Tafseer of The Cave · Al-Kahf · 18:107
Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - they will have the Gardens of Paradise as a lodging,
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The exposition of the meaning of the words of Allah, the Exalted: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَانَتْ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتُ الْفِرْدَوْسِ نُزُلا (Verily, those who believe and perform righteous deeds, for them are the gardens of al-Firdaws (the gardens of Paradise) as a lodging) (107)
Allah, the Exalted, says: those who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, who have affirmed the oneness of Allah and what He has sent down in His books, and who have practiced obedience to Him — for them are the gardens of al-Firdaws. Al-Firdaws is the greatest part of Paradise (al-janna), as Umayya said:
"Their dwellings at that time were conspicuously present — therein the paradise-gardens (al-farādīs), the garlic and the onions."
The masters of interpretation differed concerning the meaning of "al-Firdaws." Some said: by it is meant the best and most central part of Paradise.
* Mention of those who said this: Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: ʿAbbās ibn al-Walīd related to us, saying: Yazīd ibn Zurayʿ related to us, on the authority of Saʿīd, on the authority of Qatāda: he said — al-Firdaws is the elevated and central and best [part] of Paradise.
Aḥmad ibn Abī Surayj al-Rāzī related to us, saying: al-Haytham Abū Bishr related to us, saying: al-Faraj ibn Faḍāla informed us, on the authority of Luqmān, on the authority of ʿĀmir: he said — Abū Usāma was asked about al-Firdaws and said: it is the center (navel) of Paradise.
Aḥmad ibn Abī Surayj related to us, saying: Ḥammād ibn ʿAmr al-Naṣībī related to us, on the authority of Abū ʿAlī, on the authority of Kaʿb: he said — there is in the gardens no paradise higher than the paradise of al-Firdaws; therein are those who enjoin the good and forbid the evil.
Others said: it is "the garden" in Byzantine (foreign).
* Mention of those who said this: ʿAlī ibn Sahl al-Ramlī related to me, saying: Ḥajjāj related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Kathīr, on the authority of Mujāhid: he said — al-Firdaws is a garden in Byzantine.
Al-ʿAbbās ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to us, saying: Ibn Jurayj informed me, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh, on the authority of Mujāhid, similarly.
Others said: it is the garden with the grapevine.
ʿAbbās ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn ʿUbayd related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Yazīd ibn Abī Ziyād, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Ḥārith, on the authority of Kaʿb: he said — the gardens of al-Firdaws are those that contain the grapevine.
The most correct position is that upon which the narrations from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ are in agreement.
That is what Aḥmad ibn Abī Surayj related to us, saying: Yazīd ibn Hārūn related to us, saying: Hammām ibn Yaḥyā informed us, saying: Zayd ibn Aslam related to us, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār, on the authority of ʿUbāda ibn al-Ṣāmit, on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ who said: "Paradise (al-janna) has a hundred degrees; between every two degrees is a distance of a year's journey. Al-Firdaws is the highest degree, and from it spring the four rivers. Al-Firdaws is above that. When you ask Allah, ask Him for al-Firdaws."
Mūsā ibn Sahl related to us, saying: Mūsā ibn Dāwūd related to us, saying: Hammām ibn Yaḥyā related to us, on the authority of Zayd ibn Aslam, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār, on the authority of ʿUbāda ibn al-Ṣāmit: that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Paradise has a hundred degrees; between every two degrees is like the distance between the heaven and the earth. The highest is al-Firdaws, and from it spring the four rivers of Paradise. When you ask Allah, ask Him for al-Firdaws."
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Abū Yaḥyā ibn Sulaymān related to me, on the authority of Hilāl ibn Usāma, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār, on the authority of Abū Hurayra or Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī, on the authority of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he said: "When you ask Allah, ask Him for al-Firdaws. For it is the center of Paradise and the highest of Paradise. Above it is the Throne (ʿarsh) of the Most Merciful, blessed and exalted. And from it spring the rivers of Paradise."
Muḥammad ibn al-Muthannā related to us, saying: Abū ʿĀmir related to us, saying: Fulayḥ related to us, on the authority of Hilāl, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī ʿAmra, on the authority of Abū Hurayra, on the authority of the Prophet ﷺ, in agreement — except that he said: "the middle of Paradise" and also said: "and from it spring — or gush up."
ʿAmmār ibn Bakkār al-Kalāʿī related to me, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: Zayd ibn Aslam related to us, on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār, on the authority of Muʿādh ibn Jabal: that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Verily, in Paradise are a hundred degrees; between every two degrees is like the distance between the heaven and the earth. Al-Firdaws is the highest and the middle of Paradise. Above it is the Throne of the Most Merciful, and from it spring the rivers of Paradise. When you ask Allah, ask Him for al-Firdaws."
Aḥmad ibn Manṣūr related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Ṣamad ibn ʿAbd al-Wārith related to us, saying: al-Ḥārith ibn ʿUmayr related to us, on the authority of his father: he said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The gardens of al-Firdaws are four: two of gold — their adornment, their vessels and everything therein — and two of silver — their adornment, their vessels and everything therein."
Aḥmad ibn Abī Surayj related to us, saying: Abū Nuʿaym related to us, saying: Abū Qudāma related to us, on the authority of Abū ʿImrān al-Jawnī, on the authority of Abū Bakr ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Qays, on the authority of his father: he said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The gardens of al-Firdaws are four: two of gold — their adornment and everything therein — and two of silver — their adornment, their vessels and everything therein."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Yaʿqūb related to us, on the authority of Ḥafṣ, on the authority of Shamr: he said — Allah created the paradise of al-Firdaws with His own hand. He opens it every Thursday and says: "Become more pleasant for My friends, become more beautiful for My friends."
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid, in agreement.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us: I heard Mukhlad ibn al-Ḥusayn say — and he was asked about it. He said: I heard one of the companions of Anas say: he said — the first to enter it says: "Allah has let me enter first, for there is none better than I." And the last to enter it says: "Allah has made me last, for there is none to whom Allah has given the like of what He has given me."
