Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread): Verse 119

Then the Almighty said: {Allah said, "This is the Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness."}

There are several points regarding this verse:

There is a consensus that this Day refers to the Day of Resurrection.

The meaning is that their truthfulness in the worldly life will benefit them on the Day of Resurrection.

The evidence for this interpretation is that the truthfulness of the disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection will not benefit them. Have you not seen that when Iblis said: {Indeed, Allah had promised you a true promise, and I promised you and then failed you} (Ibrahim: 22), this truthfulness did not benefit him?

Furthermore, this statement by Allah is a confirmation (tasdiq) of what Jesus (peace be upon him) said: {I said nothing to them except what You commanded me to say} (Al-Ma'idah: 117).

The majority of reciters read {يوم} (Day) with the nominative case (raising, rafʿ). Nafi' read it with the accusative case (naṣb), and Abu 'Ubaydah preferred this reading.

Regarding the Nominative Reading (Rafʿ): Al-Zajjaj said the implied structure is: "This Day is the Day of benefit for the truthful."

Regarding the Accusative Reading (Naṣb): There are several interpretations:

1. It functions as an adverb of time (ẓarf) related to the verb qāla (said). The implication is: Allah said this statement to Jesus on the Day when the truthful benefit from their truthfulness.
2. It implies that the statement of truthfulness occurs on the Day when the truthful benefit from their truthfulness. It is permissible to treat temporal adverbs as predicates for events in this sense, similar to saying, "The battle is on Saturday," or "The Hajj is on the Day of 'Arafah," meaning it occurs on that day.
3. Al-Farra' said that since {يوم} is followed by something that is not a noun (i.e., the verb yanfaʿu), it is constructed on the fatḥa (accusative) like in {يومئذ} (on that day).

The Basrans disagree, stating this is incorrect because a temporal adverb is only constructed on the fatḥa when it is annexed to something already constructed (indeclinable), like in the verse by Al-Nabighah:

“While I blamed old age for my youth.”

Here, ḥīn (time) is constructed because it is annexed to a constructed element (the past tense verb). Similarly, {يوم لا تملك} (the Day when you will not possess) (Al-Infitar: 19) is constructed because it is annexed to lā (not), which is indeclinable. However, in our case, the annexation is to an inflected word (muʿrab), because yanfaʿu is a future tense verb, and future verbs are inflected, so annexation to it does not necessitate construction. And Allah knows best.

Then the Almighty said: {Theirs will be Gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide eternally. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. That is the Great Success.}

Know that when Allah informed that the truthfulness of the truthful benefits them on the Day of Resurrection, He then explained the nature of that benefit, which is the reward. The essence of the reward is a pure, eternal benefit accompanied by glorification.

1. {Theirs will be Gardens beneath which rivers flow}: This points to the pure benefit, free from worries and distress.
2. {wherein they will abide eternally}: This points to permanence (eternity). Note this subtle point: wherever reward is mentioned, the phrase {خالدين فيها أبدا} (abiding therein eternally) is used. However, wherever the punishment of sinful believers is mentioned, the word khulūd (abiding) is used, but the word abada (eternally) is not mentioned alongside it.
3. {Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him}: This points to glorification. This is the apparent view of the theologians (mutakallimūn).

However, for those whose spirits are illuminated by the lights of Allah's Majesty, there are wondrous secrets beneath the phrase {رضي الله عنهم ورضوا عنه} (Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him) that pens cannot fully articulate. May Allah make us among them.

Regarding {ذالك الفوز العظيم} (That is the Great Success): The majority hold that the pronoun dhālika (that) refers back to the entire preceding statement, from {لهم جنات تجري} (Theirs will be Gardens flowing) up to {ورضوا عنه} (and they are pleased with Him).

However, I suggest that it might be specifically related to the statement {رضي الله عنهم ورضوا عنه} (Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him). This is because it is established among people of intellect that the entirety of Paradise, with all that it contains, is like non-existence compared to the existence of Allah's pleasure. How could it be otherwise, when Paradise is desired by sensual appetite, while pleasure (riḍwān) is an attribute of the Truth (Allah)? What comparison exists between them? This statement might cause aversion in the nature of the superficial theologian, but everyone is facilitated toward what they were created for.

Then the Almighty said:

{To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is in them. And He is over all things competent.}