48:5

لِّيُدۡخِلَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ جَنَّـٰتٖ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَيُكَفِّرَ عَنۡهُمۡ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمۡۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ فَوۡزًا عَظِيمٗا

Liyudkhila almumineena waalmuminati jannatin tajree min tahtiha alanharu khalideena feeha wayukaffira AAanhum sayyiatihim wakana thalika AAinda Allahi fawzan AAatheeman

[And] that He may admit the believing men and the believing women to gardens beneath which rivers flow to abide therein eternally and remove from them their misdeeds - and ever is that, in the sight of Allah, a great attainment -

Word by word
  1. لِّيُدۡخِلَThat He may admit
  2. ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَthe believing men
  3. وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِand the believing women
  4. جَنَّـٰتٖ(to) Gardens
  5. تَجۡرِيflow
  6. مِنfrom
  7. تَحۡتِهَاunderneath them
  8. ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُthe rivers
  9. خَٰلِدِينَ(to) abide forever
  10. فِيهَاtherein
  11. وَيُكَفِّرَand (to) remove
  12. عَنۡهُمۡfrom them
  13. سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمۡۚtheir misdeeds
  14. وَكَانَand is
  15. ذَٰلِكَthat
  16. عِندَwith
  17. ٱللَّهِAllah
  18. فَوۡزًاa success
  19. عَظِيمٗاgreat
Al-Fath · 48:5Madinah

And what about us? The answer was gardens.

Good news for the believers too


The question
the Companionswhat is there for us?
answer
gardensrivers, forever
sins removedthe great success
Who it is for
only the Prophet ﷺnot me
believing men and womenincluding me

When the Prophet ﷺ recited the verse of his forgiveness, the Companions said congratulations, but what about us? Anas reports this verse was the reply. Believing men and believing women would enter gardens forever, with their sins wiped away. That, with Allah, is the supreme success.

You hear about someone else's blessings, a friend's promotion or a cousin's Hajj, and a small voice asks: and me? Allah answered that question for every believing man and woman. There is a share for you too.

The great promises are for special people, not ordinary ones like me.

Allah's promise of Paradise is for every believing man and woman, including me.

Try this

When you feel left out of someone's blessing today, ask Allah for Paradise instead.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 48:4)

He it is Who sent down As-Sakinah into the hearts of the believers, that they may grow more in faith along with their faith. And to Allah belong the armies of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise (4)That He may admit the believing men and the believing women to Gardens under which rivers flow to abide therein forever, and He may expiate from them their sins; and that is with Allah supreme success (5)And that He may punish the hypocrites men and women, and also the idolators men and women, who think evil thoughts about Allah, for them is a disgraceful torment. And the anger of Allah is upon them, and He has cursed them and prepared Hell for them and worst indeed is that destination (6)And to Allah belong the armies of the heavens and the earth. And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise (7)

Allah sent down the Sakinah into the Hearts of the Believers

Allah the Exalted said,

هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ 

(He it is Who sent down As-Sakinah), meaning, tranquility. Qatadah commented, "Grace into the hearts of the believers", that is, the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, on the Day of Al-Hudaybiyyah. The companions were they, who accepted the call of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and obeyed the decisions of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. When their hearts felt content with acceptance and were at peace, Allah increased their faith, joining it to the faith they already had. Al-Bukhari, and other Imams, relied on this Ayah as proof that faith increases and decreases in the hearts. Allah the Exalted said next that had He willed, He would have inflicted defeat on the disbelievers, Allah says;

وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ 

(And to Allah belong the armies of the heavens and the earth) and had He willed to send only one angel to them, that angel would have brought destruction to all what they had. However, Allah the Exalted willed Jihad and fighting to be established for, and by, the believers for great wisdom, clear reasons and unequivocal evidences that He had in all this. This is why Allah the Great said next,

وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا 

(and Allah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise.) Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,

لِيُدْخِلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا 

(That He may admit the believing men and the believing women to Gardens under which rivers flow to abide therein forever,) We mentioned the Hadith that Anas narrated in which the Companions said, "Congratulations, O Allah's Messenger! This good news is for you, so what good news do we have?" Allah the Exalted sent down this Ayah,

لِيُدْخِلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا 

(That He may admit the believing men and the believing women to Gardens under which rivers flow to abide therein forever,) meaning they will remain in Paradise forever,

وَيُكَفِّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ

(and He may expiate from them their sins;) Allah will not punish them for their errors and mistakes. Rather, He will forgive, absolve and pardon them and cover the errors, grant mercy and appreciate,

وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا 

(and that is with Allah supreme success.) Allah the Exalted said in a similar Ayah,

فَمَنْ زُحْزِحَ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ 

(And whoever is removed away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise, he indeed is successful.)(3:185) Allah said,

وَيُعَذِّبَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ وَالْمُشْرِكَاتِ الظَّانِّينَ بِاللَّهِ ظَنَّ السَّوْءِ ۚ 

(And that He may punish the hypocrites, men and women, and also the idolators, men and women, who think evil thoughts about Allah,) who question the wisdom in Allah's decisions and think that the Messenger ﷺ and his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, might be killed and exterminated. This is why Allah the Exalted said,

عَلَيْهِمْ دَائِرَةُ السَّوْءِ ۖ وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَنَهُمْ

(for them is a disgraceful torment. And the anger of Allah is upon them, and He has cursed them) He has cast them away from His mercy,

وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَهَنَّمَ ۖ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا

(and prepared Hell for them – and worst indeed is that destination.) Allah the Exalted and Most Honored asserted His ability to take revenge from the enemies of Islam and all disbelievers and hypocrites,

وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا

(And to Allah belong the armies of the heavens and the earth. And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise.)