Jonah: (25) And Allah invites to...

Issue 1: Regarding the Structure of the Discourse

When the Almighty warned the heedless away from inclining toward the world using the previous parable, He encouraged them toward the Hereafter with this verse.

The encouragement toward the Hereafter is supported by what is narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) who said: "My likeness and your likeness is that of a master who built a house, set out a table, and sent a caller. Whoever answers the caller enters the house, eats from the table, and earns the master's pleasure. Whoever does not answer neither enters, nor eats, nor earns the master's pleasure." Allah is the Master, the house is the Abode of Islam, the table is Paradise, and the caller is Muhammad (peace be upon him).

It is also narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: "There is no day the sun rises upon except that two angels stand beside it, calling out in a voice heard by all creation except humans and jinn: 'O people! Come to your Lord! And Allah invites to the Abode of Peace (Dar al-Salam).'"

Issue 2: The Meaning of Dar al-Salam (The Abode of Peace)

There is no doubt that Dar al-Salam refers to Paradise. However, scholars differed regarding the reason for this name:

The First View: Al-Salam (The Peace) refers to Allah Himself, and Paradise is His abode. We must explain the benefit of naming Allah Al-Salam. There are several aspects to this:

1. Self-Sufficiency and Permanence: Since He is Wajib al-Wujud (Necessary Existent by Himself), He is safe (salima) from annihilation and change. He is also safe from needing anything else for His Essence or Attributes, as stated: {And Allah is the Self-Sufficient, while you are the needy} (Muhammad: 38) and {O mankind, you are those in need of Allah} (Fatir: 15).
2. Justice: Allah is described as Al-Salam because creation is safe from His injustice. {And your Lord is not ever unjust to His servants} (Fussilat: 46). Since everything else is His property and dominion, acting upon one's own property is not injustice. Injustice stems only from inability, ignorance, or neediness—all of which are impossible for Allah.
3. The Bestower of Peace: Al-Mubarrid said that Allah is described as Al-Salam meaning He is the Possessor of Peace, i.e., only He is capable of granting peace (al-salam), which means delivering the incapable from hardships and calamities. Thus, the Truth (Allah) is the concealer of the faults of the flawed, the responder to the call of the distressed, and the one who grants justice to the oppressed against the oppressors. Al-Mubarrid noted that in this context, Al-Salam is the verbal noun (masdar) from salima.

The Second View: Al-Salam is the plural of salāmah (safety). Thus, Dar al-Salam means the Abode from which one is safe from afflictions. Here, Al-Salam means safety, similar to how al-rada' means suckling. In Paradise, a person is safe from all afflictions: death, illness, pain, calamities, temptations of Satan, disbelief, heresy, toil, and fatigue.

The Third View: Paradise is named Dar al-Salam because Allah greets its inhabitants with peace. Allah says: {A saying, "Peace," from a Merciful Lord} (Ya-Sin: 58). The angels also greet them: {And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, “Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured”} (Ar-Ra'd: 23-24). The inhabitants also greet one another with peace: {Their greeting therein will be, "Peace"} (Yunus: 10). Furthermore, their greetings of peace reach the fortunate ones still in the world: {But as for him who is given his record in his right hand, then he will say, “Here! Read my record! I had thought that I would never meet my account.” So he will be in a pleasing life, in a Garden raised high, its fruit hanging low. [They will be told], “Eat and drink in satisfaction for what you put forth [of good deeds] in the days past.” But as for him who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, “Oh, I wish I had not been given my record! And had not known what my account was! Oh, I wish [death] had been the finality! My wealth has not availed me. My authority has gone from me.”} (Al-Haqqah: 19-29). (Note: The excerpt seems to have conflated verses here, but the core point is the greeting of peace extended to the righteous.)

Issue 3: The Superiority of the Hereafter's Rewards

The perfection of Allah's generosity, power, and mercy toward His servants is well-known. Therefore, His invitation to Dar al-Salam indicates that Dar al-Salam contains what "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no heart has conceived." When a great being strongly desires something and emphasizes the invitation to it, it indicates the supreme status of that thing, especially since Allah has filled this sacred Book with descriptions of Paradise, such as: {So, repose and bounty, and a Garden of pleasure} (Al-Waqi'ah: 89).

We present a general argument to establish this point: A person strives today for their tomorrow. Every person has two tomorrows: a tomorrow in this world and a tomorrow in the Hereafter. The tomorrow of the Hereafter is better than the tomorrow of this world in four ways:

1. Certainty of Attainment: A person might not reach tomorrow in this world, but they will inevitably reach the tomorrow of the Hereafter.
2. Guaranteed Benefit: Even if one reaches tomorrow in this world, they might not be able to benefit from what they accumulated—either because the wealth is lost, or because an illness prevents them from enjoying it. However, whatever a person earns for the Hereafter, they are guaranteed to benefit from it.
3. Purity of Enjoyment: Even if one reaches tomorrow in this world and can benefit from their wealth, those benefits are mixed with harms and troubles, as worldly happiness is never free from afflictions; it is always mingled with calamities. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever seeks what has not been created exhausts himself and is not provided for." When asked what that was, he replied: "A day of complete joy." In contrast, the benefits of the Hereafter are pure, free from grief, worry, and sorrow, and safe from all things that cause aversion.
4. Permanence: Even if a person attains worldly honor and benefits from it, and even if that benefit is free from admixture with afflictions, it must eventually cease. The benefits of the Hereafter are eternal and free from termination.

Thus, it is established that worldly happiness is tainted by these four defects, while the happiness of the Hereafter is safe from them. For this reason, Paradise is Dar al-Salam.

Issue 4: Proof for Divine Decree (Qada')

Our scholars used this verse as proof that disbelief and faith are by the decree of Allah. They argue: Allah stated that He invited all creation to Dar al-Salam, and then He clarified that He only guided some of them. This specific guidance must be different from that general invitation. It is also certain that decrees, empowerment, sending messengers, and revealing books are general matters. Therefore, this specific guidance must be different from all these things—and that specific guidance is what we mentioned: that Allah singled out some for knowledge and recognition, excluding others.

This verse poses a problem for the Mu'tazila, and they have offered several responses, summarized by the Judge (Al-Qadi) in two points:

1. The meaning of {and Allah guides whom He wills} is that whoever answers the call, obeys, and is pious, Allah guides them to it (Paradise).
2. The meaning of this guidance refers to the Lutf (subtle divine aids).

Our scholars refuted both views with one statement: For the Mu'tazila, this guidance is obligatory upon Allah. What is obligatory cannot be conditional upon the Will (Mashi'ah). Since this guidance is conditional upon the Will, it cannot be what they claim (i.e., obligatory Lutf or guidance based on prior obedience).

{For those who did good is the best [reward] and [even] more. And darkness will not cover their faces, nor will they experience humiliation. Those are the companions of Paradise; they will abide therein eternally.}