Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (17/439)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

he arrives after everyone else has settled into his appointed station and taken his allotted portion. Then it is said to him, “Enter the Garden.”
He replies, “My Lord, how am I to enter when the people have already taken their places and received their shares?”
Allah says, “Are you not pleased that you should have the like of what one of the kings of the world possessed?”
He answers, “I am well-pleased, my Lord.”
Allah says, “Indeed, you shall have that and the like of it, and the like of it”—Sufyan locked together the five fingers of his hand (to show repeated multiples)—
so he says, “I am pleased, my Lord.”
Allah says, “Then all of this is yours, together with whatever your soul desires and whatever delights your eyes.”
He says, “I am pleased, my Lord.”

Moses then asked, “My Lord, tell me about the highest of the people of the Garden in rank.”
Allah said, “Yes. They are those whom I have chosen, and I shall inform you about them: I planted their honour with My own Hand and sealed it; no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, nor has it crossed the heart of any human. The confirmation of this is in the Book of Allah—glorified is He:
‘No soul knows what comfort has been hidden for them as a reward for what they used to do.’ (Surah al-Sajdah, 32:17) (1).”

It is also established in the Two Ṣaḥīḥs—Muslim’s wording—from al-Aʿraj, from Abū Hurayrah, that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Allah—glorified is He—said: ‘I have prepared for My righteous servants what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and what has never occurred to a human heart.’ Its confirmation is in the Book of Allah the Exalted: ‘No soul knows what comfort has been hidden for them as a reward for what they used to do.’ (Surah al-Sajdah, 32:17) (2).”

Imam Aḥmad said: Hārūn ibn Maʿrūf narrated to us; Ibn Wahb narrated to us; Abū Ṣakhr (3) narrated to me that Abū Ḥāzim related to him, saying:
“I heard Sahl ibn Saʿd say: I was present at a gathering of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in which he described the Garden until he finished. At the end of his discourse he said, ‘In it are things no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and that have never occurred to the heart of man.’ He then recited:
‘Their sides forsake their beds as they call upon their Lord in fear and hope, and from what We have provided them they spend; no soul knows what comfort has been hidden for them as a reward for what they used to do.’ (Surah al-Sajdah, 32:16–17).”
Muslim also transmitted it from Hārūn ibn Maʿrūf (4).

Mention of the lofty chambers of Paradise, their height and their magnitude—we ask Allah for His boundless favour, which He pours upon His creation in this world and the Hereafter:
Allah the Exalted said: “But those who fear their Lord will have chambers above which are other built chambers, with rivers flowing beneath; that is the promise of Allah, and Allah never fails in His promise.” (Surah al-Zumar, 39:20).
And He said: “They will dwell securely in the lofty chambers.” (Surah Sabaʾ, 34:37).
And He said: “And those who have believed…"

(1) Narrated by Muslim, no. 189, and by al-Tabarani in al-Kabir, vol. 20, p. 989. (2) Narrated by al-Bukhari (nn. 3244, 4779) and by Muslim, no. 2824. (3) In al-Usul it appears as “Ibn Sakhur,” which is erroneous. (4) Narrated by Ahmad in the Musnad, vol. 5, p. 334, and by Muslim, no. 2825.

