Verses 11–56
This tranche of verses describes in detail what will become of each of the three groups of humankind mentioned in the previous section on the Day of Resurrection.
Commentary
أُولَٰئِكَ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ ١١ فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ ١٢
(56:11–12) those are the ones brought near in the gardens of bliss
The demonstrative pronoun those refers to the Foremost Ones mentioned in the previous verse. Those are the ones brought near is a nominal sentence and a stand-alone statement. Some have suggested that the sentence is a predicate of the Foremost Ones. Others have said it is in the position of a subject and its predicate is in the gardens of bliss. However, the first interpretation is the most appropriate for the context of the verses, which first concerns the division of humankind into three groups and then the details of what will become of each of them.
The concepts of nearness (qurb) and remoteness (buʿd) are complimentary opposites, which are, in the first instance, applied to bodies based on the location in relation to one another in space. Then, the meanings of these terms expanded to include non-spatial meanings, such as time. For example, one might say that ‘tomorrow is close to today’, ‘Wednesday is closer than Thursday to Tuesday’, or ‘green is closer to black than to white.’ Finally, these terms expanded to include non-corporeal realities.
For this reason, nearness is used as a description of God to convey the sense that He encompasses all things. For example, God says: … When My servants ask you about Me, I am indeed nearmost … (); … and We are nearer to him than you are … (); … and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein … ().
This idea—that God is nearer to a thing than it is to its own self—is possibly one of the most astonishing conceptualizations of nearness, and we have discussed this in more detail in our commentary on the above verse.
Nearness can also be applied to God’s servants in the context of their servanthood (ʿubūdiyya) as an acquired trait (amr iktisābī). The Arabic term taqarrub (‘drawing near’) is used to denote this; God’s servant draws near to Him through righteous deeds, and when the servant draws near to God, this means that he reaches a place to be enveloped by divine mercy, where the sources of misery and deprivation are removed from him. At the same time, God draws near (taqarrub) to His servant by admitting him to a station where he receives a special degree of divine grace, mercy, and forgiveness. God says, It is a written record, witnessed by those brought near (); and whose seasoning is from Tasnim, a spring where those brought near drink ().
Therefore, those brought near (al-muqarrabūn) represent the highest rank of the people of felicity, as indicated by the verse, And the Foremost Ones are the foremost ones, they are the ones brought near (). This can only be attained through reaching the apex of divine servanthood, as God says, The Messiah would never disdain being a servant of Allah, nor would the angels brought near (). And one cannot reach the apex of divine servanthood except by aligning one’s will and one’s deeds completely with the will of his Master, so that he will neither act nor want anything other than what He wants. This is what it means to be under God’s allegiance (wilāya)—these are God’s allies and friends (awliyāʾ).
… in the gardens of bliss: Meaning, each of them will be in their own garden of bliss, therefore they will be collectively in gardens of bliss (plural). It is also possible that this means all of them will be in gardens of bliss together, but the likelihood of this interpretation is diminished by the verses at the end of this chapter, Then, if he be of those brought near, then ease, abundance, and a garden of bliss ().
And we have explained on more than one occasion that the meaning of ‘bliss’ (naʿīm) is divine allegiance (wilāya), and that the ‘garden of bliss’ (jannat al-naʿīm) is the paradise of divine allegiance (jannat al-wilāya). This fits with what has been said above about those brought near (muqarrabūn) being the people of divine allegiance (ahl wilāyat Allāh).
ثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ ١٣ وَقَلِيلٌ مِنَ الْآخِرِينَ ١٤
(56:13–14) A multitude (thulla) from the former ones and a few from the latter ones
According to some scholars, thulla means a large group. ‘The former ones’ refers to the past nations of earlier prophets, while ‘the latter ones’ refers to the present nation. This is based on how God has typically used these terms elsewhere in the Qurʾan, such as the forthcoming verse, ‘… shall we be resurrected? And our forefathers too?’ Say, ‘Indeed the former and latter generations will all be gathered for the tryst of a known day’ ().
