Transliteration:( Innal-laaha yudkhilul lazeena aamanoo wa 'amilus saalihaati Jannaatin tajree min tahtihal anhaaru wallazeena kafaroo yatamatta'oona wa ya'kuloona kamaa ta'kulul an'aamu wan Naaru maswan lahum )
"Indeed, Allah will make those who believe and do [27] righteous deeds enter Paradise under which streams flow [28], while the infidels subsist [29] and eat as cattle [30] eat, and the fire is their resort [31]."
This refers to:
Those who believe and act righteously, or
Children of believers, who may not yet perform deeds but are under the protection of pious lineage.
It confirms that either righteous action or righteous association (like minor children of believers) leads to Paradise.
Paradise is described with rivers flowing beneath, not seas. Reasons include:
Rivulets can be controlled, unlike the wild and vast sea.
Streams are scenic and gentle, while oceans are deep, dark, and unpredictable.
Rivers are useful and refreshing, while seas can bring destruction in storms.
Streams can reach one’s home, while seas remain distant and inaccessible.
This reflects that Heavenly bounties are beautiful, accessible, and safe—not overwhelming or destructive.
Disbelievers consume the world’s resources merely for physical gratification, with no eternal purpose.
They indulge for a short while, then die, leaving everything behind.
A believer, by contrast, uses worldly blessings as tools for the Hereafter—through charity, worship, and service.
Disbelievers are compared to cattle because:
They eat without discernment between lawful and unlawful.
They live only to feed their bodies, not souls.
Worse still, animals have no intellect, but humans willingly degrade themselves despite having reason.
A true believer eats to gain energy for worship, not merely for pleasure.
After worldly indulgence, the infidels' ultimate destination is Hell.
Their enjoyment of divine sustenance, followed by denial of its Giver, seals their punishment.
Using Allah’s blessings while rejecting Him leads to destruction.
The tafsir of Surah Muhammad verse 12 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Muhammad ayat 10 which provides the complete commentary from verse 10 through 13.
(47:12) Allah shall admit those who believe and do righteous works to the Gardens beneath which rivers flow. As for the unbelievers, they enjoy the pleasures of this transient life and eat as cattle eat.[17] The Fire shall be their resort.
17. That is, just as an animal eats and does not think where from the food it eats has come, who has created it, and what rights of the creator are imposed on it for providing it with food, so are these people also eating and have no higher values or ideals beyond eating.
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