Muhammad 47:14
Muhammad · Juz 26 · Page 508
أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ كَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُۥ سُوٓءُ عَمَلِهِۦ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓاْ أَهۡوَآءَهُم ١٤
So is he who is on clear evidence from his Lord like him to whom the evil of his work has been made attractive and they follow their [own] desires?
Tafsir · in English
Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
Change
Commentary on 47:14–15
The Worshipper of the Truth and the Worshipper of Lust are not Equal
Allah says:
أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ
(Can then he, who stands on clear evidence from his Lord...) This means a person who is upon clear vision and certainty concerning Allah's commands and His religion, because of the guidance and knowledge that Allah has revealed in His Book, and because of the pure nature upon which Allah has created him.
كَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ وَاتَّبَعُواْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ
((Can he) be likened to those for whom their evil deeds are beautified for them, while they follow their own lusts) which means that they cannot be equal. This is similar to Allah's saying,
أَفَمَن يَعْلَمُ أَنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَبِّكَ الْحَقُّ كَمَنْ هُوَ أَعْمَى
(Can he who knows that what has been revealed unto you from your Lord is the truth be like him who is blind) (13:19) And,
لاَ يَسْتَوِى أَصْحَبُ النَّارِ وَأَصْحَبُ الْجَنَّةِ أَصْحَبُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمُ الْفَآئِزُونَ
(Not equal are the people of the Fire and the people of Paradise. The People of Paradise will be the successful ones.) (59:20)
Description of Paradise and Its Rivers
Allah then says:
مَّثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِى وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ
(The description of Paradise which is promised for those who have Taqwa...) `Ikrimah said,
مَّثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ
(The description of Paradise) "This means its description."
فِيهَآ أَنْهَارٌ مِّن مَّآءٍ غَيْرِ ءَاسِنٍ
(In it are rivers of water that are not Asin,) Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Al-Hasan, and Qatadah all said, "It does not change." Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, and `Ata' Al-Khurasani all said, "It is not foul-smelling." The Arabs say Asin if its (water) scent changes.
وَأَنْهَارٌ مِّن لَّبَنٍ لَّمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُ
(rivers of milk, the taste of which never changes,) which means that the milk is of utmost whiteness, sweetness, and richness. It has been mentioned in a Hadith attributed to the Prophet "Their milk did not come out of the udders of cattle."
وَأَنْهَرٌ مِّنْ خَمْرٍ لَّذَّةٍ لِّلشَّرِبِينَ
(rivers of wine delightful to those who drink it, ) hich means that the wine does not have a bad taste or foul smell like that of the worldly life. Rather, it is good in its appearance, taste, smell, and effect, as Allah says,
لاَ فِيهَا غَوْلٌ وَلاَ هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنزَفُونَ
(it (the wine) has no bad effects, nor does it cause intoxication.) (37:47) and,
لاَّ يُصَدَّعُونَ عَنْهَا وَلاَ يُنزِفُونَ
(From which (the wine) they will have no headache, nor will they be intoxicated.) (56:19)
بَيْضَآءَ لَذَّةٍ لِّلشَّرِبِينَ
(white, delicious to the drinkers.)(37:46) It has been mentioned in a Hadith attributed to the Prophet , "Their wine was not pressed under men's feet."
وَأَنْهَرٌ مِّنْ عَسَلٍ مُّصَفًّى
(and rivers of refined honey;) which means that the honey is of utmost purity and pleasant color, taste, and smell. It has been mentioned in a Hadith attributed to the Prophet , "Their honey did not come out of the bellies of bees." Imam Ahmad recorded from Hakim bin Mu`awiyah who narrated from his father that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,
«فِي الْجَنَّةِ بَحْرُ اللَّبَنِ وَبَحْرُ الْمَاءِ وَبَحْرُ الْعَسَلِ وَبَحْرُ الْخَمْرِ، ثُمَّ تُشَقَّقُ الْأَنْهَارُ مِنْهَا بَعْد»
(Verily, there is in Paradise a lake of milk, a lake of water, a lake of honey, and a lake of wine. The rivers then gush out of them. At-Tirmidhi reported this narration in his section of the Description of Paradise, and he said, "Hasan Sahih. In the Sahih, it is recorded that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,
«إِذَا سَأَلْتُمُ اللهَ تَعَالى فَاسْأَلُوهُ الْفِرْدَوْسَ فَإِنَّهُ أَوْسَطُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَأَعْلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَمِنْهُ تُفَجَّرُ أَنْهَارُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَفَوْقَهُ عَرْشُ الرَّحْمن»
(When you ask Allah, ask Him for Al-Firdaws, because it is the central and highest part of the Paradise, and from it gush the rivers of the Paradise and above it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.)Allah says,
وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَتِ
(...and therein for them are all kinds of fruits, ...) This similar to His saying,
يَدْعُونَ فِيهَا بِكلِّ فَكِهَةٍ ءَامِنِينَ
(They will call in it for every kind of fruit in peace and security.) (44:55) And His saying,
فِيهِمَا مِن كُلِّ فَكِهَةٍ زَوْجَانِ
(In them will be every kind of fruits in pairs.) (55:52) Allah says
وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ
(. ..and forgiveness from their Lord.) meaning, in addition to all of the above. Allah says,
كَمَنْ هُوَ خَلِدٌ فِى النَّارِ
(Can this be likened to those who abide eternally in the Fire) meaning, `can those that We have described their position in the Paradise be like those who will abide eternally in the Fire' They are not equal, and nor are those who will be in the high ranks (in the Paradise) and those who will be in the lowest depths (Hell).
