Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: "Until when they come to it and its gates are opened," and the wisdom behind the use of the letter waw in "opened" regarding the people of Paradise
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The Shaykh : He, Mighty and Majestic, says: meaning they came to Paradise after crossing the Sirat [Az-Zumar 39:73] What a greeting, a great greeting! He says: [Az-Zumar 39:73] And regarding the people of the Fire, He said: [Az-Zumar 39:71] The Qur'an is eloquence and clarity, so why did He say regarding the people of the Fire: [Az-Zumar 39:71] and regarding the people of Paradise: [Az-Zumar 39:73]?
Some grammarians said: "This waw is the waw of the eighth" because the gates of Paradise are eight, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So they said that this is the waw of the eighth, and the waw of the eighth occurs frequently in the Qur'an. Read the saying of Allah the Exalted: [At-Tawbah 9:112] The waw appeared at the eighth description. They also said, read the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: [Al-Kahf 18:22] But we say, yes, and also read [At-Tahrim 66:5] The waw appeared at the eighth description. However, this is an error; there is no waw called the waw of the eighth at all. Because His saying: merely connects "virgins" with the waw to "widows" because a woman cannot be both a widow and a virgin; she must be either widows or virgins, distinct from the widows. This is unlike the first six attributes, which can be combined in one woman.
In any case, we say that the waw here regarding the people of Paradise has a meaning deeper than what these people mentioned, namely that it is the waw of the eighth. What is the meaning?
The meaning is that when the people of Paradise reach Paradise, they do not find its gates open; they are detained for a short time until their longing for it intensifies. For a person, the more intense his longing for something becomes, the greater his longing becomes when he attains it, is that not so? Look at the hungry person; if hunger is prolonged for him and then food is presented to him, the food is more delicious for him, or not?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, it is undoubtedly more delicious for him. The longer the time between two meals, the greater his longing for the second meal. So they are detained at the gates of Paradise and do not find them open, unlike the people of the Fire, who are hastened by its scorching heat and its poisons, may Allah protect us from that.
Until when they come to it
حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءُوهَاwhile its gates have been opened and its keepers say, "Peace be upon you; you have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein,"
وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ فَادْخُلُوهَا خَالِدِينَwhen they reach it while its gates have been opened
إِذَا جَاءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَاwhen they reach it, its gates are opened
إِذَا جَاءُوهَا فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَاwhen they reach it, its gates are opened
إذا جاءوها فتحتwhen they reach it while its gates have been
إذا جاءوها وفتحتSome grammarians said: "This waw is the waw of the eighth" because the gates of Paradise are eight, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever performs wudu' and completes the wudu', then says: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger, O Allah, make me among those who repent, and make me among those who purify themselves, the eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him, and he will enter from whichever one he wishes.
من توضأ فأسبغ الوضوء ثم قال : أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمدا عبده ورسوله اللهم اجعلني من التوابين واجعلني من المتطهرين فتّحت أو فتحت له أبواب الجنة الثمانية يدخل من أيها شاءthe repentant, the worshippers, the praisers [of Allah], the travelers [for His cause], those who bow and prostrate [in prayer], those who enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and those who observe the limits [set by] Allah
التَّائِبُونَ الْعَابِدُونَ الْحَامِدُونَ السَّائِحُونَ الرَّاكِعُونَ السَّاجِدُونَ الْآمِرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّاهُونَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَالْحَافِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ اللَّهِThey will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and they will say there were five, the sixth of them being their dog - guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog
سَيَقُولُونَ ثَلاثَةٌ رَابِعُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ وَيَقُولُونَ خَمْسَةٌ سَادِسُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْ رَجْماً بِالْغَيْبِ وَيَقُولُونَ سَبْعَةٌ وَثَامِنُهُمْ كَلْبُهُمْPerhaps his Lord, if he divorced you [all], would substitute for him wives better than you - submitting [to Allah], believing, devoutly obedient, repentant, worshipping, and traveling - [ones] previously married and virgins.
عَسَى رَبُّهُ إِنْ طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَنْ يُبْدِلَهُ أَزْوَاجاً خَيْراً مِنْكُنَّ مُسْلِمَاتٍ مُؤْمِنَاتٍ قَانِتَاتٍ تَائِبَاتٍ عَابِدَاتٍ سَائِحَاتٍ ثَيِّبَاتٍ وَأَبْكَاراًWidows and virgins
ثيباتٍ وأبكاراًIn any case, we say that the waw here regarding the people of Paradise has a meaning deeper than what these people mentioned, namely that it is the waw of the eighth. What is the meaning?
The meaning is that when the people of Paradise reach Paradise, they do not find its gates open; they are detained for a short time until their longing for it intensifies. For a person, the more intense his longing for something becomes, the greater his longing becomes when he attains it, is that not so? Look at the hungry person; if hunger is prolonged for him and then food is presented to him, the food is more delicious for him, or not?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, it is undoubtedly more delicious for him. The longer the time between two meals, the greater his longing for the second meal. So they are detained at the gates of Paradise and do not find them open, unlike the people of the Fire, who are hastened by its scorching heat and its poisons, may Allah protect us from that.