55:49 Ar-Rahmaan (The Beneficent)

ومن أوصاف تلك الجنتين أنهما { ذَوَاتَا أَفْنَانٍ } [أي: فيهما من ألوان النعيم المتنوعة نعيم الظاهر والباطن ما لا عين رأت ولا أذن سمعت، ولا خطر على قلب بشر] أن فيهما الأشجار الكثيرة الزاهرة ذوات الغصون الناعمة، التي فيها الثمار اليانعة الكثيرة اللذيذة، أو ذواتا أنواع وأصناف من جميع أصناف النعيم وأنواعه جمع فن، أي: صنف.

أي فبأي الآلاء يا معشر الثقلين من الإنس الجن تكذبان؟ قاله مجاهد وغير واحد ويدل عليه السياق بعده أي النعم ظاهرة عليكم وأنتم مغمورون بها لا تستطيعون إنكارها ولا جحودها فنحن نقول كما قالت الجن المؤمنون به اللهم ولا بشيء من آلائك ربنا نكذب فلك الحمد وكان ابن عباس يقول لا بأيها يا رب أي لا نكذب بشيء منها قال الإمام أحمد حدثنا يحيى بن إسحاق حدثنا ابن لهيعة عن أبي الأسود عن عروة عن أسماء بنت أبي بكر قالت سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو يقرأ وهو يصلي نحو الركن قبل أن يصدع بما يؤمر والمشركون يستمعون "فبأي آلاء ربكما تكذبان".

The Delight of Those Who have Taqwa in Paradise

Allah the Exalted said,

وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ

(But for him who fears the standing before his Lord,) on the Day of Resurrection,

وَنَهَى النَّفْسَ عَنِ الْهَوَى

(And restrained himself from the desires.) (79:40), and does not indulge nor prefer this worldly life. He who knows that the Hereafter is better and more lasting, so he fulfills what his Lord ordered him and stays away from His prohibitions, then he will earn two gardens from his Lord on the Day of Resurrection. Al-Bukhari recorded that `Abdullah bin Qays said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«جَنَّتَانِ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ آنِيَتُهُمَا وَمَا فِيهِمَا، وَجَنَّتَانِ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ آنِيَتُهُمَا وَمَا فِيهِمَا، وَمَا بَيْنَ الْقَوْمِ وَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَنْظُرُوا إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَّا رِدَاءُ الْكِبْرِيَاءِ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ فِي جَنَّةِ عَدْن»

(There are two gardens made of silver -- their vessels and all that they contain. And there are two gardens made of gold -- their vessels and all that they contain. And nothing stands between the people in the `Adn Garden and looking at their Lord, the Exalted and Most Honored, but the covering of pride before His Face.) The Group, with the exception of Abu Dawud, collected this via the Hadith of `Abdul-`Aziz. This Ayah is general and applies to both humans and Jinns, providing proof that those among the Jinns who believe and have Taqwa will enter Paradise, for Allah is reminding the Ath-Thaqalayn of this favor, as He says;

وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

(But for him who fears the standing before his Lord, there will be two Gardens. Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny) Then He describes these two gardens, by saying,

ذَوَاتَآ أَفْنَانٍ

(With Afnan.) their trees have beautiful young branches that hold and produce every type of ripened beautiful fruit,

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny) `Ata' Al-Khurasani and several others said that Afnan means spreading branches of trees that reach the branches of other trees,

فِيهِمَا عَيْنَانِ تَجْرِيَانِ

(In them (both) will be two springs flowing.) free to water these trees and branches that produce all kinds of fruits,

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny) Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that one of these springs is called Tasnim, and the other called As-Salsabil. `Atiyah said that the water of one of these springs is from non-standing water and the other from wine that gives delight to those who drink it. Allah's statement,

فِيهِمَا مِن كُلِّ فَـكِهَةٍ زَوْجَانِ

(In them (both) will be every kind of fruit in pairs.), of every type and kind of fruit, that which they knew before, and better, and that which they did not know before. Therein, there are delights that no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard and no heart has ever imagined,

فَبِأَىِّ ءَالاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

(Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both deny) Ibrahim bin Al-Hakam bin Aban said that his father narrated from `Ikrimah that Ibn `Abbas said, "There is not a fruit that exists in this life, sweet or bitter, but it exists in Paradise, even the colo- cynth." Ibn `Abbas also said, "There is nothing in the world that is in the Hereafter except in name." Meaning there is such an enormous difference and contrast between the two in enjoyment and value.

So which of your Lord’s favours will you deny?

ذَوَاتَا أَفْنَانٍ (both having lot of branches...55:48). This describes the first two Gardens. There will be plenty of trees abounding in. branches and consequently their shade will be dense, and the fruits will be in abundance. The other two Gardens are described later. No such qualities are mentioned about them, which may imply their relative deficiency in this quality.