Surah Al-Kahf – Verses 107-108 Jannat ul firdus

سْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

                   Jannat ul firdus

Surah Al-Kahf – Verses 107

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ كَانَتْ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتُ ٱلْفِرْدَوْسِ نُزُلًا

Inna allatheena amanoowaAAamiloo assalihati kanat lahumjannatu alfirdawsi nuzula
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds – they will have the Gardens of Paradise as a lodging,
{Surat Al Kahf 18 : Verse 107}

Word Analysis
1. inna – Indeed,
2. alladhīna – those who
3. āmanū – believed
4. waʿamilū – and did
5. l-ṣāliḥāti – righteous deeds,
6. kānat – for them will be
7. lahum – for them will be
8. jannātu – Gardens
9. l-fir’dawsi – (of) the Paradise
10. nuzulan – (as) a lodging,

Tafsir & Explanation

The qualities of disbelievers, the greatest losers among people, and their fate was rather widely defined. Now, the Qur’an, as a frame of reference before the disbelievers, refers to believers and their fate, so that the situation of both parties becomes quietly clear and distinguished.

In this regard, the holy Qur’an says:

“Verily those who believe and do righteous deeds there is for them Gardens of Paradise for their entertainment.”

The Qur’anic term /firdaus/ is a garden which contains all the bounties and the whole necessary merits. Thus, it is the best and the most privileged gardens of Paradise.

The holy Prophet of Islam (S) said:

“Paradise has one hundred degrees, the best of which is ‘Firdaus’. Whenever you supplicate, ask ‘Firdaus’ from Allah.”

There are 2 conditions for a deed to be considered acceptable and righteous. They are:
1) SINCERITY – Every righteous deed you do should be for the sake of Allah alone. A person who does something for other than the sake of Allah is unaccepted and is a waste of time. If you associate anything in worship with Allah, Allah will not give you any reward.
2) ACCORDING WITH SHARI’AH – We follow the sunnah and do our deeds accordingly. We cannot invent our own methods of worshiping or doing righteous deeds. Islam is complete and we have a great example in our prophet.

Allah tells us through Prophet Muhammad ﷺ “I am Independent of all the partners (ascribed to me). Whoever performs a deed while associating partners with Me, I will leave him and his Shirk.”
[Muslim – Abu Hurayra (ra)]
This hadith tells us that :
 Confirmation of Allah’s Divine Attribute of Complete Independence from all partners.
 That Allah does not accept deeds except those which are performed purely and solely for His sake.
 The invalidity of riyaa` (show off) in deeds.

If a person does shirk and does actions that are not in accordance with the shariah they carry no weight or goodness in the sight of Allah.

“Deeds without sincerity are like a traveler who carries in his water-jug dirt. The carrying of it burdens him and it brings no benefit.”
– Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah (ra)

So as a believer when you do righteous actions with ihsan and in accordance with shariah Allah has placed an enternal reward for you. The ayah goes onto say “Kanat Lahu – it is for them” what is for them? “Jannatulfirdaw = Gardens of Paradise”.
What are gardens of paradise for them? “Nuzulan = A Lodging/Entertainment”. That is prepared for them even before they enter jannah. This is only for those who have eeman and amal saleh.

If you notice Kanat lahum – kanat and Kainuna is of 2 types. The word kana – kanat – yakunu it is of two types but specially the one that is of madiya – Kayuna is madiya which gives meaning of past tense:
– It was
– He was
– She was
– It became
Secondly Kaynuna is also of tahqeeq.
What does “Tahqeeq” means? To show certainty of an event or emphasize something. To show how certain this attribute is or this action is.
Kana is used with the names of Allah  . “Kanallahu ghafoorur raheema”– what does it mean? That He is ever forgiving and merciful, that most certainly definitely Allah was, is and always is Ghafoor and Raheem.
So here when Allah says Kanat lahum Jannatul Firdous Nuzula = CERTAINLY jannatul firdous has been prepared for them.

If you notice further FIRDOUS has been mentioned. Firdous is “Ism alam – It is the proper name of the highest level of jannah”.

Literally firdous is used for a garden or a valley that is full of fruits – it is full of fruit, trees and also flowers, it has everything that a garden should have. In this world sometimes when you go to a garden you will only see grass – sometimes you will see grass and a little vegetable patch some plants may be giving vegetables and some plants may be giving fruits, and sometimes you also see flowers this is a perfect and complete garden that has everything that should be there.

“Fardasan” literally means to be broad, to be ample, to be wide and comfortable. So Firdous is the level which has everything in it and it is expansive and wide.

