Underground Rivers

In some 35 verses we are told of rivers running beneath jannahs. Why might the author have felt that such a thing should be appealing to his audience?

S 2:25 And give good news to those who have believed and have done the righteous deeds that theirs are jannat, rivers running beneath them. Every time they have been provided with therefrom from fruit as a provision they have said: This is the one we were provided with before. And they have been given similar to it. And theirs therein are purified husbands and they abide therein indefinitely.

S 2:266  Would any of you like to have a jannah of palm trees and grapes, rivers running beneath it, having therein of all fruits, and old age has struck him and he has offspring that are weak then a storm in which is fire has struck it then was on fire? Thus Allah clarifies the verses for you; perhaps you will ponder.

S 3:15 Say: Shall I inform you of better than that? For those who have feared, with their lord are jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding indefinitely therein, and purified husbands and pleasure from Allah. And Allah is a seer of the slaves.

S 3:136 Those, their recompense is forgiveness from their lord and jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein indefinitely. And excellent was the workers’ wage.

S 3:195 Then their lord responded to them: I do not waste a deed of a worker among you, of male or female, one another’s. So those who emigrated and were expelled from their homes and were harmed in my way and fought and were killed, I will atone for them their evil deeds and admit them to jannat, rivers running beneath them. A reward from Allah. And Allah, with him is the best reward.

S 3:198 But those who have feared their lord, theirs are jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein indefinitely, a lodging from Allah. And what is with Allah is best for the righteous.

S 4:13  Those are Allah’s hudud and he who obeys Allah and his messenger, he admits him to jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein indefinitely. And that is the great win.

S 4:57  And those who have believed and have done good deeds, we shall admit them to jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein forever. Theirs therein are purified husbands and we admit them to shady shade.

S 4:122 And those who have believed and have done the righteous deeds, we shall admit them to jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein forever. A promise of Allah in truth and who is truer than Allah in that spoken?

S 5:12  And Allah took a covenant of the Banu Isra’il and we raised among them 12 captains. And Allah said: I am with you if you establish salat and give the zakat and believe in my messengers and honour them and give Allah a good loan. I will atone for your evil deeds and admit you to jannat, rivers running beneath them. But he who has disbelieved after that among you, he has strayed from the evenness of the way.

S 5:85 So Allah has remunerated them for what they have said with jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding indefinitely therein. And that is the recompense of the good-doers.

S 5:119 Allah said: This is a day their truthfulness benefits the truthful. Theirs are jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein forever. Allah was pleased with them and they were pleased with him. That is the great win.

S 9:72 Allah has promised the believing men and the believing women jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein indefinitely, and good domiciles in jannat of ‘Adn. And pleasure from Allah is bigger. That--it is the great win.

S 9:89 Allah has prepared for them jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein indefinitely. That is the great win.

S 9:100 And the first preceding of the emigrants and the Ansar and those who followed them in doing well, Allah was pleased with them and they were pleased with him. And he has prepared for them jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein forever. That is the great win.

S 13:35  The similitude of the Jannah which the fearers have been promised, rivers run beneath it. Its food is lasting and its shade. That is the result of those who have feared and the result of the kafirun is the fire.

S 14:23 And those who have believed and have done the righteous deeds have been admitted to jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein indefinitely with their lord’s permission. Their greeting therein is Peace.

S 16:31 Jannat of ‘Adn which they enter, rivers running beneath them. Theirs therein is what they will. Thus does Allah recompense the fearers.

S 20:76  Jannat of ‘Adn, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein indefinitely. And that is the recompense of him who has purified himself.

S 22:14 Allah admits those who have believed and have done the righteous deeds to jannat, rivers running beneath them. Allah does what he wants.

S 22:23 Allah admits those who have believed and have done the righteous deeds to jannat, rivers running beneath them. They are adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls and their garment therein is silk.

S 25:10 Blessed be the one who, if he had willed, might have made for you better than that--jannat, rivers running beneath them, and he makes you castles.

S 29:58 And those who have believed and have done the righteous deeds, we will house them from the Jannah, rooms, rivers running beneath them, abiding indefinitely therein. Excellent was the wage of the workers,

S 39:20 But those who have feared their lord, theirs are rooms, above them built rooms, rivers running beneath them. Allah’s promise. Allah does not lag behind the appointment.

S 47:12 Allah admits those who have believed and have done good deeds to jannat, rivers running beneath them. And those who have disbelieved enjoy and eat as cattle eat and the fire is a shelter for them.

S 48:5  That he may admit the believing men and the believing women to jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein indefinitely, and atone for them their evil deeds, and that was with Allah a great win.

S 48:17 There is no difficulty upon the blind man nor difficulty upon the lame nor difficulty upon the sick. And he who obeys Allah and his messenger, he admits him to jannat, rivers running beneath them. But he who turns away, he tortures him with painful torture.

S 57:12  On a day you see the believing men and women chasing, their light in front of them and in their right hands. Your good news today, jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein indefinitely. That is the great win.

S 58:22  You do not find a people believing in Allah and the last day having affection for those who have opposed Allah and his messenger even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their clan. Those--he has written faith in their hearts and supported them with spirit from him. And he admits them to jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein indefinitely. Allah was pleased with them and they were pleased with him. Those are Allah’s party. Indeed, Allah’s party are the successful.

S 61:12  He forgives you your sins and admits you to jannat, rivers running beneath them, and good housing in Jannat of ‘Adn. That is the great win.

S 64:9 On a day he gathers you for the day of gathering, that is the day of taghabun. And he who believes in Allah and does a righteous deed, he atones for him his evil deeds and admits him to jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein forever. That is the great win.

S 65:11 A messenger reading to you Allah’s clarifying verses that he may bring out those who have believed and have done the righteous deeds out of the darknesses into the light. And he who believes in Allah and does a righteous deed, he admits him to jannat, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein forever. Allah has done good for him in provision.

S 66:8 Those who have believed, repent to Allah in sincere repentance. Perhaps your lord will atone for you your evil deeds and admit you to jannat, rivers running beneath them, on a day Allah does not disgrace the prophet and those who have believed with him. Their light strives between their hands and in their right hands. They say: Our lord, perfect our light for us and forgive us. You are mighty over everything.

S 85:11 Those who have believed and have done the righteous deeds, theirs are jannat, rivers running beneath them. That is the big win.

S 98:8 Their wage is with their lord--jannat of ‘Adn, rivers running beneath them, abiding therein forever. Allah was pleased with them and they were pleased with him. That is for him who has feared his lord.

Further reading:

The Rivers of the Jannah

Some Thoughts on Al-Jannah