Zinah is a well-known word of the Arabic language. The meanings of zanah and zinah include revealing the beauty of something, adorning it, embellishing it, and presenting it in a pleasing and attractive form. The esteemed teacher, Javed Ahmed Ghamidi explains its meaning in the following words:
The word ‘zeenat’ (adornment) in the Arabic language is used for those things through which a person embellishes or beautifies something to satisfy the sense of aesthetics. Thus, clothing, jewelry, and the like are adornments of the body; curtains, sofas, carpets, rugs, sculptures, pictures, and other furniture are adornments of homes; gardens, buildings, and other such things are adornments of cities; singing and music are adornments of the voice; poetry is the adornment of speech. (Al-Bayan 2/148)
In Surah Al-A’raf, verse 32, this word has been used in its general meaning. It is stated:
قُلۡ مَنۡ حَر َّمَ زِیۡنَۃَ 1 ِّٰ ال َّتِیۡۤ اَخۡرَجَ لِعِبَادِهٖ وَ الط َّیِّبٰتِ مِنَ الرِّزۡقِ Say to them (O Prophet), “Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants, and the pure things of sustenance?”
The following are the essential points that help understand this verse:
Attribution of Adornment to Allah
The verse employs the phrase zinat Allah (the adornment of God), thereby attributing beauty directly to God. This clearly indicates that the appeal of a thing, its emergence in the finest form, and its manifestation of excellence and perfection are all contingent upon God’s will and creative power. The human capacity to perceive and appreciate this beauty and perfection is itself a gift from the Lord. Therefore, the association of various forms of adornment with the Divine demands that such blessings be acknowledged as favors from God. They should be regarded as sources of dignity and honor, and one should express gratitude to God for the benefit derived from them.
The Matter of Adornments in the World
It is stated: “ھِيَ لِل َّذِینَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَیَاةِ الد ُّنْیَا” (They are for those who believe in the life of this world). That is, Allah has originally created these adornments in the world for His believing servants. Two points emerge from this statement: first, that the people of faith should desire these adornments and should strive to attain them through all lawful means. Second, since these were created for the believers, one should not imagine the presence of anything contrary to religion and faith within them. Maulana Syed Abul A‘la Maududi writes:
…Indeed, Allah has created all the adornments and pure things of the world for His servants, therefore, it is absolutely inconsistent with the will of Allah to declare them forbidden for His servants. Thus, if there is any religion or any system of ethics and society that declares these things to be forbidden, or detestable, or an obstacle in the path of spiritual development, then this very act of that religion or system is a clear proof in itself that it is not from God. This is also one of the significant arguments among the many that the Qur’an
has presented in refutation of false religions, and understanding this is essential for comprehending the Qur’anic method of reasoning. (Tafheem-ul-Qur’an 2/23)
The Issue of Adornments in the Hereafter
It is further stated: ‘خَالِصَۃً ی َّوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ’ (And on the Day of Resurrection, they shall be exclusively for the believers). That is, these adornments will be reserved solely for the believers in the Hereafter. The overall meaning is that adornments manifesting as various blessings are, in essence, the rightful possession of the believers. In the worldly life, Allah the Exalted has allowed the disbelievers to also partake in them, but after the Day of Resurrection, they will become entirely exclusive to the believers. Javed Ahmed Ghamidi explains it in the following words:
“…Availing oneself of the blessings of Allah is neither contrary to faith, nor to piety, nor to religiosity. In fact, Allah has created these things specifically for the people of faith; therefore, they are originally their rightful due. The disbelievers receive them only as a consequence of the believers’ presence and as part of the respite granted to them for the trial of this world. Hence, in the Hereafter, all of these blessings will be exclusively for the people of faith; the disbelievers will have no share in them—they will be deprived of them forever.
