Yunus: (9-10) Indeed, those who believed...

Know that when the Almighty explained the states of the deniers and rejecters in the preceding verse, He mentioned in this verse the states of the sincere believers.

Note that the Almighty first mentioned their attributes, and then mentioned the sublime states and high ranks they possess.

As for their states and attributes, it is His saying: {Indeed, those who believed and did righteous deeds} (10:9). There are several interpretations regarding its meaning:

The human soul possesses two powers:

1. The Theoretical Power: Its perfection lies in knowing things, and the chief and sovereign of knowledge is the knowledge of God.
2. The Practical Power: Its perfection lies in performing good deeds and acts of obedience, and the chief and sovereign of righteous deeds is the service of God.

Thus, {Indeed, those who believed} refers to the perfection of the theoretical power through the knowledge of God Almighty. And {and did righteous deeds} refers to the perfection of the practical power through the service of God Almighty. Since the theoretical power precedes the practical power in nobility and rank, it is fitting that it was mentioned first.

Al-Qaffal interpreted this verse by saying: {Indeed, those who believed and did righteous deeds} means they affirmed with their hearts, and then they substantiated that affirmation with the righteous deeds brought by the Prophets and the Books from God Almighty.

The meaning is that those who disbelieved occupied their hearts and spirits with acquiring knowledge, and {did righteous deeds} means they occupied their limbs with service. Their eyes are occupied with contemplation, as He says: {So take heed, O people of insight!} (Al-Hashr: 2). Their ears are occupied with hearing the word of God, as He says: {And when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger} (Al-Ma'idah: 83). Their tongues are occupied with the remembrance of God, as He says: {O you who have believed, remember Allah often} (Al-Ahzab: 41). And their limbs are occupied with the light of obedience to God, as He says: {Do they not prostrate to Allah who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and the earth} (An-Naml: 25)?

Know that after describing them with faith and righteous deeds, the Almighty mentioned the ranks of their honors and the levels of their felicity, which are four:

This contains several issues:

Issue 1: Interpretation of {Their Lord will guide them by their faith}

There are several views:

1. Guidance to Paradise: That God Almighty guides them to Paradise as a reward for their faith and righteous deeds. Evidence for this interpretation includes:
   • His saying: {On the Day you will see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and to their right} (Al-Hadid: 12).
   • The narration that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When the believer exits his grave, his deeds will appear to him in a beautiful form, and it will say to him: 'I am your deeds,' and it will be a light and a guide for him to Paradise. When the disbeliever exits his grave, his deeds will appear to him in an ugly form, and it will say to him: 'I am your deeds,' and it will drag him until it throws him into the Fire."
   • Mujahid said: The believers will have a light walking with them to Paradise.
   • The rational argument: Faith is a light connected to the soul from the realm of holiness. This light is like a thread connecting the believer's heart to that holy realm. If this luminous thread is established, the servant can follow that light and return to the realm of holiness. If this luminous cord does not exist, he will wander in the darkness of the realm of misguidance, and we seek refuge in God from it.

2. Guidance to Higher Knowledge: Ibn al-Anbari said that their faith guides them to specific subtleties in knowledge, distinctions in expression, and flashes of light that illuminate their hearts, removing doubts and ambiguities from them, like His saying: {And those who are guided - He increases them in guidance} (Muhammad: 17). These additions, benefits, and distinctions may occur in this world before death, or in the Hereafter after death. Al-Qaffal said that if we interpret the verse this way, the meaning is: "Their Lord will guide them by their faith, and rivers will flow beneath them in Gardens of Bliss." However, the waw (and) is omitted, and {rivers will flow} becomes a new, disconnected statement.

