7:43 Al-A'raaf (The Heights)

{ وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِمْ مِنْ غِلٍّ ْ} وهذا من كرمه وإحسانه على أهل الجنة، أن الغل الذي كان موجودا في قلوبهم، والتنافس الذي بينهم، أن اللّه يقلعه ويزيله حتى يكونوا إخوانا متحابين، وأخلاء متصافين. قال تعالى: { وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِهِمْ مِنْ غِلٍّ إِخْوَانًا عَلَى سُرُرٍ مُتَقَابِلِينَ ْ} ويخلق اللّه لهم من الكرامة ما به يحصل لكل واحد منهم الغبطة والسرور، ويرى أنه لا فوق ما هو فيه من النعيم نعيم. فبهذا يأمنون من التحاسد والتباغض، لأنه قد فقدت أسبابه. وقوله: { تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهِمُ الْأَنْهَارُ ْ} أي: يفجرونها تفجيرا، حيث شاءوا، وأين أرادوا، إن شاءوا في خلال القصور، أو في تلك الغرف العاليات، أو في رياض الجنات، من تحت تلك الحدائق الزاهرات. أنهار تجري في غير أخدود، وخيرات ليس لها حد محدود { و ْ} لهذا لما رأوا ما أنعم اللّه عليهم وأكرمهم به { وَقَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي هَدَانَا لِهَذَا ْ} بأن من علينا وأوحى إلى قلوبنا، فآمنت به، وانقادت للأعمال الموصلة إلى هذه الدار، وحفظ اللّه علينا إيماننا وأعمالنا، حتى أوصلنا بها إلى هذه الدار، فنعم الرب الكريم، الذي ابتدأنا بالنعم، وأسدى من النعم الظاهرة والباطنة ما لا يحصيه المحصون، ولا يعده العادون، { وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِيَ لَوْلَا أَنْ هَدَانَا اللَّهُ ْ} أي: ليس في نفوسنا قابلية للهدى، لولا أنه تعالى منَّ بهدايته واتباع رسله. { لَقَدْ جَاءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِالْحَقِّ ْ} أي: حين كانوا يتمتعون بالنعيم الذي أخبرت به الرسل، وصار حق يقين لهم بعد أن كان علم يقين [لهم]، قالوا لقد تحققنا، ورأينا ما وعدتنا به الرسل، وأن جميع ما جاءوا به حق اليقين، لا مرية فيه ولا إشكال، { وَنُودُوا ْ} تهنئة لهم، وإكراما، وتحية واحتراما، { أَنْ تِلْكُمُ الْجَنَّةُ أُورِثْتُمُوهَا ْ} أي: كنتم الوارثين لها، وصارت إقطاعا لكم، إذ كان إقطاع الكفار النار، أورثتموها { بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ْ} قال بعض السلف: أهل الجنة نجوا من النار بعفو اللّه، وأدخلوا الجنة برحمة اللّه، واقتسموا المنازل وورثوها بالأعمال الصالحة وهي من رحمته، بل من أعلى أنواع رحمته.

قال السدي في قوله "ونزعنا ما في صدورهم من غل تجري من تحتهم الأنهار" الآية إن أهل الجنة إذا سيقوا إلى الجنة وجدوا عند بابها شجرة في أصل ساقها عينان فشربوا من إحداهما فينزع ما في صدورهم من غل فهو الشراب الطهور واغتسلوا من الأخرى فجرت عليهم نضرة النعيم فلم يشعثوا ولم يشحبوا بعدها أبدا وقد روى أبو إسحاق عن عاصم عن أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب نحوا من هذا كما سيأتي في قوله تعالى "وسيق الذين اتقوا ربهم إلى الجنة زمرا" إن شاء الله وبه الثقة وعليه التكلان وقال قتادة قال علي رضي الله عنه إني لأرجو أن أكون أنا وعثمان وطلحة والزبير من الذين قال الله تعالى فيهم "ونزعنا ما في صدورهم من غل" رواه ابن جرير وقال عبد الرزاق أخبرنا ابن عيينة عن إسرائيل قال سمعت الحسن يقول قال علي: فينا والله أهل بدر نزلت "ونزعنا ما في صدورهم من غل". وروى النسائي وابن مردويه واللفظ له من حديث أبي بكر بن عياش عن الأعمش عن أبي صالح عن أبي هريرة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "كل أهل الجنة يرى مقعده من النار فيقول لولا أن الله هداني فيكون له شكرا وكل أهل النار يرى مقعده من الجنة فيقول لو أن الله هداني فيكون له حسرة". ولهذا لما أورثوا مقاعد أهل النار من الجنة نودوا "أن تلكم الجنة أورثتموها بما كنتم تعملون" أي بسبب أعمالكم نالتكم الرحمة فدخلتم الجنة وتبوأتم منازلكم بحسب أعمالكم. وإنما وجب الحمل على هذا لما ثبت في الصحيحين عنه صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال "واعلموا أن أحدكم لن يدخله عمله الجنة "قالوا ولا أنت يا رسول الله قال "ولا أنا إلا أن يتغمدني الله برحمة منه وفضل ".

