Benefits of the Verse: “And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens under which rivers flow”

This verse contains several benefits, among which is the permissibility of giving a person good tidings about what brings them joy, as indicated by His saying: and by the saying of Allah the Exalted: Thus, giving good tidings about what brings a person joy is among the practices of the messengers (peace be upon them all). Now, if what brings a person joy is a disobedience to Allah, should you give them good tidings? For example, if a person committed theft, did they steal? Yes. Do you come to give them good tidings, saying, “What Allah willed, may Allah bless you in what you stole”? No, absolutely not. Rather, giving good tidings is only for what brings joy and does not have a bad outcome. Is it among such things to give good tidings about the seasons of worship? For instance, if someone reaches Ramadan, do you say, “May Allah bless you with this month”? The answer is yes. Likewise, if they complete the fast, do you say, “May Allah bless you with this festival, and may He accept your worship and the like thereof”? There is no harm in that, and this was the practice of the Salaf.
Among the benefits of this noble verse is that the gardens are not for anyone except those who combine these two descriptions: faith and righteous deeds.
If someone were to say, “In the Noble Qur’an, what indicates that the descriptions are four: faith, righteous deeds, enjoining truth, and enjoining patience?”
We say: Enjoining truth and enjoining patience are part of righteous deeds, but sometimes some of the particulars of a general term are mentioned for a specific reason or cause.
Among the benefits of this noble verse is that whoever does a bad deed is not given good tidings of the gardens, as indicated by His saying: However, if a person does a bad deed but was exerting effort and made a mistake, he has a reward and is safe from sin. But if he was not exerting effort and did not strive, then he is sinful, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
Among the benefits of the noble verse is that the reward for the believers who do righteous deeds is far greater and more magnificent than what they did. For no matter how much they believe and do, life is limited and comes to an end, but the reward? The reward never ends. They are immortal in it forever. Likewise, the deeds they perform may be mixed with laziness, may be mixed with fatigue, or may be mixed with things that diminish them. But if Allah bestows His favor upon them and they enter Paradise, the pleasure is complete.
Among the benefits of this noble verse is that the gardens are of different types, as indicated by His saying: It may be said that this does not serve as proof, because “gardens” is a plural form corresponding to a plural, namely His saying: But the Sunnah, indeed the Qur’an, came to indicate that the gardens are of different types. Allah the Exalted said: Then He said: So they are of different types. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
Among the benefits of this noble verse is the perfection of the power of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in creating these rivers without a known cause in this world. For water in this world has known causes; the causes of water rivers are known. Likewise, milk is known from where it is produced, honey is known, and the fourth? Intoxicants are known. But in Paradise, no; Allah (Mighty and Majestic) creates rivers that flow. It has come in the athar that they meaning that no channels were dug for them, nor were dams built to stop them. Rather, the river flows, and a person can dispose of it as he wishes, directing it wherever he wishes—Glory be to Allah. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Their rivers flow in no channel, Glory be to Him who holds them back from overflowing.