In the name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Ever Merciful
We have given this Book to such of Our servants as We choose: among them are some who wrong their own souls, some follow a middle course; and some who, by God’s leave, are foremost in deeds of goodness. That is the greatest favor. Gardens of bliss will they enter, where they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, and where they will be clad in silk garments. They will say: “All praise is due to God, who has removed all sorrow from us. Our Lord is certainly Much Forgiving, most appreciative. It is He who, out of His bounty, has settled us in this abode of permanent life, where we shall endure neither toil nor fatigue.”
As for the unbelievers, the fire of hell awaits them. No term shall be determined for them so that they could die, nor shall its suffering be reduced for them. Thus shall We requite all unbelievers. There they will cry aloud: “Our Lord! Let us out and we will do good, not like what we did before.” “Have We not given you lives long enough for anyone who would be warned to take warning? And a warner had come to you. Taste it, then. Wrongdoers shall have none to support them.”(The Originator, Fatir, 35: 32-37)
Having spoken about the book of the universe, the surah now refers to God’s revealed book, the Qur’an, which God has given to the Muslim community as its heritage. He has chosen this community to be its heir, as He states in His book: “We have given this Book to such of Our servants as We choose.” The Muslim community should know from these words that it has been given a position of honor by God. It should also realize that the responsibility it shoulders as a result is of great importance. It is a responsibility, which assigns duties that have to be fulfilled. Will the Muslim community listen and respond?
God has honored the Muslim community. He has chosen it to be the heir to His message, and He has graced it with a favorable reward, even for those who do not perform well: “We have given this Book to such of Our servants as We choose: Among them are some who wrong their own souls, some follow a middle course; and some who, by God’s leave, are foremost in deeds of goodness.”
The people mentioned first, probably because they are the majority, are the ones who “wrong their own souls,” by doing more bad things than good, and the second have a balance between the two, following “a middle course,” while the third are “foremost in deeds of goodness,” having a preponderance of these. However, God’s grace is bestowed on all three, leading them all to heaven where they experience the bliss described in the verses that follow. We will not go into any further detail here, preferring to leave the discussion with the idea conveyed by the verse, making it clear that the Muslim community head to this end in its entirety by God’s grace: “That is the greatest favor. Gardens of bliss will they enter, where they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, and where they will be clad in silk garments. They will say: ‘All praise is due to God, who has removed all sorrow from us. Our Lord is certainly Much Forgiving, most appreciative. It is He who, out of His bounty, has settled us in this abode of permanent life, where we shall endure neither toil nor fatigue.”’
These verses give us an image of material comfort and psychological bliss. They are “adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, and they will be clad in silk garments,” which are aspects of the material comfort that satisfies some of what people desire. Coupled with this are feelings of security, reassurance and gratification: “They will say: All praise is due to God, who has removed all sorrow from us.” This present life, with all that it involves of worry about the future and all its struggles, counts as sorrow when it is compared to the enduring bliss in heaven. Moreover, the worry each individual experiences on the Day of Judgment concerning fate is also a source of great sorrow. “Our Lord is certainly Much Forgiving, most appreciative.” He has forgiven us our sins and appreciated our work, rewarding us well for it. “It is He who has settled us in this abode of permanent life,” where we shall permanently reside. It is all “out of His bounty.” We have no right to claim. It is He who gives it all by His grace. “Where we shall endure neither toil nor fatigue.” There we have all we need: comfort, bliss and reassurance.
The ambience generated here is one of ease, comfort and bliss. The words are chosen for their sound so as to enhance such feelings. Heaven is described as the “abode of permanent life” while toil and fatigue do not come near them. In this way the music of these verses is slow and soft.
On the other side we see the unbelievers wracked with worry, lacking confidence, and unable to see an end to their troubles: “As for the unbelievers, the fire of hell awaits them. No term shall be determined for them so that they could die, nor shall its suffering be reduced for them.” Not even the comfort of death is granted them. “Thus shall We requite all unbelievers.”
Then we begin to hear loud, harsh voices. The echoes are mixed, the wailing confused, and it comes from those who have been thrown into hell: “There they will cry aloud.” What are these harsh voices saying, then? They say: “Our Lord! Let us out and we will do good, not like what we did before.” This is an expression of regret for what they did in the past, but it is all too late. Hence, the reply carries a strong reproach: “Have We not given you lives long enough for anyone who would be warned to take warning?” You did not benefit from the duration of your lives on earth, which was enough for anyone who wished to heed the warnings. “And a warner had come to you.” This was in addition to the warnings. Yet you paid no heed. “Taste it, then. Wrongdoers shall have none to support them.”
