Surah Az-Zumar 39:71-75 - Quran Translation Commentary

(39:71) And those who disbelieved will be driven to Jahannum⁹⁵ in throngs until, when they have arrived there, its gates will be opened and its keepers will ask them, 'Did not Messengers come to you from among yourselves,⁹⁶ reciting to you your Lord's revelations and warning you against the encounter of this your day?' They will answer, 'Yes indeed, but the word of chastisement has proven true against the unbelievers.'

(39:72) It will be said, 'Enter you into the gates of Jahannum, abiding therein forever. And evil is the lodging of the arrogant.'⁹⁷

(39:73) And those who feared their Lord will be led to Paradise in groups⁹⁸ until, when they have arrived there - and its gates will have already been opened⁹⁹ - they will be told by its keepers, 'Peace upon you. You attained purity.¹⁰⁰So, enter it, abiding forever.'¹⁰¹

(39:74) And they will say, 'All praise belongs to Allah who fulfilled His promise to us¹⁰² and made us inherit the earth.¹⁰³ We can settle in the Garden wheresover we will.¹⁰⁴ Excellent is the reward of the workers.'

(39:75) And you will see the angels encircling about the `Arsh, chanting the praises of their Lord, and it will be judged between them in truth. And it will be said, 'All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds.'

Commentary

95. In reference to this verse Ibn Zayd has said that although the word used for both dwellers of Hell and Paradise is same (“siqa”), the meanings are different. When applied to the criminals it means they will be driven, pushed and pulled to the gates. This is in view of other Qu’anic verses (Ibn Jarir, Razi, Qurtubi, reworded).

96. That is, humans like you (Razi).

97. This remark of the angels may be contrasted with that of the unbelievers themselves who will, by implication, blame their fate by saying, “Yes indeed, but the word of chastisement has proven true against the unbelievers.” Angels will offer the correction by remarking that it is their arrogance that led them to this end and not their fate (Au.).

98. As against the throngs of unbelievers driven to the Hellfire, the believers will arrive in groups: scholars, Qur’an-reciters, martyrs, and so on (Qurtubi).

99. The rendering as, “and its gates will have already been opened,” is in view of the Qur’anic statement in Surah Sad, verse 50,“Gardens of `Adn, (their) gates thrown open for them” (Shawk ani). The “waw” that has been added in this passage is the supporting evidence for the difference in connotations (Qurtubi).

Qurtubi also identifies the “waw” of this context as the “eighth-waw” of the Quraysh. The short but interesting discussion at this point is far from easy to present in English, but for the Arabic knowing persons it is worth a reading. The other Qur’anic examples that he offers in this connection is an indication of how deep the understanding of previous generations was in comparison with the modern, materialistic, this-earthly understanding and interpretation.

It is easy to understand why the gates of Hell will be opened for the unbelievers only after they arrive. Prison gates are opened only upon the arrival of the criminals. In contrast, doors of the hosts are thrown open in anticipation of the arrival of guests (Au.).

Qurtubi writes that some people have held the opinion that there are eight gates to Paradise. They quote the following hadith of the Sahihayn,“Paradise has eight doors. Of them one is called ‘Rayyan,’ through which will enter those who used to fast (much).”

However, adds Qurtubi there seem to be more than eight gates of Paradise. A hadith in Tirmidhi can be cited as evidence. He says he has discussed this issue thoroughly in his another work “Al-Tadhkirah” concluding that there must be 13 gates to Paradise.

(At all events, the hadith quoted above could not be traced in the source works in exactly similar words, but is quoted by Ibn Hajr in his commentary on Bukhari: Au.).

Another tradition that has come down to us on this topic, writes Ibn Kathir, is also in the Sahihayn with some differences in words (the version below is from Bukhari): The Prophet (saws) said, “Whoever spent a pair (of anything) in Allah’s way will be called from the gates of Paradise, ‘O Allah’s slave, this is good.’ So, whoever is of the people of Prayer, will be called from Prayer-gate. Whoever is of the people of Jihad will be called from the Jihad-gate. Whoever is of the people of fasting, will be called by the Rayyan gate. Whoever is of the people of charity, will be called from the Charity-gate.”