This declaration of the Qur’an—if one reflects upon it—is an astonishing one. Contrary to common religious notions and the teachings of mystical religions, the Qur’an presents an entirely different conception of religious life. Instead of urging renunciation of worldly adornments in pursuit of divine closeness and arrival unto Allah, it encourages the believers to make use of all such adornments without hesitation, provided they avoid extravagance and wastefulness and remain within the bounds set by Allah, and that they express gratitude to Him for these blessings.” (Al-Bayan, 2/ 148- 149)
Paradise is the embodiment of beauty
“خَالِصَۃً ی َّوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ” (And on the Day of Resurrection, they will be exclusively for the believers) — this statement, along with other passages of the Qur’an, makes it clear that Paradise will be entirely adorned and full of beauty. In it, worldly blessings will exist in their highest and most perfected form. That is to say, it will contain bodily adornments in the form of garments of silk and brocade, bracelets of gold, and necklaces of pearls; it will possess the adornments of habitation in the form of palaces and gardens; it will have the adornments of delight and recreation in the form of pure wine and youthful companionship. The respected teacher, through the light of the Qur’an and hadith, has illustrated such a depiction of Paradise that its magnificence as an abode of beauty becomes entirely evident. He writes:
Even in this perishable world, man can, to some extent, conceive of the blessings of Paradise; for this purpose, the Qur’an has borrowed the elements and requisites of kingship. Thus, the mention of lush gardens, flowing rivers, verdant meadows, lofty palaces, vessels of gold and jewels, golden-belted servants, thrones of gold, garments of silk and brocade, crystal goblets, assemblies of joy and delight, and moon-faced virgins has been made for this very reason.
اِن َّ لِلْمُت َّقِیْنَ مَفَازًا، حَدَآئِقَ وَاَعْنَابًا، و َّ کَوَاعِبَ اَتْرَابًا، و َّ کَاْسًا دِہَاقًا، لاَ یَسْمَعُوْنَ فِیْہَا لَغْوًا و َّ لاَ کِذ ّٰبًا، جَزَآءً مِّنْ ر َّبِّکَ عَطَآءً حِسَابًا
For those who fear God, however, there will be great success on that Day: gardens to dwell in, and grapes to eat, and companions of equal age with blooming youthfulness for delight, and overflowing cups for drinking in their company. There, they will hear neither any vain talk nor any accusation. This will be a reward from your Lord—a grant fully in accordance with their deeds. (Qur’an, 78:31-36)
فَوَقٰہُمُ 1 ُّٰ شَر َّ ذٰلِکَ الْیَوْمِ وَلَق ّٰہُمْ نَضْرَةً و َّ سُرُوْرًا، وَجَزٰہُمْ بِمَا صَبَرُوْا جَن َّۃً و َّ حَرِیْرًا، م ُّت َّکِئِیْنَ فِیْہَا عَلَی الاَْرَآئِکِ، لاَ یَرَوْنَ فِیْہَا شَمْسًا و َّ لاَ زَمْہَرِیْرًا، وَدَانِیَۃً عَلَیْہِمْ ظِلٰلُہَا وَذُلِّلَتْ قُطُوْفُہَا تَذْلِیْلاً، وَیُطَافُ عَلَیْہِمْ بِاٰنِیَۃٍ مِّنْ فِض َّۃٍ و َّ اَکْوَابٍ کَانَتْ قَوَارِیْرَاْ،
قَوَارِیْرَاْ مِنْ فِض َّۃٍ قَد َّرُوْہَا تَقْدِیْرًا، وَیُسْقَوْنَ فِیْہَا کَاْسًا کَانَ مِزَاجُہَا زَنْجَبِیْلاً، عَیْنًا فِیْہَا تُسَم ّٰی سَلْسَبِیْلاً، وَیَطُوْفُ عَلَیْہِمْ وِلْدَانٌ م ُّخَل َّدُوْنَ، اِذَا رَاَیْتَہُمْ حَسِبْتَہُمْ لُؤْلُؤًا م َّنْثُوْرًا، وَاِذَا رَاَیْتَ، ثَم َّ رَاَیْتَ نَعِیْمًا و َّ مُلْکًا کَبِیْرًا، عٰلِیَہُمْ ثِیَابُ سُنْدُسٍ خُضْرٌ و َّ اِسْتَبْرَقٌ و َّ حُل ُّوْٓا اَسَاوِرَ مِنْ فِض َّۃٍ وَسَقٰہُمْ رَب ُّہُمْ شَرَابًا طَہُوْرًا، اِن َّ ہٰذَا کَانَ لَکُمْ جَزَآءً و َّ کَانَ سَعْیُکُمْ م َّشْکُوْرًا
So, God saved them from the affliction of that day and bestowed them with freshness and joy, and as reward for being patient gave them a garden [to live in] and robes of silk [to wear]. They will be reclining in it on thrones. Neither will they see the heat of the sun nor the cold of the winters. The shades of its trees will bow down over them and the clusters of their fruits will be within their easy reach. Dishes of silver [to eat from] and goblets of crystal [to drink from] will be circulating in front of them the crystal will be of silver too which their attendants have aptly arranged [for every service]. They will be