Therefore, the meaning of these two verses is: ‘Those brought near will be a large group from the past nations and a few from this nation.’
Based on this, it is evident that the interpretation that says the meaning of ‘the former ones’ and ‘the latter ones’ are the former ones of the Prophet’s nation and the latter ones is incorrect.
عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ مَوْضُونَةٍ ١٥ مُتَّكِئِينَ عَلَيْهَا مُتَقَابِلِينَ ١٦
(56:15–16) On brocaded couches, reclining on them, face to face (mutaqābilīn)
The ones reclining on these couches are those brought near. Face to face is an adverb qualifying the verb reclining. The image of them reclining face to face is meant to convey their friendliness, sincerity of heart, and camaraderie. They do not turn their backs to one another, nor do they reproach one another or backbite about one another.
Therefore, the meaning of the verse is: ‘They—those brought near—are seated on brocaded couches, reclining on them while the face one another.’
يَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَانٌ مُخَلَّدُونَ ١٧
(56:17) They will be frequented (yaṭūf) by immortal youths (wildān mukhalladūn)
Wildān is the plural of walad (‘child’), which here denotes a serving boy (ghulām). The verb yaṭūf (‘frequent’) refers to the fact that these youths will be coming and going in service of those brought near. Mukhalladūn (‘immortal’) refers to the fact that they will live forever and remain unfadingly youthful.
Some have suggested that mukhalladūn is derived from khalad, meaning ‘earring.’ Therefore, the youths of paradise are adorned by earrings.
بِأَكْوَابٍ وَأَبَارِيقَ وَكَأْسٍ مِنْ مَعِينٍ ١٨
(56:18) with goblets (akwāb) and ewers (abārīq) and a cup (kaʾs) of a clear wine (maʿīn)
Akwāb is the plural of kūb, which is a drinking vessel that has neither a handle nor a spout, while abārīq is the plural of ibrīq, which is a drinking vessel that has a spout—some lexicographers say that it has both a handle and a spout—while kaʾs (‘cup’) is well known. Some have said that ‘cup’ is singular because it isn’t called a kaʾs unless it is full. Maʿīn refers to wine that is poured visibly in front of a person.
لَا يُصَدَّعُونَ عَنْهَا وَلَا يُنْزِفُونَ ١٩
(56:19) which neither causes them headache nor stupefaction
In other words, they will not experience a headache on account of the wine, which is what people suffer when they drink wine in this world, neither will they lose their good sense on account of the drunkenness caused by it.
وَفَاكِهَةٍ مِمَّا يَتَخَيَّرُونَ ٢٠ وَلَحْمِ طَيْرٍ مِمَّا يَشْتَهُونَ ٢١
(56:20–21) and such fruits as they prefer and such flesh of fowls as they desire
The words such fruits and such flesh of fowls are joined by and to with goblets. In other words: ‘Immortal youths will frequent them with such fruits as they prefer and such flesh of fowls as their desire.’
This does not conflict with the narrations that say that when the inhabitants of paradise desire fruits, the branches of the trees of paradise lower themselves so that they can pick the fruits from them. Or that when they desire the flesh of fowls, these birds land fried or grilled into their hands and they eat as much as they want, then the birds come back to life take flight again. This is because the inhabitants of paradise will have whatever they want, and it is part of the art of hosting guests for a feast that they are given whatever they desire by the hands of servants, especially when they are gathered together in an assembly. This is just as it is artful for them to take these things for themselves without the mediation of servants.
وَحُورٌ عِينٌ ٢٢ كَأَمْثَالِ اللُّؤْلُؤِ الْمَكْنُونِ ٢٣
(56:22–23) and big-eyed houris like guarded pearls
This is one part of a nominal sentence, its other part is implicit, and—based on the context of the verse—should be understood as ‘and for them shall be big-eyed houris’ or ‘and therein are big-eyed houris.’ Big-eyed houris are the women of paradise, and we have already discussed the meaning of the Arabic name hūr al-ʿayn in our commentary on Sūrah al-Dukhkhān.
