Allah, the Exalted, says,
[لَهُمْ فِيهَا
زَفِيرٌ وَشَهِيقٌ]
(in it they will experience Zafir and Shahiq.) Ibn `Abbas said, "Az-Zafir is
a sound in the throat and Ash-Shahiq is a sound in the chest. This means that
their exhaling will be Zafir and their inhaling will Shahiq.'' This will be due
to the torment that they will be experiencing. We seek refuge with Allah from
such evil.
[خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَا
مَا دَامَتِ السَّمَـوَتُ وَالاٌّرْضُ]
(They will dwell therein for all the time that the heavens and the earth
endure,) Imam Abu Ja`far bin Jarir said, "It was from the customs of the Arabs
that when they wanted to describe something that would last forever, they would
say, `This is as enduring as the heavens and the earth.' Or, `It will last as
until the night and day separate.' They would say, `As long as talkers at night
continue to chat.' They meant by these statements the condition of eternity.
Therefore, Allah addressed them in a manner that they were familiar with among
themselves. Thus, He said,
[خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَا
مَا دَامَتِ السَّمَـوَتُ وَالاٌّرْضُ]
(They will dwell therein for all the time that the heavens and the earth
endure,) The literal meaning is also intended with; "for all the time that the
heavens and the earth endure.'' This is due to the fact that there will be
heavens and earth in the life of the next world, just as Allah said,
[يَوْمَ تُبَدَّلُ
الاٌّرْضُ غَيْرَ الاٌّرْضِ وَالسَّمَـوَتُ]
(On the Day when the earth will be changed to another earth and so will be
the heavens.) [14:48] For this reason, Al-Hasan Al-Basri said concerning the
statement of Allah,
[مَا دَامَتِ
السَّمَـوَتُ وَالاٌّرْضُ]
(the heavens and the earth endure.) "Allah is referring to a heaven other
than this heaven (which we see now) and an earth other than this earth. That
(new) heaven and earth will be eternal.'' Concerning Allah's statement,
[إِلاَّ مَا شَآءَ
رَبُّكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ فَعَّالٌ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ]
(except as your Lord wills. Verily, your Lord is the doer of whatsoever He
intends.) This is similar to His statement,
[النَّارُ
مَثْوَاكُمْ خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ إِلاَّ مَا شَآءَ اللَّهُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ
عَلِيمٌ]
(The Fire be your dwelling place, you will dwell therein forever, except as
Allah may will. Certainly your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.) [6:128] It has
been said that the exception mentioned in this verse refers to the disobedient
among the people of Tawhid. It is these whom Allah will bring out of the Fire by
the intercession of the interceders. Those who will be allowed to intercede are
the angels, the Prophets and the believers. They will intercede even on behalf
of those who committed major sins. Then, the generous mercy of Allah will remove
from the Fire those who have never done any good, except for saying La ilaha
illallah one day of their life. This has been mentioned in numerous authentic
reports from the Messenger of Allah , including narrations from Anas bin Malik,
Jabir bin `Abdullah, Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri, Abu Hurayrah and other Companions. No
one remains in the Fire after this final intercession, except those who will
remain there forever without escape. This is the opinion held by many of the
scholars, both past and present, concerning the explanation of this verse.
[وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ
سُعِدُواْ فَفِى الْجَنَّةِ خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَا مَا دَامَتِ السَّمَـوَتُ
وَالاٌّرْضُ إِلاَّ مَا شَآءَ رَبُّكَ عَطَآءً غَيْرَ مَجْذُوذٍ ]
(108. And those who are blessed, they will be in Paradise, abiding therein
for all the time that the heavens and the earth endure, except as your Lord
wills: a gift without an end.)