جَنَّٰتِ ٱلنَّعِيمِ

7:97.

Important Words:

النعیم (bliss) is derived from نعم. They say نعم عیشه i.e. his life was or became plentiful and easy; or it was or became good or pleasant. نعمة (na‘mat) means, ease and plenty; pleasantness and softness of life; enjoyment of a life of ease; comfort and affluence; tenderness, bloom, or freshness. نعمة (ni‘mat) means, a benefit; favour; boon; blessing; bounty; grace or what God bestows on man. نعیم means, grace of God; ease and plenty; welfare; well-being; delight and pleasure; blessing (Lane).

Commentary:

The verse makes it absolutely clear that in order to get salvation and enter Heaven, it is necessary that the People of the Book should believe in the Holy Prophet and the Quran and that their believing in past Prophets and past Books is not sufficient. In this connection see also 2:63.

The expression, gardens of bliss, denotes a perfect state of spiritual pleasure as well as an abode of bliss. It may be noted here that while qualifying the word جنة (garden or Heaven) the Quran uses four distinct expressions:

(1) جنات النعیم i.e. gardens of bliss, as in the present verse; (2) جنات الماوی i.e. gardens of refuge, as in 32:20; (3) جنات عدن i.e. gardens of eternity, as in 9:72; and (4) جنات الفردوس i.e. gardens of Paradise, as in 18:108. These names represent different aspects as well as different grades and sections of Heaven.

2:278; 4:176; 13:30; 14:24; 22:15, 24.

Commentary:

The words, their Lord shall guide them, show that true guidance is achieved only through true faith. Mere actions are of no value, unless they are accompanied by the purification of the heart. The man who has a mind to steal but who finds no opportunity to do so cannot be called honest. Similarly, if a person’s heart is inspired by fear of anyone other than Allah, even though he does not outwardly worship them, he cannot be called a true worshipper of God. But it would be wrong to infer from this that Islam attaches no importance to the doing of good actions and holds "faith" to be sufficient. What Islam emphasizes is that good works should be accompanied by faith, which is another name for the purification of the heart. It is impossible for a man with a pure heart to fail to do good works. The heart of man is beyond all external control. His actions can be controlled, but not his heart; God has, therefore, made guidance dependent on something which is entirely in one’s own power and totally beyond the control of others. So, by adding the words, because of their faith, the Quran alludes to the fact that a man’s actions will be rewarded according to the degree of his faith. The deeds of two persons may be equal and analogous to all outward appearance, but their rewards may be entirely different according to the measure of the faith, sincerity and love which inspire their actions. This is indeed a point worth remembering.

The word تحت (beneath) is also used figuratively, denoting subordination. Taken in this sense, the expression, beneath them, would signify that the inmates of Heaven will be masters and owners of its rivers and not merely their users as tenants or occupiers. It may also be incidentally noted here that the word تحت (beneath) is also used as a noun meaning a person of low status and poor origin. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said,

لا تقوم الساعة حتی تظھر التحوت و تھلك الوعول

i.e. "the Hour of Resurrection will not come until those belonging to the poor and labouring class shall prevail and the rich classes shall perish," which means that the truth of the Promised Messiah whose time has been stated as marking the approach of the "Hour of Resurrection," shall not prevail unless workers and labourers have ascendency over the rich and wealthy (Taj under the word تحت). This prophecy has been wonderfully fulfilled by the rise of the labour class in most countries, particularly in Soviet Russia.

6:74; 25:27.

13:30; 14:24; 18:31; 30:16; 68:35; 78:32-37.

Commentary:

Besides being of general application the verse may particularly refer to the Fall of Mecca. On that day the Kingdom of God became established in Arabia and idolatry departed from its stronghold never to return, and Divine judgement was pronounced in the words, "Truth has come and falsehood has vanished away. Falsehood does indeed vanish away fast" (17:82).

The words, "Gardens of Bliss" may refer to the fertile lands of Iraq, Syria and Egypt which after the conquest of Arabia fell to the victorious arms of the Muslims.

Here as also in 25:27 it is said that "The Kingdom on that day will be Allah’s." In 1:4 it is stated, "Allah is the Master of the Day of Judgement" and in 3:27, "He is the Lord of Sovereignty." So God as represented by Islam is not only ملک (Malik) meaning King, but He is also مالک (Malik) i.e. Master and even مالک الملک, which signifies that He is such a King that He has complete possession, and undisputed and undivided ownership of all those things of which He is the Master.

44:53; 68:35; 78:33.

13:30; 30:16; 68:35; 78:32-33.

Commentary:

The verse purports to say that while the rebellious owners of the "garden" (v. 18) will be deprived of it, the righteous believers will have "Gardens of Bliss" from their Lord.