Surah 56. Al-Waqia

reclining upon them, facing one another [in love].⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [34] on 15:47 , which explains the symbolism of the above two verses.

reclining on them facing each other,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Reclining therein face to face.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Immortal youths will wait upon them

  - Mohammad Asad

and there shall wait on them the eternal youths

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

There wait on them immortal youths

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

with goblets, and ewers, and cups filled with water from unsullied springs⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

This is evidently a symbolic allusion to the imperishable quality - the eternal youthfulness, as it were - of all the experiences in the state described as "paradise". (See also next two notes.)

with goblets, shining beakers and cups of pure wine,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

With bowls and ewers and a cup from a pure spring

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

by which their minds will not be clouded and which will not make them drunk;

  - Mohammad Asad

- which will neither pain their heads nor take away their senses.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Wherefrom they get no aching of the head nor any madness,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and with fruit of any kind that they may choose,

  - Mohammad Asad

They shall have fruits of their own choice

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And fruit that they prefer

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and with the flesh of any fowl that they may desire.⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Regarding this and any other Qur'anic description of the joys of paradise, see 32:17 and, in particular, the corresponding note [15]. The famous hadith quoted in that note must be kept in mind when reading any Qur'anic reference to the state or quality of human life in the hereafter.

and flesh of fowls that they may desire,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And flesh of fowls that they desire

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And [with them will be their] companions pure, most beautiful of eye,⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

The noun hur - rendered by me as "companions pure" - is a plural of both ahwar (masc.) and hawra' (fem.), either of which describes "a person distinguished by hawar", which latter term primarily denotes "intense whiteness of the eyeballs and lustrous black of the iris" (Qamus). In a more general sense, hawar signifies simply "whiteness" (Asas) or, as a moral qualification, "purity" (cf. Tabari, Razi and Ibn Kathir in their explanations of the term hawariyyun in 3:52 ). Hence, the compound expression hur 'in signifies, approximately, "pure beings [or, more specifically, "companions pure"], most beautiful of eye" (which latter is the meaning of 'in, the plural of a'yan). In his comments on the identical expression in 52:20 , Razi observes that inasmuch as a person's eye reflects his soul more clearly than any other part of the human body, 'in may be understood as "rich of soul" or "soulful". As regards the term hur in its more current, feminine, connotation, quite a number of the earliest Qur'an-commentators - among them Al-Hasan al-Basri - understood it as signifying no more and no less than "the righteous among the women of the human kind" (Tabari) - "[even] those toothless old women of yours whom God will resurrect as new beings" (Al-Hasan, as quoted by Razi in his comments on 44:54 ). See in this connection also note [46] on 38:52 .

and dark eyed Huris (damsels),

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And (there are) fair ones with wide, lovely eyes,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

like unto pearls [still] hidden in their shells.

  - Mohammad Asad

as lovely as well guarded pearls

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Like unto hidden pearls,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[And this will be] a reward for what they did [in life].

  - Mohammad Asad

as a reward for their good deeds that they had done.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Reward for what they used do.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

No empty talk will they hear there, nor any call to sin,

  - Mohammad Asad

There they shall not hear any vain talk nor sinful words,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

There hear they no vain speaking nor recrimination

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

but only the tiding of inner soundness and peace.⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "only the saying, 'Peace, peace' (salam)!" Regarding this latter term, see note [48] on 19:62 , as well as note [29] on 5:16 .

but only the greetings of "Peace be upon you! Peace be upon you!"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

(Naught) but the saying: Peace, (and again) Peace.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

NOW AS FOR those who have attained to righteousness - what of those who have attained to righteousness?¹⁰

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "those on the right hand". According to some commentators, it is those who had not always been "foremost in faith and good works", but have gradually, after erring and sinning, attained to righteousness (Razi). However, though they may not have been as perfect in life as the "foremost", their ultimate achievement brings them to the same state of spiritual fulfilment as those others.

Those of the right hand - happy shall be those on the right hand!

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And those on the right hand; what of those on the right hand?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[They, too, will find themselves] amidst fruitladen lote-trees,¹¹

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [10] on 53:14 .

They shall be among the thornless lot trees,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Among thornless lote tree

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and acacias flower-clad,

  - Mohammad Asad

clusters of bananas,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And clustered plantains,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and shade extended,¹²

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [74] on 4:57 .

extended thick shades,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And spreading shade,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall