Surah Maryam, Ayah 64

The Angels do not descend, except by Allah's Command

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Jibril,

«مَا يَمْنَعُكَ أَنْ تَزُورَنَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا تَزُورُنَا؟»

(What prevents you from visiting us more than you do) Then this Ayah was revealed,

وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلاَّ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ

(And we descend not except by the command of your Lord.) Al-Bukhari was alone in recording it and he related it with the Tafsir of this Ayah. Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "Jibril was kept from visiting the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , so he was disturbed and grieved because of this. Then, Jibril came to him and said, `O Muhammad,

وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلاَّ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ

(And we descend not except by the command of your Lord.)"' Allah said,

لَهُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا وَمَا خَلْفَنَا

(To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us,) It has been said that the meaning of "what is before us" refers to that which is in this life and "what is behind us" refers to the Hereafter.

وَمَا بَيْنَ ذلِكَ

(and what is between those two;) This means what is between two blows of the Sur. This is the opinion of Abu Al-`Aliyah, `Ikrimah and Mujahid. This was also stated by Sa`id bin Jubayr and Qatadah in one narration from them. As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas held this opinion as well. It has also been said,

مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا

(what is before us) means the future matters of the Hereafter.

وَمَا خَلْفَنَا

(what is behind us,) means what has taken place in this life,

وَمَا بَيْنَ ذلِكَ

(what is between those two;) means what happens between this life and the Hereafter. A statement like this explanation has been reported from Ibn `Abbas, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj and Ath-Thawri. Ibn Jarir also preferred this latter interpretation. And Allah knows best. Concerning Allah's statement,

وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ نَسِيّاً

(and your Lord is never forgetful.) Mujahid said, "This means that your Lord has not forgotten you." Allah said,

رَّبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا

(Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them,) He created all of that, He is the Disposer of its affairs, He is the Legi- slator over it and He is in absolute control of it, having no one to oppose His decisions.

فَاعْبُدْهُ وَاصْطَبِرْ لِعِبَادَتِهِ هَلْ تَعْلَمُ لَهُ سَمِيّاً

(so worship Him and abide patiently in his worship. Do you know of any who is similar to Him) `Ali bin Abi Talhah related that Ibn `Abbas said that this means, "Do you know any comparison or some- thing similar to the Lord" Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj and others all said the same. `Ikrimah related that Ibn `Abbas said, "There is no one named Ar-Rahman (the Most Beneficent) other than Him, Blessed and Exalted is He. Most Holy is His Name."

وَيَقُولُ الإِنْسَـنُ أَإِذَا مَا مِتُّ لَسَوْفَ أُخْرَجُ حَيّاً - أَوَلاَ يَذْكُرُ إلإِنْسَـنُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ يَكُ شَيْئاً - فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَحْشُرَنَّهُمْ وَالشَّيَـطِينَ ثُمَّ لَنُحْضِرَنَّهُمْ حَوْلَ جَهَنَّمَ جِثِيّاً

لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًا إِلَّا سَلَامًا

"They will not hear anything absurd therein but a word of peace." - 19:62.

(لَغو) means idle, absurd, frivolous and abusive talk, which will not reach the ears of good people who have been admitted to Paradise.

إِلَّا سَلَامًا means that whatever one will hear in Paradise will add to his happiness, peace and tranquility. It includes the customary greetings (سَلَام), which the dwellers of Paradise will exchange among themselves and the angels of God will offer them all. (Qurtubi)

وَلَهُمْ رِ‌زْقُهُمْ فِيهَا بُكْرَ‌ةً وَعَشِيًّا

"And there they will have their provisions at morn and eve." - 19:62.

This world being a place of trial, everyone has been given freedom. Here, those who perform good deeds are free and those who indulge in bad deeds are free too. Consequently, a true and righteous person never knows tranquillity in the present world. However righteous he may personally be, the fact that the unrighteous people take undue advantage of their freedom, and taint the surrounding atmosphere with ungodliness, constantly disturbs his peace of mind. Paradise is a place from which all such wrongdoers will be excluded. There, only those noble persons will be lodged who have proved in this world that they do not live like thorns, but know how to live like flowers. A life shaped in the proximity of such people will undoubtedly be a haven of eternal peace—a paradise. In this world, the hardest task is to abstain from vain pursuits and to lead one’s life as an embodiment of peace. To this end, one has, of one’s own free will, to change a life of freedom into a life of limitations. This is the most difficult sacrifice, which can be offered only by one who is truly God-fearing. Only those who fear God in this world can feel themselves to be accountable to God. They are the only ones who will be admitted to the eternal paradise of the Hereafter.