given to drink cups of wine flavored with the water of Zanjabil. [Besides this,] there also is a spring in Paradise called Salsabil. Boys graced with eternal youth will be running around to serve them. When you see them, you will think that they are pearls scattered about. And wherever you look, you will see great bliss and a kingdom glorious such that even their over-garments will be of green sundus and istabraq. They have been adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord Himself has given them pure wine to drink [in His presence]. Surely, this is a reward for you of your deeds and [congratulations to you that] your endeavors have been acknowledged. (Al-Dahr 76:11–22)
In the same way, it has been stated that the people of Paradise will receive whatever they desire; whatever they ask for, they will attain. Their hearts will be purified from envy, hatred, and malice. They will sit facing one another like brothers upon thrones. They will neither be expelled from there nor will they ever wish to leave out of weariness, nor will they be afflicted by any distress.
Its blessings will appear each time with a new beauty, new pleasure, and new taste. When the same fruit is given repeatedly to eat, each time it will bring with it an entirely new world of delight, beauty, and flavor. Everywhere there will be purity, everywhere refinement. There will be no regret of the past, nor any fear of the future.
And above all, the divine pleasure of God, and in response, the everlasting melodies of praise and glorification — the eternal hymn of حمد و ثنا and تسبیح و تہلیل — from His servants, with which the atmosphere of Paradise will remain filled day and night.
The Prophet (PBUH) further clarified that the inhabitants of Paradise will eat and drink, but they will neither spit, nor feel the need to relieve themselves through urination or defecation, nor will there be any discharge from their noses, nor substances like phlegm or sputum. The perspiration there will emit the fragrance of musk. They will dwell amid such blessings that they will never encounter any hardship. Their clothes will never wear out, nor will their youth ever fade. A caller will proclaim therein, ‘Here is health, with no illness; life, with no death; youth, with no old age.’ The faces of the people therein will shine like the moon and stars. (Meezan, 198-200)
The summary of the discussion is that religion does not encourage monasticism or renunciation of the world. Allah Almighty does not, in any way, demand that people wear coarse clothes, make mats their bedding, wrap themselves in rags, live in huts as recluses, or turn away from blessings to adopt ascetic practices. He creates a wide variety of blessings, adorns them in diverse ways, and encourages His servants to benefit from them, to enjoy their utility, and to take delight in their beauty and embellishment. His Paradise is also an abode of reward, honor, beauty, and delight, which He has created for His pure servants.
In this regard, to show indifference to His blessings is explicit immorality, and to attribute such a notion to Him is the gravest of misrepresentations. How could such a thing be ascribed to the True Bestower, that He would declare His own created adornments unlawful for His servants? The respected teacher writes:
…The mystical interpretation of religion and the Sufi orders consider all these things of adornment as a net of illusion (Maya), and generally declare them as unlawful, reprehensible, or worthy of renunciation and as obstacles in the way of spiritual elevation. However, this is not the viewpoint of the Qur’an. In this verse, it has asked in a tone of severe warning and admonition: Who is it that dares to declare unlawful the pure provisions and the items of adornment that God has created for His servants? These concluding words serve as evidence that no act of God is in vain. If He has created these things, then He has created them precisely so that His servants may use them within the bounds set by God. Their very existence stands as testimony that no undue restriction can be imposed on their use. (Al-Bayan, 2/148)