Destination of Righteous Believers

After Allah mentioned the condition of the miserable ones, He then mentioned the condition of the happy ones, saying,

وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ

(But those who believed, and worked righteousness) Their hearts have believed and they performed good deeds with their limbs and senses, as compared to those who disbelieved in the Ayat of Allah and were arrogant with them. Allah also said that embracing faith and implementing it are easy, when He said,

وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ لاَ نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا أُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَـبُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـلِدُونَ وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِى صُدُورِهِم مِّنْ غِلٍّ

(But those who believed, and worked righteousness -- We burden not any person beyond his scope -- such are the dwellers of Paradise. They will abide therein. And We shall remove from their breasts any Ghill;) meaning, envy and hatred. Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«إِذَا خَلَصَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ مِنَ النَّارِ حُبِسُوا عَلَى قَنْطَرَةٍ بَيْنَ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ فَاقْتُصَّ لَهُمْ مَظَالِمَ كَانَتْ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى إِذَا هُذِّبُوا وَنُقُّوا أُذِنَ لَهُمْ فِي دُخُولِ الْجَنَّةِ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ بِمَنْزِلِهِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ أَدَلُّ مِنْهُ بِمَسْكَنِهِ كَانَ فِي الدُّنْيَا»

(After the believers are saved from entering the Fire, they will be kept in wait by a bridge between Paradise and Hellfire. Then, transgression that occurred between them in the life of this world will be judged. Until, when they are purified and cleansed, they will be given permission to enter Paradise. By He in Whose Hand is my soul! One of them will be able to find his dwelling in Paradise more so than he did in the life of this world.) As-Suddi said about Allah's statement,

وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِى صُدُورِهِم مِّنْ غِلٍّ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهِمُ الاٌّنْهَـرُ

(And We shall remove from their breasts any Ghill; rivers flowing under them,) "When the people of Paradise are taken to it, they will find a tree close to its door, and two springs from under the trunk of that tree. They will drink from one of them, and all hatred will be removed from their hearts, for it is the cleansing drink. They will take a bath in the other, and the brightness of delight will radiate from their faces. Ever after, they will never have messy hair or become dirty." An-Nasa'i and Ibn Marduwyah (this being his wording) recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«كُلُّ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ يَرَى مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ، فَيَقُولُ: لَوْلَا أَنَّ اللهَ هَدَانِي، فَيَكُونُ لَهُ شُكْرًا، وَكُلُّ أَهْلِ النَّارِ يَرَى مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَقُولُ: لَوْ أَنَّ اللهَ هَدَانِي، فَيَكُونُ لَهُ حَسْرَة»

(Each of the people of Paradise will see his seat in the Fire and he will say, `Had not Allah guided me! And this will cause him to be grateful. Each of the people of the Fire will see his seat in Paradise, and he will say, `Might that Allah had guided me!' So it will be a cause of anguish for him.) This is why when the believers are awarded seats in Paradise that belonged to the people of the Fire, they will be told, "This is the Paradise that you inherited because of what you used to do. " This means, because of your good deeds, you earned Allah's mercy and thus entered Paradise and took your designated dwellings in it, comparable to your deeds. This is the proper meaning here, for it is recorded in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet said,

«وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ لَنْ يُدْخِلَهُ عَمَلُهُ الْجَنَّة»

(And know that the good deeds of one of you will not admit him into Paradise.) They said, "Not even you, O Allah's Messenger" He said,

«وَلَا أَنَا إِلّا أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِيَ اللهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِنْهُ وَفَضْل»

(Not even I, unless Allah grants it to me out of His mercy and favor.)