… like guarded pearls—meaning pearls kept safe in oysters, untouched by human hands, and of the utmost purity.
جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ٢٤
(56:24) a reward for what they used to do
This verse qualifies everything above and is an object of purpose (mafʿūl lahu). Therefore, the meaning is: ‘We will do all of this for them as a reward for them in return for the righteous deeds they did continuously during their lives.’
لَا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًا وَلَا تَأْثِيمًا ٢٥
(56:25) They will not hear therein any vain talk (laghw) or sinful speech (taʾthīm)
Laghw (‘vain talk’) means talk that has neither any benefit or effect, while taʾthīm (‘sinful speech’) means to attribute sinfulness to someone. In other words, none of them will say anything to their comrades that is without benefit or attribute any sinfulness to one another, for there is no sin in Paradise. Some have interpreted sinful speech to mean lying.
إِلَّا قِيلًا سَلَامًا سَلَامًا ٢٦
(56:26) but only the watchword, ‘Peace!’ ‘Peace!’
The exception here does not mean to imply that this watchword is vain talk or sinful speech. The repetition of the phrase ‘Peace!’ is meant to show this is something they frequently say. Therefore, the meaning is: ‘All they will say is ‘peace!’ time and again.’
Some have suggested that the Arabic could also be understood as, ‘except sound speech.’
وَأَصْحَابُ الْيَمِينِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الْيَمِينِ ٢٧
(56:27) And the People of the Right Hand—what are the People of the Right Hand?
Now the chapter turns to discuss the fate of the People of Good Fortune (aṣḥāb al-maymana), mentioned above. The fact that this turns from the People of Good Fortune to the People of the Right Hand shows that the two groups are one and the same, namely that the People of Good Fortune are the ones who will receive the record of their deeds in their right hand. The question posed in this verse is rhetorical and intended to magnify their status and convey amazement at their state.
فِي سِدْرٍ مَخْضُودٍ ٢٨ وَطَلْحٍ مَنْضُودٍ ٢٩
(56:28–29) Amid thornless lote trees and clustered spathes
The word ‘spathes’ here is a reference to banana trees. Some have said that it does not refer only to bananas, but to any tree with a cool moist shade. Others have said it refers to an acacia tree, which has pleasant smelling leaves. ‘Clustered’ refers to things being stacked atop one another. Therefore, the meaning of this is verse is: ‘They will be amongst thornless lote trees and gardens of bananas trees, laden with fruits stacked from top to bottom.’
وَظِلٍّ مَمْدُودٍ ٣٠ وَمَاءٍ مَسْكُوبٍ ٣١
(56:30–31) and extended shade, and ever-flowing water
Some commentators have said: ‘Extended shade’ means shade that is unbroken and never diminished by the sun. Therefore it is everlasting. ‘Ever-flowing water’ means water that flows continuously without ending.
وَفَاكِهَةٍ كَثِيرَةٍ ٣٢ لَا مَقْطُوعَةٍ وَلَا مَمْنُوعَةٍ ٣٣
(56:32–33) and abundant fruits neither limited, nor restricted,
In other words, these fruits are not only available at some times but not others like fruits of this world that are unavailable in winter or other seasons. Neither is there anything preventing them from taking these fruits, such as an impediment internal to them, such as distaste or fullness, or an external obstacle such as their being out of reach, guarded by thorns, or the like thereof.
وَفُرُشٍ مَرْفُوعَةٍ ٣٤
(56:34) and noble spouses (furush marfūʿa)
Furush is the plural of firāsh, literally meaning ‘carpet.’ However, some have said that the meaning of furush marfūʿa are women who are elevated in their intelligence, beauty, and perfection, as the word firāsh can also refer to a woman. This accords with the meaning of the following verse, We have created them with a special creation.
