۞ وَسَارِعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
57:22; See also 2:26.
Important Words:
عرض (price). The verb عرض gives a number of meanings. They say عرض الشیء علیه i.e. he showed him the thing. عرض له عارض means, some difficulty confronted him, or came across his way, or some accident happened to him. عرض means: (1) price of a thing in a form other than money; (2) breadth or width; (3) vastness; (4) goods; (5) a valley; (6) side of a mountain (Aqrab).
Commentary:
This verse is an answer to those who, obsessed by their present environments, think that commerce and other affairs of the world cannot be carried on without interest. God says that by following the teachings of Islam, Muslims can and will enjoy all sorts of benefits.
The verse is an invitation to follow the commandments of Islam, which has been spoken of as leading to "forgiveness" and "Paradise". The former word implies freedom from pain and afflictions; the latter stands for bliss.
The word عرض rendered as "price" gives, as shown above, a number of meanings. The idea is that the blessings of Paradise will not be limited. While in Paradise, a man will feel happy wherever he may be. On the contrary in this world, we find that a man often possesses the necessary means of enjoyment while at home, but when he is on a journey, he is often put to inconvenience. Such will not be the case in Paradise.
The clause also means that believers will be granted a Paradise which will comprise both heaven and earth, i.e. the believers will be in Paradise both on this earth and in the life to come.
There is a tradition to the effect that once certain Companions asked the Holy Prophet, "If Paradise encom-passes the heavens and the earth, where is Hell?" To this the Prophet replied: "Where is the night when the day comes?" (Kathir). This reply throws very interesting light on the nature of Heaven and Hell. The Holy Prophet has also said that the smallest reward of the inmates of Paradise will be as immense as the space between heaven and earth.
57:22; See also 2:26.
‘Ard means, (1) price or value of a thing in a form other than money; (2) breadth or width; (3) vastness (Aqrab).
This verse is an answer to those who, obsessed by their present environments, think that commerce and trade cannot be carried on without interest. It says that by following the teachings of Islam, Muslims can and will enjoy all sorts of benefits. The verse constitutes an invitation to Muslims to follow the commandments of Islam. It also signifies that Paradise will comprise both heavens and earth, i.e. the believers will be in Paradise both in this life and in the life to come. A well-known saying of the Holy Prophet throws interesting light on the nature of Paradise and Hell. When asked, "If Paradise encompasses both the heavens and the earth, where is Hell," the Prophet replied, "Where is night when the day comes" (Kathir)? He is further reported to have said that the smallest reward of Paradise will be as great as the space between heaven and earth. This also shows that Paradise is a spiritual state and not a particular physical place.