As vast as the heavens and the earth

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Has the Paradise already been created? The Vastness of Paradise

The first verse declares the width of the Paradise to be as vast as the heavens and the earth.

“Be the first to seek the forgiveness of your Lord and a garden of bliss whose vastness is the vastness of the heavens and the earth.”

The word “Arz” here is not against the word “Tuul” but it is the literal meaning that is denoted and that is vastness. Some commentators have tried to assess its length but it is unwarranted and this is because of not knowing the real meaning of “Arz”.

Some commentators have said that this sentence is a symbol because the greatest vast ness that the human mind can imagine is the distance between the heavens and the earth although the width of the Paradise is far greater.

The notable point is that the verse first speaks about the forgiveness by God and then only is the vastness of Paradise mentioned. This is because forgiveness results in the closeness to God and that is a greater bounty than Paradise. Secondly until the time the person attains that purity, forgiveness and salvation he will not be able to enter Paradise.

The word “Sabiqu” which is derived from “Masbiqah” says that the Paradise and salvation are so great that a believer should try to get them before others as the brave people do to attain some goal.

This des c r i p tion tells us that this world is an arena of competition but the goal is the world of the hereafter.

In what should they strive? Many commentators have tried to give it a name like Islam, Immigration, the five times prayers, Jihad, or repentance. It is certain that the verse has great connotations that include all good deeds and obedience. What the commentators have said is an interpretation of the verse.

The second verse mentions the same thing in other words. The first verse spoke about going ahead and here it speaks about being quick. There it was said that the width of Paradise is equal to the width of the heavens and the earth but here word “equal” has been removed here. There it spoke of a single heaven and here it speaks about multiple heavens. There it said that the Paradise has been prepared for those who truly believe in God and His Messengers and here it says that the Paradise is for the righteous.

“Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord and for a garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the heavens and of the earth prepared for the righteous.”

It is known that you need speed to go ahead and the righteous are those who believe in God and his Messengers because piety is a part of faith. The word “Sama” denotes material and generality that includes all the heavens. Both the verses, therefore, are speaking about the same thing.

Another question has arisen before the commentators is “ If the width of the Paradise is equal to the width of all the heavens and earth” then is there any place left for Hell?”

We can answer that the universe of that Day will be vaster than the universe of today because it will be a great and complete universe. Paradise on that day will be equal to the heavens and earth of today because Hell will be separate as that universe will be greater than this one.

There are other answers and in short we can say that light and darkness, reward and punishment are opposite each other in this world and they cannot both exist in the same place but in that world there will be no contrast between them. It is therefore, possible that both may engulf the whole world but since they are separate creations of the same whole they will not be opposed to each other.

We can explain this by giving a simple example that a very sweet may be broadcasted at a specific meter band to the entire world but at the same time a very bad voice broadcasted through bad instruments may be heard on another frequency and they both may be heard in the entire world. This will not be incomprehensible for the common people.

Those who have set their radios to the first frequency will enjoy the beautiful voice and those who have set it on another frequency may be appalled by the bad voice. The first group may be in Paradise and the second may be in Hell.

We will discuss this later in details.

The third verse speaks about a very meaningful des c r i p tion of Paradise. The verse addresses the Messenger of Islam and says:

“And when you look (in Paradise) you will see a delight (that cannot be imagined) and a great dominion.” (2)

Many things have been said to explain the term “ Mulkan Kabeera”. There are two major points. The first is that some commentators have taken it to mean the buildings, palaces and gardens. One explaining says:

“ The lowest level of paradise has a dominion so vast that it will seem to be an area of a thousand years (journey) (3)when you look at it.

Some commentators have taken it to be symbolically very elevated place with those living there have a very honorable existence. One of their greatness will be that the angels will not approach them without permission and they will always greet them or that there will be no annihilation or decay or that each one of them will have 70 guards. (4)

Some have taken the word “Mulk” to be “Malkiat” Ownership and some as “Hakimiet” or rulership.

Some other have taken the term “ Mulkan Kabeera” to mean closeness to God.

It speaks about God’s glory and beauty they say. We can gather the meanings together because there is no contradiction between them.

What is understood clearly from these verses is that just as the bounties of Paradise, their variety and importance are impossible to describe whatever we say will not be able to depict its reality.

 


 

1. Many Ulema have taken the word “ Arz” as opposite of the word “Tuul” but they have not denied that the word originally has a vast meaning. According to At-Tahqiq fi Kalimati Qura’n the actual meaning of “Arz” is to place something before the eyes because a person when he sees something judges its width and not length so this word began to be used in this meaning. The meaning of the width of the heavens and the earth is their total existence.
2. Samma here is the existence and “ ra-ayta” is the verb so the verse will mean, “ When you will look there you see a great and vast dominion full of bounties.” In another explanation “ ra-ayata” is the verb and “Samma denotes distance so the meaning will be “ when you will see the place you will see a vast dominion full of bounties.”
3. Tafsir Ruhul Bayan vol.11 page 352, Qartabi vol.10 page 3669, Ruhul Ma’ani vol. 29 page 161 and Majmaul Bayan vol.9 and 10 page 411.
4. Tafsir Burhanvol.4. Page 415 and Tafsir Majmaul Bayan vol. 9-10 page 441.

 

Has the Paradise already been created? The Vastness of Paradise
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