إِنَّا أَنْشَأْنَاهُنَّ إِنْشَاءً ٣٥ فَجَعَلْنَاهُنَّ أَبْكَارًا ٣٦ عُرُبًا أَتْرَابًا ٣٧
(56:35–37) We have created them with a special creation and made them virgins, loving, of a like age,
In other words, ‘We have made them special and given them a special upbringing.’ This suggests that they do not change with age or with the passage of time. When God says, and made them virgins, this means that no matter how many times they have intercourse with their spouses, they remain virgins.
Loving, of a like age—In other words, loving of their spouses or attracted to them and of a similar age to them.
لِأَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ ٣٨ ثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ ٣٩ وَثُلَّةٌ مِنَ الْآخِرِينَ ٤٠
(56:38–40) for the People of the Right Hand. A multitude from the former ones and a multitude from the latter ones.
The meaning of this is clear based on what has already been said above. These verses show that the People of the Right hand contain a multitude of the believers from the Prophet’s nation, just as it contains a multitude of earlier nations. By contrast, the Foremost Ones, the ones who are brought near, contain fewer members of the Prophet’s nation than they do the members of earlier nations.
وَأَصْحَابُ الشِّمَالِ مَا أَصْحَابُ الشِّمَالِ ٤١
(56:41) And the People of the Left Hand—what are the People of the Left Hand?
The grammatical structure of this verse is similar to that about the People of the Right Hand (). The question is intended to express horror and amazement. Note that, here as well, the People of Ill Fortune has been swapped with the People of the Left Hand to show that the two are the same and that they will receive the record of their deeds in their left hand, as we saw with the People of the Right hand, above.
فِي سَمُومٍ وَحَمِيمٍ ٤٢ وَظِلٍّ مِنْ يَحْمُومٍ ٤٣ لَا بَارِدٍ وَلَا كَرِيمٍ ٤٤
(56:42–44) Amid infernal miasma (samūm) and boiling water (ḥamīm) and the shadow of a dense black smoke (yaḥmūm) neither cool nor beneficial.
According to al-Zamakhsharī in the Kashshāf, the term samūm refers to the heat of the fire that penetrates the body’s pores, while ḥamīm is extremely hot water. Both of these words are left indefinite in order to emphasise their gravity. Yaḥmūm signifies thick dark smoke.
Neither cool nor beneficial refers to the shadow rather than the smoke, because one typically expects a shadow—but not smoke—to be cool and refreshing.
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ ذَٰلِكَ مُتْرَفِينَ ٤٥
(56:45) Indeed they had been affluent (mutrafīn) before this
This verse explains why the People of the Left Hand are being punished, where ‘before this’ refers to the description of their punishment on the Day of Resurrection. Mutrafīn (‘affluent’) means that the blessings they enjoyed in this world caused them to become proud and disobedient, this is because they become preoccupied with these blessings and forgot everything else. An “affluent” person is someone who is attached to his worldly possessions and whatever he benefits he seeks to obtain through them, regardless of whether he has a little or a lot.
One cannot object that many of the People of the Left Hand are not, in fact, affluent in the sense of being materially wealthy. This is because the reality is that the human being is surrounded by blessings from his Lord; wealth is not the only blessing, so when we say that a person is distracted from the remembrance of his Lord by his Lord’s blessings, this is referring to the comfort he receives from Him.
Therefore, the verse means: ‘We will only punish them in the manner We have described because before, when they were in this world, the blessings they enjoyed caused them to become disobedient.’
