36. The word used here is “khawf” which is for fear arising from one’s feeling of powerlessness against another, while “khashyah” is for fear arising out of the greatness of him that one fears or is overawed by. Both “khawf” as well as “khashyah” have been fittingly used in reference to man’s fear of Allah (Razi).

Raghib has said: When khawf is used in reference to Allah, it does not refer to the kind of fear that one feels against, say, a lion, but rather, it amounts to abstaining from sinful deeds and inclination towards good deeds. Hence it is said:

لا يعد خائفاً من لم يكن للذنوب تاركاً

One is not counted as fearful, if he does not give up sins (Alusi).

37. Note that in the previous verse two kinds of torture were mentioned for the sinners. Here they are contrasted with two gardens for the faithful (Razi).

A report has been preserved which says,

عَنْ أَبِى الدَّرْدَاءِ أَنَّه سَمِعَ النَّبِىَّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- وَهُو يَقُصُّ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ (وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ) فَقُلْتُ وَإِنْ زَنَى وَإِنْ سَرَقَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ رسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- الثَّانِيَةَ (وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ) فَقُلْتُ الثَّانِيَةَ وَإِنْ زَنَى وَإِنْ سَرَق يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِىُّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- الثَّالِثَةَ (وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ) فَقُلْتُ الثَّالِثَةَ وَإِنْ زَنَى وَإِنْ سَرَقَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ « نَعَمْ وَإِنْ رَغِمَ أَنْفُ أَبِى الدَّرْدَاءِ ». - ورجال أحمد الصحيح: مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد

Abu Darda’ reports that he heard the Prophet speak from the pulpit quoting this verse, ‘And for him who feared standing before his Lord, are two gardens.’ I asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, even if he fornicated and stole?’ He answered, ‘And for him who feared standing before his Lord, are two gardens.’ I repeated a second time, ‘Even if he fornicated and stole?’ He said a third time, ‘And for him who feared standing before his Lord, are two gardens.’ I repeated a third time, ‘Even if he fornicated and stole, O Messenger of Allah?’ He answered, ‘Yes, even if Abu Darda dislikes it.’

Nevertheless, it is also reported as a statement of Abu Dardaa’ who added his personal note that, “If someone feared he will certainly not fornicate or steal” (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

The report is in Ahmad treated trustworthy by Haythami (Au.).

On another occasion when this statement “even if he fornicated and stole” was made before Zuhri, he remarked, “This was in the early stages before the obligations (fara’id) were revealed. After they were revealed, the statement has become defunct.” (Shawkani).

But the main part is also in Sahihayn, Ahmad, and others, coming through Abu Dharr, but without reference to the “two gardens.” Abu Hurayrah also reported something similar; and the majority is of the opinion that a believer could be ushered into Paradise despite his sins – by Allah’s special grace; but the general rule is that he is likely to face punishment for his sins before entry, especially, sins against his own kind (Au.).

38. “Two kinds:” i.e., different in shape, color, smell and taste.

39. If the inner lining is brocade, what do you think of the beauty of the outer material? (Ibn Jarir from the Salaf).

40. Mujahid, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd explained “qaasirat ut-tarfi” as meaning those who will not look up to anyone but their spouses (Ibn Jarir – and most commentators); i.e., they are chaste, virtuous ones (Razi).

41. Majid comments and quotes: “Christian writers look askance, and almost in horror, at passages like this. And quite naturally. For in the system of Christian morals sex life is conceived as something inherently evil, at best only to be tolerated. This morbid attitude to life ‘has appeared only with the advent of the black Christian era.’ Islam has reversed this diseased outlook. It holds, freely and frankly, with the modern scientific knowledge that sexual life is ‘the source of the highest joy for which there is no substitute. It is the supreme and incomparable physiological happiness, which should be nursed and treasured, and not persecuted.’...Sex life is not at all a tolerated evil, difficult to escape, but... a great blessing, without which life is colorless. The sexual element in human existence must be valued and treasured.’ (Nemilov, opp. cit. pp. 200-201).”

This ayah has been used as evidence that the Jinn will enter the same Paradise as humans (Ibn Jarir).

