Gates of Hell and Gates of Paradise

This example illustrates the images painted by the Quran, the beauty of the arabic language and how it is lost in the translation.

Allah describes the inhabitants of Hell in Surah Zumar being led to hell:

وَسِيقَ ٱلَّذِينَ ڪَفَرُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ زُمَرًا‌ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوهَا فُتِحَتۡ أَبۡوَٲبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ خَزَنَتُہَآ أَلَمۡ يَأۡتِكُمۡ رُسُلٌ۬ مِّنكُمۡ يَتۡلُونَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ ءَايَـٰتِ رَبِّكُمۡ وَيُنذِرُونَكُمۡ لِقَآءَ يَوۡمِكُمۡ هَـٰذَا‌ۚ قَالُواْ بَلَىٰ وَلَـٰكِنۡ حَقَّتۡ كَلِمَةُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ عَلَى ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ (٧١

Waseeqa allatheena kafaroo ila jahannama zumaran hatta itha jaooha futihat abwabuha waqala lahum khazanatuha alam ya/tikum rusulun minkum yatloona AAalaykum ayati rabbikum wayunthiroonakum liqaa yawmikum hatha qaloo bala walakin haqqat kalimatu alAAathabi AAala alkafireena


Those who rejected the Truth will be led to Hell in their throngs. When they arrive, its gates will open and its keepers will say to them, ‘Were you not sent your own messengers to recite the revelations of your Lord to you and warn you that you would meet this Day?’ and they will say, ‘Yes indeed we were.’ But the sentence of punishment will have been passed against those who rejected the truth. (Surah 39:71)

It speaks of the people of paradise in the same surah.....

وَسِيقَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوۡاْ رَبَّہُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا‌ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتۡ أَبۡوَٲبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ خَزَنَتُہَا سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيۡڪُمۡ طِبۡتُمۡ فَٱدۡخُلُوهَا خَـٰلِدِينَ (٧٣

Waseeqa allatheena ittaqaw rabbahum ila aljannati zumaran hatta itha jaooha [size=17pt]wa[/size]futihat abwabuha waqala lahum khazanatuha salamun AAalaykum tibtum faodkhulooha khalideena

Those who were mindful of their Lord will be led in throngs to the Garden. When they arrive, they will find its gates open, and its keepers will say to them, ‘Peace be upon you. You have been good. Come in: you are here to stay,’ (Surah 39:73)

The two ayahs talk about those gates,

1. the people of hell being led to the gates of hell

2. the people of jannah being led to the gates of jannah

But it is all the same, right well not quite

When talking of the gate of people of hell, Allah says:

jaooha futihat abwabuha waqala lahum khazanatuha

When talking of the gate of people of paradise, Allah says:

jaooha wa futihat abwabuha waqala lahum khazanatuha

The 'wow' letter changes the implication for the people of hell and people of Jannah..

The translations do not do justice to this amazing difference between these two which can only be made beautiful in the subtlety of Arabic. The addition of this one letter changes the images drawn for both people.

I copied a detailed explanation from:
http://www.suhaibwebb.com/islam-studies/gems-of-the-quran-the-gates-of-hell-vs-the-gates-of-paradise/

see below

Explanation:

In the first group, the people who rejected belief in Allah and His Prophets, are being driven to hell in large groups. When they reach Hellfire…فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا! Suddenly and with no warning, the massive gates of Hellfire ambush them and open before them. They were being driven somewhere by the angels, prodded like cattle, and brought before this structure, and these massive gates SUDDENLY OPEN. Imagine their sound as Surah Mulk says, that Hellfire will be shrieking and yelling. It will be calling out for fuel. And its fuel is men and stones. “Indeed, Hell is a place of ambush” as is written in Sura Naba. The gates slam open as their FIRST ambush and the people are shown the eternal fate that awaits them.

In the second group however, Allah says: وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا. The people are being driven to the gates of Paradise. They are being taken there and they come upon Paradise….and وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا – They find the gates ALREADY OPEN. They saw it while coming upon it, they saw it as they came upon it, they are able to gaze into the open doors. This SINGLE LETTER و causes the image of these gates to change by showing the state of the gates as the people come upon them. There is no surprise. There is no questioning. There is no wonder if this place is meant for them….it is meant for them. They are welcome. The gates are open already and it is why they have been taken there. Paradise is theirs and they are being called into it from these gates.

A single letter tells us that the gates of hellfire will ambush the people of Hell, but that the gates of paradise will be wide open waiting for its inhabitants to enter. May Allah make us of those people who will be taken to the gates of Paradise.

إِنَّآ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

Indeed, we have sent it down as an Arabic Quran in order that you might understand.

And Allah knows best.


SubhanAllah.....

Masha'Allah, it makes sense. We are always learning from the Qur'an. Jazakumullahu khairan @OP.

Jazakallah

I thought they said there would be a thin rope in which every1 must walk on before they reach jannah and hell is below the rope....