Az-Zumar 39:20
The Troops · Juz 23 · Page 460
لَٰكِنِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوۡاْ رَبَّهُمۡ لَهُمۡ غُرَفٞ مِّن فَوۡقِهَا غُرَفٞ مَّبۡنِيَّةٞ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُۖ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ لَا يُخۡلِفُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمِيعَادَ ٢٠
But those who have feared their Lord - for them are chambers,1 above them chambers built high, beneath which rivers flow. [This is] the promise of Allāh. Allāh does not fail in [His] promise.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., elevated rooms, dwellings or palaces. ↩
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 39:19–20
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 ﷺ 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 ﷺ 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 ﷺ 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 الأَنْهَرُ
(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.)
Page 460
39:11
قُلۡ إِنِّيٓ أُمِرۡتُ أَنۡ أَعۡبُدَ ٱللَّهَ مُخۡلِصٗا لَّهُ ٱلدِّينَ ١١
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Indeed, I have been commanded to worship Allāh, [being] sincere to Him in religion.
39:12
وَأُمِرۡتُ لِأَنۡ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ ١٢
And I have been commanded to be the first [among you] of the Muslims."
39:13
قُلۡ إِنِّيٓ أَخَافُ إِنۡ عَصَيۡتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوۡمٍ عَظِيمٖ ١٣
Say, "Indeed I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day."
39:14
قُلِ ٱللَّهَ أَعۡبُدُ مُخۡلِصٗا لَّهُۥ دِينِي ١٤
Say, "Allāh [alone] do I worship, sincere to Him in my religion,
39:15
فَٱعۡبُدُواْ مَا شِئۡتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦۗ قُلۡ إِنَّ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَسِرُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَأَهۡلِيهِمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۗ أَلَا ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡخُسۡرَانُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ ١٥
So worship what you will besides Him." Say, "Indeed, the losers are the ones who will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection. Unquestionably, that is the manifest loss."
39:16
لَهُم مِّن فَوۡقِهِمۡ ظُلَلٞ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ وَمِن تَحۡتِهِمۡ ظُلَلٞۚ ذَٰلِكَ يُخَوِّفُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ عِبَادَهُۥۚ يَٰعِبَادِ فَٱتَّقُونِ ١٦
They will have canopies [i.e., layers] of fire above them and below them, canopies. By that Allāh threatens [i.e., warns] His servants. O My servants, then fear Me.
39:17
وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱجۡتَنَبُواْ ٱلطَّٰغُوتَ أَن يَعۡبُدُوهَا وَأَنَابُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ لَهُمُ ٱلۡبُشۡرَىٰۚ فَبَشِّرۡ عِبَادِ ١٧
But those who have avoided ṭāghūt,1 lest they worship it, and turned back to Allāh - for them are good tidings. So give good tidings to My servants
1 translator’s note
- i.e., Satan or any false object of worship. ↩
39:18
ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَمِعُونَ ٱلۡقَوۡلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحۡسَنَهُۥٓۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَدَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُۖ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمۡ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ١٨
Who listen to speech and follow the best of it. Those are the ones Allāh has guided, and those are people of understanding.
39:19
أَفَمَنۡ حَقَّ عَلَيۡهِ كَلِمَةُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ أَفَأَنتَ تُنقِذُ مَن فِي ٱلنَّارِ ١٩
Then, is one who has deserved the decree of punishment [to be guided]? Then, can you save one who is in the Fire?
39:20
لَٰكِنِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوۡاْ رَبَّهُمۡ لَهُمۡ غُرَفٞ مِّن فَوۡقِهَا غُرَفٞ مَّبۡنِيَّةٞ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُۖ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ لَا يُخۡلِفُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمِيعَادَ ٢٠
But those who have feared their Lord - for them are chambers,1 above them chambers built high, beneath which rivers flow. [This is] the promise of Allāh. Allāh does not fail in [His] promise.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., elevated rooms, dwellings or palaces. ↩
39:21
أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَسَلَكَهُۥ يَنَٰبِيعَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ثُمَّ يُخۡرِجُ بِهِۦ زَرۡعٗا مُّخۡتَلِفًا أَلۡوَٰنُهُۥ ثُمَّ يَهِيجُ فَتَرَىٰهُ مُصۡفَرّٗا ثُمَّ يَجۡعَلُهُۥ حُطَٰمًاۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكۡرَىٰ لِأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ٢١
Do you not see that Allāh sends down rain from the sky and makes it flow as springs [and rivers] in the earth; then He produces thereby crops of varying colors; then they dry and you see them turned yellow; then He makes them [scattered] debris. Indeed in that is a reminder for those of understanding.