42. The Prophet is reported by Ibn Mas`ud as having said,

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ عَنِ النَّبِىِّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قَالَ « إِنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ مِنْ نِسَاءِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ لَيُرَى بَيَاضُ سَاقِهَا مِنْ وَرَاءِ سَبْعِينَ حُلَّةً حَتَّى يُرَى مُخُّهَا وَذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ (كَأَنَّهُنَّ الْيَاقُوتُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ) فَأَمَّا الْيَاقُوتُ فَإِنَّهُ حَجَرٌ لَوْ أَدْخَلْتَ فِيهِ سِلْكًا ثُمَّ اسْتَصْفَيْتَهُ لأُرِيتَهُ مِنْ وَرَائِهِ ».

“The whiteness of the shank of women of the dwellers of Paradise will be visible from behind seventy shrouds. Even the bone-morrow will be visible. This is following Allah’s words, ‘As if they are rubies and corals.’ As for rubies, they are precious stones. If you inserted a thread through it, and then cleansed it, you will see it from the other side,’” (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi); i.e. it is transparent.

However, Tirmidhi reports it as a statement of Ibn Mas`ud (Ibn Kathir).

The Prophet is also reported to have said, as in Muslim and other works that,

« إِنَّ أَوَّلَ زُمْرَةٍ تَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ عَلَى صُورَةِ الْقَمَرِ لَيْلَةَ الْبَدْرِ وَالَّتِى تَلِيهَا عَلَى أَضْوَإِ كَوْكَبٍ دُرِّىٍّ فِى السَّمَاءِ لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ زَوْجَتَانِ اثْنَتَانِ يُرَى مُخُّ سُوقِهِمَا مِنْ وَرَاءِ اللَّحْمِ وَمَا فِى الْجَنَّةِ أَعْزَبُ ».

“The first group to enter Paradise will have faces like the full moon. Those who follow them will shine like the brightest star in the heaven. Each of them will have two spouses. The bone-marrow of their legs will be visible from beyond the flesh. And, there will be no bachelors in Paradise” (Ibn Kathir).

43. Imam Razi points out that this ayah, along with two others, is so rich of meaning that it can be explained in a hundred ways. The other two verses of the same nature are:

فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ [البقرة/152]

and,

وَإِنْ عُدْتُمْ عُدْنَا [الإسراء/8]

To further explain the ayah, we take the following from Bayhaqi’s Shu`ab al-Iman for its brevity. Abu Sa`d al-Khazzaz is reported to have said in explanation of this verse:

عن أبي سعيد الخزاز: ( هل جزاء الإحسان إلا الإحسان) « هل جزاء من انقطع عن نفسه إلا التعلق بربه ؟ وهل جزاء من انقطع عن أنس المخلوقين إلا الأنس برب العالمين ؟ وهل جزاء من صبر علينا إلا الوصول إلينا ؟ .. وهل جزاء التعب في الدنيا والنصب فيها إلا الراحة في الآخرة ؟ وهل جزاء من صبر على البلوى إلا التقرب إلى المولى ؟ وهل جزاء من سلم قلبه إلينا أن نجعل توليته إلى غيرنا ؟ وهل جزاء من بعد عن الخلق إلا التقرب إلى الحق ؟ » - شعب الإيمان للبيهقي - (ج 1 / ص 493)

“Is the reward for him who severed himself from his own self, but a connection with his Lord? Is the reward of him who cut himself from the created beings, anything but affinity with his Lord? Is the reward of him who bore patience for Our sake, but that he should reach Us?.. Is the reward of hardships in the world and difficulties in it except rest and comfort in the Hereafter? Is the reward for him who bore in patience the tribulations, but closeness with his Lord? Is the reward of him who submitted his heart that he should be handed over to other than Us? And, is the reward of distancing oneself from the creations but proximity with the Truth?” (Au.)

44. “Besides the two,” i.e., more illustrious than the two (Zamakhshari, Razi).

