Allah says, addressing the people:
[إِنَّكُمْ
لَذَآئِقُو الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمِ - وَمَا تُجْزَوْنَ إِلاَّ مَا كُنتُمْ
تَعْمَلُونَ ]
(Verily, you are going to taste the painful torment; and you will be requited
nothing except for what you used to do.) Then He makes an exception in the case
of His sincerely believing servants. This is like the Ayat:
[وَالْعَصْرِ - إِنَّ
الإِنسَـنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ
الصَّـلِحَـتِ]
(By the Time. Verily, man is in loss, Except those who believe and do
righteous deeds...) (103:1-3),
[لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا
الإِنسَـنَ فِى أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍ - ثُمَّ رَدَدْنَـهُ أَسْفَلَ سَـفِلِينَ إِلاَّ
الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَـتِ]
(Verily, We created man in the best stature. Then We reduced him to the
lowest of the low. Save those who believe and do righteous deeds) (95:4-6).
[وَإِن مِّنكُمْ
إِلاَّ وَارِدُهَا كَانَ عَلَى رَبِّكَ حَتْماً مَّقْضِيّاً - ثُمَّ نُنَجِّى
الَّذِينَ اتَّقَواْ وَّنَذَرُ الظَّـلِمِينَ فِيهَا جِثِيّاً ]
(There is not one of you but will pass over it (Hell); this is with your
Lord, a decree which must be accomplished. Then We shall save those who have
Taqwa. And We shall leave the wrongdoers therein to their knees.) (19:71-72);
and
[كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا
كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ - إِلاَّ أَصْحَـبَ الْيَمِينِ ]
g(Every person is a pledge for what he has earned, except those on the right)
(74:38-39). Allah says here:
[إِلاَّ عِبَادَ
اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ ]
(Save the chosen servants of Allah.) meaning, they will not taste the painful
torment nor will they be brought to account. Their evil acts, if there are any,
will be overlooked, and each good deed will be rewarded in multiples of between
ten and seven hundred, or as much as Allah wills.
[أُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمْ
رِزْقٌ مَّعْلُومٌ ]
(For them there will be a known provision,) Qatadah and As-Suddi said, "This
means Paradise.'' It is explained further in the next Ayah:
[فَوَكِهُ]
(Fruits) meaning, of different kinds.
[وَهُم
مُّكْرَمُونَ]
(and they shall be honored,) means, they will be served and will live a life
of luxury.
[فِى جَنَّـتِ
النَّعِيمِ - عَلَى سُرُرٍ مُّتَقَـبِلِينَ ]
(In the Gardens of Delight, facing one another on thrones.) Mujahid said,
"One of them will not look at one another's backs.''
[يُطَافُ عَلَيْهِمْ
بِكَأْسٍ مِّن مَّعِينٍ - بَيْضَآءَ لَذَّةٍ لِّلشَّـرِبِينَ - لاَ فِيهَا غَوْلٌ
وَلاَ هُمْ عَنْهَا يُنزَفُونَ ]
(Round them will be passed a cup of pure wine -- white, delicious to the
drinkers. Neither will they have Ghawl from that nor will they suffer
intoxication therefrom.) This is like the Ayah:
[يَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ
وِلْدَنٌ مُّخَلَّدُونَ - بِأَكْوَابٍ وَأَبَارِيقَ وَكَأْسٍ مِّن مَّعِينٍ - لاَّ
يُصَدَّعُونَ عَنْهَا وَلاَ يُنزِفُونَ ]
(Immortal boys will go around them (serving), with cups, and jugs, and a
glass of flowing wine, from which they will get neither any aching of the head
nor any intoxication.)(56:17-19). Allah refined the wine of Paradise from the
bad effects of the wine of this world, which causes headaches and stomach aches
-- which is the meaning of Ghawl -- causing people to lose their minds
completely. So He says here:
[يُطَافُ عَلَيْهِمْ
بِكَأْسٍ مِّن مَّعِينٍ ]
(Round them will be passed a cup of pure wine) meaning, wine from a flowing
stream which they do not fear will ever be cut off or cease. Malik narrated that
Zayd bin Aslam said, "White flowing wine,'' meaning, with a bright, shining
color, unlike the wine of this earth with its ugly, repulsive colors of red,
black, yellow and turbid shades, and other features which are repugnant to
anyone of a sound nature.
[لَذَّةٍ
لِّلشَّـرِبِينَ]
(delicious to the drinkers.) means, its taste will be as good as its color,
and a good taste indicates that it has a good smell, unlike the wine of this
world.
