وَأُدْخِلَ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ ۖ تَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا سَلَـٰمٌ 23
Translations
And those who believed and did righteous deeds will be admitted to gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding eternally therein by permission of their Lord; and their greeting therein will be, "Peace!"
Transliteration
Wa udkhila alladhina amanu wa amilu assalihati janatin tajri min tahtiha al-anharu khalidina fiha bi idhni rabbihim, tahiyyatuhum fiha assalam
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the entrance of believers who combined faith (iman) with righteous deeds (amal salih) into gardens of Paradise through which rivers flow, wherein they shall dwell eternally by the permission of their Lord, with their greeting being 'Assalam' (peace). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this verse establishes the fundamental principle that Paradise is earned through both sincere belief and virtuous actions, not faith alone, and that eternal residence (khulud) in Paradise is a reality affirmed by divine permission, while the greeting of peace reflects the perfect harmony and tranquility of the blessed.
Revelation Context
Surah Ibrahim is a Meccan chapter revealed during a period of intense opposition to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This ayah appears in the context of contrasting the fates of believers and disbelievers on the Day of Judgment, serving to encourage the early Muslim community facing persecution by reminding them of the eternal reward awaiting those who maintain faith and righteous conduct.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'For every believer in Paradise there are eighty thousand servants, and he will be married to seventy-two wives from the houris of Paradise, and his tent will be made of pearls, jacinth, and chrysolite, and its vastness will be like the distance between al-Jabiyah and Sana' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Additionally, 'The first batch of people who will enter Paradise will have faces like the full moon' (Sahih Bukhari).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that genuine faith must be accompanied by righteous actions to achieve Paradise—belief without deeds is insufficient. For modern believers, it emphasizes the importance of consistent moral and spiritual practice, reminding us that our ultimate success depends on maintaining both inner conviction and outer righteous conduct throughout our lives.