Abu Bakr broke in, “May I sacrifice my parents for you, O Messenger of Allah, it does not matter from which gate someone is called, yet, will there be anyone who will be called from all the gates?” The Prophet replied, “Yes. And I hope you will be one of them.”

Another report speaks of the eight doors of Paradise. It is from Muslim and is reported by `Umar ibn al-Khattab. It says,“None of you makes ablution and does it well and then says, ‘I bear witness that there is no deity save Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger,’ but all the eight gates of Paradise are opened for him, to enter by the gate of his choice.”

100. The allusion could be, writes Qurtubi, to the cleansing organized on a Flyover near Hellfire. Muq atil said, “When the believers would have crossed the Bridge (Sirat), they will be held on a Flyover between Hell and Paradise. There, retaliation will take place involving the wrongs they did to each other during the previous life. When they would have thus been cleansed, the keepers of Paradise will say to them, ‘You have attained purity. So, enter into it, abiding forever.’” In fact, adds Qurtubi, there is a hadith in Bukhari which confirms the above event taking place on the Flyover (but which does not cite the Qur’anic ayah in reference: Au.). The hadith of Bukhari ends by saying that after the cleansing, the believers will know their dwelling places in Paradise better than one knows his house in this world. The text whose substance is given above is as follows:

101. The first to enter Paradise will be our Prophet as says a hadith in Muslim and Ahmad,“I will go to the gate of Paradise on the Day of Judgment and seek it to be opened. The keeper will ask, ‘Who are you?’ I will say, ‘Muhammad.’ He will say, “For you I have been ordered to open and for none before you.” Another hadith on the topic is as follows:the Prophet (saws) said, “The first group to enter Paradise will have faces glittering like the moon of the full moon night. There, they will not spit, nor blow their noses, nor attend a nature’s call. Their utensils will be of gold, combs of gold and silver, incense of pearls, and sweat of misk. Each one of them will have two spouses whose bone marrow could be seen from the flesh because of their beauty. There will be no difference between them and no rancor. They will be of one heart chanting glory to their Lord morning and evening.”

Another report in the Sahihayn is in different words,“The first group to enter Paradise will be glittering like the moon (as it appears) on a full moon night. Those to follow them will be like the most shiny star in the sky. They will not spit therein, nor blow their noses, nor attend a nature’s call. Their combs will be of gold and silver, and sweat of misk. Their incense of pearls, and aloe wood used for fire. Their spouses will be wide-eyed Houries. All of them on one nature, on the face of their father Adam, sixty feet (tall) in the heaven.”

There are a few other reports about those who will enter first through the gates of Paradise. The following is in the Sahihayn: Abu Hurayrah reported the Prophet as having (once) said, “Seventy-thousand of my Ummah will enter Paradise, their faces shining as bright as the moon on a full moon night.” Abu Hurayrah said, “At that `Ukk asha got up lifting a shroud on him and said, ‘Messenger of Allah. Supplicate to Allah that He place me as one of them.‘ He said, ‘O Allah, make him one of them.‘ Then another man of the Ansar stood up and said, ‘Messenger of Allah. Supplicate to Allah that He place me as one of them.’ He replied, ‘`Ukk asha overtook you therewith.” According to another report (of Bukhari and Muslim), the Prophet (saws) said,“Surely, seventy thousand of my followers, or seven hundred thousand, the first of whom will not enter Paradise until the last of them enters. Their faces shining bright like the moon on a full-moon night.”

According to another tradition recorded by Tirmidhi, the Prophet said,“My Lord has promised me that He will admit seventy thousand of my followers into Paradise, without they undergoing any reckoning or any punishment, along with another seventy thousand and (over and above them) three handfuls from the Handfuls of my Lord” (Ibn Kathir).

