| Ibrahim: (23) And admit those who believe...

Two Issues Arise Here:

The First Issue: When God Almighty extensively detailed the states of the wretched (the doomed) through numerous aspects, He then explained the states of the fortunate (the blessed). As established, reward must consist of pure, eternal benefit, coupled with honor.

1. Pure Benefit: This is indicated by His saying: {And admit those who believe and do righteous deeds into Gardens beneath which rivers flow.}
2. Eternity: This is indicated by His saying: {abiding therein forever.}
3. Honor: This is achieved in two ways:
   • These benefits are attained by the permission and command of God Almighty.
   • The statement: {Their greeting therein will be "Peace" (Salam)}. This is because some of them greet others with this word, and the angels greet them with it, as stated: {And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, * "Peace be upon you"*} (Ar-Ra'd: 23). Furthermore, the Merciful Lord also greets them with this word, as stated: {“Peace”—a word from a Merciful Lord} (Ya-Sin: 58).

The word Salam (Peace) is derived from Salāmah (safety/security). It is evident that what is meant is that they are safe from the afflictions and regrets of the worldly life, and from all types of its pains, sicknesses, worries, and anxieties. How true is what they say! Safety from the trials of the corruptible physical world is one of the greatest blessings, especially when it is followed by attaining spiritual delight and kingly felicity.

The Second Issue: Al-Hasan recited the verse as: {And admit those who believe...} (omitting the pronoun 'them' after Adkhil), implying: "And I shall admit those who believe."

Under this recitation, the phrase {by permission of their Lord} is connected to what follows it. That is, their greeting therein will be "Peace" by permission of their Lord. This means the angels greet them by the permission of their Lord.

| { 7 < Have you not seen how God sets forth a parable? A good word is like a good tree whose roots are firm and whose branches are in the heaven. * It yields its fruit at all times by the permission of its Lord. And God sets forth parables for mankind that they may be mindful. * And the parable of a bad word is like a bad tree uprooted from above the earth, having no stability. } > 7

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