Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AL WAAQI'AH [27]

27. And those on the right -- how (fortunate) will be those on the right 28. (They will be) among Sidri Makhdud, 29. And among Talh Mandud. 30. And in shade Mamdud, 31. And by water flowing constantly, 32. And fruit in plenty, 33. Whose supply is not cut off nor are they out of reach. 34. And on couches, raised high. 35. Verily, We have created them a special creation. 36. And made them virgins. 37. `Urub, Atrab. 38. For those on the right. 39. A multitude of those will be from the first generation. 40. And a multitude of those will be from the later generations.   Allah mentioned the final destination of those foremost in faith, the nearest to Him, He next mentioned the end of those on the right, the righteous believers. Maymun bin Mihran said that those on the right side are lesser in rank than the foremost in faith. Allah said,

(And those on the right -- how (fortunate) will be those on the right) who are those on the right, what is their condition and what will their final destination be like Allah next answers this question by saying,

((they will be) among Sidr Makhdud.) Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Ibn Al-Ahwas, Qasamah bin Zuhayr, As-Safr bin Nusayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, `Abdullah bin Kathir, As-Suddi, Abu Hazrah and several others said, ”The kind without thorns.'' And from Ibn `Abbas: ”It is the one that is laden with fruits.'' This is also reported from `Ikrimah and Mujahid. Similar was also said by Qatadah as we mentioned. So it is the one with a full load of fruits without thorns. So it appears that both meanings apply here. The lote tree, of this life is thorny and carries few fruits. In the Hereafter, it is the opposite; it does not have thorns and carries plenty of fruit, the weight of which strains its trunk. `Utbah bin `Abd As-Sulami said, ”I was sitting with Allah's Messenger , when a bedouin came and said, `O Messenger of Allah! Have you heard about the tree that has more thorns than any other being in Paradise' Meaning the Talh tree. So Allah's Messenger said:

(For each spot that there was a thorn on it, Allah instead put fruit, similar to a castrated tight skinned ram, a food having seventy colors, each different than the other.) Allah's said,

(and among Talh Mandud.) refers to large thorny shrub that used to grow in the area of Hijaz (Western Arabia). Mujahid said that

(Mandud) means: ”Its fruits are piled on top of each other. Allah is reminding the Quraysh of these kinds of trees, since they used to like the shade that the Talh and Sidr provided for them.'' Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Sa`id said that

(Talh Mandud) means: ”The banana tree.'' And he (Ibn Abi Hatim) said, ”Similar is reported from Ibn `Abbas, Abu Hurayrah, Al-Hasan, `Ikrimah, Qasamah bin Zuhayr, Qatadah and Abu Hazrah. '' Mujahid and Ibn Zayd said similalry, Ibn Zayd added, ”The people of Yemen call the banana tree, Talh.'' Ibn Jarir mentioned no other explanation for Talh. Allah said,

(And in shade Mamdud (extended).) Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet said,

(In Paradise, there is a tree that a rider can travel for a hundred years under its shade but would not be able to pass it. Recite if you will: (And in shade extended.)) Muslim also collected this Hadith. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(There is a tree in Paradise the shade of which a rider would take one hundred years to pass. Recite if you will: (And in shade extended.)) Muslim, Al-Bukhari and `Abdur-Razzaq collected this Hadith. Allah said,

(And fruit in plenty, whose supply is not cut off nor are they out of reach.) indicating that they will have plenty of fruits of various kinds, that which no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard of and no heart has ever imagined, as Allah said,

(Every time they will be provided with a fruit therefrom, they will say: ”This is what we were provided with before, ”and they will be given things in resemblance.)(2:25) The shape will appear similar, but the taste is different. In the Two Sahihs, Sidrat Al-Muntaha (the tree in the seventh heaven) is described as:

(...its leaves were like the ears of elephants and its Nabir fruits resembled the clay jugs of Hajar.) The Two Sahihs also collected a Hadith from Ibn `Abbas, who said, ”The sun was eclipsed and Allah's Messenger led the people in the Eclipse prayer. They asked, `O Allah's Messenger, we saw you reach out for something while standing (in prayer), but then you stepped back.' He said,

