In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1- By the Mount,
2- and a Book inscribed
3- in unrolled parchment,
4- And the House frequented,
5- And the raised canopy,
6- And the sea surging.
7- Indeed (inna), the punishment of your Lord will occur (la waqi?);
8- No one can avert it.
9- On the day when the sky shall shake frightfully,
10- and the mountains float away.
11- Woe on that Day to those who deny the Truth,
12- who amuse themselves with idle chatter and play (fi khawdin yal?abun),
13- [for] on that Day they will be thrust into the fire of hell.
14- [It will be said to them] “This is the fire you used to deny.
15- Is this magic? Do you still not see it?
16- Burn therein (islawha). Whether you are patient or impatient, it will be
the same for you. You are only being repaid for what you used to do (kuntum
ta?malun).”
17- Surely, those who were mindful of God will be in gardens and in bliss,
18- rejoicing (fakihin) in their Lord’s gifts, and their Lord shall protect
them (waqa-hum) from the torment of the Hellfire.
19- [They will be told]: “Eat and drink with true enjoyment because of what you
used to do (kuntum ta?malun),”
20- They will be reclining on lined up couches. We will pair them with
beautiful-eyed maidens (huri ?ayn).
21- We will unite the believers with their offspring who followed them in faith
– We do not deny them any of the rewards for their deeds. Each person is a
pledge (as security) (rahin) for that which he has earned (bi ma kasaba).
22- We will provide them with any fruit or meat they desire (mimma yashtahun).
23- They pass around a cup that contains neither vanity or sin,
24- Going around them will be devoted male youths like hidden pearls waiting on
them.
25- And some of them draw near to others, questioning,
26- [and] saying, “Surely before, when we were with our families, we were ever
(kunna) anxious (mushfiq).”
27- God has been gracious to us (manna-l-lahu ‘alay-na) and saved us from the
torment of intense heat (samum).
28- Surely we used to supplicate to Him. Truly He is the All-Benign (barr), the
All-Merciful (rahim).
This chapter’sinitialeight verses were revealed during the first year of the
Prophet’s twenty-three-year mission. We will occasionally refer to the time and
context in which they were revealed, because doing so is critical to
understanding when and whythe Qur’an’s chapters were sent down andit also sheds
light on their meaning. Some chapters were revealed sequentially from beginning
to end, whereas others were revealed intermittently in the form of individual or
several verses.For example, the Qur’an’s longest chapter, al-Baqarah (The Cow;
chapter 2)–was revealed in twenty-one separate installments over twenty years.
The precise arrangement of its verses was directed by the Prophet, who,aftereach
new revelation,would explain how the new verses fit into the chapter’s existing
framework.
Virtually all of the opening verses here consist of word pairs:“the mount”
(at-tūr, from which the chapter derives its name), “the book inscribed” (kitāb
mastūr) in“unrolled parchment” (raqq manshūr), “the house frequented”
(al-bayt-ul-maʿmūr), “the raised canopy” (as-saqf-ul-marfūʿ), and “the sea
surging” (al-bahr-ul-masjūr).
[52:1]By the Mount,
The books of tafsīrcontend that this mount is none other than Mount Sinai, to
which God summoned Moses for a meeting,and that God swears an oath by it because
of its sacred nature.
[52:2] and a Book inscribed
This oath is believed to refer to the Torah, which was revealed to Moses upon
Mount Sinai.
[52:3]in unrolled parchment,
This refers to its pages.
[52:4]And the House frequented,
Many commentators opinethat this oath refers to the Kaʿbah, forMakkah was
visited by people from the region.
[52:5]And the raised canopy,
This oath calls attention to the heavens. Some commentators say that it might
mean a place that the angels visit, like “the House frequented”mentioned above.
[52:6]And the sea surging.
This last and final oath is said to refer to a sea of fire, meaning Hell, or
rivers of molten lava and their burning heat.