3. Guidance through Necessary Premises: This interpretation requires prior premises:
   • Premise 1: Knowledge is light, and ignorance is darkness. Reason confirms this. When a noble, profound issue is presented to two people, and one understands it while the other does not, the face of the one who understood appears bright and illuminated, while the face of the one who did not understand appears gloomy, dark, and contracted. This is why the Quran often uses light for knowledge and faith, and darkness for ignorance and disbelief.
   • Premise 2: The spirit is like a tablet, and knowledge and gnosis are like inscriptions on that tablet. There is a subtlety here: if physical inscriptions are drawn on a physical tablet, some inscriptions can prevent others from being formed. However, the tablet of the spirit is the opposite: if the spirit is empty of the inscriptions of gnosis and knowledge, it is difficult for it to acquire them. But once it strives and acquires some, what it has acquired aids it in easily acquiring the rest. The more is acquired, the easier it is to acquire the remainder. Physical inscriptions can impede others, while spiritual inscriptions aid the acquisition of others. This indicates that the states of the spiritual world are contrary to the states of the physical world.
   • Premise 3: Righteous deeds are those actions that lead the soul toward seeking the Hereafter and abandoning the world, while blameworthy deeds are the opposite.

If these premises are understood, we say: When a person believes in God, his spirit is illuminated by the light of this knowledge. When he perseveres in righteous deeds, a stable disposition is established in him toward the Hereafter and turning away from the world. The more complete these states are, the stronger the soul's readiness becomes to acquire further knowledge. The stronger and more complete the readiness, the more numerous are the paths of gnosis, and the stronger their illumination and radiance. Since the ranks of knowledge and intellectual lights are endless, the ranks of this guidance mentioned in {Their Lord will guide them by their faith} are also endless.

Issue 2: Interpretation of {rivers will flow beneath them}

This means they will be seated on elevated couches in gardens, and rivers will flow in front of them. This is similar to His saying: {He struck with his foot, and behold, a spring of water gushed forth beneath him} (Maryam: 24) – meaning, right before you. Similarly, {and these rivers flow beneath me} (Az-Zukhruf: 51) means before me. So it is here as well.

Issue 3: The relationship between Faith and Guidance

Faith is knowledge, and the guidance resulting from it is also a type of knowledge. However, the Almighty did not say, "Their Lord guides them by their faith" (using the accusative iḍāfa), but rather {Their Lord will guide them by means of their faith} (using the preposition bi). This indicates that knowledge of the premises (faith) does not necessitate knowledge of the conclusion (guidance); rather, knowledge of the premises causes the soul to achieve the perfect readiness to accept the conclusion. Once this readiness is achieved, the actualization comes from the Truth (God) Himself. This is the meaning of the philosophers' saying that the Absolute Bestower and the True Generous One is none other than God Almighty.

This contains several issues:

Issue 1: Interpretation of {Their call (da'wāhum)}

1. As Supplication (Du'a): Da'wā here means supplication, just as shakwā means complaint. Some commentators said: {Their call} means their supplication. He says regarding the people of Paradise: {They will have therein fruits, and they will have whatever they call for} (Ya-Sin: 57). And in another verse: {They will be called therein from every gate} (Ad-Dukhan: 55). What strengthens this interpretation is that they said: {O Allah}, which is a call to God Almighty. The meaning of their saying {Exalted are You, O Allah!} is: "We glorify You," like the supplicant in the Qunut prayer says: "O Allah, it is You we worship."
2. As Worship ('Ibādah): Similar to His saying: {And I shall withdraw from you and from those you invoke besides Allah} (Maryam: 48), meaning "those you worship." The meaning would be that the people of Paradise have no worship except glorifying and praising Allah. Their engagement in this remembrance is not due to obligation but out of delight in remembering God Almighty.
3. As a Claim (Da'wā against an opponent): Some said it could mean the claim a litigant makes against another. The meaning is that the people of Paradise claim in this world and the Hereafter the purification of God from all defects and the affirmation of His divinity. Al-Qaffal said this also originates from supplication, as the litigant calls his opponent to a judge between them.
4. As Statement and Affirmation: Muslim said: {Their call} means their statement, affirmation, and invocation, which is their saying: {Exalted are You, O Allah!}
5. As Custom/Practice: Al-Qadi said the meaning of {Their call} is their manner of glorifying and sanctifying God, their custom, and their tradition. The evidence is that {Exalted are You, O Allah!} is neither a supplication nor a claim, except that one who claims something is habitually devoted to mentioning it. Thus, the word da'wā is used metaphorically for that habit and constant adherence. Since the people of Paradise are constant in this remembrance, the word da'wā is applied to it.
6. As Wishing/Desiring: Al-Qaffal said that regarding {They will have whatever they call for} (Ya-Sin: 57), it means what they wish for. The Arabs say, "Call for me whatever you wish," meaning "desire." Ibn Jurayj reported that {Their call therein will be: "Exalted are You, O Allah!"} means that if a bird they desire passes by, they say, "Exalted are You, O Allah!" and an angel brings them that desired thing. This interpretation moves the verse away from the previous meanings. Another, nobler interpretation under this view is that their desire in Paradise is only to glorify, sanctify, and exalt Allah.
7. As Mutual Calling: Al-Qaffal also suggested it might refer to what they used to call each other in the world during times of conflict, seeking solace and help, like saying, "O people of so-and-so." God informed us that their solace in Paradise is through the remembrance of God, their tranquility through praising God, and their pleasure through glorifying God.

