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Contents of "GENERAL KNOWLEDGE FROM THE QUR'AN"

THE UNDERSTANDING OF AESTHETICS COMMENDED IN THE QUR'AN

RIVERS AND SPRINGS

What is the Garden promised to those who guard against evil like? It has rivers flowing under it and its foodstuffs and cool shade never fail. That is the final fate of those who guard against evil. But the final fate of the disbelievers is the Fire. (Surat ar-Ra'd, 35)

Those who guard against evil will be amid Gardens and Springs: 'Enter them in peace, in complete security!' We will strip away any rancour in their hearts – brothers, resting on couches face-to-face. (Surat al-Hijr, 45-47)

An image of the Garden which is promised to those who guard against evil: in it there are rivers of water which will never spoil and rivers of milk whose taste will never change and rivers of wine, delightful to all who drink it, and rivers of honey of undiluted purity; in it they will have fruit of every kind and forgiveness from their Lord. Is that like those who will be in the Fire timelessly, for ever, with boiling water to drink which lacerates their bowels? (Surah Muhammad, 15)

In them are two gushing springs. (Surat ar-Rahman, 66)


GOLD, PEARLS, SILK, BROCADE AND ASSORTED JEWELS

They will have Gardens of Eden with rivers flowing under them. They will be adorned in them with bracelets made of gold and wear green garments made of the finest silk and rich brocade, reclining there on couches under canopies. What an excellent reward! What a wonderful repose! (Surat al-Kahf, 31)

But Allah will admit those who believe and do right actions into Gardens with rivers flowing under them where they will be adorned with gold bracelets and pearls, and where their clothing will be of silk. (Surat al-Hajj, 23)

They will enter Gardens of Eden where they will be adorned with gold bracelets and pearls, and where their clothing will be of silk. (Surah Fatir, 33)

A large group of the earlier people but few of the later ones. On sumptuous woven couches, reclining on them face to face. There will circulate among them, ageless youths, carrying goblets and decanters and a cup from a flowing spring –it does not give them any headache nor does it leave them stupefied. And any fruit they specify and any bird-meat they desire. And dark-eyed maidens like hidden pearls. As recompense for what they did. They will hear no prattling in it nor any word of wrong. All that is said is, 'Peace! Peace!' And the Companions of the Right: How happy are the Companions of the Right! Amid thornless lote-trees and banana-trees (with fruits), one above another and wide-spreading shade and outpouring water and fruits in abundance never failing, unrestricted. And on elevated couches. (Surat al-Waqi'a, 13-34)

Wearing fine silk and rich brocade, face to face with one another. (Surat ad-Dukhan, 53)


LOFTY PALACES AND DWELLINGS

She was told: 'Enter the palace,' but when she saw it she supposed it to be a pool and bared her legs. He said, 'It is a palace paved with glass.' She said, 'My Lord, I have wronged myself but I have submitted with Sulayman to the Lord of all the worlds.' (Surat an-Naml, 44)

But those who have fear of their Lord will have high-ceilinged Halls, and more such Halls built one above the other, and rivers flowing under them. That is Allah's promise. Allah does not break His promise. (Surat az-Zumar, 20)

As for those who believe and do right actions, We will lodge them in lofty chambers in the Garden, with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, for ever. How excellent is the reward of those who act. (Surat al-Ankabut, 58)


GARDENS

And We gave Sulayman power over the wind – a month's journey in the morning and a month in the evening. And We made a fount of molten copper flow out for him. And some of the jinn worked in front of him by his Lord's permission. And if a single one of them deviates at all from Our command, We let him taste the punishment of the Searing Blaze. They made for him anything he wished: high arches and statues, huge dishes like cisterns, great built-in cooking vats. 'Work, family of Dawud, in thankfulness!' But very few of My servants are thankful. Then when We decreed that he should die, nothing divulged his death to them except the worm which ate his staff; so that when he fell down it was made clear to the jinn that if they had truly had knowledge of the Unseen they need not have stayed there suffering humiliating punishment. There was also a sign for Saba in their dwelling place: two gardens – one to the right and one to the left. 'Eat of your Lord's provision and give thanks to Him: a bountiful land and a forgiving Lord.' (Surat as-Saba, 12-15)

We place in it gardens of dates and grapes, and cause springs to gush out in it, so they may eat its fruits – they did not do it themselves. So will they not be thankful? (Surah Ya Sin, 34-35)
How many gardens and fountains they left behind, and ripe crops and noble residences. (Surat ad-Dukhan, 25-26)


THRONES

The Companions of the Garden are busy enjoying themselves today, they and their wives reclining on thrones in the shade. They will have fruits there and whatever they request. (Surah Ya Sin, 55-57)

They will recline on thrones ranged in rows and We will marry them to dark-eyed maidens. (Surat at-Tur, 20)

On thrones gazing in wonder. (Surat al-Mutaffifin, 23)

And raised-up thrones. (Surat al-Ghashiyya, 13)

(They will be) on Thrones encrusted (with gold and precious stones). (Surat al-Waqi'a, 15)

We will strip away any rancour in their hearts – brothers, resting on thrones face-to-face. (Surat al-Hijr, 47)

They will have Gardens of Eden with rivers flowing under them. They will be adorned in them with bracelets made of gold and wear green garments made of the finest silk and rich brocade, reclining there on thrones under canopies. What an excellent reward! What a wonderful repose! (Surat al-Kahf, 31)

