Tafsir of At-Tawbah 9:22

"Abiding therein forever."

(Abiding therein), meaning the Gardens, (forever) is a confirmation of what immortality implies, and a refutation of the possibility that it might be intended to mean a long duration.

"Indeed, Allah has with Him a great reward."

This is incommensurate with the rewards of this world or with the deeds that correspond to it. The sentence is an isti’naf (a new starting statement) functioning as the ta’lil (justification) for what preceded.

Abu Hayyan mentioned that when the Exalted described the believers with three qualities—faith, migration, and striving with wealth and self—He corresponded these to them with three pieces of glad tidings: mercy, approval, and Paradise.

He (Glory be to Him) began with mercy to correspond with faith, because it is dependent upon it, and because it is the most general of blessings and the foremost among them, just as faith is the foremost.

He (the Exalted) followed with approval (Ridwan), which is the pinnacle of benevolence, to correspond with Jihad (striving), which involves the sacrificing of lives and wealth.

He (Majestic and Exalted is He) concluded with the Gardens to correspond with migration and the abandonment of homelands, signaling that since they chose to abandon them, He compensated them for the abode of disbelief with the Gardens—the abode that is in His proximity.

In the Sahih hadith, Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "O people of Paradise, are you satisfied?" They will say, "How could we not be satisfied when You have distanced us from Your Fire and entered us into Your Paradise?" He (Glory be to Him) will say, "I have something even better than that for you." They will say, "And what is better than that?" He (Majestic is His state) will say, "I bestow upon you My approval, so I shall never be angry with you after it."

It is not hidden that describing the Gardens as having within them lasting bliss—according to this distribution—is of the utmost delicacy, for migration involves travel, which is a piece of torment.