Tafseer - Concise Commentary of the Holy Quraan
By: Mufti Waseem Khan, Principal, Darul Uloom Trinidad and Tobago
Surah Baqarah Verse 25
Having mentioned the consequences that will befall those who denied Allah, His prophet and religion, Surah Baqarah goes further in verse 25 to highlight the great rewards which Allah will give to those who believe and do good deeds. In this way, the Quran presents an attraction and invitation to do that which is good, and gives an intimidation to those who wish to do bad. ( In this way, it has joined At Targheeb (an invitation to do good) with At Tarheeb (an intimidation to refrain from evil)). It also gives the state of the pious servants and mentions the plight of the transgressors.
Verse 25 states:-
And announce glad tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that for them there will be gardens beneath which rivers flow. Every time they are given a fruit from there to eat, they will say, “This is what we have been given before”; and they will be given (fruits) resembling one another. And for them there shall be wives purified; and there they will live forever.
Here, the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.) has been ordered by Allah to announce happy news and glad tidings to the believers who have done good deeds in their worldly life. They are those who have joined between true faith (Imaan) and good actions (Aa’maal-As Saaliha) and lived their lives in obedience and submission to Allah. For them, there will be many gardens that are filled with trees and houses. In front of, and beneath their palaces and houses in paradise, shall flow the rivers of Jannah. These rivers shall also flow beneath the trees in paradise. The believers will be given an abundance of every type of fruit in paradise which they have never seen or tasted before. Whenever they are given these fruits to eat which are from the trees of paradise, they will say, ‘This is what we have been provided before’. It means that these fruits will be similar to the ones they got before in paradise. While commenting on this, the exegetes have stated that the people of Paradise will be given fruits from paradise that will be brought to them by the angels. Whenever the fruits are given to them the second time, they will say to the angels that the fruits are the same which they were given before. Upon this, the angels will say to them, ‘Eat, O Servants of Allah, the color is the same but the taste is different’. It is about this, Verse 25 states, ‘and they will be given in resemblance’. It means that these will be similar in shape and outlook but will be different in taste and substance. This means that the ‘resemblance’ of the fruits mentioned in the verse does not refer to a resemblance of that which is on the earth (worldly life). Instead, it is a resemblance of one fruit to another in paradise itself. It is about this, the great Mufassir and Companion, Abdullah bin Abbass (R.A.) said, ‘Nothing that is in paradise resembles that which is in this world’. (Safwah At Tafaseer Vol. 1 page 29)
Outlining the other great bounties (of paradise), Allah says that the believing man will also have pure spouses in Paradise. These will be from the women of paradise who have been created especially for paradise. The wives which the believing men will have in paradise will be pure and clean from every type of uncleanliness and impurity. These women of paradise will be free from menses and post partum bleeding. Allah Has created them in such a manner that they will have no need to urinate or defecate and will be pure and free from any type of bodily dirtiness. They will also have clean hearts and minds. According to the commentators, the believing women of this world (who will enter paradise) will be more beautiful (in the hereafter) than the women of paradise (that is, those who have been specially created as the hoors (women) of paradise).
At the end of the verse, Allah speaks of one of the greatest joys of paradise which is the everlasting life of happiness in Paradise. Unlike the joys of the worldly life, the enjoyment and happiness in paradise will not be short lived. Instead, it will be unlike the joys of the worldly life, permanent and never-ending bliss that the believers will receive from Allah. The joy will not stop and the happiness will not cease to exist. About this, Allah says, ‘and they will abide therein forever.