The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 308
CH. 13 AR-RA'D PT. 13 وَظِلُّهَا تِلْكَ عُقْبَى الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا streams: its fruit is everlasting وَعُقْبَى الْكَفِرِيْنَ النَّارُ and so is its shade. That is the reward of those who are righteous; and the reward of the disbelievers is Fire. 1646 1646. Commentary: The idea underlying the word generally rendered as Heaven but literally meaning garden, is not that of a land covered with trees, but of the trees themselves that give shade and cover the land. Thus the sentence (through it flow streams) تجرى من تحت الانهار means that streams will flow under the trees of the gardens. This is intended to point not only to the proximity of water but also to the fact that the inmates of Heaven will be the owners and masters of the streams referred to. The word (stream) properly signifies "water running with ease and unrestrictedly," which points to the unhampered and unimpeded progress of believers in Heaven. The word (stream) also symbolizes the vastness of the works of believers, for it is only to water vast areas and not a few acres of land that streams or canals are constructed. Thus the word (stream) implies the fact that the works of believers are and should be wide in their range and the scope of their vision unrestricted. It should be remembered that in the description of Paradise, trees stand for believers' faith while streams symbolize their works. Just as trees without water become withered and dry, similarly, faith unaccompanied by good works is a dead formality. The plural form (s (streams) has been used in order to point to the fact that believers' good works are of diverse kinds and versatile nature. This is why they will take the form of not one stream but of many. There will be a particular channel of running water representing a corresponding good work of man, reminding the inmates of Heaven that 1516 the different streams of Heaven own many good represent their works. The words, its fruit is everlasting and so is its shade, signify that the fruits of Heaven will see no autumn, no season of decay, nor even of dormancy. Thus there will be no interruption in the boons and blessings of Paradise. "Fruit" and "shade" stand respectively for inward and outward blessings and imply that believers will enjoy all kinds of blessings in Heaven, both external and internal. The words, the reward of the disbelievers is Fire, mean that as disbelievers paid no heed to their spiritual or moral welfare and only copied and imitated others and lived, as it were, not for themselves but for others, so they will have fire for their reward, which benefits others but burns itself.