Surah At-Tawbah (9): Verse 72

Translation and Exegesis

Know that when the Almighty mentioned the promise in the first verse in a general manner, He mentioned it in this verse in detail. This is because the Almighty promised mercy, and then clarified in this verse that this mercy consists of these things.

The first of these is His saying: {Gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide eternally}.

It is more likely that He intended the visible orchards and groves, because He subsequently said: {and good dwellings in the Gardens of Eden}. Since the conjunction requires the conjoined element to be different from the element it is connected to, their dwellings are in the Gardens of Eden, while the visible scenery/views are the gardens (orchards). The benefit of describing them as ‘Adn (Eden) is that they resemble a permanent dwelling place where a person resides. As for the gardens of the Hereafter, they are like the orchards one might visit for recreation and meeting loved ones.

The second is His saying: {and good dwellings in the Gardens of Eden}.

There has been much discussion among the narrators of traditions (Ahl al-Athar) regarding the description of the Gardens of Eden.

• Al-Hasan said: I asked ‘Imran ibn al-Husayn and Abu Hurayrah about the saying: {and good dwellings}. They replied: "You have asked someone knowledgeable. We asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about this, and he said: 'It is a palace in Paradise made of pearl, containing seventy houses of red ruby. In every house are seventy rooms of green emerald. In every room are seventy couches, and upon every couch are seventy mattresses. Upon every mattress is a spouse from the wide-eyed Houris. In every house are seventy dining tables, and upon every table are seventy kinds of food. In every house are seventy maidservants. The believer is given the strength in a single morning to partake of all of that.'"
• Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that it is the Dwelling of Allah, which no eye has seen, nor has it crossed the heart of any human being. I suggest that perhaps Ibn ‘Abbas meant that it is the dwelling place of those brought near (the Muqarrabun) to Allah, as he was more knowledgeable of Allah than to assert a specific dwelling place for Him.
• Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I asked, "O Messenger of Allah, tell me about Paradise—what is its construction?" He replied: "A brick of gold and a brick of silver. Its mortar is the purest musk, its dust is saffron, and its pebbles are pearls and rubies. In it is pleasure without misery, and eternity without death. Its garments will not wear out, and its youth will not fade."
• Ibn Mas‘ud said: The Gardens of Eden are the central parts (butnan) of Paradise. Al-Azhari explained that butnan means its middle, and the butnan of valleys are the places where floodwater is beneficial; the singular is batn.
• ‘Ata’ narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas that it is the capital (qasabah) of Paradise and the roof of which is the Throne of the Most Merciful. It is the city where the Messengers, Prophets, Martyrs, and Imams of Guidance reside, and all other gardens surround it. Within it is the spring of Tasnim, and it contains palaces of pearls, rubies, and gold. A sweet wind blows from beneath the Throne, bringing upon them mounds of the purest musk.
• ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr said: In Paradise, there is a palace called ‘Adn, surrounded by towers, and it has five thousand gates. Upon every gate are five thousand free women. None enter it except a Prophet, a truthful one (Siddiq), or a martyr.

My conclusion is that there are two views regarding the Gardens of Eden:

1. It is a proper noun (‘alam) for a specific location in Paradise. The narrations and traditions we have cited support this view. The author of Al-Kashshaf stated: “‘Adn is a proper name, evidenced by His saying: {the Gardens of Eden which the Most Merciful promised}” (19:61).
2. It is an adjective (sifah) for Paradise. Al-Azhari said: Al-‘Adn is derived from your saying, ‘adana fulanun bil-makan (so-and-so settled in the place), meaning he remained there. Arabs say, "The camels of so-and-so’s family were left ‘awdan in such-and-such a place," which means the camels became attached to the place and did not leave it. From this is al-ma‘dan (the mine), which is the place where jewels are created and originate. Those who hold this derivation say that all gardens are Gardens of Eden.

The third type of promise mentioned by the Almighty in this verse is His saying: {and the pleasure of Allah is greater}.

This means that the pleasure (Ridwan) of Allah is greater than everything mentioned previously. Know that this is the conclusive proof that spiritual felicities are nobler and higher than bodily felicities.

This is because either the delight comes from the Master being pleased with him, and this pleasure is used as a means to attain some bodily pleasures, or it is not so; rather, the knowledge of His pleasure itself causes delight and happiness for its own sake, without being a means to another objective.

The first case is false. That which is a means to something cannot be of a higher status than the intended goal. If the purpose of Allah’s Pleasure were merely to use it as a means to the pleasures Allah has prepared in Paradise—such as eating and drinking—then the delight in the Pleasure would be delight in the means. The delight in those pleasures would be delight in the goal. We have already established that delight in the means must be of a lower status than delight in the goal. Therefore, Allah’s Pleasure would have to be of a lower status and rank than attaining the gardens and good dwellings. However, the reality is not so, because the Almighty explicitly stated that attaining the Pleasure is higher, greater, more majestic, and greater (akbar). This is conclusive evidence that spiritual felicities are more perfect and nobler than bodily felicities.

Know that the correct and true doctrine requires affirming both together, just as Allah combined them in this verse.

After mentioning these three things, He said: {That is the great success} (al-fawz al-‘aẓīm). There are two interpretations of this:

1. Man is created from two essences: a subtle, lofty, spiritual essence, and a dense, low, bodily essence. Happiness and misery are attached to these. When bodily goods are obtained, and spiritual felicities are added, the spirit achieves the success appropriate to it, and the body reaches the success appropriate to it. Undoubtedly, this is the great success.
2. The Almighty explained the description of the hypocrites by stating that they resembled the disbelievers before them in enjoying the world and its good things. Then, in this verse, the Almighty described the reward of the believers and then said: {That is the great success}. This means that this is the great success, not what the hypocrites and disbelievers seek in enjoying the good things of this world.

It is narrated that the Almighty will say to the people of Paradise: "Are you satisfied?" They will reply, "What reason do we have not to be satisfied when You have given us what You have not given anyone among Your creation?" He will say, "Shall I give you something better than that?" They will ask, "What is better than that?" He will say, "I shall let My Pleasure descend upon you, and I shall never be angry with you again."

Know that the evidence this narration provides for the superiority of spiritual felicities over bodily ones is the same as the evidence provided by the verse, which we have already fully established.

Verse 73

{O Prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh with them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination.}