If we place ourselves among the Makkans who heard these verses from the
Prophet’s lips and try to imagine what they thought of such references as“the
Mount,”“unrolled parchments,”“the canopy,” and “the sea,” then we might grasp
entirely different meanings. But there is no dispute that God is swearing oaths
by invoking things that were familiar, significant, and sacred to them. For
example, swearingan oath by Abbas, the brother of Imam Husayn, would be
meaningless to ordinary Americans because they have no idea who he is. Thus it
would not make them any more likely to believe you. When you are taking an oath,
you must invoke someone or something that is sacred to your listeners.
Therefore, we might wonder what kind of deity would swear oaths onMoses and his
scripturewhen the people being addressed do not recognize him as a prophet of
God.
With this in mind, we might suggest that during the first three or four months
of the Prophet’s mission, Godmight have sworn oaths that would be meaningful to
them by invoking significant natural phenomena, namely, the heavens and Earth,
the land and the sea, and the mountains, for people feel a natural sense of awe
and even wonderment toward all of them. Of course this is just a possibility
becauseexactly what these oaths are referring to remains unclear and uncertain.
To this, we must add that many of the Qur’an’s oaths are beyond the
comprehension of the Prophet’s contemporaries. For instance, chapter 51 (The
Scattering Wind; adh-Dhāriyāt)opens with oaths taken on storm clouds that carry
millions of tons of rain to irrigate the ground – a fact thatscientists
uncovered only in the last hundred years or so. Therefore, we can draw an
analogy between these and other verses:As human knowledge advances, our
understanding of what these oaths mean will also expand and become clearer.
Notafsīror any other book written so far provides a comprehensive explanation of
these oaths.
We now move to why they were invoked: the divine punishment that will surely
come to pass. But when will this event take place?
[52:7] Indeed (inna), the punishment of your Lord will occur (lawāqiʿ);
The particles inna and the labefore wāqiʿ signify emphasis. In other words, this
punishment from God is most definitely going to occur.
[52:8] No one can avert it.
If we pause for a moment and consider when these verses were revealed, it would
appear that the concepts of resurrection and divine punishment had not yet been
fully explained to his audience – they did not know what these events were or
when they would take place. In chapter 74 (The Cloaked One; al-Muddaththir),
which was revealed before this chapter, God tells the Prophet: “O you wrapped in
your mantle. Rise up and warn” (74:1-2). This chapter also speaks about giving a
warning (indhār), telling others about the existence of some kind of danger. To
be precise, warning means makingpeople aware of an imminent danger, like a siren
that is activated to warn people that an air-raid or natural disaster is heading
their way. While such a loud noise might frighten some of them,its purpose is to
warm as many people as possible to seek shelter and protection before disaster
strikes. The role of God’s messengers and prophets is no different, which is why
God calls the Prophet a warner (mundhir).
When God first instructs His Messenger to “rise up and warn” in
chapteral-Muddaththir, He neither explains the danger nor why he must warn his
people about it. In the third installment of divine revelation (Chapter 103 [The
Declining Time; al-ʿAsr]), God says: “By the declining time [day or epoch]”
(103:1-2). In other words, all people are in a perpetual state of loss unless
they come to their senses and save themselves. And what loss could be greater
than the fact that a person’s life becomes shorter with each passing moment, for
no momentcan ever be reclaimed or restored?Theyare gone forever. AsImam Ali once
said: “Each and every breath that a man takes is just another step toward
death.” In a letter he addressed to his sonHasan, he wrote: “Know, O my child,
that everyone who rides upon the caravan of night and day is being carried by
them, even though he may appear stationary.He is covering the distance, even
though he is staying and resting.” In other words, what is coming is already
closeand will soon arrive.