وَكَانُوا يُصِرُّونَ عَلَى الْحِنْثِ الْعَظِيمِ ٤٦
(56:46) and they used to persist (yuṣirrūn) in the great sin (al–ḥinth al–ʿaẓīm)
According to al-Ṭabrisī in Majmaʿ al-bayān, ḥinth means to violate one’s solemn oath; yuṣirrūn means to continue doing something without stopping. The context of this verse suggests that when God says they used to persist in the great sin, this means that they arrogantly refused to be servants of their Lord. This was in violation of the oath they had sworn to Him through their innate nature (fiṭra) and through the pledge (mīthāq) that they had given to Him in the realm of atoms (ʿālam al-dharr). In spite of this, they ga ve their obedience to other than God, and this is the pinnacle of idolatry.
Some have said that ḥinth already means a great sin, and that the adjective great (ʿaẓīm) is used here for hyperbole, and the great sin in this case is idolatry (shirk). Others have said that the great sin is used here to denote the category of major sins as a whole. Others still have said it refers to the oaths they swore to deny the truth of the Resurrection, as alluded to by the verse, They swear by Allah with solemn oaths that Allah will not resurrect those who die ().
وَكَانُوا يَقُولُونَ أَئِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا وَعِظَامًا أَإِنَّا لَمَبْعُوثُونَ ٤٧ أَوَآبَاؤُنَا الْأَوَّلُونَ ٤٨
(56:47–48) And they used to say, ‘What! When we are dead and become dust and bones, shall we be resurrected? And our forefathers too?’
This is a statement from those who deny the Resurrection because they think it is improbable. Therefore, they emphasise their own denial of the Resurrection by linking it to the resurrection of their forefathers, because the resurrection of their forefathers seems even more unlikely to them than their own resurrection.
قُلْ إِنَّ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَالْآخِرِينَ ٤٩ لَمَجْمُوعُونَ إِلَىٰ مِيقَاتِ يَوْمٍ مَعْلُومٍ ٥٠
(56:49–50) Say, ‘Indeed the former and latter generations will all be gathered for the tryst (mīqāt) of a known day.’
The command, ‘Say’, is addressed to the Prophet—it commands him to respond to their denial of the Resurrection by affirming it, before informing them of the food and drink they will taste on the Day of Resurrection—which is Zaqqūm and boiling water.
In short, they are being told that the earlier and later generations will be gathered and mustered for an appointment on a known day. Note that this verse does not draw a distinction between the earlier and later generations. This is in contrast to the idolaters, who drew this distinction between the two because they considered their own resurrection to be unlikely and the resurrection of their forefathers even more unlikely, whereas in reality there is no distinction between the two eventualities.
A mīqāt (tryst) is the specific time appointed for a thing. Here, a known day refers to the Day of Resurrection, whose time is known to God. Therefore attaching tryst to a known day is expository (indicating what is known about it).
ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ أَيُّهَا الضَّالُّونَ الْمُكَذِّبُونَ ٥١ لَآكِلُونَ مِنْ شَجَرٍ مِنْ زَقُّومٍ ٥٢ فَمَالِئُونَ مِنْهَا الْبُطُونَ ٥٣
(56:51–53) ‘Then indeed, you, astray deniers, will surely eat from the tree of Zaqqūm (min shajarin min Zaqqūm) and stuff your bellies with it (min–hā)’
This is a continuation of the Prophet’s speech in the previous verse. In it, he informs the idolaters what will become of them on the Day of Resurrection and the food and drink they will experience.
By addressing them as ‘astray deniers’, this highlights the traits that have rendered them the people of misery and loss on the Day of Judgement—namely their being astray from the path of truth. It also shows that these traits have become part of their character because of their continuous and obstinate denial of the truth and their persistence in sinning. If they were merely astray, without having also denied the truth, then there would be hope that they might be guided and saved rather than perish.