We shall strip away all rancour all spite that existed between them in the world that is in their breasts; and beneath them beneath their palaces flow rivers; and they will say once they have settled in their dwellings ‘Praise be to God Who guided us to this action the reward of which is this Paradise; for we would surely never have been guided if God had not guided us the response to the conditional law lā ‘if … not’ is omitted because it is indicated by the preceding clause. Verily the messengers of our Lord did bring the truth.’ And it is cried to them an is read softened that is understand it as annahu; alternatively it is an explicative particle in all five places here and the four to follow ‘This is your Paradise; you have inherited it for what you used to do’.

The third verse (42) mentions those who dutifully follow Divine injunctions as they are the people of Paradise and there they shall live forever.

Injunctions of the Shari'ah : Consideration of Convenience

But, along with the condition set forth for such people; that they believe and do good deeds - said there, in all mercy, was: لَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا (Allah does not obligate anyone beyond his capacity). The purpose is to emphasize that good deeds - which is a condition for entry into Paradise - is really not something so difficult as would be beyond the ability of a man or woman. In fact, Allah Ta` ala has made the injunctions of the Shari'ah flexible and easy in every department of life. Leaves and concessions have been granted in every injunction keeping sickness, weakness, travel and other human needs under consideration.

According to Tafsir Al-Bahr Al-Muhit, when human beings were commanded to do good deeds, the likelihood existed that they might find this a little heavy on them since doing what is good and required, everywhere and under all conditions, was beyond one's capacity. Therefore, this doubt of theirs was removed through these words which ensure that the injunctions of Allah are given keeping in view the various stages of human lives and that they are appropriate to prevailing conditions in all circumstances, for all time and all places. With such comprehensive consideration working behind these injunctions acting according to them should not be difficult at all.

For its People, a Paradise minus Malice

In the fourth verse (43), two particular states of the people of Jannah have been identified. The first one finds mention in: وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِي صُدُورِ‌هِم مِّنْ غِلٍّ تَجْرِ‌ي مِن تَحْتِهِمُ الْأَنْهَارُ‌; (And We remove whatever of malice they had in their hearts. Rivers will flow beneath them).

According to Sahih al-Bukhari, when believers would have crossed the Bridge of Sirat صِرَاط and their deliverance from Jahannam would have become certain, they would be stopped over a bridge between Jannah and Jahannam - to remove their malice first. If someone had some grudge against someone, or ill-will or a heart-burn on the loss of a right, all that will be mutually settled and washed off for good right there. So, when they go to Jannah, they will be free of malice, hatred, animosity and other personality disorders of the kind.

It appears in Tafsir Mazhari that this bridge will obviously be the last part of the Bridge of Sirat صِرَاط which is close to Jannah. ` Allama Al-Suyuti has also opted for this approach.

Then comes the issue of settling rights. It goes without saying that any loss of rights cannot be compensated by money for nobody would have it there. Instead of that, in accordance with a Hadith in al-Bukhari and Muslim, this payment will be made in the currency of deeds. Lost rights will be compensated by giving the deeds of the usurper to the owner of the right. And should it be that no more deeds are left with this person and there remain other rights which still have to be settled, then, the sins of the owner of the unsettled right will be transferred to the account of the usurper of the right.

In a Hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has called the person, who did good deeds in his worldly life but remained negligent of the rights of people, the greatest pauper - for as a result of this neglect he lost all good deeds and stood there empty-handed.

In this Hadith narration, what has been described is but a general rule governing the fulfillment of rights and avenging an injustice in flitted. But, it is not necessary that everyone has to face this situation. In fact, according to the report of Ibn Kathir and Tafsir Mazhari, possible there would be the situation that no one settles scores and takes revenge, yet mutual malices get to be removed without anything like that.

This is what appears in some narrations. When people would have crossed the Bridge of Sirat, they would reach a stream of water and drink from it. The property of this water will be such as would remove all mutual malice from the hearts of all of them. While commenting on the noble verse: وَسَقَاهُمْ رَ‌بُّهُمْ شَرَ‌ابًا طَهُورً‌ا (And their Lord will give to them to drink a pure drink - 76:21 - AYA), the Tafsir of this verse given by Imam al-Qurtubi is not any different when he says that washed away from this water of Jannah shall be all grudges in hearts.

