Surah Al-Hijr 15:45-60 - Quran Translation Commentary

44. Imam Razi points out that everyone in Paradise will get four gardens (in the least) as recorded in Surah Al-Rahman where it is said (verse 46),

وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ [الرحمن : 46]

“And for him who feared his Lord, there will be two gardens”, and (verse 62),

وَمِنْ دُونِهِمَا جَنَّتَانِ [الرحمن : 62]

“And, besides them, two more gardens.” And so will be the springs that everyone will have, at least four: of wine, milk, honey and water.

45. Abu Sa`id al-Khudri reports that the Prophet said,

يَخْلُصُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ مِنْ النَّارِ فَيُحْبَسُونَ عَلَى قَنْطَرَةٍ بَيْنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ فَيُقْتَصُّ لِبَعْضِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ مَظَالِمُ كَانَتْ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى إِذَا هُذِّبُوا وَنُقُّوا أُذِنَ لَهُمْ فِي دُخُولِ الْجَنَّةِ قَالَ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لأَحَدُهُمْ أَهْدَى بِمَنزلِهِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ مِنْهُ بِمَنزلِهِ الَّذِي كَانَ فِي الدُّنْيَا

“After the believers have crossed over the Fire, they will be held on a bridge between Heaven and Hell and left to deal with retaliation for wrongs committed against each other in the world. Thus cleansed, and past sense of injury obliterated, they will be allowed entry into Paradise. And,” the Prophet added, “one of you will find it easier to locate his place in Paradise than he does in this world” (Ibn Jarir). The earlier part of the hadith is in Bukhari (H. Ibrahim).

And `Ali is widely reported as saying to Talha’s son, “I and Talha will be the first to whom this verse will be applied” (Ibn Jarir, Zamakhshari, Razi and others). [Talha had sided with `A’isha against Ali during the Jamal battle: Au.].

According to another report, once when Talha’s killer went to see ‘Ali, he kept him waiting for a long time, avoiding to see him. But the man persisted. Finally, when he was allowed in, ‘Ali he told him, “I and Talha hope to be of those about whom Allah said, “We shall remove any rancor that is there in their breasts: (like) brothers, on couches facing each other” (Ibn Kathir).

46. One opinion is that the word “sarir” is derived from a couch that has been designed as a seat of pleasures. Hence majlis al-surur (an assembly for pleasantries) - Razi.

47. The implication hidden in the word, “My slaves” is that whoever acknowledged His Lordship, shall have His forgiveness and Compassion, and whoever denied will receive chastisement (Razi).

48. That is, ‘Let him, who persist in sins and does not repent, know that My punishment is very severe indeed: of a kind that cannot be compared to anything’ (Ibn Jarir).

Muslim has a hadith which runs as follows: the Prophet said,

لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنَ الْعُقُوبَةِ مَا طَمِعَ بِجَنَّتِهِ أَحَدٌ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْكَافِرُ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ مَا قَنِطَ مِنْ جَنَّتِهِ أَحَدٌ

“If a believer knew what Allah has in store of punishment, no one will ever hope to win His Paradise. And, if an unbeliever knew what Allah has in store of mercy, no one will ever lose hope of His mercy” (Qurtubi).

And, ‘Ata’ has said that by implication the Prophet is being told that he should let his Ummah individuals to remain on the middle path of hope and fear (Ruh). However, Thanwi adds, if there is an excess of hope, out of love of Allah, and does not lead to weakness in deeds, then there is no harm in it (slightly modified).

49. He said that because when he offered them roasted calf, they refused to eat (Zamakhshari, Ibn Kathir). See Hud, verses 69-73 for details.

50. Alusi, (following the statements of most of the commentators elsewhere) has said that it was Is-haq who was meant. However, unless there was a great age difference between Ism`il the first born, and Is-haq, one is inclined to prefer Mujahid’s lone opinion expressed in Qurtubi (Dhariyat, verse 28), to the effect that the allusion is to Isma`il. In that case we cannot allow ourselves to assume that the woman referred to in Dhariyat and other places was Sarah. It could have been Hajar. In any case, Arberry’s rendering, in his otherwise fairly accurate translation, of the word “‘alim” of this verse as “cunning,” should not be taken in the common sense but classic.

51. He was amazed to be promised a son when both he and his wife were in advanced years (Ibn Jarir).

It is in human nature that when a man hears something entirely unexpected but delightful, the first reaction is expression of a joyful disbelief. When that happens the carrier repeats the news and leaves no doubt about what was heard on the first occasion, thus lengthening the joy that accompanies it (Shabbir, slightly modified).

52. To paraphrase the words using Asad’s rendering, “We have given you the glad news of something that is bound to come true.”

53. Since Ibrahim’s first surprised reaction apparently sounded as if he had lost hope, the angels added this caution (Thanwi), which was a little out of place. In Ibrahim’s own words: “Who despairs of his Lord’s mercy except such as go astray” (Au.).

54. When the angels said, “We,” they were speaking on behalf of Allah (Razi). Asad further explains, “... qaddarna - which, in the sense of ‘We have ordained’ or ‘decreed’, is an act attributed in the Qur’an invariably, and exclusively to God. ... God’s ‘ordaining’ a sinner to commit a sin or His ‘decreeing’ that he should remain deaf to the voice of truth is metonym for the natural law instituted by Him (that the rejecters are not shown the truth: Au.).”