Al-Hashr (The Exile)

20. Not equal are the dwellers of the Fire and the dwellers of the Paradise. It is the dwellers of Paradise that will be the saved and the victorious.

The blessed Verse makes a comparison between the two groups, namely that of God fearing believers attending to the Origin and the Day of Resurrection and that of the forgetful oblivious of God Almighty and their own selves, saying:

“Not equal are the dwellers of the Fire and the dwellers of the Paradise,”

neither in this world, nor in their beliefs, manner of thought, individual and collective manner of life, and their goals, nor in terms of the Hereafter, the Day of Resurrection, revival of sublime human values, and amassing savings for the everlasting life. The latter group is drowned in the pleasures of the flesh, worldly possessions, and oblivion. Thus, man is in a dilemma, namely he must either join the former or the latter, since there is no other path to tread.

The blessed Verse closes with a decisive conclusion saying that the dwellers are Paradise are solely the saved and the victorious not only in this world, but in the Hereafter, when serenity and deliverance will fall into their share.

However, total defeat in both worlds is in store for the oblivious. It is narrated from the Noble Prophet (S) that the dwellers of Paradise are those who obey Allah's Messenger (S) and acknowledge the Divine Guardianship of ‘Ali (as). The dwellers of the Fire are those who disfavored Imam ‘Ali's (as) Divine Guardianship and disobeyed him and waged war against him.¹

It is worthy of note, however, that it is one of the explicit applications of the contextual meaning of the blessed Verse and affects in no way the general application of the blessed Verse.