(31–35) “That which We have revealed to you of the Book is the truth, confirming what came before it. Indeed, Allah is All-Aware and All-Seeing of His servants. Then We gave the Book as an inheritance to those of Our servants whom We chose. Among them are those who wrong themselves, those who follow a middle course, and those who, by Allah’s permission, are foremost in good deeds. That is the great bounty. They will enter Gardens of everlasting residence, where they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their clothing therein will be silk. They will say, ‘All praise is for Allah, who has removed all sorrow from us. Indeed, our Lord is All-Forgiving, Most Appreciative. He is the One who, out of His bounty, has settled us in the Home of Everlasting Residence, where no fatigue touches us, nor does any weariness touch us.’”
Allah Most High states that the Book He revealed to His Messenger “is the truth.” So abundant is the truth it contains that it is as though truth were confined to it. Therefore, let there be no unease in your hearts concerning it; do not grow weary of it or treat it lightly. Since it is the truth, everything it indicates concerning matters relating to Allah, the unseen, and all other subjects necessarily corresponds to reality. It is therefore impermissible to understand it as meaning anything contrary to its apparent sense and what it indicates.
It is “confirming what came before it” of the Books and messengers, for they foretold it. When it came and became manifest, their truthfulness was thereby made evident. They gave glad tidings of it and foretold it, and it confirmed their truthfulness. Consequently, no one can ever believe in the previous Books while disbelieving in the Quran, because disbelieving in it invalidates his belief in them: among the reports they contain is the announcement of the Quran, and their reports accord with those of the Quran.
“Indeed, Allah is All-Aware and All-Seeing of His servants,” so He gives every nation and every individual what befits their condition. This includes the fact that the previous revealed laws were suited only to their respective times and eras. Allah therefore continued sending one messenger after another until He concluded their succession with Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. He brought this revealed law, which serves the welfare of creation until the Day of Resurrection and secures what is good in every age.
Because this community was the most complete of nations in intellect, the finest in thought, the tenderest in heart, and the purest in soul, Allah Most High chose them, chose Islam as their religion, and made them heirs to the Book that stands as guardian over all other Books. Thus He said: “Then We gave the Book as an inheritance to those of Our servants whom We chose”—namely, this community. “Among them are those who wrong themselves” through sins [which] fall short of disbelief; “those who follow a middle course,” limiting themselves to what is obligatory and refraining from what is forbidden; “and those who are foremost in good deeds”—that is, they hasten and strive to perform them and thereby surpass others. Such a person fulfills the obligatory duties, performs many voluntary deeds, and refrains from both the forbidden and the disliked.
Allah Most High chose all of them to inherit this Book, even though their ranks differ and their conditions are distinct. Each of them has a share in its inheritance—even the one who wrongs himself—for the foundation of faith, the knowledge of faith, and the deeds of faith that he possesses are all part of inheriting the Book. What is meant by inheriting the Book is inheriting its knowledge and practice, studying its words, and drawing out its meanings.
The words “by Allah’s permission” refer to the one foremost in good deeds, lest he be deceived by his own deeds. He became foremost in good deeds only through Allah Most High granting him success and assistance. He should therefore devote himself to thanking Allah Most High for the blessing bestowed upon him.
“That is the great bounty”—that is, inheriting this glorious Book by those servants whom Allah Most High has chosen is the great bounty beside which every other blessing is as nothing. The greatest blessing and the greatest bounty of all is to inherit this Book.
Allah then mentions the reward of those whom He made heirs to His Book: “They will enter Gardens of everlasting residence”—that is: ⦗690⦘ Gardens filled with trees and deep, sheltering shade, beautiful orchards, flowing rivers, lofty palaces, and adorned dwellings, throughout an eternity that never ends and amid a life that never runs out.
“Everlasting residence” means abiding; thus, they are Gardens of permanent residence. They are named in relation to residence because permanence and everlasting abode characterize both the Gardens and their inhabitants.
“They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold.” These are ornaments worn upon the wrists, in whatever manner they desire and consider the finest. Men and women are alike with respect to adornment in Paradise.
They will also be adorned therein “with pearls,” arranged upon their garments and bodies. “And their clothing therein will be silk,” comprising fine silk and green brocade.
When their bliss is complete and their delight perfected, “they will say, ‘All praise is for Allah, who has removed all sorrow from us.’” This encompasses every sorrow. No sorrow will come upon them because of any deficiency in their beauty, food and drink, pleasures, bodies, or the permanence of their stay. They will enjoy bliss beyond which they can envision no increase, yet it will continue increasing for ever and ever.
“Indeed, our Lord is All-Forgiving,” for He forgave our missteps, and “Most Appreciative,” for He accepted our good deeds, multiplied them, and granted us from His bounty what neither our deeds nor our hopes could attain. Through His forgiveness, they were delivered from everything hateful and feared, while through His appreciation and bounty, they attained everything desired and beloved.
“He is the One who has settled us”—that is, He caused us to alight there as permanent residents, not as travellers merely passing through—“in the Home of Everlasting Residence.” This is the abode in which residence continues forever and in which one desires to remain because of its abundant goodness, its unceasing delights, and the absence of everything that might disturb its purity. Their being settled there is “out of His bounty” and generosity toward us, not because of our deeds. Had it not been for His bounty, we would never have attained what we attained.
“Where no fatigue touches us, nor does any weariness touch us”—that is, there will be no exhaustion in their bodies, hearts, or faculties, nor will abundant enjoyment tire them. This indicates that Allah Most High will give their bodies a perfect constitution and continually provide them with every means of comfort, so they remain in this state: untouched by fatigue, weariness, anxiety, or sorrow.
It also indicates that they will not sleep in Paradise, because the purpose of sleep is to remove exhaustion and obtain rest, whereas the people of Paradise are in a different condition. Moreover, sleep is a lesser death, and the people of Paradise will never die. May Allah, by His grace and generosity, make us among them.