In the first versesof Chapter 102 (Vying for More; at-Takāthur), which appears
to have been the fifth chapter revealed, God proclaims: “Your covetousness and
rivalry for abundance distracts you” – rivalry in amassing wealth and property
make you negligent – “until you reach the graves” (102:1-2). This short chapter,
which dates back to the very outset of the Prophet’s mission, again issues a
powerful warning to those who are heedless, unaware, and corrupted by their
idolatry. Therefore, a messenger’s first task is to warn his people and wake
them up from their spiritual slumber.
In the opening verses of this chapter, God invokes His impending punishment,
something that had not been mentioned before and of whichMuhammad’s
contemporaries were unaware. The verses that detailthe punishment of hell all
date from a later period of the Prophet’s mission, foran unbelieving people must
first be told whythey will be punished if they remain as they are. Even today,
many of us fail to properly understand the concept of divine punishment.
Punishment (‘adhāb) means the pain and discomfort that you feel when you
aredenied something that you want.As thisis the natural outcome of every bad
action,“punishment” is neitherarbitrary nor irregular. The punishment of hell is
nothingother than the outcome and effect of going against the purpose for which
one was created.
The Qur’an itself alludes to the nature of this punishment on several occasions.
For instance, Chapter 68 (The Pen; al-Qalam) informs us of the People of the
Garden (ashāb-ul-jannah), who had all their hard work ruined in a single night,
and concludes with: “Such is the punishment!”(kadhālik-al-ʿadhāb).And the
punishment of the Hereafter is surely greater, had they [but] known”
(68:33).Thesepeople, who lament their present ill fortune,can at least hope that
next year their garden will yield its produce once again. Butbecause everyperson
only has one life, a lifethat can never be repeatedor redone, onecan onlybe
recompensed for whathe or she did during it.
From this, we can conclude that punishment consists of the natural consequences
that befallpeople as a direct result of their misdeeds and disobedience. If we
are correct in our understanding, this means that God does not actually punish
anyone but that the world works according to the laws of
cause-and-effect.Therefore, choosing the path of error naturally results
inpunishment –God does not “decide” whether to punish the offender or not. This
is exactly like saying that a person who does something wrong suffers from
variousmental (e.g., the reproach of one’s conscience)or physical punishments
(e.g., analogous to suffering from health problems due to a high-fat and/or
high-sugar diet).
Up tothis point, the Qur’an has made clear that nothing and no one can prevent
the punishment meted out on the Day of Judgmentfrom occurring. It is not a flood
or a bolt of lightning, which can (potentially) be protected against or averted
in some way; rather, the oncoming punishment has no cure, treatment, or defense
because it is innate and essential to the cosmos. The sole way to escape it is
toreform one’s life via sincere repentance and reform.
[52:9] On the day when the sky shallshake frightfully,
The sky will move with great speed, for Earth’s atmosphere, including the seven
levels or strata thatprotect our planet,as well as the entire cosmos, will fall
apart and collapse. This is the Day regarding which chapter 81 (The Rolling up;
at-Takwīr)proclaimsthat the Sun will wind up its existence and darken and the
stars will fade away (81:1-2). It is amazing to think that incidents resembling
these actually occur in the heavens almost every day and that some kind of
“final judgment”comes to pass for them. Astronomers and cosmologists say that a
thousand suns die every day. Perhaps the Judgment Daymentioned in the Qur’an
only refers to our Sun and solar system, our ownMilky Way galaxy, or perhaps to
the cosmos as a whole. God alone knows the answer.
[52:10] and the mountains float away.
This is not floating or moving as we commonly understand it, but a special kind
of motion. Chapter 101 (The Calamity; al-Qāriʿah) says that when the qāriʿah
(implosion or explosion) occurs, the heavens and Earth will be crushed together
and “the mountains will be like fluffed wool” (101:5)scattered in the air. This
qāriʿah must be truly powerful to have such a tremendous effect upon our planet.
