47:15 Muhammad (Muhammad)

أي: مثل الجنة التي أعدها الله لعباده، الذين اتقوا سخطه، واتبعوا رضوانه، أي: نعتها وصفتها الجميلة.{ فِيهَا أَنْهَارٌ مِنْ مَاءٍ غَيْرِ آسِنٍ } أي: غير متغير، لا بوخم ولا بريح منتنة، ولا بمرارة، ولا بكدورة، بل هو أعذب المياه وأصفاها، وأطيبها ريحا، وألذها شربا.{ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِنْ لَبَنٍ لَمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُ } بحموضة ولا غيرها، { وَأَنْهَارٌ مِنْ خَمْرٍ لَذَّةٍ لِلشَّارِبِينَ } أي: يلتذ به شاربه لذة عظيمة، لا كخمر الدنيا الذي يكره مذاقه ويصدع الرأس، ويغول العقل.{ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِنْ عَسَلٍ مُصَفًّى } من شمعه، وسائر أوساخه.{ وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ } من نخيل، وعنب، وتفاح، ورمان، وأترج، وتين، وغير ذلك مما لا نظير له في الدنيا، فهذا المحبوب المطلوب قد حصل لهم.ثم قال: { وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ } يزول بها عنهم المرهوب، فأي هؤلاء خير أم من هو خالد في النار التي اشتد حرها، وتضاعف عذابها، { وَسُقُوا } فيها { مَاءً حَمِيمًا } أي: حارا جدا، { فَقَطَّعَ أَمْعَاءَهُمْ } فسبحان من فاوت بين الدارين والجزاءين، والعاملين والعملين.