Note that the preposition min in min Zaqqūm (‘the tree of Zaqqūm’) is expository (bayāniyya; it explains the species of the tree), or it could show that it is an extension (badal) of min shajarin. The pronoun ‘it’ in stuff your bellies with it refers to either the tree or its fruit. The words tree (shajar) and fruit (thamar) can be either masculine or feminine, hence in this verse the pronoun ‘it’ is feminine, while in the next verse, the pronoun ‘it’ in ‘on top of it’ is masculine. The remainder of the verse’s meaning is clear.
فَشَارِبُونَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْحَمِيمِ ٥٤ فَشَارِبُونَ شُرْبَ الْهِيمِ ٥٥
(56:54–55) ‘and drink boiling water (ḥamīm) on top of it, drinking like thirsty camels (hīm).’
‘On top of it’ indicates that they drink the boiling water immediately after eating from the Zaqqūm tree; ḥīm is the plural of haymāʾ al-ibil, which denotes a camel afflicted by huyām, or an unquenchable thirst. This causes the camel to drink water until it dies or becomes gravely ill. Some have said hīm denotes a patch of dry ground that absorbs water and is never filled.
Therefore, the meaning of the verse is: ‘Then, after eating of the Zaqqūm tree, they will drink extremely hot water. In spite of its heat, they will drink it without being quenched, like thirsty camels or parched earth.’ This is the end of what God instructs the Prophet to tell the idolaters.
هَٰذَا نُزُلُهُمْ يَوْمَ الدِّينِ ٥٦
(56:56) Such will be the hospitality (nuzul) they receive on the Day of Retribution
In other words, on the Day of Recompense, this is the food and drink that will be offered to God’s guests out of hospitality.
Therefore, the meaning of the verse is: ‘The food and drink described here is the hospitality that the astray deniers will receive.’ Calling it ‘hospitality’ (nuzul) is a form of mockery, and this verse is addressed to the Prophet. Now, were this part of the Prophet’s speech to the idolaters, it would say instead: ‘Such will be the hospitality you receive…’
Examining Narrations
- In al-Durr al-manthūr, al-Suyūṭī cites Ibn Mardawayh and Ibn ʿAsākir, who narrate from ʿUrwa b. Ruwaym, from Jābir b. ʿAbd Allāh: ‘When Sūrah al-Wāqiʿa was revealed, it contained the verse, A multitude from the former ones and a few from the latter ones (). ʿUmar said, ‘O Messenger of God, surely it should be “a multitude of the former ones and a multitude from the latter ones!”’ The Messenger of God said, ‘Come and listen to what God has sent down, A multitude from the former ones and a multitude from the latter ones ().
Lo! Surely there are a multitude between Adam and me, and there is a multitude from our nation, and our multitude will not be complete until we seek the aid of black camel herders who bear witness that there is no god but God alone and without partner.’
Author’s comments: Al-Suyūṭī cites another version of this tradition from Ibn Abī Ḥātim, who narrates from ʿUrwa b. Ruwaym with an incomplete chain of narrators.
- Meanwhile Ibn Mardawayh narrates from Abū Hurayra: ‘When the verse was revealed, A multitude from the former ones and a few from the latter ones, the Companions of the Messenger of God were dejected. They said, ‘So there will only be a few from the nation of Muḥammad!’ Then there was revealed at midday, A multitude from the former ones and a multitude from the latter ones. At this, the people embraced one another and this abrogated the verse, and a few from the latter ones.’
Author’s comments: Al-Zamakhsharī says in his commentary on this verse in al-Kashshāf:
‘If one was to argue that, according to a narration, when this verse was revealed it distressed the Muslims, so the Messenger of God kept supplicating to his Lord until the verse was revealed, A multitude from the former ones and a multitude from the latter ones.’
I would respond that this cannot be correct for two reasons. First, the former verse is clearly concerned with the Foremost Ones, while the latter one is concerned with the People of the Right Hand. Is it not obvious that you cannot simply conflate the People of the Right hand and what has been promised to them to the Foremost Ones with what has been promised to them? Second, it is not possible for reports (akhbār) to abrogate verses of the Qurʾan.’
