The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 335
PT. 13 IBRAHIM CH. 14 جَنَّتٍ تَجْرِى مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهُرُ into gardens through which rivers flow, wherein they will خُلِدِينَ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ ۖ تَحِيَّتُهُمْ فِيهَا abide by the command of their سلمة Lord. "Their greeting therein will be 'Peace'. 1678 a10:11; 15:47; 36:59; 50:35. 1678. Important Words: (command) means, permission; knowledge; will; command, (Aqrab & Tāj). See also 2:280. etc. (greeting) means, prayer for peace and for long or everlasting life; greeting with such prayer; peace and good and long life; security from all evils. When used about God the which they are able to perform good works are the free gift of God; hence it is from the grace of God that men's good works proceed, and therefore whatever they get as a reward of their good works they receive as a favour from God and not as something earned or acquired. The verse, however, possesses another meaning also. A true believer ie really needs and seeks after no الاكرام والاحسان signifies التحية word bestowal of honour and favours by God (Aqrab & Lane). See also 4:87. Commentary: Deriving their authority from the words, by the command of their Lord, commentators have generally held the view that man's going to Heaven depends not on his own good actions but upon the grace of God. This is not a wrong inference, for even the Holy Prophet is reported to have once expressed the same view. To an enquiry of 'A'ishah whether even in his case good actions would not establish the right of salvation, the Holy Prophet is reported to have replied that even his salvation depended on the grace of God (Bukhārī, Kitābut-Tafsir). In fact, the reason why people will go to Heaven, not by dint of their good works, but through the grace of God, is that all the faculties and powers by means of Paradise; the only desire of his heart is to win God's pleasure and His nearness. So if he is placed in Paradise, that will be only in obedience to God's command and His wish. This interpretation is supported by a saying of the Holy Prophet. He is reported to have said that the doers of good works are divided into three classes. Some of them do good works with a desire to enter Heaven, while others do so in order to escape the punishment of Hell. But there is yet another class of people whose good works proceed wholly and solely from a desire to win the pleasure of God, their Lord and Master (Kathīr, v. 5, p. 122). For these fortunate lovers of their Creator, Paradise will be but an additional thing and not the object and goal of their life. 1543 The words, Their greeting therein will be "peace," may mean: (a) that