Tazkirul Quran, Qur’an 47:14–15
Muhammad (Muhammad)
By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
English text; the translator is not named in the archive’s data.
Translation
(14) Can then he who takes his stand on clear evidence from his God be likened to those for whom the evil that they do is made to look beautiful, and who follow their own desires? (15) Here is a description of the Garden promised to the righteous: therein are rivers of water which is forever pure; and rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; and rivers of wine, a delight to those who drink it, and rivers of pure honey. And in it they will have all kinds of fruit, and will receive forgiveness from their Lord. Can those who enjoy such bliss be like those who abide in the Fire and who are given boiling water to drink so that it tears their bowels?
Commentary
(a) The people of Arabia, who had rejected the Prophet of God, were forewarned by him that they should not imagine that they would remain unscathed, simply because they were free to eat and drink at that time. They were completely within the grip of God and the proof of this was that if they persisted in rejecting the truth, they would be destroyed in accordance with the system of God.
Things happened exactly according to the prediction. The upholders of Truth became dominant, while the rejectors of Truth were destroyed.
(a) Abiding by rational argument (baiyyinah) means building one’s life on realistic facts, while following one’s own desires (ahwa’) means deviating from the truth. This is wanting to build one’s own world in God’s world against God’s will.
In this present world of trial, both the realists and the self-indulgent apparently have equal opportunities. But in the real world of the Hereafter, only the first group will have a share in the eternal bounties of God, while the second group will be an utter failure and will be forever in disgrace.