45. (Bukhari, Muslim and others have preserved) a tradition in this context:

عَنْ أَبِى بَكْرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم - قَالَ « جَنَّتَانِ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ ، آنِيَتُهُمَا وَمَا فِيهِمَا وَجَنَّتَانِ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ آنِيَتُهُمَا وَمَا فِيهِمَا ، وَمَا بَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ وَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَنْظُرُوا إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ إِلاَّ رِدَاءُ الْكِبْرِ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ فِى جَنَّةِ عَدْنٍ »

The Prophet said, “Two gardens made of silver, along with the utensils and all that there is; and two gardens of gold with their utensils and all that there is. And, there will not be anything between their Lord and them seeing Him except His shroud of Greatness on His Face, in the everlasting Paradise” (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

Ibn Hajr has traced another version in which the words are as follows:

جَنَّتَانِ مِنْ ذَهَبَ لِلْمُقَرَّبِينَ وَمِنْ دُونهمَا جَنَّتَانِ مِنْ وَرِق لأَصْحَابِ الْيَمِين " (أَخْرَجَهُ الطَّبَرِيُّ وَابْن أَبِي حَاتِم وَرِجَاله ثِقَات)

“Those will be two gardens of gold for those ‘brought nigh,’ and two gardens of sliver for those of the ‘right hand side’” (Au.).

46. Aren’t dates and pomegranates included in fruits that they should be mentioned separately? Alusi answers that the two are different from the rest. Although date is a fruit, it is also used as a staple diet. On the other hand, pomegranates are fruits as well as useful for their medicinal value. Alusi adds later that one of them is warm for the body (dates) while the other is cold; one of them is always sweet while the other sweet-sour, one’s tree is tall but less branched while the other short, well spread.

47. (In his “Al-Nihayah fi Gharib...” Ibn al-Athir has defined “howra’” (pl.: “hur”) as a maiden with extremely white eye-ball, and an extremely dark iris (Alusi).

48. That is, they are concealed behind curtains. In other words, those who remain within their bridal canopies, do not look at anyone other than their spouses, and have no wish to be loitering around in the streets (Ibn Jarir from the Salaf).

49. Those will be huge pearls chipped hollow (Ibn Jarir from the Salaf such as `Umar ibn al-Khattab, `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud, Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and others).

There is a hadith to this effect. It is in the Sahihayn and other collections. It says,

« إِنَّ فِى الْجَنَّةِ خَيْمَةً مِنْ لُؤْلُؤَةٍ مُجَوَّفَةٍ ، عَرْضُهَا سِتُّونَ مِيلاً ، فِى كُلِّ زَاوِيَةٍ مِنْهَا أَهْلٌ ، مَا يَرَوْنَ الآخَرِينَ يَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ »

“There is a tent in Paradise of width 60 miles, made of hollow pearl. In its every corner are (a believer’s) family-folk – none able to see others. The believer will visit them in rounds” (Shawkani, Alusi).

50. The original word “tamatha” is used for deflowering a virgin. A second meaning is that it is those who have never experienced menstruation (Qurtubi). And, the ayah leads us to believe that sexual intercourse is part of the life of the Jinn (Zamakhshari, Razi, Qurtubi). Some scholars contend that the verse opens the possibility of Jinn’s intercourse with humans in this life (Qurtubi).

It is reported that some people wrote to Imam Malik that there was a Jinn who wished to marry a Muslim woman. He answered that he did not see anything wrong in it except that he would not like to encourage such an arrangement for the reason that if a woman is found pregnant and asked who the father was, she would reply, “A Jinn.”

That apart, the majority of scholars – such as Abu Yusuf, Muhammad, Ibn Abi Layla, Awzaa`ee, have said that they are also liable to rewards and punishments and will enter Paradise or Hellfire (Alusi).

51. “Before them,” i.e., before the dwellers of Paradise (Zamakhshari).

52. The Prophet has said about the women in Paradise:

"إن أزواج الجنة ليغنين أزواجهن بأحسن أصوات سمعها أحد قط، إن مما يغنين: نحن الخيرات الحسان، أزواج قوم كرام. ينظرن بقرة أعيان. وإن مما يغننين به: نحن الخالدات فلا نمتنه، نحن الآمنات فلا يخفنه، نحن المقيمات فلا يظعنه".

رواه الطبراني في الصغير والأوسط ورجاله رجال الصحيح. (مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد)

“Women in Paradise sing with the best of voices ever heard by anyone. Of what they sing: ‘We are the most splendid beautiful ones, spouses of the honored ones.’ They look around with cooling sights. And of the things they sing, ‘We are everlasting’ – so they will not die. ‘We are the peaceful ones’ – so they will not disappoint him. ‘We are stayers’ – so they will not go away.”

