walked on the path of Guidance, Allah added to their guidance ³² and bestowed on them their (portion of) piety.³³

18. Now are they waiting for the day of Resurrection, that it should come on them all of a sudden ? The sings thereof have already appeared.³⁴ So when it will come where will be the room for them to obtain admonition?

19. So know ³⁵ that there is no god save Allah, and ask forgiveness for your faults ³⁶ and also for the believing men and believing women. Allah knows your movement as well as your dwelling .³⁷

Commentary

19. That is: they have become mere materialist animals just to eat, drink and die away. They have no idea at all that life does have a high and noble aim; that food and drink is only to get enough strength to remain alive.

20. That is: the people of Makkah forced you to migrate there from. This shows that this Surah was revealed after the migration.

21. That is: those who have determined their approach in the light of knowledge and discernment. And they have gained this light from their natural instinct as well as from the Book revealed by Allah.

22. Worldly waters become polluted due to mixing with earth, vegetation etc which also make them foul-smelling. But in Paradise there will be rivers having unpollutable water.

23. In this world milk comes out of the udders of the cattle and it starts to deteriorate soon. But in Jannat it will flow in rivers and that milk will never be spoiled. Its taste will remain eternally delicious.

24. Worldly wine has a rotten foul smell and it also tastes bitter. But the Heavenly wine will give endless delight to the drinker nor will it be in shortage. Rivers of wine will go on flowing.

25. In this world honey is obtained from bees and it also contains particles of wax etc. But the honey in the Heavens will be pure and clean and will be amply available, as rivers thereof will continue to flow. One who has created these things finds no difficulty in flowing their rivers nor is it difficult for Him to make them eternally pure and clean and tasteful and delicious. Intelligence, supports this, nature demands it and the heart becomes very happy with these good tiding.

26. Not only there will be nice things to drink, all fruits of the finest quality will also be made available there.

27. The Divine Pardon will be Allah’s biggest blessing. Obviously, salvation from the torment is above all other boons.

28. That is the righteous people will get the best of food and drink. But the disbelievers will get boiling water to drink which will cut off their bowels. The end of both is different. Those who live with the fear of Allah in their hearts and those who neglect Him concentrating only on worldly matters are not similar either in behaviour and characteristics or in the final end.

29. This is a mention of the Muslims of Madinah. Though they were attending the assembly of the Prophet, they had no interest in his sayings. They had accepted Islam, unthinkingly with some material advantage in view. Therefore they were neither sincere in their faith nor they had any sympathy for Muslims. There was disbelief in their hearts and they were conspiring with the disbelievers. Such persons are called ‘Munafiq’ (hypocrites). When they were leaving the assembly of the holy prophet they used to ask the knowledgeable persons: what has been lectured? This quarry of theirs was not for understanding but for expressing astonishment, purporting to say that ‘what the prophet says is beyond our comprehension’. Knowledge mentioned in this Ayah is the knowledge of Quran and the saying of the prophet. He who got this knowledge got a great treasure.

30. That is: they came in the grip of Allah’s law regarding those people who insist on their ignorant waywardness. Now they lost capability of accepting the truth.

31. Almighty Allah seals a man’s heart only when man is not prepared to benefit from his brain and intellect and refuses to walk in the light of knowledge and hands over the reins of his heart to his passions and lustful desires.

32. That is: those who did not follow their lust and accepted Allah’s guidance received Divine light on every step and their discernment went on increasing.

33. That is: they were bestowed piousness in proportion to their desire and sincere efforts.

34. The biggest of the signs of Resurrection that have arrived is the advent of the holy prophet Muhammad Sallal Lahu Alaihi Wa Sallam as the last messenger. Says the tradition: “Pointing with his two fingers, the middle finger and the adjoining finger, the prophet said I and the Resurrection have been sent together like this.” (Tafseer Ibne Katheer Vol. 4 P.77 Bukhari) That is: after me there is the Resurrection. No other prophet is going to arrive. Thus, through him, people of the world have been given a final warning. Another big sign is the revelation of the holy Quran. After the revelation of a complete Book from Allah for the guidance of mankind, the book safeguarding whereof too has been guaranteed by Allah Himself, Allah’s argument becomes total and final. Whatever remains thereafter is only the hour of decision that is called Qiyamat or Resurrection. Third great sign is the general corruption of human society which is increasing day by day, due to their ignoring history and not taking lesson from the disastrous end of earlier corrupt societies pictured in historical events. End of the world is definite when this corruption reaches its climax because, when human society will be devoid of good there will remain nothing but evil and the anger of Allah will engulf only the evil-doers in the form of Resurrection. The fourth sign is the repleting of earth with injustice and oppression. Cries of the oppressed yearn for the early establishment of Allah’s court. Hence the Day of Judgment comes nearer, and nearer. In addition to these there are several other signs which will appear at a time very close to Qiyamat as foretold in the Quran and true traditions (Hadith). For example, the appearance of Daabbatul Ard, invasion of Yajooj-Maajooj 464 (Gog and Magog), descent of Isa (Alaihis Salaam), rising of the sun from the west etc.

35. That is: bear in mind properly.

36. This is an address to the holy prophet. Explanation regarding the instruction given to the Holy Prophet to beg pardon for his short-comings has been given in Note 79 of Surah Momin. Traditions say the holy prophet was begging such pardon hundred times in a day. “He said: unmindfulness overtakes my heart and I pray Istigfar a hundred times in a day”. (Muslim, Kitaabuz Zikr)

37. Means Allah watches your movement as well as your stillness. HE also knows your destination. So fear Him.

Do they not ponder on the Quran, or are there locks on their hearts. (Al-Quran)