"مثل الجنة التي وعد المتقون" قال عكرمة "مثل الجنة" أي نعتها "فيها أنهار من ماء غير آسن" قال ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما والحسن وقتادة يعني غر متغير وقال قتادة والضحاك وعطاء الخراساني غير منتن والعرب تقول أسن الماء إذا تغير ريحه وفي حديث مرفوع أورده ابن أبي حاتم غير آسن يعني الصافي الذي لا كدر فيه وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبو سعيد الأشج حدثنا وكيع عن الأعمش عن عبدالله بن مره عن مسروق قال: قال عبد الله رضي الله عنه أنهار الجنة تفجر من جبل من مسك "وأنهار من لبن لم يتغير طعمه" أي بل في غاية البياض والحلاوة والدسومة وفي حديث مرفوع "لم يخرج من ضروع الماشية" "وأنهار من خمر لذة للشاربين" أي ليست كريهة الطعم والرائحة كخمر الدنيا بل حسنة المنظر والطعم والرائحة والفعل "لا فيها غول ولا هم عنها ينزفون" "لا يصدعون عنها ولا ينزفون" "بيضاء لذة للشاربين" وفي حديث مرفوع "لم يعصرها الرجال بأقدامهم" "وأنهار من عسل مصفى" أي وهو في غاية الصفاء وحسن اللون والطعم والريح وفي حديث مرفوع "لم يخرج من بطون النحل" وقال الإمام أحمد حدثنا يزيد بن هارون اخبرنا الجريري عن حكيم بن معاوية عن أبيه قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: "في الجنة بحر اللبن وبحر الماء وبحر العسل وبحر الخمر ثم تشقق الأنهار منها بعد" ورواه الترمذي في صفة الجنة عن محمد بن يسار عن يزيد بن هارون عن سعيد بن أبي إياس الجريري وقال حسن صحيح قال أبو بكر بن مردويه حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن عاصم حدثنا عبدالله بن محمد بن النعمان حدثنا مسلم بن إبراهيم حدثنا الحارت بن عبيد أبو قدامة الأيادي حدثنا أبو عمران الجوني عن أبي بكر بن عبدالله بن قيس عن أبيه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "هذه الأنهار تشخب من جنة عدن في جوبة ثم تصدع بعد أنهارا" وفي الصحيح "إذا سألتم الله تعالى فاسألوه الفردوس فإنه أوسط الجنة وأعلى الجنة ومنه تفجر أنهار الجنة وفوقه عرش الرحمن" وقال الحافظ أبو القاسم الطبراني حدثنا مصعب بن إبراهيم بن حمزة الزبيري وعبدالله بن الصفر السكري قالا حدثنا إبراهيم بن المنذر الحزامي حدثنا عبدالرحمن بن المغيرة حدثني عبدالرحمن بن عياش عن دلهم بن الأسود قال دلهم وحدثنيه أيضا أبو الأسود عن عاصم بن لقيط قال إن لقيط بن عامر خرج وافدا إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قلت يا رسول الله فعلى ما نطلع من الجنة؟ قال صلى الله عليه وسلم "على أنهار عسل مصفى وأنهار من خمر ما بها صداع ولا ندامة وأنهار من لبن لم يتغير طعمه وماء غير آسن وفاكهة لعمر إلهك ما تعلمون وخير من مثله وأزواج مطهرة" قلت يا رسول الله أولنا فيها أزواج مصلحات؟ قال "الصالحات للصالحين تلذونهن مثل لذاتكم في الدنيا ويلذونكم غير أن لا توالد" وقال أبو بكر عبدالله بن محمد بن أبي الدنيا حدثنا يعقوب بن عبيد عن يزيد بن هارون أخبرني الجريري عن معاوية بن قرة عن أبيه عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال: لعلكم تظنون أن أنهار الجنة تجرى في أخدود في الأرض والله إنها لتجري سائحة على وجه الأرض حافاتها قباب اللؤلؤ وطينها المسك الأذفر وقد رواه أبو بكر بن مردويه من حديث مهدي بن حكيم عن يزيد بن هارون به مرفوعا وقوله تعالى "ولهم فيها من كل الثمرات" كقوله عز وجل "يدعون فيها بكل فاكهة آمنين" وقوله تبارك وتعالى "فيهما من كل فاكهة زوجان" وقوله سبحانه وتعالى "ومغفرة من ربهم" أي مع ذلك كله وقوله سبحانه وتعالى "كمن هو خالد في النار" أي أهؤلاء الذين ذكرنا منزلتهم من الجنة كمن هو خالد في النار؟ ليس هؤلاء كهؤلاء وليس من هو في الدرجات كمن هو في الدركات "وسقوا ماء حميما" أي حارا شديد الحر لا يستطاع "فقطع أمعاءهم" أي قطع ما في بطونهم من الأمعاء والأحشاء ـ عياذا بالله تعالى من ذلك ـ.

The Worshipper of the Truth and the Worshipper of Lust are not Equal

Allah says:

أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ

(Can then he, who stands on clear evidence from his Lord...) This means a person who is upon clear vision and certainty concerning Allah's commands and His religion, because of the guidance and knowledge that Allah has revealed in His Book, and because of the pure nature upon which Allah has created him.

كَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ وَاتَّبَعُواْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ

((Can he) be likened to those for whom their evil deeds are beautified for them, while they follow their own lusts) which means that they cannot be equal. This is similar to Allah's saying,

أَفَمَن يَعْلَمُ أَنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَبِّكَ الْحَقُّ كَمَنْ هُوَ أَعْمَى

(Can he who knows that what has been revealed unto you from your Lord is the truth be like him who is blind) (13:19) And,

لاَ يَسْتَوِى أَصْحَـبُ النَّارِ وَأَصْحَـبُ الْجَنَّةِ أَصْحَـبُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمُ الْفَآئِزُونَ

(Not equal are the people of the Fire and the people of Paradise. The People of Paradise will be the successful ones.) (59:20)

Description of Paradise and Its Rivers

Allah then says:

مَّثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِى وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ

(The description of Paradise which is promised for those who have Taqwa...) `Ikrimah said,

مَّثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ

(The description of Paradise) "This means its description."

فِيهَآ أَنْهَارٌ مِّن مَّآءٍ غَيْرِ ءَاسِنٍ

(In it are rivers of water that are not Asin,) Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Al-Hasan, and Qatadah all said, "It does not change." Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, and `Ata' Al-Khurasani all said, "It is not foul-smelling." The Arabs say Asin if its (water) scent changes.