Haythami declared the above trustworthy (Au.).

Alusi quotes a shorter form of the following hadith as found in Ahmad, Hakim and Sahih of Ibn Hibban (in varying words) through Abu Sa`eed al-Khudri. The Prophet said,

عَنْ أَبِى سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِىِّ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قَالَ « إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَتَّكِئُ فِى الْجَنَّةِ سَبْعِينَ سَنَةً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَتَحَوَّلَ ثُمَّ تَأْتِيهُ امْرَأَتُهُ فَتَضْرِبُ عَلَى مَنْكِبَيْهِ فَيَنْظُرُ وَجْهَهُ فِى خَدِّهَا أَصْفَى مِنَ الْمِرْآةِ وَإِنَّ أَدْنَى لُؤْلُؤَةٍ عَلَيْهَا تُضِىءُ مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ فَتُسَلِّمُ عَلَيْهِ. قَالَ فَيَرُدُّ السَّلاَمَ وَيَسْأَلُهَا مَنْ أَنْتِ وَتَقُولُ أَنَا مِنَ الْمَزِيدِ. وَإِنَّهُ لَيَكُونُ عَلَيْهَا سَبْعُونَ ثَوْباً أَدْنَاهَا مِثْلُ النُّعْمَانِ مِنْ طُوبَى فَيَنْفُذُهَا بَصَرُهُ حَتَّى يَرَى مُخَّ سَاقِهَا مِنْ وَرَاءِ ذَلِكَ وَإِنَّ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ التِّيجَانِ إِنَّ أَدْنَى لُؤْلُؤَةٍ عَلَيْهَا لَتُضِىءُ مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ »

“A man will remain resting in one position for seventy years in Paradise before making another move. Then his spouse will come and touch him on the shoulder. He will look into her cheek, clearer than a mirror; and the simplest of pearl on her will make the east and west shine. She will greet him. He will return her greeting and ask her, ‘Who could you be?’ She will say, ‘I am the “more [mazid]” (that had been promised).’ She will have seventy clothes on her. The simplest of them will be like a very special cloth. Then the man will cast a glance at her and see the bone-marrow of her leg through them. She will have a crown on her head of which the simplest of pearl will make the east and the west shine.”

Majid quotes Gibbon: “This description of physical pleasures in Paradise,” says Gibbon, “has provoked the indignation, perhaps the envy, of the monks: they declaim against the impure religion of Mahomet; and his modest apologists are driven to the poor excuses of figures and allegories. But the sounder and the more consistent party adhere, without shame, to the literal interpretation of the Koran; useless would be the resurrection of the body, unless it were restored to the possession and exercises of its worthiest faculties; and the union of sensual and intellectual enjoyment is requisite to complete the happiness of the double animal, the perfect man.” (GRE, V. p. 351).

53. The word “`abqariyy” is made up of two words: “`abqar” (meaning: a place where the Jinn were supposed to live) and “qaryah” (meaning: village or town). Combining the two, it became synonymous with every person who is highly powerful, talented, and able, evoking wonder; or a thing of remarkably high qualities (Kashshaf, Razi, Qurtubi, Shawkani, in different words).

However, there are several other explanations for the word “`abqariyy” – as, naturally, of most of the adjectives used in connection with Paradise or the Fire, in this Surah (Au.).

54. Ibn Kathir notes: All the six hadith works except Bukhari have a hadith to this effect:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ كَانَ النَّبِىُّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- إِذَا سَلَّمَ لَمْ يَقْعُدْ إِلاَّ مِقْدَارَ مَا يَقُولُ

On the authority of `A’isha, “After the Prophet had finished his Prayers, he would hardly tarry except for the time required to say:

« اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلاَمُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلاَمُ تَبَارَكْتَ ذَا الْجَلاَلِ وَالإِكْرَامِ ». وَفِى رِوَايَةِ ابْنِ نُمَيْرٍ « يَا ذَا الْجَلاَلِ وَالإِكْرَامِ ».

That is, these were the words the Prophet invariably said after the Prayers, before rising.