Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, narrating from his father:
[وَالَّذِينَ
اجْتَنَبُواْ الطَّـغُوتَ أَن يَعْبُدُوهَا]
(Those who avoid At-Taghut by not worshipping them) was revealed concerning
Zayd bin `Amr bin Nufayl and Abu Dharr and Salman Al-Farisi, may Allah be
pleased with them. The correct view is that it includes them and all others who
avoided worshipping idols and turned to the worship of Ar-Rahman. These are the
people for whom there is good news in this world and in the Hereafter. Then
Allah says:
[فَبَشِّرْ
عِبَادِالَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَـتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ]
(so announce the good news to My servants -- those who listen to the Word and
follow the best thereof,) meaning, those who understand it and act in accordance
with it. This is like the Words of Allah, may He be exalted, to Musa, peace be
upon him, when He gave him the Tawrah:
[فَخُذْهَا بِقُوَّةٍ
وَأْمُرْ قَوْمَكَ يَأْخُذُواْ بِأَحْسَنِهَا]
(Hold unto these with firmness, and enjoin your people to take the better
therein) (7:145).
[أُوْلَـئِكَ
الَّذِينَ هَدَاهُمُ اللَّهُ]
(those are whom Allah has guided) means, those who are described in this
manner are the ones whom Allah has guided in this world and the Hereafter.
[وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمْ
أُوْلُو الاٌّلْبَـبِ]
(and those are men of understanding.) means, they possess sound reasoning and
an upright nature.
[أَفَمَنْ حَقَّ
عَلَيْهِ كَلِمَةُ الْعَذَابِ أَفَأَنتَ تُنقِذُ مَن فِى النَّارِ - لَـكِنِ
الَّذِينَ اتَّقَواْ رَبَّهُمْ لَهُمْ غُرَفٌ مِّن فَوْقِهَا غُرَفٌ مَّبْنِيَّةٌ
تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَـرُ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ لاَ يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ
الْمِيعَادَ ]
(19. Is, then one against whom the Word of punishment is justified (equal to
the one who avoids evil) Will you rescue him who is in the Fire) (20. But those
who have Taqwa of their Lord, for them are built lofty rooms, one above another
under which rivers flow. (This is) the promise of Allah, and Allah does not fail
in (His) promise.) Allah says, `if He has decreed that someone is to be doomed,
can you save him from his misguidance and doom' Which means, no one can guide
him apart from Allah, because whomever Allah leaves astray cannot be guided, and
whomever He guides cannot be led astray. Then Allah tells us that His blessed
servants will have lofty rooms in Paradise.
[مِّن فَوْقِهَا
غُرَفٌ مَّبْنِيَّةٌ]
(are built lofty rooms, one above another), story upon story,
solidly-constructed, adorned and high. `Abdullah bin Al-Imam Ahmad recorded that
`Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah said:
«إِنَّ فِي
الْجَنَّةِ لَغُرَفًا يُرَى بُطُونُهَا مِنْ ظُهُورِهَا، وَظُهُورُهَا مِنْ
بُطُونِهَا»
(In Paradise there are rooms whose inside can be seen from the outside, and
the outside can be seen from the inside.) A bedouin asked, `Who are they for, O
Messenger of Allah' He said,
«لِمَنْ أَطَابَ
الْكَلَامَ، وَأَطْعَمَ الطَّعَامَ، وَصَلَّى بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ
نِيَام»
(For those who speak kindly, feed the hungry and stand in prayer at night
whilst the people are sleeping.)'' This was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi, who
said, "Hasan Gharib''. Imam Ahmad recorded from Sahl bin Sa`d, may Allah be
pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said:
«إِنَّ أَهْلَ
الْجَنَّةِ لَيَتَرَاءَوْنَ فِي الْغُرْفَةِ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، كَمَا تَرَاءَوْنَ
الْكَوْكَبَ فِي أُفُقِ السَّمَاء»
(The people of Paradise will look towards each other in raised places of
Paradise as you look towards the stars on the horizons of the sky.) He said, "I
told An-Nu`man bin Abi `Ayyash about that, and he said, `I heard Abu Sa`id
Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, narrate it:
«كَمَا تَرَاءَوْنَ
الْكَوْكَبَ الَّذِي فِي الْأُفُقِ الشَّرْقِيِّ أَوِ الْغَرْبِي»
(As you see the stars on the horizon of the east or the west.)''' It was also
recorded in the Two Sahihs. Imam Ahmad said, "Fazarah narrated to us; Fulayh
narrated to us; from Hilal bin `Ali, from `Ata' bin Yasar, from Abu Hurayrah,
may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said:
«إِنَّ أَهْلَ
الْجَنَّةِ لَيَتَرَاءَوْنَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ أَهْلَ الْغُرَفِ، كَمَا تَرَاءَوْنَ
الْكَوْكَبَ الدُّرِّيَّ الْغَارِبَ فِي الْأُفُقِ الطَّالِعِ، فِي تَفَاضُلِ
أَهْلِ الدَّرَجَات»
(The people of Paradise will look towards each other in the raised places of
Paradise as you look at the high, bright stars which remain on the horizon. Such
will be the difference in superiority which some of them have over others.) They
said, "O Messenger of Allah, are those the abodes of the Prophets'' He said:
«بَلَى، وَالَّذِي
نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، وَأَقْوَامٌ آمَنُوا بِاللهِ وَصَدَّقُوا الرُّسُل»
(No, by the One in Whose Hand is my soul, they are the abodes of people who
believed in Allah and in the Messengers.) It was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi,
who said, "Hasan Sahih.''
[تَجْرِى مِن
تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَـرُ]
(under which rivers flow.) means, the rivers flow wherever the people want
them to flow.
[وَعَدَ
اللَّهُ]
((This is) the promise of Allah,) means, `all that We have mentioned here is
what Allah has promised to His believing servants.'
[إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ
يُخْلِفُ الْمِيعَادَ]
(and Allah does not fail in (His) promise.)
[أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ
اللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءً فَسَلَكَهُ يَنَابِيعَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ ثُمَّ
يُخْرِجُ بِهِ زَرْعاً مُّخْتَلِفاً أَلْوَانُهُ ثُمَّ يَهِـيجُ فَـتَرَاهُ
مُصْفَـرّاً ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُ حُطَـماً إِنَّ فِى ذَلِكَ لَذِكْرَى لاٌّوْلِى
الاٌّلْبَـبِ - أَفَمَن شَرَحَ اللَّهُ صَدْرَهُ لِلإِسْلَـمِ فَهُوَ عَلَى نُورٍ
مِّن رَّبِّهِ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْقَـسِيَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ مِّن ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ
أُوْلَـئِكَ فِى ضَلَـلٍ مُّبِينٍ ]
(21. See you not that Allah sends down water from the sky, and causes it to
penetrate the earth, as water springs, and afterward thereby produces crops of
different colors, and afterward they wither and you see them turn yellow; then
He makes them dry and broken pieces. Verily, in this is a reminder for men of
understanding.) (22. Is he whose breast Allah has opened to Islam, so that he is
in light from his Lord So, woe to those whose hearts are hardened against
remembrance of Allah! They are in plain error!)