Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (4/322)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“The description of Paradise, which the righteous have been promised: beneath it rivers flow; its fruit is everlasting, as is its shade. That is the final outcome of those who fear Allah, whereas the final outcome of the disbelievers is the Fire. (35) Those to whom We have given the Book rejoice in what has been revealed to you; but among the factions are those who reject part of it. Say, ‘I have only been commanded to worship Allah and not associate anything with Him. To Him I call, and to Him is my return.’ (36)”

“They will have punishment in the life of this world,” through killing and captivity, “and the punishment of the Hereafter is more severe,” that is, more intense; “and they will have no protector against Allah”—no one to prevent their punishment.

His saying, Exalted is He: “The description of Paradise, which the righteous have been promised,” means: the attribute of Paradise. This is like His saying, Exalted is He: “And to Allah belongs the highest attribute” (al-Nahl 16:60), meaning, the most exalted attribute. “Beneath it rivers flow,” meaning: the description of the Paradise promised to the righteous is that rivers flow beneath it.

It has also been said that the word “description” is an additional expression, such that the intended sense is: “The Paradise promised to the righteous, beneath which rivers flow.”

“Its fruit is everlasting,” meaning that its fruits and its bliss never cease; “as is its shade,” meaning that its shade is dense and never fades. This refutes the Jahmiyyah, who claimed that the bliss of Paradise will perish (1).

“That is the final outcome,” meaning the end result, “of those who fear Allah”—that is, Paradise—“whereas the final outcome of the disbelievers is the Fire.”

His saying, Exalted is He: “Those to whom We have given the Book,” means the Quran, and they are the Companions of Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—

(1) The commentator on al-Tahawiyyah, commenting on al-Tahawi's statement, “Paradise and Hell are created; they shall never perish or cease to exist ...,” said (pp. 491–493): “As for the everlasting nature of Paradise, and the fact that it will neither perish nor cease to exist, this is among the matters necessarily known to have been conveyed by the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. Allah, Exalted is He, says: ‘As for those who are blessed, they will be in Paradise, abiding therein for as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except as your Lord wills—a gift uninterrupted.’ That is, a gift never cut off. Allah has emphasized the everlasting abode of the people of Paradise in several passages of the Quran, and has informed that they ‘will not taste death therein except the first death’ (al-Dukhan 44:56). The proofs from the sunnah for the everlastingness and perpetuity of Paradise are numerous, such as his statement: ‘Whoever enters Paradise will enjoy bliss and never despair; he will abide forever and never die’ (recorded by Muslim); and his statement: ‘A caller will proclaim: O people of Paradise, you will be healthy and never fall ill; you will remain young and never grow old; and you will live and never die’ (recorded by Muslim).”

﴿مَثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ أُكُلُهَا دَائِمٌ وَظِلُّهَا تِلْكَ عُقْبَى الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا وَعُقْبَى الْكَافِرِينَ النَّارُ (٣٥) وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَفْرَحُونَ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمِنَ الْأَحْزَابِ مَنْ يُنْكِرُ بَعْضَهُ قُلْ إِنَّمَا أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ وَلَا أُشْرِكَ بِهِ إِلَيْهِ أَدْعُو وَإِلَيْهِ مَآبِ (٣٦) ﴾ . ﴿لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا﴾ بِالْقَتْلِ وَالْأَسْرِ، ﴿وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَشَقُّ﴾ أَشَدُّ، ﴿وَمَا لَهُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَاقٍ﴾ مَانِعٍ يَمْنَعُهُمْ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ. قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿مَثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ﴾ أَيْ: صِفَةُ الْجَنَّةِ، كَقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَلِلَّهِ الْمَثَلُ الْأَعْلَى﴾ (النَّحْلُ -٦٠) أَيْ: الصِّفَةُ الْعُلْيَا، ﴿تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ﴾ أَيْ: صِفَةُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ أَنَّ الْأَنْهَارَ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا. وَقِيلَ: "مَثَلُ" صِلَةٌ مَجَازُهَا "الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ". ﴿أُكُلُهَا دَائِمٌ﴾ أَيْ: لَا يَنْقَطِعُ ثَمَرُهَا وَنَعِيمُهَا، ﴿وَظِلُّهَا﴾ أَيْ: ظِلُّهَا ظَلِيلٌ، لَا يَزُولُ، وَهُوَ رَدٌّ عَلَى الْجَهْمِيَّةِ حَيْثُ قَالُوا إِنَّ نَعِيمَ الْجَنَّةِ يَفْنَى (١) . ﴿تِلْكَ عُقْبَى﴾ أَيْ: عَاقِبَةُ ﴿الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا﴾ يَعْنِي: الْجَنَّةَ، ﴿وَعُقْبَى الْكَافِرِينَ النَّارُ﴾ . قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ﴾ يَعْنِي: الْقُرْآنَ، وَهُمْ أَصْحَابُ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ

(١) قال شارح الطحاوية عند قول الطحاوي: "والجنة والنار مخلوقتان، لا تفنيان أبدا ولا تبيدان ... " قال: ص (٤٩١-٤٩٣) . "فأما أبدية الجنة، وأنها لا تفنى ولا تبيد، فهذا مما يعلم بالضرورة أن الرسول ﷺ أخبر به، قال تعالى: (وأما الذين سعدوا ففي الجنة خالدين فيها ما دامت السموات والأرض إلا ما شاء ربك عطاء غير مجذوذ) أي غير مقطوع. وقد أكد الله خلود أهل الجنة بالتأبيد في عدة مواضع من القرآن، وأخبر أنهم: (لا يذوقون فيها الموت إلا الموتة الأولى) (الدخان - ٥٦) . والأدلة من السنة على أبدية الجنة ودوامها كثيرة، كقوله: "من يدخل الجنة ينعم ولا ييئس، ويخلد ولا يموت" (رواه مسلم) ، وقوله: "ينادي مناد: يا أهل الجنة إن لكم أن تصحوا فلا تسقموا أبدا، وأن تشبوا فلا تهرموا أبدا، وأن تحيوا فلا تموتوا أبدا" (رواه مسلم) .