وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى صَدَقَنَا وَعْدَهُۥ وَأَوْرَثَنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ نَتَبَوَّأُ مِنَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ نَشَآءُ ۖ فَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ ٱلْعَـٰمِلِينَ 74
Translations
And they will say, "Praise to Allāh, who has fulfilled for us His promise and made us inherit the earth [so] we may settle in Paradise wherever we will. And excellent is the reward of [righteous] workers."
Transliteration
Wa qalū al-hamdu lillāhi alladhī sadaqanā wa'dahu wa awrathanā al-arda natabawwa'u min al-jannati haythu nashā'u fa-ni'ma ajru al-'āmilīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
The inhabitants of Paradise praise Allah for fulfilling His promise to them and granting them inheritance of the Garden, where they may dwell wherever they wish. According to classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this ayah depicts the eternal reward of the righteous, emphasizing both Allah's faithfulness to His covenant and the complete freedom and joy granted to the inhabitants of Paradise. The phrase 'natabawwa'u' (we shall settle/dwell) conveys the absolute security and contentment of those who believed and performed righteous deeds.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the closing section of Surah Az-Zumar, which is a Meccan surah addressing the disbelievers and believers regarding the consequences of their actions. The ayah provides a vivid description of the believers' state in the afterlife, serving as encouragement and motivation for the early Muslim community facing persecution in Mecca.
Related Hadiths
Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: "In Paradise, there are things that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has imagined" (Sahih Bukhari 3244). Additionally, the Prophet described the vastness and beauty of Paradise as incentive for righteous deeds (Sahih Muslim 2824).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah reminds believers that steadfastness in faith and righteous action will be rewarded with unimaginable blessings and eternal peace. It encourages grateful acknowledgment of Allah's promises and motivates perseverance through life's trials with the certain knowledge that God's covenant with the believers is absolute and will be perfectly fulfilled.