“He would say to me, ‘Are you really one of those who believe? When we have died and become dust and bones, will we truly be brought to judgment?’ He said, ‘Will you look?’ Then he looked and saw him in the midst of Hellfire. He said, ‘By Allah, you nearly brought me to ruin! Had it not been for my Lord’s grace, I too would have been among those brought forth for punishment. Are we then never to die beyond our first death, nor are we to be punished? Indeed, this is truly the supreme triumph. For such a reward, let those who labor strive.’”
And he would say to me, “Are you really one of those who believe? When we have died and become dust and bones, will we truly be brought to judgment?”—that is, recompensed for our deeds? In other words: How can you believe this far-fetched matter, which is utterly astonishing—that after we have disintegrated and become dust and bones, we will be resurrected and restored, then called to account and recompensed for our deeds?
That is, the man in Paradise says to his companions: This is my story and what happened between me and my companion. I remained a believer, affirming the truth, while he persisted in denying it and rejecting the resurrection, until we both died and were then resurrected. I attained the bliss you now see, which the messengers had told us about, while he has undoubtedly reached the punishment.
“Will you look?”—so that we may see him, feel even greater joy and delight in our own state, and witness it with our own eyes? Judging by the condition of the people of Paradise, the delight they take ⦗704⦘ in one another, and their mutual accord, they apparently accepted his suggestion and followed him to look upon his companion.
“Then he looked” and saw his companion “in the midst of Hellfire”—that is, in the very midst and depths of punishment, with punishment surrounding him.
He then “said” to him, reproaching him for his plight and thanking Allah for graciously saving him from his schemes: “By Allah, you nearly brought me to ruin!” That is, you nearly destroyed me through the doubts you introduced into my mind with your claims.
“Had it not been for my Lord’s grace” in keeping me firm upon Islam, “I too would have been among those brought forth” for punishment alongside you.
“Are we then never to die beyond our first death, nor are we to be punished?” [That is, the believer says this while rejoicing in Allah’s blessing upon the people of Paradise: everlasting residence there and safety from punishment. It is an interrogative intended as affirmation and confirmation.] In other words, he says to his companion who is being punished: Do you still claim that we will die only our first death, with no resurrection or punishment thereafter? (1)
In the statement, “Then they will turn to one another, questioning each other,” what they question one another about is left unspecified. Since this is a setting of delight and joy, this indicates that they will question one another about every subject they take pleasure in discussing, as well as matters over which disagreement or difficulty had arisen.
It is well known that the pleasure people of knowledge derive from questioning one another about knowledge and investigating it surpasses the ordinary pleasures found in worldly conversations. They will have an abundant share of this kind of pleasure, and truths of knowledge will be disclosed to them in Paradise in a manner that cannot be expressed.
After Allah Most High mentioned the bliss of Paradise and described it in these beautiful terms, He praised it, awakened the longing of those who strive, and urged them to act, saying: “Indeed, this is truly the supreme triumph.” Through it they attain every good and everything souls desire and crave, while every danger and affliction is turned away from them. What triumph could be sought beyond this? Indeed, it is the ultimate goal and the furthest end: the pleasure of the Lord of the earth and the heavens descends upon them; they rejoice in being near Him, find bliss in knowing Him, delight in seeing Him, and are enraptured by His speech.
“For such a reward, let those who labor strive.” It is the goal most deserving of life’s precious breaths and the one toward which the discerning and wise should strive most earnestly. The greatest regret of all is for a resolute person to let any moment pass without engaging in deeds that bring him closer to this abode. How much worse, then, if his sins are carrying him toward the abode of ruin?