Tafsir

The Reward of the Righteous Believers

Allah tells us about His blessed servants, those who believed in Allah and His Messengers and accepted as truth what the Messengers brought. He tells us that they will have the Gardens of Al-Firdaws (Paradise). Abu Umamah said, "Al-Firdaws is the center of Paradise." Qatadah said, "Al-Firdaws is a hill in Paradise, at its center, the best of it." This was also narrated from Samurah and attributed to the Prophet ,«الْفِرْدَوْسُ رَبْوَةُ الْجَنَّةِ أَوْسَطُهَا وَأَحْسَنُهَا»(Al-Firdaws is a hill in Paradise, at its center, the best of it.) A similar report was narrated from Qatadah from Anas bin Malik, and attributed to the Prophet . All of the preceding reports were narrated by Ibn Jarir, may Allah have mercy on him.

The following is in the Sahih,«إِذَا سَأَلْتُمُ اللهَ الْجَنَّةَ، فَاسْأَلُوهُ الْفِرْدَوْسَ فَإِنَّهُ أَعْلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَأَوْسَطُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَمِنْهُ تَفَجَّرُ أَنْهَارُ الْجَنَّة»(If you ask Allah for Paradise, then ask Him for Al-Firdaws, for it is the highest part of Paradise, in the middle of Paradise, and from it spring the rivers of Paradise.)نُزُلاً(entertainment) means offered to them as hospitality.خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ(Wherein they shall dwell (forever).) means, they will stay there and never leave.لاَ يَبْغُونَ عَنْهَا حِوَلاً(No desire will they have for removal therefrom. ) means, they will never choose or want anything else. This Ayah tells us how much they love and desire it, even though one might imagine that a person who is to stay in one place forever would get tired and bored of it. But Allah tells us that despite this eternal stay, they will never choose to change or move from where they are.

The word: الْفِرْ‌دَوْسِ (al-Firdaus) in: جَنَّاتُ الْفِرْ‌دَوْسِ (Gardens of Firdaus) means a verdant valley full of fruits and flowers - with reference to Paradise. However, difference exists as to the origin of this word. Is it Arabic, or is it non-Arabic? Those who call it non-Arabic have to refine it further. Is it Persian or Greco-Roman or Syriac? There are different views about this.

It appears in the Sahih of al-Bukhari and Muslim that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'when you ask of Allah, ask for Jannatul-Firdaus because it is the highest and the superior most rank of Jannah. Above it, there is the Throne of the Rahman and from it issue forth all streams of .

Jannah.' (Qurtubi)

إن الذين آمنوا بي، وصدَّقوا رسلي، وعملوا الصالحات، لهم أعلى منازل الجنة وأوسطها، وهي أفضلها منزلاً.

يخبر تعالى عن عباده السعداء ، وهم الذين آمنوا بالله ورسله ، وصدقوهم فيما جاءوا به بأن لهم جنات الفردوس .قال مجاهد : الفردوس هو : البستان بالرومية .وقال كعب ، والسدي ، والضحاك : هو البستان الذي فيه شجر الأعناب .وقال أبو أمامة الفردوس : سرة الجنة .وقال قتادة : الفردوس : ربوة الجنة وأوسطها وأفضلها .وقد روي هذا مرفوعا من حديث سعيد بن بشير ، عن قتادة ، عن الحسن ، عن سمرة ، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم : " الفردوس ربوة الجنة ، أوسطها وأحسنها "وهكذا رواه إسماعيل بن مسلم ، عن الحسن ، عن سمرة مرفوعا . وروي عن قتادة ، عن أنس بن مالك مرفوعا بنحوه . وقد نقله ابن جرير ، رحمه اللهوفي الصحيحين : " إذا سألتم الله الجنة فاسألوه الفردوس ، فإنه أعلى الجنة وأوسط الجنة ، ومنه تفجر أنهار الجنة "وقوله : ( نزلا ) أي ضيافة ، فإن النزل هو الضيافة .