سورة هود

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Mas'ada ibn Sadaqa said: "Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) recounted the story of the people of the covenant among the people of Paradise and the people of the Fire, and said concerning the attributes of the people of Paradise: 'Some of them meet Allah and are present before Him as witnesses of truth for the messengers of Allah.'" Then the Imam (peace be upon him) mentioned their attributes until he reached this statement: "Then in the words of the Lord about the people of Paradise and the people of the Fire, the particle of exception (istithna) has come. He who has no knowledge of tafsir and is ignorant of it has claimed that this particle of exception, in the words of the Exalted Lord, refers to those who have entered Paradise and the Fire, because both groups — the people of Paradise and the people of the Fire — will leave those places, and Paradise and Hell will remain while no one is in these two abodes. But the understanding of such people and their interpretation is wrong and false. Rather, what Allah the Exalted intended by this exception is that all the children of Adam (peace be upon him) and the children of the jinn are in this world upon the earth, and the heavens cast their shade over them, and it is Allah who [by His own will] transfers the believers, until He brings [others] into the guardianship (wilayah) of the satans, which is the Fire. And this is the very meaning to which Allah has alluded regarding the people of Paradise and the people of the Fire: مَا دَامَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَ الأَرْضُ [as long as the heavens and the earth endure] — [meaning] in this world (not on the Day of Resurrection). The Essence of Allah the Exalted will never take the people of Paradise out of Paradise, just as He will never take all the people of the Fire out of the Fire; and how could such a thing even be possible while Allah has said in the Qur'an: خالِدِینَ فِیها أَبَداً [abiding therein forever] — in this noble verse He has made no exception for anyone. Likewise Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) has said: 'Whoever enters the wilayah of the Family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) will enter Paradise, and whoever enters the wilayah of their enemies will become a dweller of the Fire; and this is the very meaning that Allah the Exalted intended by the exception concerning exiting from and entering into Paradise and the Fire.'"

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: "I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) to explain the verse فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِیٌّ وَ سَعِیدٌ [Among them are the wretched and the blessed]." He said: "The exception in this verse concerns the people of the Fire, and there is no exception in the mention of the people of Paradise." وَ أَمَّا الَّذِینَ سُعِدُواْ فَفِی الجَنَّةِ خَالِدِینَ فِیهَا مَا دَامَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَ الأَرْضُ إِلاَّ مَا شَاء رَبُّکَ عَطَاء غَیْرَ مَجْدُودٍ [And as for those who are made happy, they shall be in the Garden, abiding in it as long as the heavens and the earth endure, except as your Lord pleases; a gift that shall never be cut off].

