وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَمَسَـٰكِنَ طَيِّبَةً فِى جَنَّـٰتِ عَدْنٍ ۚ وَرِضْوَٰنٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ 72
Translations
Allāh has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence; but approval from Allāh is greater. It is that which is the great attainment.
Transliteration
Wa'ada Allahu al-mu'minina wa-al-mu'minat jannat tajri min tahtiha al-anhar khalidina fiha wa-masaken tayyibatan fi jannat 'adn wa-ridwanun mina Allahi akbar dhalika huwa al-fawz al-'azim
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah promises believing men and women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will dwell eternally with excellent dwellings in the gardens of Eden (Jannatu 'Adn), and most importantly, Allah's pleasure (ridwan) which surpasses all other rewards. Ibn Kathir notes that ridwan—God's approval and contentment—is the greatest reward of Paradise, exceeding even its physical blessings. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that this promise is both conditional upon faith and actions, and that the mention of both believing men and women indicates the equality of reward based on righteous deeds regardless of gender.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah At-Tawbah (Chapter 9), a Medinan surah that deals extensively with faith, repentance, and the qualities of true believers. It comes after verses discussing the characteristics of believers and their rewards, serving as motivation for steadfastness in faith during the challenging period of early Islamic community development in Medina.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The greatest blessing of the people of Paradise is looking at the Face of Allah the Most High' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). This hadith relates to the ultimate reward mentioned in this ayah—Allah's ridwan (pleasure) being the greatest bounty.
Themes
Key Lesson
True believers should understand that the ultimate reward is not merely material comfort but Allah's approval and proximity to Him. This should inspire believers to prioritize pleasing Allah through sincere faith and righteous deeds, recognizing that spiritual fulfillment exceeds worldly desires.