Allah tells us that not everyone who desires this world and its luxuries gets
what he wants. That is attained by those whom Allah wants to have it, and they
get what He wills that they should get. This Ayah narrows down the general
statements made in other Ayat. Allah says:
[عَجَّلْنَا لَهُ
فِيهَا مَا نَشَآءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ]
(We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, afterwards, We
have appointed for him Hell) meaning, in the Hereafter,
[يَصْلَـهَآ]
(he will burn therein) means, he will enter it until it covers him on all
sides,
[مَذْمُومًا]
(disgraced) means, blamed for his bad behaviour and evil deeds, because he
chose the transient over the eternal,
[مَّدْحُورًا]
(rejected.) means, far away (from Allah's mercy), humiliated and put to
shame.
[وَمَنْ أَرَادَ
الاٌّخِرَةَ]
(And whoever desires the Hereafter) wanting the Hereafter and its blessings
and delights,
[وَسَعَى لَهَا
سَعْيَهَا]
(and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it) seeking it in the
right way, which is following the Messenger .
[وَهُوَ
مُؤْمِنٌ]
(while he is a believer,) means, his heart has faith, i.e., he believes in
the reward and punishment,
[فَأُولَـئِكَ كَانَ
سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُورًا]
(then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, (rewarded by
Allah).)
[كُلاًّ نُّمِدُّ
هَـؤُلاءِ وَهَـؤُلاءِ مِنْ عَطَآءِ رَبِّكَ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ رَبِّكَ
مَحْظُورًا - انظُرْ كَيْفَ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَلَلاٌّخِرَةُ
أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَـتٍ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيلاً ]
(20. On each these as well as those We bestow from the bounties of your Lord.
And the bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden.) (21. See how We prefer
one above another (in this world), and verily, the Hereafter will be greater in
degrees and greater in preferment.) Allah says:
[كَلاَّ]
On each meaning, on each of the two groups, those who desire this world and
those who desire the Hereafter, We bestow what they want
[مِنْ عَطَآءِ
رَبِّكَ]
(from the bounties of your Lord.) means, He is the One Who is in control of
all things, and He is never unjust. He gives to each what he deserves, whether
it is eternal happiness or doom. His decree is unstoppable, no one can withhold
what He gives or change what He wants. Allah says:
[وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ
رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا]
(And the bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden.) meaning, no one can
withhold or prevent them. Qatadah said,
[وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ
رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا]
(And the bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden.) "(It means) they can
never decrease''.
[وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ
رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا]
(And the Bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden) Al-Hasan and others
said, "(It means) they can never be prevented.'' Then Allah says:
[انظُرْ كَيْفَ
فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ]
(See how We prefer one above another,) meaning in this world, so that some
are rich and some are poor, and others are in between; some are beautiful, some
are ugly and others are in between; some die young while others live to a great
age, and some die in between.
[وَلَلاٌّخِرَةُ
أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَـتٍ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيلاً]
(and verily, the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in
preferment.) means, the differences between them in the Hereafter will be
greater than the differences between them in this world. Some of them will be in
varying levels of Hell, in chains and fetters, while others will be in the lofty
degrees of Paradise, with its blessings and delights. The people of Hell will
vary in their positions and levels, just as the people of Paradise will. In
Paradise there are one hundred levels, and the distance between one level and
another is like the distance between heaven and earth. It is recorded in the Two
Sahihs that the Prophet said:
«إِنَّ أَهْلَ
الدَّرَجَاتِ الْعُلَى لَيَرَوْنَ أَهْلَ عِلِّيِّينَ كَمَا تَرَوْنَ الْكَوْكَبَ
الْغَابِرَ فِي أُفُقِ السَّمَاء»
(The people of the highest levels (of Paradise) will see the people of
`Illiyin as if they are looking at distant stars on the horizon.) Allah says:
[وَلَلاٌّخِرَةُ
أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَـتٍ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيلاً]
(and verily, the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in
preferment.)
[لاَّ تَجْعَل مَعَ
اللَّهِ إِلَـهًا ءَاخَرَ فَتَقْعُدَ مَذْمُومًا مَّخْذُولاً ]
(22. Set not up with Allah any other ilah (god), or you will sit down
reproved, forsaken (in the Hellfire).)
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