مَّثَلُ الْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي وُعِدَ الْمُتَّقُونَ ۖ فِيهَا أَنْهَارٌ مِّن مَّاءٍ غَيْرِ آسِنٍ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِّن لَّبَنٍ لَّمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ طَعْمُهُ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِّنْ خَمْرٍ لَّذَّةٍ لِّلشَّارِبِينَ وَأَنْهَارٌ مِّنْ عَسَلٍ مُّصَفًّى ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَاتِ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ كَمَنْ هُوَ خَالِدٌ فِي النَّارِ وَسُقُوا مَاءً حَمِيمًا فَقَطَّعَ أَمْعَاءَهُمْ (15)
(47:15) Here is the parable of Paradise which the God-fearing have been promised: in it shall be rivers of incorruptible water, *20 rivers of milk unchanging in taste, *21and rivers of wine, a delight to those that drink; *22 and rivers of pure honey. *23 In it they will have every kind of fruit as well as forgiveness from their Lord. *24 Can such be like those who will abide in the Fire and will be given a boiling water to drink that will tear their bowels apart?
*20) Literally, asia is the taste and colour of water which has changed, or which gives a bad smell. In the world the water of rivers and canals is generally muddy; its taste and colour change due to the mixture of sand and dust and of different kinds of vegetation in it, and it also gives off a kind of bad smell. Therefore, the quality of the water of the rivers and canals of Paradise will be that it will be pure and clear, without any adulteration.
*21) In a Hadith directly reported from the Holy Prophet, it has been explained thus: "It will not be the milk squeezed from the teats of animals." That is, it willbe the milk which Allah will bring out in the form of springs from the earth and cause it to flow into canals; it will not be squeezed from the teats of animals and then made to flow into the canals of Paradise. About this natural milk it has been said: Its flavour will not have changed at all ;" that is, it will not give even the slightest offensive smell that is found in every kind of milk squeezed from the animal teats.
*22) In another Hadith reported directly from the Holy Prophet, it has been explained, thus: ''This wine will not have been distilled from rotten fruit by beating and crushing it under feet," like the wine in the world, but AIIah will produce it also in the form of springs and cause it to flow into canals; then its quality will be that "it will be delightful for the drinkers"; that is, it will not be bitter and foul-smelling like the wines of the world, which cannot be drunk even by the most habitual drinker without showing some distaste. In Surah As-Saffa t, another quality of it has been described: "Neither will the drinker be harmed physically thereby nor become drunk." (v. 47) In Surah AI-Waqi'ah it has been said: "... which will neither cause them giddiness nor affect their sense." (v. 19) This shows that wine will not intoxicate, but will only give pleasure and delight.
*23) In the Hadith it has been explained, thus: "The honey will not have been drawn from the bees' bellies," but it also will come out from springs and flow into canals; therefore, it will not have wax, and pieces of the honey-comb and legs of dead bees mixed in it, but it will be absolutely pure.
*24) The mention of forgiveness from Allah after the blessings of Paradise can have two meanings: (1) That the greatest blessing by far will be that Allah will forgive them; and (2) that the errors and faults that they happened to commit in the world, will not even so much as be mentioned before them, but Allah will cover them up for ever so that they are not put to shame in Paradise.