English Quran Meaning Verses 15
a continuation Say: “Shall I announce to you far better
alternatives?
For the God-conscious, with their Lord, theirs shall be Gardens underneath which rivers flow,
where they shall live forever, and purified spouses and pleasure from God.
God is ever-watchful over His servants.
(Chapter 3: Verse 15) Many people ask why the verse starts with
a question: ‘Shall I announce to you far better alternatives?’
Why didn’t Allah tell us directly instead of asking us a question?
We answer that this type of introductory question adds beauty and anticipation to the Quran.
It shows God’s compassion for us.
Allah did not wait for us to wonder about the pleasures of the Hereafter.
He wants to tell us about the amazing pleasures.
And just in case some people were not paying attention, He started with a question.
It is a question of affirmation because as soon as someone offers to tell you about something
better than you have, your mind starts anticipating an excellent deal.
Do you want me to tell you how you can earn a lot more money than your current job?
This type of question gets your attention every single time.
But in order to qualify for far better rewards in paradise, you have to be ‘God-conscious.’
Why, you may ask?
You can find the answer in verse 14 of Al Imran.
All the worldly pleasures mentioned in the verse –from women to sons, wealth, and land-
are very easy to abuse if you are not God-conscience.
Piety in needed in all these areas.
Some believers think that the solution is to shun life’s pleasures and live an ascetic
life.
In other words, they want to limit their activity to worship and leave everything else behind.
We say to such people: No, your work in life actually helps you become more pious.
Allah put all these blessings at your disposal not for you to shun, but to enjoy properly
within God’s limit and to use them for the benefit of others.
This is how we show true appreciation to God.
You do not only live surrounded by eternal blessings in paradise, but you can also live
in the company of the One Who bestowed these blessings.
Those who were preoccupied with the Lord in life attain a superior level called ‘illiyoun’
where there is only the one overconsuming pleasure of being in God’s company.
Keep in mind that all the pleasures of paradise from food to drink and amazing gardens are
not required for the sustenance of life.
In paradise, you enjoy eternal youth that does not require any nourishment.
The only longing is to be in God’s pleasure and company.
Listen to the following verses.
God says: On that Day there will be radiant faces, gazing
at their Lord.
(75:22-23) So there are multiple levels in heaven for
you to attain.
Thus, Allah ends the verse with ‘God is ever-watchful over His servants’ because
He will give each person according to his or her deeds.
Those who followed God’s teachings desiring the luxuries of Paradise will attain them,
and those who obeyed God because He is worthy of worshipwill be granted the pleasure of
seeing Him.Rabia al-‘Adawiyyahsaid:“God, if you know that I am worshiping you out of
greed for paradise then deprive me of it, and if you know that I am worshiping you out
of fear of hellfire then admit me into it, for I am only worshiping you because you deserve
to be worshipped."
Allah praises His servants in front of angels and says: ‘They worship me for my sake,’the
angels reply: ‘Our Lord, they worship you for the sake of your blessings.’
Allah says: ‘Then, I will withhold my blessings from them, they will still love me.
Amongst My servants are those whose supplication is very dear to me.
I afflict them with adversities so that they invoke me and supplicate: ‘O our Lord, O
our Lord’.
So the phrase ‘God is ever-watchful over His servants,’ means that Allah will give
every believer according to his effort and intention.
One of the highest degrees of devotion to Allah is to put the love of God and His Messenger
over all things in life.
Prophet Mhammad, peace be upon him, said:"Whoever has the following three qualities will experience
the true sweetness of faith in his or her heart:The one to whom God and His Messenger
become dearer than anything else; the one who loves a person only for God's sake; and
the one who hates to fall back into disbelief after God had saved him as much as he hates
to be thrown into fire."
‘God is ever-watchful over His servants,’ and He knows who worships Him for His favours.
Allah will increase such people in favours in the hereafter.
He also knows those who worship Him because He deserves to be worshiped -even when the
favours are taken away-.
God will reward such believers with a place in ‘illiyoun.’
Now you understand why some of the most afflicted people with trials are the prophets, then
the most righteous of the believers.
Their patience and acceptance is evidence of the purity of their love for Allah.
We likethe people who are good to us; but we do not accept any hardship except from
the ones we truly love.
Listen to the following verse: Say, ‘I am only a human being, like you,
to whom it has been revealed that your God is One.
So let him who hopes to meet his Lord act rightly and not associate anyone in the worship
of his Lord.’
(18:110) Take note that Allah says: “So let him who
hopes to meet his Lord act rightly,’ and did not say ‘let him who hopes to enter
paradise.’
Because Allah does not want anything to distract you form your Creator, even the great blessing
of paradise.