The above report was declared Hasan Gharib by Tirmidhi. However, after mentioning the above in his “Fath”, Ibn Hajr quoted another hadith on the above topic from Ibn Hibb an and Tab arani, which he declared trustworthy. It says,“Then every thousand will intercede for seventy thousand. Thereafter, my Lord will usher in three handfuls of His two Handfuls.” When `Umar said “Allah is the Greatest” the Prophet added, “The seventy thousand will be allowed to intercede for their fathers, mothers and family members, and I hope that the handfuls will be from the lowest of my followers.”

Hafiz Di a’ remarked that he did not know of any defect (in the report) - Au.

Quotation from Ibn Kathir ends here.

Ibn Kathir takes up another topic. How wide will the gates of Paradise be? There is a tradition in the Sahihayn about it. It says,“By Him in whose hands is the life of Muhammad, the distance between two posts (jambs) of the two shutters of the gate to Paradise is like the distance between Makkah and Hajr, or Hajr and Makkah.” (Hajr was a town at the Eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula: Au.).

102. Ibn Jarir reproduces a report which he had done in Surah al-A`raf, verse 43, except that this one is attributed to `Ali, while there, `Ali had attributed it to `Umar. It runs as follows:When the people arrive at the gates of Paradise they will find a tree there from whose roots two springs would be sprouting. They will take a bath in one of them. With that they will feel enwrapped in blessings. After that their hair will never get unruffled again, and their faces never dusty; as if they are bathed in oil. Then they will drink from the other spring. That will remove any dirt or impurity they had within them. Then they will proceed to the gates of Paradise seeking it to be opened. Its gates will be opened for them and angels will greet them saying (39: 73): "Peace upon you. You have done well. So enter herein, to abide forever." Next, immortal children will greet them. They will surround them as children surround a dear one when he returns home from a journey saying, "Be of good cheer. Allah has prepared such and such a thing for you, such and such a thing for you." One of the children will leap back to his spouse and announce his arrival. They will identify him to her with a name by which he was known in the world. The woman will be overcome with joy and will stand by the threshold of her door. She will ask: "Did you see him yourself?" He will say yes.

He will proceed to the house and lo, its foundation of pearls of different colors: yellow, red, or green. When he enters, behold: there are the cups arranged, the cushions lined up, and carpets spread. He will enter upon his spouse of the wide-eyed Hoorie, and, had not Allah prepared his eyes to behold her, he would go blind because of her shine and beauty. It is then that he will recline on the cushion and say, "Praise be to Allah for having guided us to this. We would have never found our way if we were not guided by Allah. Indeed, our Messengers brought the truth." And the angels will say (7: 43), "This is the Paradise that you have inherited because of what you were doing."

Ibn Kathir also reproduces the above report.

Ibn Hajr remarks in his "Al-Matalib al-`Aliyyah" that this is a trustworthy report which Baghawi and Abu Nu`aym have also preserved. It is attributable to the Prophet because, in such matters `Ali would not speak on his own (Au.).

103. Qatadah, Suddi and Ibn Zayd have said that the allusion by "the earth" is to the earth of Paradise (Ibn Jarir).

As for inheritance, most commentators have said that they would inherit the area in Paradise marked for an unbeliever, which he would have received had he believed (Ibn Jarir, Shawkani).

This is in the same vein, points out Ibn Kathir, as another ayah of the Qur'an which says (21: 105), "We wrote it in the Zabur – after the admonition – that the earth will be inherited by My righteous slaves,” where also, by earth the allusion is to Paradise.

104. This is an eloquent way of saying that the Paradise granted to each individual will be so immensely, and immeasurably large that the dwellers might initially feel that the whole may not be exclusively theirs. But when they learn that the whole is really theirs, by actually visiting some of the places, they will cry out in joy that experience tells them that they have the freedom to visit any part of it. It should be obvious that if the place is restricted, then, even if allowed the freedom to visit any part of it, one will not cry out in joy, “Moreover, I have the freedom to visit any part of it” (Au., with a hint from Zamakhshari).