[52:11] Woe on that Day to those who deny the Truth,
Woe to the liars and the deniers – those who reject this message, mock its
claims, and say that it is nothing but myth and superstition. Theyassert that
everything ends with death,and thus there is no afterlife waiting for us on the
other side.
[52:12] who amuse themselves with idle chatter and play(fī khawdin yalʿabūn),
Those who are fixated upon this world and consumed by its distractions; absorbed
in work and daily living; wanting nothing but a spouse, children, entertainment,
and the vanities of everyday life for nothing else reallymatters to them. This
includes peoplewho devote themselves totally to the pursuit of science and
understanding and yetreject whateverstrikes them as “unscientific” without
further investigation. In short, this applies to everyone who is so absorbed in
their own pursuitsthat they utterly forget their Lord and their moral
obligations toward Him.
This“play” (fī khawdin yalʿabūn) and “games” also refers to how we adults occupy
ourselves. In reality, the games that we play are no different from thoseplayed
by our children; they merely take on a different form. Grown-ups compete over
rank and position – who is higher and who is lower – and amuse themselves in
this and many similar ways. If we were to view these fixations from a spiritual
point of view, we would see them exactly as we see our children’s games. So is
there any difference between them? Taking our own games so seriously means that
we are nothing more than grown-up children.The whole world watches and is
obsessed withsoccer – is this not one such game? Some people take itsoseriously
that they attach great importance to it, even taking time offwork and out of
their busy lives to watch a match, especially if it is a majorone. In
fact,thewhole country might grindto a haltjust to watch the national team. It is
not unheard of for a person to have a heart attack when his favorite team loses.
Even religious people will devotedly watch their team play in major tournaments,
and when their team wins one – like the World Cup – they perform the prostration
(if they are Muslim) or make the sign of the Cross (if they are Catholic) and
thank God for granting their team victory.Another example of this absorption in
“play” isany television series that has a large loyal audience of viewers.
[52:13] [for]on that Day they will be thrust into the fire of hell.
This should not be understood in the sense of being pushed into hell. On the
contrary, it appears that some kind of force pulls them toward it, as ifthe evil
deeds that they committed while alive had made it their natural resting place.
The indefinite noun forcibly (daʿan) signifies that the specific force is
unknown and that its precise nature is unclear.
As I have said on several occasions, the fire found in hell is not the same kind
that we know here on Earth. Rather, it is something entirely unknown to us, for
none of us have ever experienced or encountered it here.
[52:14] [It will be said to them] “This is the fire you used to deny.
[52:15] Is this magic? Do you still not see it?
[52:16] Burn therein (islawhā). Whether you arepatient or impatient, it will be
the same for you. You are only being repaid for what you used to do (kuntum
taʿmalūn).”
Is this how you imagined it when you said it was only a fantasy,or do you now
find yourself face to face with something that is very real? “Burn therein”
(islawhā) means “see the result of your actions.” It does not matter whether you
are patient or not, for the experience will be the same. When suffering hardship
here, we can try to console ourselves by repeating the mantras that whatever has
happened is beyond our control,that there is nothing we can do,that we have no
choice but to endure until we see what the future holds, or perhaps that things
will not be as bad as we imagine. In short, by consoling ourselves and summoning
ourreserves of patience, we can steady ourselves against adversity and make it
easier to endure the discomfortsassociated with it.
This form of psychological defense enables us tofortifyourselveswhen enduring
trials, gives us hope and reminds us that everything, no matter howbad it might
seem, must eventually change. As the Persian saying goes: “There is no problem
that cannot be fixed / the person need only not fear.”By reassuring oneself and
finding courage, people can withstand life’sdifficulties. However, given that
the punishment meted out inthe Hereafter is innate and essential, something that
strikes at the very core of our being, there can be no defense against the
ensuing grief and distress because there is absolutely no hope of a better
future. Thus the very concept ofpatience (sabr) loses all meaning, for if there
is no hope of a better tomorrow, then why should one be patient? How can pain be
enduredwhen all that lies ahead is an eternity of nothing but suffering and
misery?