However, al-Zamakhsharī’s opponents might respond to him by saying that it is possible to interpret the tradition as indicating that when the Companions heard the first verse they thought that this would be the fate of their nation, such that the People of Right Hand would be a multitude of the former ones and a few of the latter ones as well. Therefore, relatively fewer members of their nation would succeed in winning paradise compared to those of earlier nations. When the verse was revealed, A multitude from the former ones and a multitude from the latter ones, their grief was assuaged. Therefore, the abrogation of the verse in this report is not of the verse itself but of the Companions’ understanding of it.
However, readers will be well aware that there is no evidence to suggest such an interpretation from the wording of the verse. In fact, the wording would seem to resist it, especially interpreting the abrogation of the verse as the abrogation of the Companions’ understanding of it. And the first narration is akin to this, especially with regards to its ending.
- In Majmaʿ al-bayān, about the verse, They will be frequented by immortal youths (), al-Ṭabrisī writes: ‘Scholars have differed about the nature of these youths. Some have said that these are the children of the inhabitants of this world who did not have any good deeds to be rewarded for or wicked deeds to be punished for, so they are given this role instead.
It has been narrated that the Prophet was asked about the deceased children of the idolaters. He responded, “They will be servants to the inhabitants of Paradise.”’
Author’s comments: Al-Suyūṭī narrates this from al-Ḥasan in al-Durr al-manthūr, but the tradition is weak and cannot be relied upon.
- In al-Durr al-manthūr, Ibn Abī al-Dunyā in Ṣifat al-Janna, al-Bazzār, Ibn Mardawayh, and al-Bayhaqī in al-Baʿth narrate from ʿAbd Allāh b. Masʿūd: ‘The Messenger of God told me, “You will see fowl in Paradise and desire to eat it, and it will fall into your hands already grilled.”’
Author’s comments: There are many narrations in the same vein, some of which say that the believer will eat of whatever he desires, then whatever he has eaten of will return to its former state, come back to life, fly to its former place, and be overjoyed by this.
- In Tafsīr al-Qummī, concerning the verse, They will not hear therein any vain talk or sinful speech (), we read: ‘Indecency, deception, or singing.’
Author’s comments: Perhaps the meaning of singing (ghināʾ) here is what would be considered vain (lahw). Alternatively, it may be a scribal corruption of khināʾ (‘obscene language’).
- In the same source, concerning the verse, And the People of the Right Hand—what are the People of the Right Hand?, we read: ‘They are ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib, his companions, and his followers (shīʿa).’
Author’s comments: This narration is based on what has been narrated about the verse, The day We shall summon every group of people with their imam, then whoever is given his book in his right hand (), that the ‘right hand’ (al-yamīn) refers to the rightful Imām (al-imām al-ḥaqq). Therefore, al-yamīn is ʿAlī and aṣḥāb al-yamīn are his followers (shīʿa). This is an example of extending the meaning of the verse beyond its original referent (jarī).
- In the same source, concerning the verse, Amid thornless lote trees (), we read: ‘Trees that haver neither leaves nor thorns. Imām al-Ṣādiq recited the verse talʿin manḍūd—‘palm fronds clustered atop one another.’
- In al-Durr al-manthūr, al-Suyūṭī narrates from al-Ḥākim, who authenticates the tradition, and al-Bayhaqī in Baʿth from Abū Umāma: ‘The Companions of the Messenger of God would say, “Surely God benefits us through the Bedouins and their questions.” A Bedouin came one day and said, “O Messenger of God, God has mentioned a bothersome tree in the Qurʾan, and I did not expect that such a tree would be found in paradise where it can pain its owner!” The Messenger of God asked, “And which tree is that?” The Bedouin said, “The lote tree, for it has thorns.” The Messenger of God said, “Does God not say, Amid thornless lote trees? God has removed their thorns and placed fruits in their place. It bears such abundant fruits that they continuously fall from it. And they come in seventy-two different flavours, each of which is completely unique.”’
