55. Surah Ar-Rah Man
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَلِمَنْ
خَافَ مَقَامَ
رَبِّهِ ...
55: 46. But for such as fear the time when they will stand before (the Judgment Seat of) their Lord,
C5204. The reference to the Punishment of Sin having been dismissed in a few short lines, we now come to a description of the state of the Blessed. (R).
... جَنَّتَانِ ﴿٤٦﴾
there will be two Gardens --
C5205. Here two Gardens are mentioned, and indeed four, counting the other two mentioned in 55:62-76.
Opinions are divided about this, but the best opinion is that the two mentioned in verses 46-61 are for the degree of those Nearest to Allah (Muqarrabun), and those in verses 62-76 for the Companions of the Right Hand:
Why two for each?
The Duality is to express variety, and the whole scheme of the Surah runs in twos. There will be no dullness of uniformity: as our minds can conceive it now, there will be freshness in change, but it will be from Bliss to Bliss, and there will be Unity. (R).
فَبِأَيِّ
آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا
تُكَذِّبَانِ
﴿٤٧﴾
55: 47. Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?
55: 48. Containing all kinds (of trees and delights) --
فَبِأَيِّ
آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا
تُكَذِّبَانِ
﴿٤٩﴾
55: 49. Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?
فِيهِمَا
عَيْنَانِ
تَجْرِيَانِ
﴿٥٠﴾
55: 50. In them (each) will be two Springs flowing (free);
C5206. Two Springs, for the same reasons as there will be two Gardens. See last note.
فَبِأَيِّ
آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا
تُكَذِّبَانِ
﴿٥١﴾
55: 51. Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?
فِيهِمَا
مِن كُلِّ فَاكِهَةٍ
زَوْجَانِ
﴿٥٢﴾
55: 52. In them will be Fruits of every kind, two and two.
C5207. The Duality of Fruits is for the same reason as the Duality of the Gardens.
See n. 5205.
فَبِأَيِّ
آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا
تُكَذِّبَانِ
﴿٥٣﴾
55: 53. Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?
مُتَّكِئِينَ
عَلَى فُرُشٍ
بَطَائِنُهَا
مِنْ إِسْتَبْرَقٍ
...
55: 54. They will recline on Carpets, whose inner linings will be of rich brocade:
... وَجَنَى الْجَنَّتَيْنِ دَانٍ ﴿٥٤﴾
the Fruit of the Gardens will be Near (and easy of reach).
C5208. The toil and fatigue of this life will be over:
Cf. 35:35.
فَبِأَيِّ
آلَاء رَبِّكُمَا
تُكَذِّبَانِ
﴿٥٥﴾
55: 55. Then which of the favors of your Lord will ye deny?
Asad’s Version:
55:46 BUT FOR THOSE who of their Sustainer's Presence stand in fear, two gardens [of paradise are readied] 22 –
(55:47) which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow? –
(55:48) [two gardens] of many wondrous hues. 23
(55:49) Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow?
55:50 In [each of] these two [gardens] two springs will flow. 24
(55:51) Which, then; of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow?
(55:52) In [each of] these two will two kinds of every fruit be [found]. 25
(55:53) Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow?
55:54 [In such a paradise the blest will dwell,] reclining upon carpets lined with rich brocade; 26 and the fruit of both these gardens will be within easy reach.
(55:55) Which, then, of your Sustainer's powers can you disavow?
Ali’s version and the Arabic text
[[Asad’s notes - 22 I.e., two kinds of paradise, to be experienced simultaneously. Various interpretations are advanced on this score by the classical commentators: e.g., "a paradise for their doing of good deeds, and another paradise for their avoidance of sins" (Zamakhshari); or a paradise that "will comprise both spiritual and physical joys, [so that it will seem] as if it were two paradises" (Razi). Finally, one
might conclude that the pointed reference to the "two gardens" of paradise contains - like the preceding reference to the sinners - wandering between hell and burning despair" - a pointed allusion to the allegorical character of all descriptions of the life to come, as well as to the inexpressible intensity (or multiplication) of all imaginable and unimaginable sensations in that afterlife. The subsequent descriptions of the joys of paradise must be understood in the same symbolic light.
23 According to Tabari, the noun fann (lit., "mode" or "manner") is in this case synonymous with lawn ("colour" or "hue"). Afnan is a double plural, and hence denotes "many hues"; and since - as pointed out in the Taj al-'Arus - one of the several accepted meanings of fann is "a wonderful thing", afnan can also be understood as many wonderful things". The rendering adopted by me combines both these interpretations. - As regards the indescribable nature of what is termed "paradise", see 32:17 and the corresponding note 15.
24 The "two springs" of paradise call to mind the "two seas" spoken of in 18:60-61, which, according to Baydawi, symbolize the two sources or streams of knowledge accessible to man: the one obtained through the observation and intellectual analysis of external phenomena ('ilm az-zahir), and the other through inward, mystic insight ('ilm al-batin).
25 Zamakhshari: "a kind that is known and a kind that is strange (gharrb)" - i.e., cognitions or sensations that are imaginable on the basis of our experiences in the present life, and such as are, as yet, unimaginable to us, and can, therefore, be only hinted at by means of symbols or allegories, Regarding the concept of "allegory" as such, see 3 : 7 and the corresponding note 8.
26 Cf. 18:31 and the corresponding note 41 . The "reclining upon carpets" (or "upon couches" in 18:31) is a symbol of utter restfulness and peace of mind. The mention of the "carpets" of paradise being lined with rich brocade is perhaps meant to convey the idea that - just as the lining of a carpet is, as a rule, invisible - the beauty of paradise has nothing to do with outward show, being of an inner, spiritual nature (Razi). This concept appears already in an earlier interpretation, quoted by Zamakhshari, according to which the 'carpets" spoken of here consist of light. ]]