يَجيءُ بَعْدَما نَزلَ النّاسُ مَنَازِلَهُمْ، وأخذُوا أخَذَاتِهِمْ، فيقال له: ادْخُل الْجنَّةَ، فيقول: يا رَبِّ، وكَيْفَ أدْخُلُها وقدْ نَزَلَ النَّاسُ مَنَازِلَهُمْ، وأخذُوا أخَذَاتِهمْ؟ فيقولُ: أمَا تَرْضَى أنْ يَكُونَ لكَ مِثْلُ ما كانَ لِمَلِكٍ منْ مُلُوكِ الدُّنْيا؟ فيقولُ: رضيت ربِّ، فيقول: إنَّ لَكَ مِثْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُ، وعقد سفيان أصَابعَهُ الخَمْسَ، فيقولُ: رَضيتُ رَبِّ، فيقولُ: فإنَّ هَذَا لَكَ ومَا اشْتَهَتْ نَفْسُكَ، وَلَذَّتْ عَيْنُكَ، فيقولُ: رَضيتُ رَبِّ، قالَ موسى: يا رَبِّ، فأخْبرني عن أعْلَى أهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ مَنْزلةً، قال: نعم، أولَئِكَ الَّذينَ أرَدْتُ، وَسَأُخْبِرُكَ عَنْهُمْ، غَرَسْتُ كَرَامَتَهُمْ بِيَدي، وَخَتَمْتُ عَلَيْها، فَلَمْ تَرَ عَيْنٌ، وَلَمْ تَسْمَعْ أذُنٌ، وَلَمْ يَخْطُرْ على قَلْب بَشَرٍ، وَمِصْداقُ ذلك في كتابِ اللّهِ – Exalté soit-Il – : ﴿فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَا أُخْفِيَ لَهُمْ مِنْ قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ [السجدة: ١٧] (١) . وثبت في " الصحيحين " ، واللفظ لمسلم، من حديث الأعْرَج، عن أبي هُريرة، عن النَّبيِّ ﷺ قال: " قال اللّهُ – Exalté soit-Il – : أعْدَدْتُ لِعِبَادي الصَّالحينَ ما لا عَيْنٌ رَأَتْ، ولا أُذُنٌ سَمِعَت، ولا خَطَرَ على قَلْبِ بَشَرٍ، مِصْدَاقُ ذَلِكَ في كتابِ الله تَعَالى: ﴿فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَا أُخْفِيَ لَهُمْ مِنْ قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ [السجدة: ١٧] (٢) . وقال الإمامُ أحْمَدُ: حدَّثنا هارون بنُ مَعْرُوفٍ، حدَّثنا ابنُ وَهْبٍ، حدّثني أبو صَخْرٍ (٣) : أنَّ أبا حَازِمٍ حَدَّثَهُ، قال: سَمِعْتُ سَهْلَ بن سَعْدٍ يَقُولُ: شَهِدْتُ منْ رسولِ اللّهِ ﷺ مَجْلسًا وَصَفَ فيهِ الْجَنَةَ، حَتَّى انْتَهَى، ثمَّ قالَ في آخِرِ حَدِيثِهِ: " فيها مَا لا عَيْنٌ رَأَتْ، ولا أُذُنٌ سَمِعَتْ، ولا خَطَرَ على قَلْبِ بشَر "، ثم قرأ هذه الآية: ﴿تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ (١٦) فَلَا تَعْلَمُ نَفْسٌ مَا أُخْفِيَ لَهُمْ مِنْ قُرَّةِ أَعْيُنٍ جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ [السجدة: ١٦ و ١٧] . ورواه مسلم عَنْ هارون بن مَعْرُوفٍ (٤) . ذكر غرف الجنَّة، وارتفاعها، وعظمها نسأل الله من فضله المبسوط على خلقه في الدنيا والآخرة قال الله تعالى: ﴿لَكِنِ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ غُرَفٌ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا غُرَفٌ مَبْنِيَّةٌ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ لَا يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ الْمِيعَادَ﴾ [الزمر: ٢٠] . وقال تعالى: ﴿وَهُمْ فِي الْغُرُفَاتِ آمِنُونَ﴾ [سبأ: ٣٧] . وقال تعالى: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ

(١) رواه مسلم رقم (١٨٩) والطبراني في " الكبير " (٢٠/ ٩٨٩). (٢) رواه البخاري (٣٢٤٤) و (٤٧٧٩) ومسلم رقم (٢٨٢٤). (٣) في الأصول: ابن صخر، وهو خطأ. (٤) رواه أحمد في المسند (٥/ ٣٣٤) ومسلم رقم (٢٨٢٥).