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سورة البقرة (Surah Al-Baqarah)

آية 25

القرآن: وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ۖ كُلَّمَا رُزِقُوا مِنْهَا مِن ثَمَرَةٍ رِّزْقًا ۙ قَالُوا هَٰذَا الَّذِي رُزِقْنَا مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَأُتُوا بِهِ مُتَشَابِهًا ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا أَزْوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ ۖ وَهُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
Translation: And give good news to those who believe and do righteous deeds that for them are Gardens under which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with a provision of fruit from there, they will say, “This is what we were provided with before.” And it will be given to them in similarity. And for them therein are purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally.

Explanation (Tafheemul Quran):

Maududi explains that this verse marks a deliberate and stark shift in tone. Immediately after the stern warning of Hell for the deniers (verse 24), it presents the joyful promise for the believers. This contrast is a core rhetorical style of the Quran.

The explanation focuses on the following key aspects of the verse:

1. The Audience – “Those who believe and do righteous deeds”: This phrase, repeated throughout the Quran, defines the true believer. Maududi stresses that belief (Iman) must be coupled with righteous action (Amal al-Salih). The promise is not for a mere claim of faith, but for a faith that manifests in moral and virtuous deeds.
2. The Promise – Gardens with Rivers: The description of “Gardens under which rivers flow” is the Quran’s primary symbol for Paradise (Jannah). It signifies eternal bliss, perfect beauty, peace, and abundance. The flowing rivers represent the elimination of all thirst, hardship, and want.
3. The Nature of Paradise’s Blessings: Maududi delves into the line “Whenever they are provided… they will say, ‘This is what we were provided with before.'” He clarifies that this does not mean the fruits are identical to worldly fruits in their essential reality. Instead, it means:
   · Familiarity in Excellence: The fruits of Paradise will be of such surpassing excellence that they will evoke the same feeling of delight and satisfaction that the best of worldly fruits provided, but infinitely superior.
   · “Given in similarity” (مُتَشَابِهًا): This key term indicates a resemblance in form or name but not in substance. The blessings of the Hereafter are of a different, sublime order, beyond human imagination. They are described in terms familiar to us so we can conceive of their delight, but their true essence is unimaginable.
4. Spiritual and Physical Purity: The phrase “purified spouses” (أَزْوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَةٌ) is crucial. Maududi explains that this purification (Tathir) is comprehensive—free from all physical and spiritual imperfections, impurities, and base characteristics of worldly life. It signifies relationships of perfect purity, love, and companionship.
5. The Ultimate Gift – Eternity: The conclusion, “and they will abide therein eternally,” is the most significant part of the promise. Maududi emphasizes that the greatest blessing of Paradise is not any single pleasure, but the guarantee that this state of perfect happiness, security, and fulfillment is permanent and never-ending. It is the final escape from all loss, decay, and death.

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Core Summary from Maududi’s Tafheem:

Verse 2:25 serves a dual purpose:

1. A Comfort and Incentive for Believers: After the harsh warnings to disbelievers, it immediately comforts the believers with the assurance of their magnificent reward, reinforcing their faith and perseverance.
2. Defining the Criteria for Success: It reiterates that the true winners are not merely those who hear the message, but those who internalize it as belief and externalize it through righteous deeds.
3. A Glimpse of the Unimaginable: It uses relatable imagery (fruits, rivers, spouses) to describe Paradise while simultaneously indicating that its realities are far superior and of a different nature altogether, culminating in the gift of eternal life.