“You are only being repaid for what you used to do”(kuntum taʿmalūn)means what
you used to docontinuously. In this world, we often see how a person’s entire
life can be completely transformed by a single mistake. Therefore, we can easily
imagine what recompense awaits a person whose life is filled with wrongdoing and
injustice. What consequences await those who create and nurture themselves on
immorality and sinfulness that they actually pervert their own humanity?
[52:17]Surely, those who were mindful of God will be in gardens and in bliss,
In the previous chapter, The Scattering Wind (adh-Dhāriyāt),we read that “The
God-conscious (muttaqīn)will be amid gardens and [flowing] springs” (51:15).
These people showedtheir strong willpower and self-control by keeping their
lower self (nafs; e.g., anger, lust, greed, and desire) in check (i.e., they
possessed taqwā)instead of being controlled by them. As a result,in the
Hereafter they will be surrounded by gardens and bliss. In both this chapter and
the previous one, note that gardens (jannāt), bliss (naʿīm), and springs (ʿuyūn)
appear as indefinite nouns. If the Qur’an had said “in the Gardens,” this would
have meant gardens like the ones we are accustomed to, only far more beautiful
and delightful to behold. However, the Qur’an did not say this because we cannot
even begin to imagine what the Hereafter’s gardens and blessings will be like or
even conceive of the otherworldly enjoyments that await us. Therefore,
everything mentioned in the Qur’an is merely a symbolic representation of a far
more sublime reality, and every description mentioned therein is designedto help
us understand this fact.
[52:18] rejoicing (fākihīn) in their Lord’s gifts, and their Lord shall protect
them(waqā-hum)from the torment of the Hellfire.
In the previous chapter, we read that the God-consciouspeople perpetually
receivetheir Lord’s gifts (51:16). Here, the word used is fākihīn (rejoicing),
which is from the same etymological root as fukāhī(to be jolly and amusing). The
word for fruit, fākihah, is also derived from this root because fruits are the
natural sustenance for people and they receive pleasure just by seeing
them.Being blessed and happy are not necessarily the same thing, for a person
can be surrounded by all kind of blessings and still beunhappy. How many people
live in a sort of “paradise”hereand are still not content?The paradise of the
Hereafter is nothing like the “paradise” here, forno discontent can exist there,
and thus its inhabitants are always filled to the brim with true joy.
Waqā (to protect), which is from the same etymological root as
taqwā(God-consciousness), indicates thatGod has protected them from being
surrounded by punishment. This isa trulygreat blessing, for what could be
greater than living in joyful surroundings without anything to cause unhappiness
or sadness?
[52:19] [They will be told]: “Eat and drink with true enjoyment because of what
you used to do (kuntum taʿmalūn),”
Kuntum taʿmalūnonce again indicates their continuous behavior and practice in
this life. Of course the food and drink of paradisehave nothing in common with
their earthly counterparts.The Qur’an only uses this familiar imagery so that we
might have a faint idea about these blessings, for: “No soul knows what joy is
kept hidden in store for them as a reward for what they used to do” (32:17). I
often give the Internet as an example, because this incredible inventionallows
us to connect to the entire world while sitting in the comfort of our own
home.Do you see what a blessing this is? Modern technology is turning the world
into a single village, one in whichno one is truly far away from anything. If
you had told someone about these discoveries and possibilities only a century
ago, they almost certainly would have laughed at you. But today even a school
child knows what it is and what can be done with it.
The same rule applies when, for instance, the Qur’an says, “They will be
reclining on lined up couches.” It is only natural that here we imagine that
thisgarden contains couches that have been placedside-by-side and that people
are sitting together on them and talking witheach other.In the long-ago walled
courtyards,people would place raised wooden platforms for seating. When
afternoon came, they would spray the courtyard with water, light the samavar,
and place a teapot on it while sitting on the couches beside a small pool of
water or an orchard, talking with each other while drinkingtea. Such were the
things that they enjoyed and sought out. The idea here is to provide a reference
point thatwill help people relate to the joys of paradise.
[52:20] They will bereclining on lined up couches. We will pair them with
beautiful-eyed maidens(hūri ʿayn).
This is the apparent meaning of the verse.However, note thathūri ʿaynis an
indefinite noun, signifying thereby something unknown or otherwise undefined,
relative to our own limitations of language, desire, and comprehension. Based on
the apparent meaning, it might seem like this verse is speaking only to men and
that the blessings of paradise are reserved for them alone. However, many
commentators forget that the Qur’an never uses the feminine noun zawjah (wife)
or its sound feminine pluralzawjāt,butonly the masculine nounzawj, which can
refer to a spouse of either gender. The Qur’an never mentions a woman named Eve
(Hawwā), who supposedly encouraged and tempted Adam to eat the fruit of the
forbidden tree. Instead, whenever God talks about the so-called Original Sin in
the Qur’an, He addresses both Adam and his spouse, as if they are one being with
two sides. Satan misled both of them and both of them repented – neither of them
was more responsible or more at-fault than the other in what transpired. In
reality, Adam and Eve are two sides of humanity with two roles and paths to
follow in this world.
Another noteworthy point is that hūr is derived from the same etymological root
as the Qur’anic term hawāriyyūn the title applied to the pure-hearted and
pure-souled disciples of Jesus. Clearly, this term has nothing to do with
someone who possesses big and beautiful eyes. Sayyid Mahmūd Tāleqānī’s detailed
analysis shows that it means something far more sublime than what we tend to
imagine.
[52:21] We will unite the believers with their offspring who followed them in
faith – We do not deny them any of the rewards for their deeds.Each person is a
pledge (as security) (rahīn)for that which he has earned(bi mā kasaba).
Many of us worry about the fate of ourrelatives and loved ones – parents,
spouses, and children. Perhaps the first thing anyone who goes to paradise will
want is to be close to their nearest and dearest, to see them in paradise. After
all, there is no room for sadness or distress there. Therefore, it appears that
the present verse is addressing our natural desire, namely, that we want our
loved ones to have a happy future.
Everyone will receive the outcome that their deeds merit, for the quality of
their actions is the foundation of their eternal happiness or perpetual
misery.As our children and loved ones are responsibleonly for their own deeds,
oursupplications, vows, and devotions cannot save them if they disobey God. As
the Qur’an states many times, the only path of redemption is sincere repentance
and self-reform. I do not mean to say that supplications are worthless, but only
that there is no shortcut when it comes to reaching paradise. There is only the
path of good deeds. All of us, without exception, are a kind of collateral
(rahīn) to our deeds. For instance, in exchange for the collateral or surety of
a house,a bank will extend a loan and remove the lien upon its repayment. In the
same sense, people give their deeds as a surety or collateral until the Day of
Judgment, at which point they take them back. This is how a human being earns
his or her right to his or her own self. Thus, as all of usare like collateral
for our deeds, we have not yet become who we are supposed to be through our
actions. Eachof our deedsand choices reveals something about us and brings us
closer to self-realization.
Bi mā kasaba means everything that one obtains as a result of striving.
[52:22] We will provide them with any fruit or meat they desire(mimmā
yashtahūn).
Once again, note how “fruit” and “meat” are indefinite, thereby illustrating
that it may be literal or a kind of food that is unfamiliar to us. Such language
stimulates our interest and excitement with “whatever they desire or
please”(mimmā yashtahūn). A seventh-century Bedouin man believed that these
would enable him to lead a happy life, and so he was promised a pretty wife, a
pleasant garden, good food and told he will enjoy these blessings with his
wifeand children.
[52:23] They pass around a cup that contains neither vanity or sin.
This activity does not lead to vanity, vain talk, or sinfulness, which is
exactly what drinking wine in this world leads to.Wine’s only quality is its
power to impair one’sself-control – itprovides nobenefits toone’ssoul or
mind.But in the cup of otherworldly wine there is life, spirit, and purification
of the soul. This verse’s reference to wine is symbolic. It is no accident
thatIslam’smystical poetry speaks of wine, taverns,and intoxicationor that its
authors found their inspiration for this imagery in the Qur’an itself. The great
nineteenth-century jurist, mystic, and philosopher Mullā Hādī Sabzawārī says:
“Even if the door of the tavernopens / we still haven’t found our question’s
answer,”“Piety and renunciation have not solved my problem, the wine-sellertakes
/ the problem and hands a cup to this broken string of prayer beads,” and “I
left the book open for a moment / and my tome was taken as collateral for the
wine.”
Unfortunately today we have forgotten these profound meanings and instead merely
grasp these words’ apparent and material senses.
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[52:24] Going around them will be devoted male youths like hidden pearls waiting
on them.
This reality is depicted as a party that features servants constantly moving to
and fro, catering to the guests’ needs, for this is an image that we can
understand. They are so handsome and well-dressed that they appear like pearls
in oysters.
From this point onward, the verses relate the conversations that the inhabitants
of paradise are holding with one another. Just as in the previous chapter: “. .
. for they had been doers of good(muhsin) in the past” (51:16): performing good
deeds, sleeping a little at night,spending most of the nightworshipping their
Lord, and entrusting Him with all of their secrets and needs. In addition to
being virtuous and doers of good,“there was a share in their wealth for the
beggar and the deprived” (51:19). Now, however, the Qur’an speaks about them and
their qualities from a different angle.
[52:25] And some of them draw near to others, questioning,
The people of paradise ask one another about their affairs: what they did in
this world, what their occupation was, where they directed their efforts, and
how they attained paradise. These questions and answers do not directly appear
in the present chapter, but we can deduce such information from the following
verse:
[52:26] [and] saying, “Surely before, when we were with our families, we were
ever (kunnā) anxious (mushfiq).”
Kunnā means “we used to be,” indicating that they were always worried and
anxious (mushfiq) about the fate of their family members, loved ones, and their
own selves but not in the sense of fear or dread. Imagine a mother whose child
is playing in a park. Of course sheworries that her son might fall from a
slide,that her daughter might trip and hurt herself, or that a hundred other
unseen events might happen to them.Classical Arabic call thisishfāq, a feeling
that virtually all parents (but especially mothers) have. The inhabitants of
paradise also had this quality not only for their children, but also for
themselves, their spouses, and their nearest and dearest in terms of what might
happen in this world and in the Hereafter. Sadly, most people only pay attention
to their own grief, pain, and fate. Therefore, one reason whypeople might go to
paradise is the empathy they show for others by sharing their pain and sadness,
worryingabout them,and feeling apprehensive and anxious (mushfiq) about them.
We must strive to cultivate this concern for others by, for example, helping
those of our neighbors who need help or are orphans – God forbid that the latter
should go to sleep hungry without us knowing about them–ora disadvantaged person
with a family to support but without the time or money to meet his or her
children’s needs. We can extend this sympathy to all human beings. However, the
bare minimum is that one should look after one’s family.
Does this verse contain any important lessons for us?Do we thinkthat God merely
wants to informus about the inhabitants of paradise and their conversations?
Might not this verse contain a powerful reminder that if we ignore our fellow
human beings, then we will be denied entrance to paradise? The path to paradise
is compassion, for this is what makes someone worthy of it, as opposed
tostraining your voice by reciting supplications a hundred times a day without
understanding ormaking hajj or ʿumrah(lesser pilgrimage to Makkah) over and over
again without having any idea of what these rituals mean.Peopleare grantedentry
into paradise because they are worried and anxious (mushfiq) about the wellbeing
of others. After performing the pilgrimage and visiting (ziyārāt) shrines of the
Prophets and the saints(awliyā), such people would be expected to emulate
thesecompassionate human beings who were concerned about others. And yet we
imagine that we can writein our will that we want to be buried beside a holy
shrine (imāmzādeh), on the mistaken notion that this alonewill secure our place
inparadise.
