(30–35) “On the Day We will say to Hell, ‘Are you full?’ and it will say, ‘Is there any more?’ * Paradise will be brought near to the righteous, not far away. * ‘This is what you were promised—for everyone who repeatedly turned to Allah and kept His commands, * who feared the Most Merciful in the unseen and came with a heart that turned to Him. * Enter it in peace. This is the Day of Eternity.’ * There they will have whatever they wish, and with Us is yet more.”
Allah Most High says, warning His servants: “On the Day We will say to Hell, ‘Are you full?’” This is because of the great number of those cast into it. “And it will say, ‘Is there any more?’” That is, it will continue asking for more sinful criminals, out of anger for the sake of its Lord and fury at the disbelievers.
Allah has promised to fill it, as He says: “I will surely fill Hell with jinn and mankind all together,” until the Lord of Might places His noble Foot upon it—which is exalted above all likeness—whereupon it will contract in upon itself and say, “Enough, enough! I have enough and am full.”
“Paradise will be brought near”—that is, it will be brought so close that it can be seen, along with the everlasting bliss, joy, and delight it contains. It will be brought near for the sake of those who fear their Lord, who abandon shirk (associating partners with Allah) in both its minor and major forms, obey their Lord’s commands, and submit to Him. They will be told by way of congratulation: “This is what you were promised—for everyone who repeatedly turned to Allah and kept His commands.” That is, this Paradise and all it contains of what souls desire and eyes delight in is what Allah promised to everyone who repeatedly turns back to Him at all times by remembering Him, loving Him, seeking His help, supplicating Him, fearing Him, and placing hope in Him.
“Kept His commands” means that he carefully observes what Allah has commanded, fulfilling it sincerely and completely, in the most perfect (1) manner, and guarding His limits.
“Who feared the Most Merciful” means that he feared Him with true knowledge of his Lord and hope in His mercy, and remained constant ⦗807⦘ in fearing Allah while unseen—that is, while hidden from people’s eyes. This is genuine fear. As for fearing Him while people are watching and present, it may arise from showing off and seeking a reputation, and thus does not necessarily indicate true fear. Beneficial fear is to fear Allah both in private and in public. It is also possible that fearing Allah “in the unseen” has the same meaning as believing in the unseen, in contrast to witnessing directly, when faith and fear become unavoidable rather than freely chosen—namely, when one beholds the punishment and Allah’s signs come. This is the apparent meaning (2).
“And came with a heart that turned to Him”—that is, a heart characterized by continually turning to its Master, whose motives are drawn toward all that pleases Him. These righteous and pious people will be told: “Enter it in peace”—that is, an entry accompanied by safety from afflictions and evils and security from every unpleasant thing. Their bliss will never cease, nor will any trouble or disturbance mar it. “This is the Day of Eternity”—a day that will never end, in which there will be no death or anything to disturb their bliss.
“There they will have whatever they wish”—that is, everything their wills desire will be available to them there. Beyond that, they will have “yet more”: further reward bestowed upon them by the Most Merciful, the Ever-Merciful—what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has imagined. The greatest, most glorious, and most excellent of this will be beholding Allah’s noble Face, enjoying the hearing of His speech, and delighting in nearness to Him. We ask Allah Most High to make us among them.