وَأَنْهَارٌ مِّن لَّبَنٍ لَّمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُ

(rivers of milk, the taste of which never changes,) which means that the milk is of utmost whiteness, sweetness, and richness. It has been mentioned in a Hadith attributed to the Prophet "Their milk did not come out of the udders of cattle."

وَأَنْهَـرٌ مِّنْ خَمْرٍ لَّذَّةٍ لِّلشَّـرِبِينَ

(rivers of wine delightful to those who drink it, ) hich means that the wine does not have a bad taste or foul smell like that of the worldly life. Rather, it is good in its appearance, taste, smell, and effect, as Allah says,

لاَ فِيهَا غَوْلٌ وَلاَ هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنزَفُونَ

(it (the wine) has no bad effects, nor does it cause intoxication.) (37:47) and,

لاَّ يُصَدَّعُونَ عَنْهَا وَلاَ يُنزِفُونَ

(From which (the wine) they will have no headache, nor will they be intoxicated.) (56:19)

بَيْضَآءَ لَذَّةٍ لِّلشَّـرِبِينَ

(white, delicious to the drinkers.)(37:46) It has been mentioned in a Hadith attributed to the Prophet , "Their wine was not pressed under men's feet."

وَأَنْهَـرٌ مِّنْ عَسَلٍ مُّصَفًّى

(and rivers of refined honey;) which means that the honey is of utmost purity and pleasant color, taste, and smell. It has been mentioned in a Hadith attributed to the Prophet , "Their honey did not come out of the bellies of bees." Imam Ahmad recorded from Hakim bin Mu`awiyah who narrated from his father that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,

«فِي الْجَنَّةِ بَحْرُ اللَّبَنِ وَبَحْرُ الْمَاءِ وَبَحْرُ الْعَسَلِ وَبَحْرُ الْخَمْرِ، ثُمَّ تُشَقَّقُ الْأَنْهَارُ مِنْهَا بَعْد»

(Verily, there is in Paradise a lake of milk, a lake of water, a lake of honey, and a lake of wine. The rivers then gush out of them. At-Tirmidhi reported this narration in his section of the Description of Paradise, and he said, "Hasan Sahih. In the Sahih, it is recorded that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,

«إِذَا سَأَلْتُمُ اللهَ تَعَالى فَاسْأَلُوهُ الْفِرْدَوْسَ فَإِنَّهُ أَوْسَطُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَأَعْلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَمِنْهُ تُفَجَّرُ أَنْهَارُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَفَوْقَهُ عَرْشُ الرَّحْمن»

(When you ask Allah, ask Him for Al-Firdaws, because it is the central and highest part of the Paradise, and from it gush the rivers of the Paradise and above it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.)Allah says,

وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَتِ

(...and therein for them are all kinds of fruits, ...) This similar to His saying,

يَدْعُونَ فِيهَا بِكلِّ فَـكِهَةٍ ءَامِنِينَ

(They will call in it for every kind of fruit in peace and security.) (44:55) And His saying,

فِيهِمَا مِن كُلِّ فَـكِهَةٍ زَوْجَانِ

(In them will be every kind of fruits in pairs.) (55:52) Allah says

وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ

(. ..and forgiveness from their Lord.) meaning, in addition to all of the above. Allah says,

كَمَنْ هُوَ خَـلِدٌ فِى النَّارِ

(Can this be likened to those who abide eternally in the Fire) meaning, `can those that We have described their position in the Paradise be like those who will abide eternally in the Fire' They are not equal, and nor are those who will be in the high ranks (in the Paradise) and those who will be in the lowest depths (Hell).

وَسُقُواْ مَآءً حَمِيماً

(and are given to drink boiling water) meaning, extremely hot; so hot that it is unbearable.

فَقَطَّعَ أَمْعَآءَهُمْ

(that severs their intestines) meaning, that will cut their insides -- both bowels and intestines. We seek refuge in Allah from that.