[لاَ فِيهَا
غَوْلٌ]
(Neither will they have Ghawl from that) means, it will not have any effects
on them such as causing stomach aches. This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, may
Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd. This is unlike the
wine of this world, which causes colic and so on, because it is too watery.
[وَلاَ هُمْ عَنْهَا
يُنزَفُونَ]
(nor will they suffer intoxication therefrom.) Mujahid said, "It will not
cause them to lose their minds.'' This was also the view of Ibn `Abbas, Muhammad
bin Ka`b, Al-Hasan. `Ata' bin Abi Muslim Al-Khurasani, As-Suddi and others.
Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn Abbas said, "Wine causes four things: intoxication,
headache, vomiting and urine.'' So, when Allah mentions the wine of Paradise, He
states that it is free of these characteristics, as mentioned in Surat
As-Saffat.
[وَعِندَهُمْ
قَـصِرَتُ الطَّرْفِ]
(And beside them will be Qasirat At-Tarf) means, chaste females, who will not
look at anyone other than their husbands, as Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Zayd bin
Aslam, Qatadah, As-Suddi and others said.
[عِينٌ]
(with (wide and beautiful) eyes) means, with beautiful eyes. It was also said
that it means with wide eyes, which is connected to the first meaning. They are
wide-eyed and beautiful, and their eyes are described as being beautiful and
chaste. Allah says:
[وَعِندَهُمْ
قَـصِرَتُ الطَّرْفِ عِينٌ ]
(And beside them will be Qasirat At-Tarf, with (wide and beautiful) eyes.)
[كَأَنَّهُنَّ بَيْضٌ
مَّكْنُونٌ ]
(as if they were Bayd Maknun.) Their bodies are described as having the most
perfect color. `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be
pleased with him:
[كَأَنَّهُنَّ بَيْضٌ
مَّكْنُونٌ ]
(as if they were Bayd Maknun.) means, as if they were hidden pearls. Al-Hasan
said:
[كَأَنَّهُنَّ بَيْضٌ
مَّكْنُونٌ ]
(as if they were Bayd Maknun. ) means, protected, never touched by any hands.
As-Suddi said, "The well preserved egg in its nest.'' Sa`id bin Jubayr said:
[كَأَنَّهُنَّ بَيْضٌ
مَّكْنُونٌ ]
(as if they were Bayd Maknun.) means, "The inside of the egg.'' `Ata'
Al-Khurasani said, "It is the membrane which is between its outer shell and its
inner contents.'' As-Suddi said:
[كَأَنَّهُنَّ بَيْضٌ
مَّكْنُونٌ ]
(as if they were Bayd Maknun.) means, "The white of the egg when its shell is
removed.'' Ibn Jarir's view concerning the meaning of Maknun (well preserved) is
that the outer shell is touched by the wing of the bird and the nest, and by
people's hands, unlike the interior of the egg. And Allah knows best.
[فَأَقْبَلَ
بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ يَتَسَآءَلُونَ - قَالَ قَآئِلٌ مِّنْهُمْ إِنِّى كَانَ
لِى قَرِينٌ - يَقُولُ أَءِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُصَدِّقِينَ - أَءِذَا مِتْنَا
وَكُنَّا تُرَاباً وَعِظَـماً أَءِنَّا لَمَدِينُونَ - قَالَ هَلْ أَنتُمْ
مُّطَّلِعُونَ - فَاطَّلَعَ فَرَءَاهُ فِى سَوَآءِ الْجَحِيمِ - قَالَ تَاللَّهِ
إِن كِدتَّ لَتُرْدِينِ - وَلَوْلاَ نِعْمَةُ رَبِّى لَكُنتُ مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ -
أَفَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَيِّتِينَ - إِلاَّ مَوْتَتَنَا الاٍّولَى وَمَا نَحْنُ
بِمُعَذَّبِينَ - إِنَّ هَـذَا لَهُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ - لِمِثْلِ هَـذَا
فَلْيَعْمَلِ الْعَـمِلُونَ ]
(50. Then they will turn to one another, mutually questioning.) (51. A
speaker of them will say: "Verily, I had a companion (in the world),'') (52.
"Who used to say: `Are you among those who believe.) (53. (That) when we die and
become dust and bones, shall we indeed be indebted (Madinun)''') (54. (The
speaker) said: "Will you look down'') (55. So he looked down and saw him in the
midst of the Fire.) (56. He said: "By Allah! You have nearly ruined me.'') (57.
"Had it not been for the grace of my Lord, I would certainly have been among
those brought forth (to Hell).'') (58. "Are we then not to die (any more)'')
(59. "Except our first death, and we shall not be punished'') (60. Truly, this
is the supreme success!) (61. For the like of this let the workers work.)