(I saw Paradise and reached out for a cluster of fruit from it. Had I done so, you would have kept eating from it for the remainder of the life of the world.)'' Imam Ahmad recorded that `Utbah bin `Abd As-Sulami said, ”A bedouin man came to the Messenger of Allah and asked him about the Hawd and Paradise. The bedouin asked, `Does Paradise have fruits' The Prophet said,

(Yes, and it also has a tree called Tuba.) ï´¿(He ) said something more saying but I could not recall itï´¾. The bedouin asked, `Does it look like any of the trees that grow in our area' The Prophet said,

(There is nothing resembling it among the trees in your land.) The Prophet then asked him,

(Have you traveled to Ash-Sham area) The bedouin said: `No.' The Prophet said,

(It looks like a tree that grows in Ash-Sham area and is called Al-Jawzah, which stands on one stem but its branches grow all around to the fullest extent.) The bedouin asked, `How big is the cluster of its fruits' The Prophet said,

(The distance that the crow flies in one month without rest.) The bedouin asked, `How huge its trunk is' The Prophet said,

(If a four-year old she-camel that your family owns travels it, it will not completely pass its trunk until its shoulders break from old age.) The man asked, `Does it bear grapes' The Prophet answered in yes. The bedouin asked, `How big are the grapes' The Prophet said,

(Has your father ever slaughtered a ram) The bedouin answered, `Yes,' and the Prophet asked him,

(And then he skinned it and gave the skin to your mother and asked her to make a hanging bucket out of it) The bedouin again said yes and said, `This grape would suffice for me and my family!' The Prophet agreed and said,

(Yes, and also for the rest of your clan.)'' Allah's statement,

(Whose supply is not cut off nor are they out of reach.) The supply of these fruits never runs out, winter or summer. Rather, they are always available for those who want to eat from them, forever. Whenever these fruits are desired, they will be available and easy to grasp by Allah's power. Qatadah said, ”Nothing will prevent them from reaching out to get these fruits, no branches, thorns or distance.'' We mentioned a Hadith before that states that whenever someone takes a fruit in Paradise, another one grows in its place. Allah said, afterwards:

(And on couches, raised high.) meaning, high, soft and comfortable. Allah said,

(Verily, We have created them a special creation. And made them virgins.`Urub, Atrab. For those on the right.) The Ayat describe the women who will be on the beds and couches, but since mentioning the beds hints to them, they were not directly mentioned. For instance, Allah said that Sulayman said,

(When there were displayed before him, in the afternoon, well-trained horses of the highest breed. He said, ”I did love the good instead of remembering my Lord,'' till the time was over, and it had hidden in the veil (of night).) (38:31-32), ”it'' (Tawarat) refers to the sun setting, according to the scholars of Tafsir. Al-Akhfash said that Ayah,

(Verily, We have created them), implied the maidens of Paradise although it did not mention them directly. Abu `Ubaydah said that they were mentioned before in Allah's statement,

(And Hur (fair females) with wide lovely eyes. Like preserved pearls.) Therefore, Allah's statement,

(Verily, We have created them), meaning, in the other life, after they became old in this life, they were brought back while virgin, youthful, being delightfully passionate with their husbands, beautiful, kind and cheerful. Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi recorded that Anas said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(In Paradise, the believer will be given such and such strength for women.) Anas said, ”I asked, `O Allah's Messenger! Will one be able to do that' He said,

(He will be given the strength of a hundred (men).)'' At-Tirmidhi also recorded it and said, ”Sahih Gharib.'' Abu Al-Qasim At-Tabarani recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah was asked, ”O Allah's Messenger! Will we have sexual intercourse with our wives in Paradise'' He said,

(The man will be able to have sexual intercourse with a hundred virgins in one day.) Al-Hafiz Abu `Abdullah Al-Maqdisi said, ”In my view, this Hadith meets the criteria of the Sahih, and Allah knows best.'' Allah's statement,

(`Urub,) Sa`id bin Jubayr reported that Ibn `Abbas said, ”They are in an infatuated state with their husbands, haven't you ever seen a she-camel in heat She is like that.'' Ad-Dahhak reported from Ibn `Abbas who said, ”The Urub and their husbands are their sweet hearts, and they are their husbands' sweet hearts.'' Similar was said by `Abdullah bin Sarjis, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Yahya bin Abi Kathir, `Atiyah, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and others. Ad-Dahhak reported from Ibn `Abbas;

(Atrab), means ”They will be of one age, thirty-three years old.'' Mujahid said, ”Equal (age).'' And in a different narration, ”Similar (age).'' `Atiyah said, ”Comparative.'' Allah said,

(For those on the right.) meaning, these women were created, kept or given in marriage to those on the right. It appears that the meaning here is that they were created for those on the right side, because Allah said,

(Verily, We have created them a special creation. And made them virgins. `Urub, Atrab. For those on the right.) This is the view of Ibn Jarir. It is possible that Allah's statement,

(For those on the right.) refers to the description that came just before,

(Atrab. For those on the right.) meaning, in their age. Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(The first group to enter Paradise will be (shining) like the moon when it is full. The next group will be like the most radiant planet in the sky. They will not urinate, relieve nature, spit or blow their noses. Their combs will be of gold and their sweat of musk; and censers of aloeswood will be used. Their wives will be from Al-Hur Al-`Ayn. Their shape will be similar to each other, the shape of their father `Adam, sixty cubits high in the sky.) Allah's statement,

(A multitude of those will be from the first generation. And a multitude of those will be from the later generations.) means, a multitude of those on the right will come from the earlier generations and a multitude from the latter generations. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, ”We were with the Prophet one night and in the next morning we went to him and he said,

(Some Prophets and their nations were displayed before me. A Prophet would pass in front of me with a group of men, and another with three men, and another with nobody with him.) Qatadah, one of the narrators of the Hadith, then recited this Ayah,

(Is there not among you a single right-minded man)(11:78)

(Until Musa, son of `Imran passed me, with a great crowd from the Children of Israel.) So he said;

(So, I asked my Lord, ”Who is this'' He said, ”This is your brother Musa, son of `Imran, and those who followed him among the Children of Israel.'' I said, ”O Lord! Where is my Ummah'' Allah said, ”Look to your right on the hill,'' and I looked and saw faces of men. Allah said, ”Are you pleased,'' and I said, ”I am pleased O Lord!'' Allah said, ”Look to the horizon to your left,'' and I saw faces of men. He again asked, ”Are you pleased,'' and I said, ”I am pleased, O Lord!'' He said, ”And with them are seventy-thousand who will enter Paradise without reckoning.'') `Ukkashah bin Mihsan from Bani Asad, one of those who participated in the battle of Badr, said, `O Allah's Messenger! Invoke Allah to make me one of them.' The Prophet said,

(O Allah, make him one of them.) Another man said, `O Allah's Messenger, invoke Allah to make me one of them.' The Prophet said,

(`Ukkashah beat you to it.) Allah's Messenger said,

(Therefore, may I sacrifice my father and mother for you! Try to be among the seventy (thousands), or among the crowds on the right, or the crowds that covered the side of the horizon, because I saw large crowds gathering on that side.) He continued:

(I hope that you will be a fourth of the people of Paradise.) and we said, `Allahu Akbar. ' He said,

(I hope that you will be a third of the people of Paradise.) and we said, `Allahu Akbar.' The Prophet said,

(I hope that you will be half of the people of Paradise,) and we said `Allahu Akbar.' Then Allah's Messenger recited this Ayah:

(A multitude of those will be from the first generation. And a multitude of those will be from the later generations.) We said to each other, `Who are those seventy thousand' We then said, `They are those who were born in Islam and did not associate (anything or anyone in the worship of Allah).' When what we said reached the Prophet , he said,

(They are the people who do not get treated by cauterization themselves, do not ask for Ruqyah (get oneself treated by the recitation of some verses of the Qur`an) and do not draw an evil omen from (birds), but put their trust (only) in their Lord.)'' This Hadith has many chains of narration collected in the Sahihs and other collections of Hadith.