The Garden in the Bible and the Qur’an. Part Sixty-Two

This blog continues the series of studies looking at references to the Garden(s) of Paradise, as depicted in the Qur’an. Our last blog on this matter was on June 6.

The next relevant passage is from Surah 43:68-74 (Yusuf Ali):

68: My devotees! no fear shall be on you that Day, nor shall ye grieve,-

69: (Being) those who have believed in Our Signs and bowed (their wills to Ours) in Islam.

70: Enter ye the Garden, ye and your wives, in (beauty and) rejoicing.

71: To them will be passed round, dishes and goblets of gold: there will be there all that the souls could desire, all that their ayes could delight in: and ye shall abide therein (for eye).

72: Such will be the Garden of which ye are made heirs for your (good) deeds (in life).

73: Ye shall have therein abundance of fruit, from which ye shall have satisfaction.

74: The sinners will be in the Punishment of Hell, to dwell therein (for aye):

When the Day of Judgment comes Muhammad’s loyal followers need have no fear, that is, those who have believed in the revelations from Allah relayed via Muhammad (especially the Qur’an) and, accordingly, have submitted to Allah’s will. Such Muslims are invited to enter the Garden of Paradise with their wives, into a state of happiness (the idea of beauty is not found in other translations). They will dwell in this state eternally, eating and drinking out of golden crockery, enjoying anything in which they might take pleasure. This inheritance is their reward for the good deeds they have done. While they enjoy an abundance of satisfying fruit in Paradise all non-Muslims (all who have not accepted the Qur’an and have not submitted to Allah) will suffer eternal punishment in hell.

As we have noted in our previous 60 blogs the vast majority of the Qur’anic references to Muslims entering Paradise are male-oriented. Yet it is not fair to say that the Muslim paradise is only for males. The admittance of good Muslim women is also envisioned:

“If any do deeds of righteousness,- be they male or female – and have faith, they will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them” (4:124);

“He that works evil will not be requited but by the like thereof: and he that works a righteous deed – whether man or woman – and is a Believer such will enter the Garden (of Bliss): Therein will they have abundance without measure” (40:40).

We have read of Muslims being provided with female companions when they get to Paradise (2:25; 3:15; 4:57). There is no indication in the Qur’an that a similar provision is made for females who enter Paradise, though it is probably a reasonable assumption that wives who enter with their husbands would continue to be joined to those same husbands. It would also be a reasonable assumption that in the Qur’anic paradise there is no problem about a man having multiple female companions, this being but an extension of accepted polygamy within the Islamic community of Muhammad’s time and after.

In the text before us today we read of wives entering with their husbands. It is presupposed that such wives share their husband’s commitment to Muhammad, the Qur’an and Allah. This is apparent not only on the basis of 4:124 and 40:40 but also given prior references to the admittance of relatives, including spouses:

“Gardens of perpetual bliss: they shall enter there, as well as the righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their offspring: and angels shall enter unto them from every gate (with the salutation)” [13:123];

“And grant, our Lord! that they enter the Gardens of Eternity, which Thou hast promised to them, and to the righteous among their fathers, their wives, and their posterity! For Thou art (He), the Exalted in Might, Full of Wisdom” (40:8).

In Galatians 3:26-29 we read:

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The heirs of the promise God made to Abraham are those who belong to Christ and here there is no discrimination on the basis of gender. All who are in Christ are one in Christ and share the same benefits. But it is “through faith” and not, contra the Qur’a, via good works that one enjoys these privileges with the ultimate inheritance being admittance to Paradise itself (1 Peter 1:3-5), a prospect that induces rejoicing in the here-and-now, even amid suffering (vv6-8). For Christians too the ultimate marriage is that of the Church being wed to Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-33; Revelation 22:2), the one we love so immensely, though we do not see him now (1 Peter 1:8-9).

Posted August 28, 2011

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