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Whoever believes in Allah and His Apostle, offer prayer perfectly and fasts the month of Ramadan, will rightfully be granted Paradise by Allah, no matter whether he fights in Allah’s Cause or remains in the land where he is born.” The people said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) ! Shall we acquaint the people with the is good news?” He said, “Paradise has 100 grades which Allah has reserved for the Mujahidin who fight in His Cause, and the distance between each of two grades is like the distance between the Heaven and the Earth. So, when you ask Allah (for something), ask for Al-firdaus which is the best and highest part of Paradise.” (i.e. The sub-narrator added, “I think the Prophet also said, ‘Above it (i.e. Al-Firdaus) is the Throne of Beneficent (i.e. Allah), and from it originate the rivers of Paradise.”)
[ Sahih Bukhari ]
Evidence – https://sunnah.com/bukhari/56/8

 “Al-Firdaus is a hill in Paradise, at its center, and the best of it.”
– Ibn Qatadah (ra)

Our personal goal should not be to make it “bearly” into paradise. Did Prophet ﷺ ask us to make dua for paradise? What did he tell us to make dua for? Al firdous al alaa – to make dua for highest part of paradise. It’s not just about getting in, its about getting in and at the highest place. To be with prophet ﷺ, to be with his companions, to be with the righteous people, to be with the scholars, to be with the martyrs, to smile at those people who we read about and to spend time with them – that is the goal. Our goal as Muslims is not to just sneak by the gates of paradise. Rather our goal as Muslims is to reside in Jannatul Firdous al alaa for eternity.

May Allah bless us all and unite us all in Jannatul Firdous al alaa – ameen ya rabbi.

Surah Al-Kahf – Verses  108

خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا لَا يَبْغُونَ عَنْهَا حِوَلًا

Khalideena feeha layabghoona AAanha hiwala
Wherein they abide eternally. They will not desire from it any transfer.

Word Analysis
1. khālidīna – Abiding forever
2. fīhā – in it.
3. lā – Not
4. yabghūna – they will desire
5. ʿanhā – from it
6. ḥiwalan – any transfer.

Tafsir & Explanation

The believers’ eternal abode is the Gardens of Al-Firdaus and they will never choose or want anything else. This Ayah tells us how much they love and desire it. We might think that a person who stays in one place forever would get tired and bored. But Allah tells us that despite this eternal stay, they will never choose to change or move from where they are. They will never desire to be moved from there because it is so perfect, complete,pleasing, blissful and peaceful.

When we visit a luxurious resort we never want to leave it, we love it so much, we do not want to go back home to the realities of life but that excitment lasts only till we see someone else having a better suite’ than us . Every single person in jannah is going to see himself as the most lucky one, he will not find anyone who is better than him.
Part of the bliss and perfection of jannah is that every single person will consider himself the most lucky person – there will be no comparisons and no differentiations.

In comparison to that, what happens to our beautiful homes in dunya? They’re only perfect for a few weeks and after a while, we start wishing that the designs / colors / neighbourhood were different. We always want to change after a while.

If anyone was asked in jannah would you like to move to other part of jannah? He will reply in negative.  He will say I am so content and so happy here this is the best part of Jannah.

There is no place in this ENTIRE WORLD/DUNIYA where a person will say I will never be bored over here. No matter where you travel on Earth no matter how luxurious, beautiful or peaceful it is, you are eventually going to get bored. Why? Because this duniya is not perfect.

You will never have complete satisfaction in duniya, complete satisfaction happiness and peace is only in Jannah. This is why a person must not waste his life thinking he will find peace and happiness in this duniya – this is a futile and a useless effort. Allah also reminds us in Surah Sad that the provisions and bliss of Jannah will never run out.

“Indeed, this is Our provision; for it there is no depletion.”
{Surah Sad 38: Verse 54}

There are different levels of Jannah, where people are of higher levels than others, but the point is that each and every person will feel that no one else have more than him. He will feel that he has the best there is, subhanallah!

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “The first group of people who will enter Paradise, will be glittering like the full moon and those who will follow them, will glitter like the most brilliant star in the sky. They will not urinate, relieve nature, spit, or have any nasal secretions. Their combs will be of gold, and their sweat will smell like musk. The aloes-wood will be used in their centers. Their wives will be houris. All of them will look alike and will resemble their father Adam (in stature), sixty cubits tall.”
[Sahih Bukhari]
Evidence – http://sunnah.com/bukhari/60/2

May we reflect on this and try to find contentment and peace in the flawed world with all its pains and sufferings, till we reach our final abode JANNATUL FIRDOUS AL ALAA by the mercy of Allah alone – ameen ya rabbi.