37:49 As-Saaffaat (Those drawn up in Ranks)

{ كَأَنَّهُنَّ } أي: الحور { بَيْضٌ مَكْنُونٌ } أي: مستور، وذلك من حسنهن وصفائهن وكون ألوانهن أحسن الألوان وأبهاها، ليس فيه كدر ولا شين.

وقوله جل جلاله "كأنهن بيض مكنون" وصفهن بترافة الأبدان بأحسن الألوان قال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما "كأنهن بيض مكنون" يقول اللؤلؤ المكنون وينشد ههنا بيت أبي دهبل الشاعر وهو قوله في قصيدة له وهي زهراء مثل لؤلؤة الغواص ميزت من جوهر مكنون وقال الحسن "كأنهن بيض مكنون" يعني محصون لم تمسه الأيدي وقال السدي البيض في عشه مكنون وقال سعيد بن جبير "كأنهن بيض مكنون" يعني بطن البيض وقال عطاء الخراساني هو السحاء الذي يكون بين قشرته العليا ولباب البيضة وقال السدي "كأنهن بيض مكنون" يقول بياض البيض حين ينزع قشرته واختاره ابن جرير لقوله مكنون قال والقشرة العليا يمسها جناح الطير والعش وتنالها الأيدي بخلاف داخلها والله أعلم. وقال ابن جرير حدثنا أحمد بن عبدالرحمن بن وهب حدثنا محمد بن الفرح الصدفي الدمياطي عن عمرو بن هاشم عن ابن أبي كريمة عن هشام عن الحسن عن أمه عن أم سلمة رضي الله عنها قالت: قلت يا رسول الله أخبرني عن قول الله عز وجل "حور عين" قال "العين الضخام العيون شفر الحوراء بمنزلة جناح النسر" قلت يا رسول الله أخبرني عن قول الله عز وجل "كأنهن بيض مكنون" قال "رقتهن كرقة الجلدة التي رأسها في داخل البيضة التي تلي القشر وهي الغرقئ". وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبي حدثنا أبو غسان النهدي حدثنا عبدالسلام بن حرب عن ليث عن الربيع بن أنس عن أنس رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "أنا أول الناس خروجا إذا بعثوا وأنا خطيبهم إذا وفدوا وأنا مبشرهم إذا حزنوا وأنا شفيعهم إذا حبسوا لواء الحمد يومئذ بيدي وأنا أكرم ولد آدم على الله عز وجل ولا فخر يطوف علي ألف خادم كأنهن البيض المكنون - أو اللؤلؤ المكنون" والله تعالى أعلم بالصواب.

The Punishment of the Idolators and the Reward of the sincere Believers

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.

as if they were in terms of the starkness of their white colour hidden eggs of ostriches sheltered by their feathers from dust the colour being that whiteness with a hint of pallor which is the most beautiful of female complexions.

8. In verse 49: كَأَنَّهُنَّ بَيْضٌ مَّكْنُونٌ (as if they were hidden eggs). As obvious, the hurs of Jannah have been likened to hidden eggs in this verse. The simile was popularly recognized among the people of Arabia. The egg hidden under feathers remains safe from the pollution, therefore it is always neat and clean. Moreover, its color is yellowish white, which was deemed by the Arabs as the most attractive color for women. Then there are other commentators who say that this simile does not relate to eggs as such, instead, the simile relates to the membrane hidden in the egg, and the sense is that the skin of those women will be as soft as the membrane of the eggs. (Ruh-ul-Ma ani) Allah knows best.