Surah 76. Al-Insan, Ayah 18

This is how 'Ali ibn Abi Talib - as quoted by Zamakhshari and Razi - explains the (obviously compound) word salsabilan, dividing it into its two components, sal sabilan ("ask [or "seek"] the way"): namely, "seek thy way to paradise by means of doing righteous deeds". Although Zamakhshari does not quite agree with this interpretation, it is, in my opinion, very convincing inasmuch as it contains an allusion to the highly allegorical character of the concept of "paradise" as a spiritual consequence of one's positive endeavours in this world. That its delights are not of a material nature is also evident from their varying descriptions - i.e., "a cup flavoured with ginger" in verse {17}, and "flavoured with the calyx of sweet-smelling flowers" in verse {5}; or "they will be waited upon with trays and goblets of gold" in 43:71 , and "vessels of silver and goblets that will [seem to] be crystal - crystal-like, [but] of silver", in verses {15-16} of this surah; and so forth.

Salsabil: A fountain in Paradise.