Qur'an

Where All Needs Are Met

Two Hundred Word Tidbits: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anycolour/5429099576/in/photostream/In Surah Taha, in an address to Prophet Adam `alayhi sallatu wa sallam (may Allah send His peace and blessings on him), Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He) describes Jannah (Paradise) in the following words:

“Indeed, it is [promised] for you neither to hunger therein, nor to go naked;

 And that you neither thirst therein, nor suffer the heat (of the sun).” (Qur’an, 20:118-119)

Some of the exegetical scholars ((For example, see Ruh al-Ma’ani by al-Aloosee.)) of the past remarked on the poignancy of this description of Paradise, and the link between hunger and nakedness made in the first verse, and thirst and exposure to the sun in the second.  Hunger, they explained, is an inner need, while clothing one’s nakedness is an outer one; and by coupling them together, the verse implies that both one’s inner and outward needs will be completely and fully taken care of in Paradise.

In the same way, thirst is an inner burning, while exposure to the sun leads to a burning of the outer form.  By mentioning them together, Allah’s words emphasize that He will protect and shield the one in Paradise from any type of suffering, be it internal or external.

In this succinct and beautiful way, Allah (swt) describes Paradise as the place where all of one’s needs are fulfilled, perfectly and completely, and where one will never feel the sting of any suffering.

May Allah make us of its people, Ameen!

From a class with Imam Suhaib Webb

About the author

Shazia Ahmad

Shazia Ahmad was born and raised in upstate New York. She graduated from the State University of New York (SUNY) Albany with a Bachelors in Psychology and History. During her time in university, Shazia was involved in the Muslim Students’ Association, community and interfaith work, and a local radio show entitled ‘Window on Islam.’ She has studied with Dr. Mokhtar Maghraoui and is a long time contributor to jannah.org and themadina.com. After graduating, Shazia spent two years in Syria, studying briefly at the University of Damascus and then at Abu Nour University where she completed an Arabic Studies program for foreigners (Ad-Dawraat) and a program in Islamic Studies (Ma’had at-Taheeli). She also studied in a number of private classes and attained her ijazah in Qur’anic recitation from the late Sh. Muhiyudin al-Kurdi (rahimahullah). While in Syria, Shazia composed a blog of her experiences entitled Damascus Dreams. She currently resides in Cairo, Egypt with her husband and one-year old son, and is seeking to further her education through private lessons and study. She currently blogs at Cairo Caprices.

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