[52:27] God has been gracious to us (manna-l-lāhu ‘alay-nā) and saved us from
the torment of intense heat(samūm).
Here, translating manna-l-lāhu ʿalaynāas“God reproached us” is a mistake. This
chapterfocuses on God’s punishment in the Hereafter. Therefore, samūm refers to
a punishment that affects one’s innermost being and the core of one’s existence.
This punishment does not come from the outside as does, for example, snake venom
(samm), which has to be injected into the body and alsohas an antidote. On the
contrary, the punishment mentioned here is a kind of grief that seizes one’s
heart from within. In chapter 104 (The Slanderer; al-Humazah), God describes the
punishment of hell as “the fire of God, set ablaze, rising over [and engulfing]
the hearts” (104:6-7) –a punishment that sets ablaze a person’s very heart and
mind. That is why it is called samūm. Therefore, the greatest blessing that God
has bestowed upon the inhabitants of paradise is Hisnot allowing this internal
blazeto afflict them.
[52:28] Surely we used to supplicate to Him. Truly He is the All-Benign (barr),
the All-Merciful(rahīm).
Notice that they do not say: “We used to supplicate to His saints” or “His
prophets”; rather, they say “We used to supplicate to Him,” meaning that we were
monotheists who only worshipped Him. When we were alive in this world, we did
not ask that which is not Him for help,because only“He is the All-Benign, the
All-Merciful.”
Barr (All-Benign) means “one who does good” and also“open land.” The
relationship between these two meanings is as follows: When you are on open land
(barr), nothing obstructs your vision and so you can see all the way to the
horizon. But when you are in the mountains, your visionis blocked (and therefore
limited)by slopes and peaks, the uneven terrain, trees, and rocks. By the same
token, we say that someone is barr because their goodness knows no bounds and
goes on without end, just like the open land.
Some people are good, but only to their immediate family.Others treat their
immediate family and siblings well, but not their extended family. We can extend
this scope outward to include ever more people, for example,those who live in
our neighborhood, city, country, and even humanity as a whole.Just as our
existence is limited, any goodness that springs from us is equally limited. But
God, who is Absolute Existence, possesses absolute goodness, namely, goodness
that has no limit or quantity. Thus He is the Pure Good and the All-Merciful
(rahīm). Therefore, those who enter paradise worked to ensure that their own
goodness reached other people, respected the rights of others and treated them
well, and were charitable and kind because they were connected to the wellspring
of God’s special mercy. And so it wasonly natural that their destiny would
beparadise.
We must seek shelter in God from the punishment engendered by our deeds and hope
that He, among whose attributes are al-Barr (the All-Benign) and ar-Rahīm (the
All-Merciful), will inspire us to show compassion to His creation. The Qur’an
teaches us that we should not invoke God only by his name,Allāh, because He has
many beautiful names,each of which, whether the two mentioned above or such
others asal-Qarīb (the Near), al-Mujīb (the Answerer of Prayers), and al-Latīf
(the Kind), hasits own unique effect when invoked.Engaging in this activity
makes it possible for peopleto see past this world and into the unseen worlds –
as long as they pay attention to and understand what they are doing. This is one
of the lessons we can draw from this chapter. Abdolkarim Soroush (b. 1945) often
ends his speeches with the supplication: “O God. Inspire us with compassion for
Your creatures.”Moving beyondour own self and thinking about others is
thehardest spiritual struggle that we will ever face.
Translator: Alexander Hainy (Khaleeli)
Editor: Hamid Mavani