Tafsir of Ar-Rahman 55:46-47

Al-Rahman (55:46-47)

And for him who feared the standing before his Lord, there will be two Gardens.

The First Subtle Point:

The use of the definite article in describing the punishment: "This is Hellfire" (هَٰذِهِ جَهَنَّم). This indicates a specific, known, and ultimate destination for the wicked.

Conversely, the use of the indefinite form for the reward (mentioning "two Gardens" without prior definition) suggests the boundless nature of Paradise, its innumerable ranks, and its uncountable blessings. It implies that Hell is the final stage of punishment, while Paradise is the initial stage of reward, followed by further ranks and increases.

The Second Subtle Point:

We have previously explained that Khawf (fear) stems from the humility of the fearful person, whereas Khashyah (awe/reverence) is a fear rooted in recognizing the greatness of the one feared.

• Khashyah is exemplified by the verse: "Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who are learned" (Fatir: 28), because their knowledge leads them to recognize Allah's majesty, causing them to fear Him not out of their own weakness, but because of the magnitude of Allah's presence.
• Similarly, "truly fearful of the wrath of their Lord" (Al-Mu'minun: 57).
• And: "If We had sent down this Qur'an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled, splitting apart out of fear of Allah" (Al-Hashr: 21). This means if the recipient (the mountain, symbolizing the knowledgeable) were aware of the greatness of the Sender (Allah) as much as the mountain is great in strength and height, it would split from the awe of Allah's majesty.
• Also: "and you feared men, while Allah is more worthy that you should fear Him" (Al-Ahzab: 37).

We assert this distinction because the root letters for Khashyah (خ ش ي) imply a sense of reverence associated with seniority or greatness (like a Shaykh or an elder).

In contrast, the root letters for Khawf (خ و ف) suggest weakness or concealment (as in خَفِيَ - hidden, or أَخْيَف - more fearful/vulnerable). This is seen in verses where Moses was reassured: "Fear not, We will surely return him to you" (Taha: 21), because fear weakened him, and "Do not fear and do not grieve" (Al-'Ankabut: 33). The fearful person admits: "I fear they will slay me" (Al-Shu'ara: 14) and "I feared the successors after me" (Maryam: 5).

Given this understanding, Allah is the one who inspires Takhwif (fear-inducing) and Takhshiyah (awe-inspiring). The servant, in relation to Allah, is Kha'if (fearful) and Khashi (awe-struck).

• When the servant looks at himself, he sees extreme weakness, thus he is fearful (خائف).
• When he looks at the presence of Allah, he sees extreme majesty, thus he is awe-struck (خاش).

The degree of the Khashi is higher than the Kha'if. This is why Allah states: "Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who are learned." This is restricted to them because even if they imagined themselves free from their current state and that Allah had removed all their needs, they would not cease their awe; rather, their awe would increase. However, one who fears Allah only because He might cause poverty or strip away status might lessen their fear if they felt secure from that specific harm.

Therefore, Allah says: "And for him who feared the standing before his Lord, there will be two Gardens." If this is the reward for the Kha'if (fearful), what then is the status of the Khashi (awe-struck)?

The Third Subtle Point:

When Allah mentioned Khawf (fear), He mentioned the Standing (مقام): "feared the standing before his Lord." When He mentioned Khashyah (awe), He mentioned His Noble Name: "Only those fear Allah..." and "...splitting apart out of fear of Allah." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The awe of Allah is the head of all wisdom," because one knows his Lord through His majesty and thus fears Him with awe.

Regarding "the standing before his Lord" (مقام ربه), there are two interpretations:

1. The standing where he stands before his Lord: This is the station of his worship, just as one says, "This is Allah's place of worship" (معبد الله), meaning the place where the servant worships Allah.
2. The standing where Allah stands over His servants: Derived from the verse: "Is He Who stands over every soul for what it has earned?" (Al-Ra'd: 33), meaning He is the Guardian and the Observer, taking the meaning of Qā'im (standing over) as truly meaning the preserver who is never absent from it.

