Tafsir of Al-Anbiya' 21:102

"They will not hear its slightest sound."

That is, its voice, which is perceived from its movement. The sentence is an appositive (badal) to "kept far away" (mub'adun). It is also permissible for it to be a circumstantial qualifier (hal) related to the pronoun within it, or a predicate following a predicate. It is suggested that it serves as a confirmation of what the first sentence conveyed regarding their distance from it.

It is said that "keeping far away" (al-ib'ad) occurs after being close, and from this, it is understood that they reached it first. Since this might suggest they were harmed by it, the Glorious One repelled this with His saying: "They will not hear," making it an inaugural sentence (musta'nafah) to dispel that notion. According to this view, the absence of hearing the sound occurs before entering Paradise. Those who hold this view say: This occurs while crossing the Sirat (bridge), because, according to some traditions, they pass over it while it is extinguished and motionless, to the point that they—while in Paradise—imagine they never crossed it at all.

It is also said that they do not hear it due to the speed of their passage. This is the apparent meaning of what Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them), where he said regarding this verse: "Those are the allies of Allah; they pass over the Sirat with a speed faster than lightning, so it does not touch them, nor do they hear its sound, while the disbelievers remain kneeling." However, another report narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir from him states regarding "They will not hear..." that the people of Paradise will not hear the sound of the Fire once they have settled into their dwellings in Paradise.

It is also said that the "keeping far away" from it occurs before entering Paradise as well, and what is intended by this is Allah’s protection of them from falling into it, just as one says, "May Allah keep so-and-so far away from committing evil."

The most apparent view is that both matters occur after entering Paradise; this is an explanation of their salvation from perils and causes of destruction.

"And they are, in what their souls desire, abiding eternally."

This is an explanation of their attainment of their requests following that salvation. It means they are permanent in the utmost state of bliss. The adverbial phrase is placed first to denote exclusivity, emphasis, and to observe the rhythm of the verse endings.