- In Majmaʿ al-bayān, we read: ‘The masses (that is, the Sunnīs) narrate from ʿAlī that a man recited the verse in front of him, and clustered spathes (), and he said: “What are these ‘spathes’ (talḥ)? Rather, it should be read as ‘fronds’ (talʿ), as in the verse, farms and date palms with dainty fronds ().” Someone asked him, “Are you not changing it?” He said, “The Qurʾan is neither stirred nor moved today.”’ This is narrated via Imām al-Ḥasan and Qays b. Saʿd.
- In al-Durr al-manthūr, al-Suyūṭī cites ʿAbd al-Razzāq, al-Fāryābī, Hannād, ʿAbd b. Ḥamīd, Ibn Jarīr, and Ibn Mardawayh, who all narrate from ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib, concerning the verse, and clustered spathes: ‘They are banana plants.’
- In Majmaʿ al-bayān, it is narrated: ‘Paradise contains a tree whose shade is so vast that it would take a rider one hundred years to traverse it and it is never broken. Recite, if you wish, and extended shade ().’ It is also related: ‘All the times of paradise are like Summer mornings; they are neither too hot nor too cold.’
Author’s comments: The first of these narrations is also transmitted by al-Suyūṭī in al-Durr al-manthūr from Abū Saʿīd, Anas, and others from the Prophet.
- In the Rawḍa of al-Kāfī, al-Kulaynī transmits via his chain from ʿAlī b. Ibrāhīm, from Ibn Maḥbūb, from Muḥammad b. Isḥāq al-Madanī, from Imām al-Bāqir, from the Prophet a tradition which depicts paradise and its inhabitants, a part of which says: ‘They visit one another and enjoy the blessings of their gardens in a shade that is akin to the time between daybreak and sunrise, and even more pleasant than that, in fact.’
- In Tafsīr al-Qummī, about the verse, We have created them with a special creation (), we read: ‘These are the Houris in Paradise. And made them virgins, loving (ʿuruban) … (), ‘They speak only Arabic.’
- In al-Durr al-manthūr, al-Suyūṭī quotes from Ibn Abī Ḥātim, from Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad, from his father: ‘The Messenger of God explained the word ʿuruban () as follows: ‘Their speech is Arabic.’
Author’s comments: There are other narrations which state that ʿurub is the plural of ʿurūb, which means ‘flirtatious.’
- In the same source, Musaddid in his Musnad, Ibn al-Mundhir, al-Ṭabarānī, and Ibn Mardawayh all narrate via a good chain (sanad ḥasan) from Abū Bakr, from the Prophet, about the verse: A multitude from the former ones and a multitude from the latter ones (): ‘They are all from this nation.’
Author’s comments: There is more than one narration that assigns this meaning to the verse. However, the apparent meaning of the verses of this chapter of the Qurʾan suggests that this is a division of all humankind, not only of the Prophet’s nation. Perhaps these narrations are intended to explain some of the referents of these verses, although this seems unlikely. The same is true of the tradition that say the People of the Right Hand refers to the companions of the Commander of the Faithful, or that the People of Left Hand are the enemies of the Household of the Prophet.
- In al-Maḥāsin, al-Barqī narrates via his chain from Muʿāwiya b. Wahb, that he asked Imām al-Ṣādiq about drinking something in a single gulp, to which he replied that this was disliked (makrūh) because ‘this is the drinking of hīm.’ Muʿāwiya asked, ‘What is hīm?’ He said: ‘A thirsty camel.’
- In the same source, al-Barqī narrates via his chain from al-Ḥalabī that Imām al-Ṣādiq said it was disliked that one should resemble a hīm. He was asked, ‘What is a ḥīm?’ He said, ‘Dry ground.’
Author’s comments: Both of these meanings are found in other narrations too.