Surah Az-Zumar 39:74
سُورَةُ الزُّمَرِ · Meccan · Verse 74 of 75
وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى صَدَقَنَا وَعْدَهُۥ وَأَوْرَثَنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ نَتَبَوَّأُ مِنَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ نَشَآءُ ۖ فَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ ٱلْعَٰمِلِينَ
Translation
and they will say, ‘Praise be to God who has kept His promise to us and given us this land as our own. Now we may live wherever we please in the Garden.’ How excellent is the reward of those who labour!
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
Upon entering the eternal gardens, the believers declare their profound gratitude to Allah. Their words, `وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ` (And they said, "All praise is due to Allah"), are not just a statement, but a heartfelt outpouring of thanks for a promise fulfilled beyond imagination. Let us ponder the precise wording they use in this moment of ultimate bliss.
A Promise Fulfilled
The first thing they express is `ٱلَّذِى صَدَقَنَا وَعْدَهُۥ` (who has made His promise to us true). The word `صدقنا` means He did not just *tell* them the truth, but He *actualized* His promise for them. Ibn Ashur explains this emphasizes the realization and confirmation of the glad tidings given through the prophets. The promise of Jannah, initially given conditionally upon good deeds, is now a tangible reality, leading to this joyful affirmation.
Inheriting the Land
They continue, `وَأَوْرَثَنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ` (and made us inherit the land). Here, `ٱلْأَرْضَ` (the land) is a beautiful metaphor for Jannah itself, as clarified by al-Jalalayn and al-Razi. The act of `أَوْرَثَنَا` (making us inherit) is significant. Ibn Ashur notes it implies receiving something without labor, like an heir receives property. While the believers `العاملين` (the workers) *did* labor in their worldly life, in the Hereafter, this immense reward comes to them as an effortless, magnificent gift. Al-Razi further explains that inheritance signifies complete, uncontested ownership and freedom to dispose of what is inherited, making them sovereign in their dwelling. Al-Zamakhshari likens them to kings with absolute dominion over their domain.
Freedom in Paradise
This sense of absolute freedom is immediately reinforced by the phrase `نَتَبَوَّأُ مِنَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ حَيْثُ نَشَآءُ` (we settle in Jannah wherever we wish). The word `نتبوأ` means to settle or reside. This confirms that their "inheritance" gives them ultimate choice and movement within Jannah. As al-Zamakhshari and al-Razi point out, each person's Jannah is so vast that they can choose any place within their own domain without needing another's, symbolizing boundless space and personalized enjoyment. Ibn Ashur adds that this implies moving between different parts of Jannah, like various rooms and gardens, allowing for diverse experiences of bliss.
The Excellent Reward
Finally, they conclude with `فَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ ٱلْعَامِلِينَ` (Excellent is the reward of the workers). This phrase, possibly a commendation from Allah Himself as suggested by Muqatil (in al-Razi's commentary), or an exclamation from the believers, praises Jannah itself as the supreme reward. By referring to themselves as `العاملين` (the workers or doers of good), they humbly acknowledge the path of righteous deeds that led them to this sublime state, not as self-praise, but as a truthful recognition in a realm of perfect realities, as Ibn Ashur notes. It is a moment of profound gratitude, recognizing that all their efforts were indeed for a truly excellent recompense.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Jalalayn, al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Az-Zumar 39:74 is discussed in 8 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
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