A third view is that مقام means a place of constraint or apprehension (مقام مقحم), as one says: "So-and-so fears the side/presence of so-and-so" (يخاف جانب فلان).

Under the second interpretation (Allah standing over them), the difference between the Kha'if and the Khashi becomes perfectly clear. The Kha'if fears his standing before Allah. However, if the Khashi were told, "Do as you wish; you will not be held accountable or questioned for your actions," he still could not act without utmost reverence. The Kha'if, however, might perhaps indulge in his desires if the accountability pen were lifted from him.

How could it be otherwise? It is said that the chosen ones of Allah, preoccupied by the awe of Allah, are too busy to eat or drink, standing before Allah, immersed in contemplating His Beauty and diving into the oceans of His Majesty. Under the second interpretation, the Kha'if is close to the Khashi, yet a difference remains between them.

The Fourth Subtle Point:

Regarding the phrase "two Gardens" (جنتان). We will clarify this after discussing the views on the dual form.

Some scholars argue that it refers to only one Garden, similar to the usage in "Cast them both into Hell" (أَلْقِيَا فِي جَهَنَّمَ) (Qaf: 24). They cite the poet who said:

They claim the poet meant one difficult path because the pronoun in "I cut it" (قطعته) is singular. This argument is invalid because the phrase "with one arrow" (بالسهم) indicates two paths were intended. If it were one path, the intent would be amazement at cutting it with a single arrow, signifying strong resolve. The singular pronoun (ـه) refers to the understood concept: "I cut both of them," where the singular form is used to denote the dual concept. We see this in the dual form used for singular meaning, such as: "Both of them are known and unknown." Similarly, Allah says: "Both Gardens yielded their produce" (كِلْتَا الْجَنَّتَيْنِ) (Al-Kahf: 33), where the dual form is used without forcing the meaning. There is no barrier to Allah granting two Gardens, or numerous Gardens, especially since He immediately follows by saying "possessing every kind of fruit" (ذَوَاتَا أَفْنَانٍ) and then mentions "in them" (فِيهِمَا).

The Second View (which is correct) is that they are indeed two Gardens. There are several reasons for this duality:

1. One Garden for Jinn and one Garden for Mankind, as these two types of beings are implied.
2. One Garden for performing acts of obedience and another Garden for abstaining from sins, as these are the two types of obligations.
3. One Garden as the deserved recompense, and another Garden as an addition beyond the recompense.
4. It is possible that one Garden is physical (bodily pleasure) and the other is spiritual (soul's delight). The physical one is in the bliss of the Garden, and the spiritual one is in the "spirit and sweet basil" (فَرَوْحٌ وَرَيْحَانٌ) (Al-Waqi'ah: 89), as the one who fears Allah is among the Near Ones (Muqarrabūn), and the Near Ones possess both spirit/fragrance and the Garden of Bliss.

The Fifth Subtle Point:

When Allah described the criminal as one who wanders between the Fire and boiling water (حَمِيمٍ آن), which are two types of suffering, He mentioned two Gardens for the one who fears Allah, in contrast to what was mentioned for the criminal. However, in the case of the criminal, Allah mentioned that they wander (يَطُوفُونَ), moving from one torment to another. Here, Allah did not say they wander between the two Gardens; rather, Allah made them kings within them, and service is performed for them, not by them, as an honor and respect.

We have previously mentioned regarding the description of the Garden: "The likeness of the Garden promised to the righteous" (Al-Ra'd: 35) and "Indeed, the righteous will be in Gardens" (Al-Dhariyat: 15) that Allah uses both the singular (الجنة) and the plural (الجنات).

• The singular form (الجنة) is used because the trees and dwellings are connected, with no separation, making it seem like one vast Garden.
• The plural form (الجنات) is used due to its vastness, the variety of its trees, and the abundance of its dwellings, making it seem like multiple Gardens.
• It can also be seen as two Gardens because it contains delights for both the soul and the body.

All these interpretations ultimately point to a description of praise and honor.

Then Allah, the Exalted, said:

Possessing every kind of fruit. (55:48)

Then which of the favors of your Lord will you both deny? (55:49)