DAY 309: Saffat 40-74

•  But not the chosen servants of Allah. They will have a known provision: fruits ˹of every type˺. And they will be honoured in the Gardens of Bliss, facing each other on thrones. A drink ˹of pure wine˺ will be passed around to them from a flowing stream: crystal-white, delicious to drink. It will neither harm ˹them˺, nor will they be intoxicated by it. And with them will be mates of modest gaze and most beautiful of eye, as if they were pristine pearls. Then they will turn to one another inquisitively. One of them will say, “I once had a companion ˹in the world˺ who used to ask ˹me˺, ‘Do you actually believe ˹in resurrection˺? When we are dead and reduced to dust and bones, will we really be brought to judgment?’” He will ˹then˺ ask, “Would you care to see ˹his fate˺?” Then he ˹and the others˺ will look and spot him in the midst of the Hellfire. He will ˹then˺ say, “By Allah! You nearly ruined me. Had it not been for the grace of my Lord, I ˹too˺ would have certainly been among those brought ˹to Hell˺.” ˹Then he will ask his fellow believers,˺ “Can you imagine that we will never die, except our first death, nor be punished ˹like the others˺?” This is truly the ultimate triumph. For such ˹honour˺ all should strive. Is this ˹bliss˺ a better accommodation or the tree of Zaqqûm? We have surely made it a test for the wrongdoers. Indeed, it is a tree that grows in the depths of Hell, bearing fruit like devils’ heads. The evildoers will certainly ˹be left to˺ eat from it, filling up their bellies with it. Then on top of that they will be given a blend of boiling drink. Then they will ultimately return to ˹their place in˺ Hell. Indeed, they found their forefathers astray, so they rushed in their footsteps! And surely most of the earlier generations had strayed before them,  although We had certainly sent warners among them. See then what was the end of those who had been warned. But not the chosen servants of Allah.
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      The Two Destinations: A stark contrast is drawn between the honored, blissful state of the Mukhlaseen (sincere servants) and the humiliated, tormented state of the wrongdoers.
      Divine Grace: Salvation is explicitly attributed to Allah's favor, not merely to one's own efforts.
      The Horror of Hell: The Tree of Zaqqum is introduced as a specific, grotesque detail of the punishment, emphasizing its severity.
      The Danger of Blind Following: The primary cause of misguidance is identified as the uncritical adherence to the traditions of one's ancestors, even in the face of clear warning.
      The Victory of the Sincere: Amidst widespread error, the true and sincere servants of Allah are uniquely protected and saved.
        
      Allah contrasts the eternal honor and bliss reserved for His sincere servants in Paradise with the horrific punishment in Hell, which is the fate of those who arrogantly denied the truth and blindly followed their forefathers, thereby highlighting that salvation is the ultimate triumph achieved through divine grace.
  
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