وَسُقُواْ مَآءً حَمِيماً
(and are given to drink boiling water) meaning, extremely hot; so hot that it is unbearable.
فَقَطَّعَ أَمْعَآءَهُمْ
(that severs their intestines) meaning, that will cut their insides -- both bowels and intestines. We seek refuge in Allah from that.
وَمِنْهُمْ مَّن يَسْتَمِعُ إِلَيْكَ حَتَّى إِذَا خَرَجُواْ مِنْ عِندِكَ قَالُواْ لِلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ مَاذَا قَالَ ءَانِفاً أُوْلَئِكَ الَّذِينَ طَبَعَ اللَّهُ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاتَّبَعُواْ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ - وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْاْ زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَءَاتَهُمْ تَقُوَاهُمْ - فَهَلْ يَنظُرُونَ إِلاَّ السَّاعَةَ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمْ بَغْتَةً فَقَدْ جَآءَ أَشْرَاطُهَا فَأَنَّى لَهُمْ إِذَا جَآءَتْهُمْ ذِكْرَاهُمْ
Page 508
47:12
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُدۡخِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ جَنَّٰتٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يَتَمَتَّعُونَ وَيَأۡكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأۡكُلُ ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمُ وَٱلنَّارُ مَثۡوٗى لَّهُمۡ ١٢
Indeed, Allāh will admit those who have believed and done righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow, but those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat as grazing livestock eat, and the Fire will be a residence for them.
47:13
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرۡيَةٍ هِيَ أَشَدُّ قُوَّةٗ مِّن قَرۡيَتِكَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَخۡرَجَتۡكَ أَهۡلَكۡنَٰهُمۡ فَلَا نَاصِرَ لَهُمۡ ١٣
And how many a city was stronger than your city [i.e., Makkah] which drove you out? We destroyed them; and there was no helper for them.
47:14
أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ كَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُۥ سُوٓءُ عَمَلِهِۦ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓاْ أَهۡوَآءَهُم ١٤
So is he who is on clear evidence from his Lord like him to whom the evil of his work has been made attractive and they follow their [own] desires?
47:15
مَّثَلُ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِي وُعِدَ ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَۖ فِيهَآ أَنۡهَٰرٞ مِّن مَّآءٍ غَيۡرِ ءَاسِنٖ وَأَنۡهَٰرٞ مِّن لَّبَنٖ لَّمۡ يَتَغَيَّرۡ طَعۡمُهُۥ وَأَنۡهَٰرٞ مِّنۡ خَمۡرٖ لَّذَّةٖ لِّلشَّٰرِبِينَ وَأَنۡهَٰرٞ مِّنۡ عَسَلٖ مُّصَفّٗىۖ وَلَهُمۡ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ وَمَغۡفِرَةٞ مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡۖ كَمَنۡ هُوَ خَٰلِدٞ فِي ٱلنَّارِ وَسُقُواْ مَآءً حَمِيمٗا فَقَطَّعَ أَمۡعَآءَهُمۡ ١٥
Is the description of Paradise, which the righteous are promised, wherein are rivers of water unaltered,1 rivers of milk the taste of which never changes, rivers of wine delicious to those who drink, and rivers of purified honey, in which they will have from all [kinds of] fruits and forgiveness from their Lord... [Are its inhabitants] like those who abide eternally in the Fire and are given to drink scalding water that will sever their intestines?
1 translator’s note
- In taste or smell, neither stagnant nor polluted. ↩
47:16
وَمِنۡهُم مَّن يَسۡتَمِعُ إِلَيۡكَ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا خَرَجُواْ مِنۡ عِندِكَ قَالُواْ لِلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ مَاذَا قَالَ ءَانِفًاۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ طَبَعَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمۡ وَٱتَّبَعُوٓاْ أَهۡوَآءَهُمۡ ١٦
And among them, [O Muḥammad], are those who listen to you, until when they depart from you, they say to those who were given knowledge,1 "What has he said just now?" Those are the ones of whom Allāh has sealed over their hearts and who have followed their [own] desires.
1 translator’s note
- From among the Prophet's companions. ↩
47:17
وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱهۡتَدَوۡاْ زَادَهُمۡ هُدٗى وَءَاتَىٰهُمۡ تَقۡوَىٰهُمۡ ١٧
And those who are guided - He increases them in guidance and gives them their righteousness.1
1 translator’s note
- Taqwā, meaning piety, consciousness and fear of Allāh, and care to avoid His displeasure. ↩
47:18
فَهَلۡ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا ٱلسَّاعَةَ أَن تَأۡتِيَهُم بَغۡتَةٗۖ فَقَدۡ جَآءَ أَشۡرَاطُهَاۚ فَأَنَّىٰ لَهُمۡ إِذَا جَآءَتۡهُمۡ ذِكۡرَىٰهُمۡ ١٨
Then do they await except that the Hour should come upon them unexpectedly? But already there have come [some of] its indications. Then how [i.e., what good] to them, when it has come, will be their remembrance?
47:19
فَٱعۡلَمۡ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لِذَنۢبِكَ وَلِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمۡ وَمَثۡوَىٰكُمۡ ١٩
So know, [O Muḥammad], that there is no deity except Allāh and ask forgiveness for your sin1 and for the believing men and believing women. And Allāh knows of your movement and your resting place.
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 40:55. ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy