Surah 20:75
Show Full Scripture Context (20:74-76) — 3 Verses
إِنَّهُۥ مَن يَأۡتِ رَبَّهُۥ مُجۡرِمٗا فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ جَهَنَّمَ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحۡيَىٰ
Surely the one who comes to his Lord as a sinner, surely for him (there is) Gehenna, where he will neither die nor live.
وَمَن يَأۡتِهِۦ مُؤۡمِنٗا قَدۡ عَمِلَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱلدَّرَجَٰتُ ٱلۡعُلَىٰ
But whoever comes to Him as a believer, (and) he has done righteous deeds, those – for them (there are) the highest ranks:
جَنَّـٰتُ عَدۡنٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَاۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَآءُ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ
Gardens of Eden, through which rivers flow, there to remain. That is the payment for the one who purifies himself.
The clear intent of this is to be a completion of what the magicians admonished Fir'awn with. They warned him of the vengeance of Allah and His eternal and everlasting punishment. They also encouraged him to seek Allah’s eternal and endless reward. They said,
This means, whoever meets Allah on the Day of Judgment while being a criminal.
This is similar to Allah’s statement,
Allah also said,
«Paradise has one hundred levels and betiveen each level is a distance like the distance between the sky and the earth. Al-Firdaws is the name of the highest of its levels. From it springs the four rivers and the Throne is above it. Therefore, ivhen you ask Allah, then ask Him for Al-FirdawsJ
This narration was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi.
In the Two Sahihs it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah said,
«Verily, the people of the Tlliyyin will see those xvho are above them just as you see the fading star in the horizon of the sky, due to the different status of virtue between them.» The people said, “O Messenger of Allah, these are the dwellings of the Prophets.” He replied, «0/ course. Arid I swear by the One Whom my soul is in His Hand, (it is for) men who had faith in Allah and they believed the Messengers.»
In the Sunan collections this narration is mentioned with the additional wording,
“And verily Abu Bakr and 'Umar are of them and they will be most favored.»
His saying,
{Adn Gardens, } meaning established as a residence. It is merely used here in reference to the high ranks mentioned previously.
meaning that they will abide in it for eternity.
One who purifies himself from dirt, filth and associating partners with Allah. This is the person who worships Allah alone, without ascribing partners to Him, and he follows the Messengers in the good they came with all that they claim.
— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 6, Page 364-368)