Surah Muhammad 47:15
سُورَةُ مُحَمَّدٍ · Medinan · Verse 15 of 38
مَّثَلُ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِى وُعِدَ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ ۖ فِيهَآ أَنْهَٰرٌۭ مِّن مَّآءٍ غَيْرِ ءَاسِنٍۢ وَأَنْهَٰرٌۭ مِّن لَّبَنٍۢ لَّمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُۥ وَأَنْهَٰرٌۭ مِّنْ خَمْرٍۢ لَّذَّةٍۢ لِّلشَّٰرِبِينَ وَأَنْهَٰرٌۭ مِّنْ عَسَلٍۢ مُّصَفًّۭى ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ وَمَغْفِرَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ كَمَنْ هُوَ خَٰلِدٌۭ فِى ٱلنَّارِ وَسُقُوا۟ مَآءً حَمِيمًۭا فَقَطَّعَ أَمْعَآءَهُمْ
Translation
Here is a picture of the Garden promised to the pious: rivers of water forever pure, rivers of milk forever fresh, rivers of wine, a delight for those who drink, rivers of honey clarified and pure, [all] flow in it; there they will find fruit of every kind; and they will find forgiveness from their Lord. How can this be compared to the fate of those stuck in the Fire, given boiling water to drink that tears their bowels?
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
An Unforgettable Comparison
This verse from Surah Muhammad, ayah 15, begins by painting a vivid picture of Paradise (Jannah) and then sharply contrasts it with the torment of Hellfire. It addresses the *Muttaqoon* (the God-conscious, righteous ones), describing the delights Allah has promised them. Allah Himself is speaking, presenting these two vastly different destinies side-by-side to emphasize the immense difference and to serve as both an encouragement and a solemn warning.
Rivers Beyond Imagination
The Quran uses specific, powerful words to describe the rivers of Jannah. We learn of `أَنْهَارٌۭ مِّن مَّآءٍ غَيْرِ ءَاسِنٍۢ` (rivers of water, not stagnant or corrupted). As Ibn Ashur and al-Razi explain, while worldly water can become foul due to stagnation, Jannah’s water is eternally fresh and pure. Then, `وَأَنْهَارٌۭ مِّن لَّبَنٍۢ لَّمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُۥ` (rivers of milk, whose taste has not changed). Unlike milk in this world that can spoil, the milk of Jannah remains perfectly fresh and delicious. Next, `وَأَنْهَارٌۭ مِّنْ خَمْرٍۢ لَّذَّةٍۢ لِّلشَّارِبِينَ` (rivers of wine, delicious for the drinkers). Al-Razi points out that while earthly wine can be harsh in taste, consumed for its intoxicating effect, the wine of Jannah is inherently delightful. It brings pure pleasure without any negative consequences like headaches or loss of reason, as Zamakhshari highlights. Finally, `وَأَنْهَارٌۭ مِّنْ عَسَلٍۢ مُّصَفًّۭى` (rivers of purified honey). Worldly honey might contain impurities like wax, but Jannah’s honey is perfectly filtered and pure. The very word `أَنْهَارٌ` (rivers) used for these substances is a powerful linguistic choice, suggesting a vastness and abundance that goes beyond our earthly understanding of rivers, as Ibn Ashur notes.
The Ultimate Gift
Beyond these incredible physical delights, the verse adds `وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ وَمَغْفِرَةٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ` (and for them therein, from every fruit, and forgiveness from their Lord). The phrase `مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ` emphasizes that all kinds of fruits, known and unknown, are available. The inclusion of `مَغْفِرَةٌۭ` (forgiveness) here is particularly profound. Al-Razi suggests it implies a lifting of burdens or accountability in Jannah, even freedom from the unpleasant bodily needs associated with eating and drinking in this world. It signifies Allah's complete pleasure and acceptance, as Ibn Ashur mentions, representing an ultimate spiritual comfort that complements the physical bliss.
A Striking Contrast
The verse then abruptly shifts, without a direct question, asking implicitly: are those enjoying all this bliss `كَمَنْ هُوَ خَٰلِدٌ فِى ٱلنّارِ` (like one who is eternally in the Fire)? This is a powerful rhetorical device, an implied interrogative of denial, as Zamakhshari and Ibn Ashur explain. The lack of a question word makes the disparity so obvious that it doesn't even need to be asked. The fate of the dwellers of Hellfire is then described: `وَسُقُوا۟ مَآءً حَمِيمًۭا فَقَطَّعَ أَمْعَاءَهُمْ` (and they are given to drink boiling water, which then cuts their intestines). This horrific image of excruciating thirst quenched by scalding water that destroys the insides stands in visceral opposition to the pure, diverse, and delightful rivers of Jannah. The swift `فَ` (fa, meaning 'then' or 'so') in `فَقَطَّعَ` emphasizes the immediate, devastating effect of this drink, as noted by al-Jadwal.
This verse, through its precise and contrasting word choices, doesn't just describe two destinies; it demands a deep consideration of which path one chooses and why.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb), al-Jalalayn, al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Muhammad 47:15 is discussed in 13 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
Open Surah Muhammad 47:15 in Maani to reflect on it through the Five Lenses: its wording, its context, what it means for you, its connections across the Quran and its lessons, grounded in classical tafsir.