They and their wives reclining on thrones in the shade. (Surah Ya Sin, 56)


CUPS

Sweet fruits and high honour in Gardens of Delight on couches face to face; a cup from a flowing spring passing round among them, as white as driven snow, delicious to those who drink, which has no headache in it and does not leave them stupefied. (Surat as-Saffat, 42-47)

Carrying goblets and decanters and a cup from a flowing spring. (Surat al-Waqi'a, 18)

The truly good will drink from a cup mixed with the coolness of camphor. (Surat al-Insan, 5)

They will be given there a cup to drink mixed with the warmth of ginger. (Surat al-Insan, 17)

GOLDEN PLATTERS, GOBLETS AND DECANTERS

Platters and cups of gold will passed around among them and they will have there all that their hearts desire and their eyes find delight in. You will remain in it timelessly, for ever. (Surat az-Zukhruf, 71)

Carrying goblets and decanters and a cup from a flowing spring. (Surat al-Waqi'a, 18)


SILVER ROOFS AND DOORS

Were it not that mankind might all become one community, We would have given those who reject the All-Merciful silver roofs to their houses and silver stairways to ascend and silver doors to their houses and silver couches on which to recline, and gold ornaments. All that is merely the trappings of the life of this world. But the hereafter with your Lord is for those who guard against evil. (Surat az-Zukhruf, 33-35)


PAVILIONS

Dark-eyed, secluded in cool pavilions. (Surat ar-Rahman, 72)


PLACES WHERE THEY WILL RECLINE AT EASE

Where they will recline, calling for plentiful fruit and drink; (Surah Sâd, 51)


SEATS FACE TO FACE

Wearing fine silk and rich brocade, face to face with one another. (Surat ad-Dukhan, 53)

Reclining on them face to face. (Surat al-Waqi'a, 16)


COUCHES LINED WITH RICH BROCADE

They will be reclining on couches lined with rich brocade, the fruits of the Gardens hanging close to hand. (Surat ar-Rahman, 54)

CUSHIONS AND RUGS

Reclining on green cushions and exquisite rugs. (Surat ar-Rahman, 76)

And lined-up cushions, and spread-out rugs. (Surat al-Ghashiyya, 15-16)


ORNAMENTS IN THE QUR'AN

ALLAH GIVES ORNAMENTS AS AN EXAMPLE

He sends down water from the sky and river-beds fill up and flow according to their size, and the floodwater carries with it an increasing layer of foam; a similar kind of foam comes from what you heat up in the fire, when you desire to make jewellery or other things. That is how Allah depicts the true and the false. As for the foam, it is quickly swept away. But as for that which is of use to people, it remains behind in the ground. That is a metaphor which Allah has made. (Surat ar-Ra'd, 17)

WEARING ADORNMENTS AT PLACES OF PRAYER

Children of Adam! Wear fine clothing at every place of worship and eat and drink but do not be profligate. He does not love the profligate. (Surat al-A'raf, 31)

ADORNMENTS ARE PERMISSIBLE

Say: 'Who has prohibited the embellishment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants and the good provisions?' Say: 'These are for the believers in the life of this world, purely (theirs) on the resurrection day; thus do We make the communications clear for a people who know.' (Surat al-A'raf, 32)

THOSE WHO WORSHIPPED THE CALF
MADE FROM ORNAMENTS

After he left, Musa's people adopted a calf made from their ornaments, a form which made a lowing sound. Did they not see that it could not speak to them or guide them to any way? They adopted it and so they were wrongdoers. (Surat al-A'raf, 148)


THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING THANKFUL
FOR THESE GIFTS

It is He Who made the sea subservient to you so that you can eat fresh flesh from it and bring out from it ornaments to wear. And you see the ships cleaving through it so that you can seek His bounty, and so that hopefully you will show thanks. (Surat an-Nahl, 14)

FROM THE SEA ARE BROUGHT OUT ORNAMENTS

It is He Who made the sea subservient to you so that you can eat fresh flesh from it and bring out from it ornaments to wear. And you see the ships cleaving through it so that you can seek His bounty, and so that hopefully you will show thanks. (Surat an-Nahl, 14)

GOLD PLATTERS

Platters and cups of gold will passed around among them and they will have there all that their hearts desire and their eyes find delight in. You will remain in it timelessly, for ever. (Surat az-Zukhruf, 71)

GOLD BRACELETS

But Allah will admit those who believe and do right actions into Gardens with rivers flowing under them where they will be adorned with gold bracelets and pearls, and where their clothing will be of silk. (Surat al-Hajj, 23)

They will enter Gardens of Eden where they will be adorned with gold bracelets and pearls, and where their clothing will be of silk. (Surah Fatir, 33)

They will have Gardens of Eden with rivers flowing under them. They will be adorned in them with bracelets made of gold and wear green garments made of the finest silk and rich brocade, reclining there on couches under canopies. What an excellent reward! What a wonderful repose! (Surat al-Kahf, 31)

Why have gold bracelets not been put upon his arms and why is there not a train of angels accompanying him?' (Surat az-Zukhruf, 53)

SILVER BRACELETS

They will wear green garments of fine silk and rich brocade. They will be adorned with silver bracelets. And their Lord will give them a pure draught to drink. (Surat al-Insan, 21)