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Nawfali says: "Imam Rida (peace be upon him) said: 'O Sulayman! Does Allah know all that is in Paradise and Hell?' Sulayman said: 'Yes.' The Imam (peace be upon him) said: 'And will what Allah knows will come into being in the future actually come into being?' He said: 'Yes.' The Imam (peace be upon him) said: 'Now if it has come into being in such a way that nothing of it remains, can Allah still add other things to them, or withhold from them?' Sulayman said: 'He adds more.' The Imam (peace be upon him) said: 'Then according to what you say — that Allah adds more — He has added to them something which He Himself did not know would come into being. [For the assumption was that everything Allah knew would come into being for them in the future has already come into being, and nothing remains.]' Sulayman said: 'May I be your ransom! The additions have no end or limit.' The Imam said: 'So in your view Allah's knowledge does not encompass what will be in them (Paradise and Hell), because no end can be conceived for it; and if His knowledge does not encompass what will be in them, then He does not know, before their existence, what will come to be in them in the future! Allah is far exalted above such statements and beliefs.' Sulayman said: 'If I said that Allah does not know them, it was because they have no end, and Allah Himself has described them as everlasting, and so we did not wish to place a termination for them.' The Imam said: 'Allah's knowledge of them does not entail that they be finite, for Allah may know them, then add to them, and not cut off those additions from them. Allah Himself has said so: كُلَّما نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُمْ بَدَّلْناهُمْ جُلُوداً غَیْرَها لِیَذُوقُوا الْعَذابَ [Whenever their skins are cooked through, We shall change them for other skins, that they may taste the punishment]. (al-Nisa'/56); and regarding the people of Paradise He has said: عَطاءً غَیْرَ مَجْذُوذٍ [a gift never to be cut off]; and also: وَ فاکِهَةٍ کَثِیرَةٍ لا مَقْطُوعَةٍ وَ لا مَمْنُوعَةٍ [and abundant fruit, neither cut off nor forbidden]. (al-Waqi'a/32-33) So Allah the Mighty and Majestic knows these additions and does not withhold them from them. Do you not see that what the people of Paradise eat and drink — does Allah not replace it with something else?' He said: 'Yes indeed.' The Imam said: 'Now that He has replaced the food and drink that was consumed with something new, has He cut off His gift?' Sulayman said: 'No.' The Imam said: 'Likewise, whatever is in Paradise that is consumed and He puts something else in its place — these replacements have not been and will not be cut off from the people of Paradise.' Sulayman said: 'Very well, He withholds the additions from them and does not give them anything extra.' The Imam said: 'In that case, what is in Paradise and Hell will perish and come to an end. O Sulayman! This is contrary to the Book of Allah and opposed to eternity and everlastingness. For Allah says: لَهُمْ ما یَشاؤُنَ فِیها وَ لَدَیْنا مَزِیدٌ [They shall have whatever they wish therein, and with Us is yet more]. (Qaf/35); and He also says: عَطاءً غَیْرَ مَجْذُوذٍ [a gift never to be cut off]; and He has said: وَ ما هُمْ مِنْها بِمُخْرَجِینَ [nor shall they be expelled from it]. (al-Hijr/48); and He says: خالِدِینَ فِیها أَبَداً [abiding therein forever]; and He has also said: وَ فاکِهَةٍ کَثِیرَةٍ لا مَقْطُوعَةٍ وَ لا مَمْنُوعَةٍ [and abundant fruit, neither cut off nor forbidden].' Sulayman had no answer."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): These two verses are about those who are not among the people of eternity (everlasting abiding in Hell); the wretched ones [who are afflicted by the Fire] and the fortunate ones for whom it is hoped that Allah will bring them out of Hell. O Zurarah! Do not suppose that I hold such a view or make such a claim.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): عَطاءً غَیْرَ مَجْذُوذٍ [a gift which shall never be cut off]; [meaning] their worldly blessings are not cut off, but rather are joined to the blessings of the hereafter in Paradise.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): When the verse طُوبی لَهُمْ وَ حُسْنُ مَآبٍ [Happiness is for them and a beautiful place of return] (Ra'd/29) was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)... Miqdad ibn al-Aswad al-Kindi came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! What does طُوبی in the noble verse mean?" He said: "It is a tree in Paradise from whose root the rivers of Salsabil, Rahiq and Ma'in spring forth. And the shade of that tree is the gathering-place of the Shi'a of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), where they come together and converse with one another." Their Lord says: "Your wishes were small, and you were content with what is less than what you deserve. Now behold the gifts of your Lord." Suddenly they see domes and palaces of red, green, white and yellow rubies in the upper reaches of Paradise, whose light shines forth, such that were it not that this light is restrained [and its various colours] intricately layered, the flashing brightness of those palaces would have blinded and carried away all sight. Those palaces of ruby are carpeted with green silk, and those of white ruby have carpets of a single piece of fine yellow cloth, spread over with green chrysolite, white silver and red gold; the foundations and pillars of the palaces are of jewels, and from the doors and walls of those palaces shines a light such that the rays of the sun beside it are like the light of a brilliant star on a bright day. In front of every one of these palaces are two verdant gardens with trees whose crowns meet, so intensely green that they incline to blackness (al-Rahman/64). And in those two gardens there is of every fruit two kinds [and two pairs] (al-Rahman/52). Whenever they wish to return to their dwellings, they mount powerful steeds of light, [whose reins are] in the hands of beautiful youths who serve them for ever; in the hand of each of them is the bridle of one of those steeds, whose bit and reins are of white silver and whose crupper beneath the tail is of jewels. When they enter their dwellings, the angels congratulate them on the honour of Allah, until they settle in their place. Then it is said to them: "Have you found the promise of Allah concerning yourselves to be true?" They say: "Yes! O our Lord! We are well pleased; may You too be well pleased with us." It is proclaimed: "By reason of My pleasure with you and your love for the family of My Prophet, you have entered My house and shaken hands with the angels. May it be wholesome for you! Wholesome! This is عَطاءً غَیْرَ مَجْذُوذٍ [a gift which shall never be cut off], in which there is no diminution." At that they say: الْحَمْدُ لِلهِ الَّذِی أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا الْحَزَنَ إِنَّ رَبَّنا لَغَفُورٌ شَکُورٌ الَّذِی أَحَلَّنا دارَ الْمُقامَةِ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ لا یَمَسُّنا فِیها نَصَبٌ وَ لا یَمَسُّنا فِیها لُغُوب [Praise be to Allah, who has removed grief from us; indeed our Lord is Most Forgiving, Most Appreciative; who out of His grace has settled us in the abode of permanence, wherein no toil touches us and no weariness touches us] (Fatir/34-35).