Issue 2: Interpretation of {Exalted are You, O Allah!}

1. As a Signal for Desired Things (Weak View): Some say the people of Paradise made this remembrance a sign for requesting desired things. Ibn Jurayj said if a bird they desired passed by, they would say, "Exalted are You, O Allah!" and it would be brought to them. When they finished eating what they desired, they would say, {All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds}. Al-Kalbī said {Exalted are You, O Allah!} is a code between the people of Paradise and the servants; when they hear it, they bring what they desire.
   • Critique of this view: This view is very weak for several reasons:
     • It reduces this sublime, holy remembrance to a mere signal for requesting food, drink, and sexual pleasure, which is extremely base.
     • God Almighty stated their attribute is: {And they will have whatever they desire} (Ya-Sin: 57). If they desire that bird, they have no need to ask for it. If there is no need to ask, this interpretation collapses.
     • It forces the noble, sublime meaning of the words into a base context that the words themselves do not suggest, which is false.

2. As Engagement in Glorification (The Correct View): The meaning is the engagement of the people of Paradise in sanctifying, glorifying, and praising God Almighty, because their felicity lies in this remembrance, their delight in it, and their joy stemming from it; their perfect state is achieved only through it. Under this correct view, there are further interpretations:
   • Affirmation of Truthfulness: Al-Qadi said that God promised the pious a great reward (as mentioned earlier in the Surah: {To Allah is your final destination, a true promise from Allah} (Yunus: 4)). When the people of Paradise enter and find those great blessings, they realize God was truthful in His promise. At that moment, they say: {Exalted are You, O Allah!}, meaning: "We glorify You for not failing in Your promise and not lying in Your word."
   • The Apex of Felicity: The ultimate felicity of the fortunate and the highest rank of the Prophets and Saints is their happiness derived from the ranks of the knowledge of Majesty (Jalāl). Knowledge of God's Essence and insight into His reality are inaccessible to creation. The utmost goal is knowing His negative attributes (attributes of transcendence/negation) or His relational attributes (attributes of honor). Therefore, the perfection of sublime remembrance is confined to these, as He says: {Blessed is the Name of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor} (Ar-Rahman: 78). The Prophet (PBUH) used to say: "Adhere to Dha al-Jalāl wal-Ikrām (O Owner of Majesty and Honor)." Since negations precede relations in rank, the mention of Majesty precedes the mention of Honor in speech. Since the ultimate felicity is confined to these two stations, God Almighty mentioned that they are constant in this sublime, holy remembrance. Since the ascent to God's Majesty and the degrees of His Divinity, Honor, and Grace are endless, so too are the degrees of ascent for the purified spirits in these sublime divine stations.
   • Emulation of the Angels: The near angels were engaged in this remembrance before the creation of Adam (peace be upon him), as seen when they said: {And we exalt [You] with praise of You and sanctify You} (Al-Baqarah: 30). God Almighty inspired the fortunate among Adam's descendants to utter this glorification and praise, indicating that the sublime remembrance performed by the near angels before the creation of the world is the very same performed by the fortunate descendants of Adam after the world's end. Because this remembrance carries such high honor, it is narrated that it is recited at the beginning of the prayer: when the worshipper says Takbir, he says: "(Exalted are You, O Allah, and with Your praise; blessed is Your Name, exalted is Your Majesty, and there is no god but You)."