After reciting this verse, Sayyidna Ali al-Murtada ؓ ، once said: I hope that we - ` Uthman and Talhah and Zubayr and me - shall be among those whose hearts will be cleansed of malice before the entry into Paradise. (Ibn Kathir) These noble souls named here had their mutual disagreements during their life time in the world which had reached the limits of war.

The second state of the people of Jannah described in this verse is that on their arrival in Jannah, they will express their gratitude to Allah Ta` ala that He guided them towards Jannah and made it easy for them to reach there. They will say that, had the grace of Allah not been with them, they would have never dared reach there.

This tells us that no one can go to Jannah by personal effort alone - unless the grace of Allah Ta` ala makes it possible for the aspirant. The reason is that even this ` effort' itself is not within one's control. That too comes through the grace and mercy of Allah Ta` ala alone.

Guidance has Degrees, the Last being the Entry into Paradise

Imam Raghib al-Isfahani (رح) ، who has explained Hidayah or guidance in a comprehensive manner as it appears in the Holy Qur'an, has said that guidance is a popular term but it has different degrees. The truth of the matter is that guidance is another name of finding the way to reach Allah Ta` ala. Therefore, the degrees of achieving nearness to Allah are many and different and unending. Similarly, the degrees of guidance too are extremely varied and different from each other. The lowest degree of guidance is deliverance from Kufr and Shirk, and having 'Iman. One on this degree of guidance has his or her orientation changed, away from the path of error - towards Allah. Then, there is the distance between Allah Ta` ala and His servants. This distance takes a journey to cover - and every stage so covered has degrees, which is called Hidayah or guidance. Therefore, guidance is a need. At no time, can anyone claim not to need it, not even prophets and messengers of Allah. For this reason, the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، not only taught his people the lesson of: اهْدِنَا الصِّرَ‌اطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ﴿6﴾ (Guide us in the straight path), but he himself kept making this prayer - because there is no end to the stages and ranks of nearness to Allah, so much so, that entry into the Paradise mentioned in this verse has been identified as Hidayah or guidance, for this is the last station of Hidayah.( Those interested in reading more about the implications, meaning and degrees of guidance may see Ma'ariful-Qur'an, English Translation, Vol.I, pages 72-77)

We shall strip away all the rancor that is in their breasts.... And it will be called out, “This is your Garden; you have been made to inherit it for what you were doing.” This is the attribute of the chevaliers of the Tariqah and the wayfarers of the road of the Haqiqah. The Exalted Lord first made their hearts pure of caprices and innovations so that they would step onto the avenue of the Sunnah and find the way to the plain texts of God's Book and MuṣṬafā's Sunnah. They let go of their own imagination and understanding in the signs of the attributes and dismissed the discernment of their own intelligence. They put forth their necks in compliance, accepted with their hearing, and set out on the road of surrender so as to escape from asserting His similarity and declaring His ineffectuality. Once more He made their hearts pure of this world and the defilement of this world so that the light of recognition shone in their hearts and the eyes of wisdom appeared in their hearts. He honored them with His gaze and removed friendship for the creatures from their hearts so that they were with Him entirely. They went forward in the reality of solitariness and came back from the secondary causes to the Causer. They saw One, they heard One, and they reached One, their tongue with remembrance, their hearts with reflection, their spirits with love; their tongues in men- tioning, their hearts in secret whispering, and their spirits in joy. As soon as my heart became entranced by Your beauty, it became the slave of Your majestic loveliness. Oh, exalted is he who sees Your face, Oh, magnificent is he who goes into Your sack. Know, however, that as long as the beginningless covenant does not seize your skirt, your heart will not accept this work. As long as the Real does not join with you, this path will not get along with you. As long as the Real does not gaze upon you, your heart will not want Him. And it will be called out, “This is your Garden; you have been made to inherit it for what you were doing.” He said “for what you were doing” to soothe the heart of the servant and to increase His caressing of him. Otherwise, the servant knows that his own neglectful deeds are not fitting for that Threshold and that those way stations and degrees are not the recompense for these acts. Nonetheless, through His bounty He makes the unworthy worthy and He adorns the displeasing. In this He shows the servant His good Godhood and loving kindness.