وَمِنْهُمْ مَّن يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ حَتَّى إِذَا خَرَجُواْ مِنْ عِندِكَ قَالُواْ لِلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ مَاذَا قَالَ ءَانِفاً أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاتَّبَعُواْ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ - وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْاْ زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَءَاتَـهُمْ تَقُوَاهُمْ - فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلاَّ السَّاعَةَ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمْ بَغْتَةً فَقَدْ جَآءَ أَشْرَاطُهَا فَأَنَّى لَهُمْ إِذَا جَآءَتْهُمْ ذِكْرَاهُمْ

A similitude a description of the Garden promised to the God-fearing the Garden that is shared equally by all those who enter it this first clause is the subject of which the predicate follows therein are rivers of unstaling water read āsin or asin similar in form to dārib ‘striker’ and hadhir ‘cautious’ that is to say one that does not change in contrast to the water of this world which may change due to some factor; and rivers of milk unchanging in flavour in contrast to the milk of this world on account of its issuing from udders and rivers of wine delicious to the drinkers in contrast to the wine of this world which is distasteful to drink; and also rivers of purified honey in contrast to the honey of this world which when it issues out of the bellies of bees becomes mixed with wax and other elements; and there will be for them therein varieties of every fruit and forgiveness from their Lord for He is pleased with them in addition to His beneficence towards them in the way mentioned in contrast to one who is a master of servants in this world who while being kind to them may at the same time be wrathful with them. Is such a one like him who abides in the Fire? ka-man huwa khālidun fī’l-nāri the predicate of an implied subject which is a-man huwa fī hādha’l-na‘īm ‘Is one who is amidst such bliss as him who abides in the Fire?’. And they will be given to drink boiling water which rips apart their bowels that is their entrails so that these will be excreted from their rears. Am‘ā’ ‘bowels’ is the plural of mi‘an its alif being derived from the yā’ of their saying mi‘yān as an alternative singular to mi‘an.

Commentary

Essential Characteristics of Paradise

Verse sixteen mentions four kinds of favours and blessings in the next world, that is, rivers of pure water, rivers of milk of which the taste does not change, rivers of wine which gives delight and rivers of purified honey which will be given to the righteous in plenty.

Worldly waters become polluted by getting mixed with earth, vegetation and other adulterating substances which make them stink. But in Paradise, there will be rivers having un-pollutable water. The river of pure, clean water that will not go bad in taste, smell or colour, (and will flow uninterruptedly without layers of dregs, scum or any other unpleasant- looking substances).

Milk, in this world, is secreted by the mammary glands of female mammals, such as the cow's udders or the breasts of the human female, and soon it starts to deteriorate. In Paradise it will flow in rivers and the Heavenly milk will never be spoilt. Its taste will be eternally delicious, relishing and delightful.

Worldly wine has a foul smell and a bitter taste, (though the ones addict to it do not feel its bitterness, being accustomed to it). But the Heavenly wine will give endless delight to the drinker. In Surah As-St [ 37:47] the Qur’ an describes the Heavenly wine as لَا فِيهَا غَوْلٌ وَلَا هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنزَفُونَ intoxicated: "which has no headache in it, nor from it will they be ."

Honey, in this world, is the secretion derived principally from the nectarines of flowers, from which it is extracted by bees in the form of nectar and deposited in their honey-sacs, where it undergoes a certain change prior to storage in the cells of the comb. When it is ripe, that is, it has become sufficiently thick by evaporation, it may now be extracted or thrown from the honey-comb by centrifugal force or by gravity. When it is so extracted, it needs to be clarified of the accompanying particles of wax, scum and other unwanted substances. However, the honey in Paradise will be pure and clean and will be available amply, as rivers of honey will flow uninterruptedly without layers of dregs, scum or any other unpleasant-looking substances.

All four kinds of rivers - of water, milk, wine and honey - are used in their primary senses. There is no need to apply them unnecessarily in their figurative sense. However, it is obvious that the bounties of Paradise cannot be compared to things of this world. The taste and quality of the bounties of Paradise will be unique and can only be experienced in the gardens of Paradise.