Commentators said their greeting to one another is with Salam (Peace). The greeting of the angels to them is also with Salam, as He says: {And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [Saying], "Peace be upon you"} (Ar-Ra'd: 23). And the greeting of God to them is also Salam, as He says: {A word [of greeting] from a Merciful Lord} (Ya-Sin: 58).

Al-Wahidi said this is an iḍāfa (genitive construction) of the verbal noun to the object. I have another view: their constant repetition of this word indicates that in the world, they were in a place of afflictions and exposed to dangers. When they are taken out of the world and reach the honor of God Almighty, they have become safe from afflictions and secure from dangers and deficiencies. God informed us that they mention this meaning when He says: {And they will say, "All praise is due to Allah, who has removed grief from us. Indeed, our Lord is Forgiving and Appreciative. [He is] who has settled us in the Home of Abode out of His grace. There will touch us therein no fatigue nor will touch us therein any weariness"} (Fatir: 34-35).

Issue 1: The Conclusion of their Remembrance

We mentioned that a group of commentators interpreted these sublime, holy words in relation to the eating and drinking of the people of Paradise. They said that when the people of Paradise desire something, they say, "Exalted are You, O Allah, and with Your praise," and when they finish eating, they say, "All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds." This speaker's vision, in this world and the next, has not risen above food and drink, and such a person deserves to be counted among the beasts.

However, the truthful verifiers have abandoned this view and have other sayings regarding it:

• Al-Hasan al-Basri narrated from the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) that he said: "The people of Paradise will be inspired with praise and glorification just as you are inspired with your breaths."
• Al-Zajjaj said: God Almighty informed us that the people of Paradise begin with the glorification and sanctification of God and conclude with thanking and praising Him.

I have other views on this matter:

1. Since the people of Paradise found happiness in saying {Exalted are You, O Allah, and with Your praise} and witnessed their state of safety from afflictions and dangers, they knew that all these sublime states and holy stations were facilitated by the grace, bounty, and favor of the Truth (God). Therefore, they engaged in praise and thanks, saying: {All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds}. The conclusion was set upon this statement because their engagement in glorifying and praising Allah is one of the greatest blessings from God upon them. Gratitude for a blessing comes after witnessing that blessing, which is why this word concludes the statement.
2. Every person has a ladder (mi'rāj) according to their capacity; sometimes they descend from that ladder, and sometimes they ascend it. The ladder of the sincere knowers is the knowledge of God, the glorification of God, and the praise of God. When they say, {Exalted are You, O Allah}, they are in the very act of ascending. When they descend from it to the world of creation, what results from that descent is the outpouring of good upon all those in need, which is alluded to by His saying: {and their greeting therein will be "Peace"}. Then, they ascend once more to their ladder, and upon ascending, they say: {All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds}. These sublime words indicate the variation in the servant's states due to descent and ascent.
3. Our saying "Allah" is a name for the Essence of the Truth (God). Sometimes the servant looks at the attributes of Majesty, alluded to by {Exalted are You}. Then he attempts to ascend from there to the presence of the Essence's Majesty, an ascent befitting human capacity, alluded to by {O Allah}. When he ascends from that station and penetrates the initial lights, he returns to the realm of Honor, alluded to by {All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds}. These are thoughts that crossed my mind and circulated in my imagination. If they are true, the success is from God Almighty; if not, reliance is upon the mercy of God Almighty.

Issue 2: The word {An} in {An al-hamda lillāh}

Al-Wahidi said that {An} in {An al-hamda lillāh} is the lightened form of the emphatic inna, so it does not operate because the lightening removes its resemblance to a verb, like the saying: "An hālikun kullu man yakhfā wa yanta'il" (Indeed, every one who is hidden and walks is doomed), meaning he is doomed. The author of An-Nathm said {An} here is superfluous, and the meaning is: "And the end of their call is: All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds." This view is baseless. Some recited it with the emphatic anna (with a shadda), making al-hamda accusative.

{And if Allah were to hasten for the people the evil they would ask for as they hasten for the good, their term would have been decreed. But We leave those who do not expect the meeting with Us in their transgression, wandering blindly.} (10:11)