Al-Hajj: 23

"Indeed, Allah will admit those who have believed and done righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow."

This is an exposition of the excellent state of the believers following the exposition of the wretched state of the disbelievers. The style is varied here by attributing the "admission" to the All-Encompassing Name (Allah), beginning the sentence with the particle of verification (inna), and separating it to indicate a new beginning (isti'naf). This serves as a signal of the complete divergence between their state and the state of the disbelievers, manifesting increased concern for the affairs of the believers, and denoting the certainty of the statement's content.

"They will be adorned therein..." (yuhallawna fiha) This is in the passive voice with the shaddah (doubling the letter 'lam'), derived from tahliya (adornment/jewelry); meaning the angels, peace be upon them, will adorn them by the command of the Exalted.

As for His saying, "...with bracelets of gold..." It is said that "of" (min) is connected to yuhallawna, and that min denotes the starting point (ibtida’iyya). The verb here is transitive to one object, which is the deputy of the subject (the passive subject). It is also said that it is connected to a suppressed component acting as an adjective for a suppressed object, where min denotes explanation (bayan), and the verb is transitive to two objects: one is the deputy of the subject, and the other is the suppressed described object—meaning: "They will be adorned with ornaments or something from the bracelets." According to the view that this verb is transitive to two objects, it is permissible for min to be for partitive meaning (tab'id), taking the place of an object, or to be redundant (za'ida) according to the view of al-Akhfash regarding the permissibility of its redundancy in affirmative sentences. Asawir (bracelets) is the object of yuhallawna.

His saying, "...of gold..." is an adjective for asawir, and min is for explanation (bayan). It is also said it is for the beginning of the end-point (ibtida' al-ghaya), meaning they were fashioned from gold. It is also said it is for partitive meaning, and the nature of its connection to yuhallawna is clear. It was read as yuhalluna with a damma on the ya and without shaddah, which—as stated in al-Bahr—means the same as the doubled form. Some scholars' words imply that it is transitive to one object (the deputy of the subject), and therefore "from bracelets" is connected to it, and min is for starting point.

Ibn Abbas read it as yuhalluna with a fatha on the ya and the lam, and a sukun on the ha, from the phrase "a woman huliya" when she puts on her jewelry. Abu Hayyan said: "When she becomes a possessor of jewelry." Abu al-Fadl al-Razi said: "It is permissible for it to be from hala bi-'ayni yahla (he delighted in it/found it pleasing), which in its origin is from halawa (sweetness). In this case, min is redundant, and the meaning is: 'They find the bracelets pleasing therein.'" It is also said that this verb is intransitive, and min is causative; the meaning being: "They adorn one another because of the wearing of gold bracelets."

Abu al-Fadl also permitted it to be from the phrase "I attained/obtained it," as in their saying, "So-and-so did not attain anything of value." In this case, min carries the meaning of bi (with), meaning: "They obtain therein bracelets of gold." Ibn Abbas read it as min aswar without an alif or ha. By rule, it should have been declinable (diptote), as its structure was diminished, becoming like jandal (boulder), but the suppressed component was assumed to be present, thus it remained undeclinable. The discussion regarding the equivalent of this sentence in Surat al-Kahf has already passed; so recall it.

His saying, "...and pearls..." (wa lu'lu'an) This is coordinated with the place of min asawir or with the suppressed described object. Abu al-Fath interpreted it as implying a verb, meaning: "And they are given pearls or something similar."

Most of the Seven, along with al-Hasan in one narration, Talha, Ibn Wathab, al-A'mash, and the people of Mecca, read it as wa lu'lu'in with a kasra, coordinated with asawir or dhahab, for a bracelet might be made of gold inlaid with pearls, or it might be made solely of pearls, as we have seen—and it is called in our lands khusr. Mostly it is made of coral.

There is a difference of opinion as to whether the imam manuscript (the Uthmanic codex) contains an alif after the waw. Al-Jahdari said: "Yes." Al-Asma'i said: "No." It is narrated from Yahya from Abu Bakr that he placed a hamza on the final letter and inverted the first hamza into a waw. Al-Mu'alla ibn Mansur narrated the opposite from him. Al-Fayyad read luwliyan, inverting both hamzas into waws, so the second became a waw preceded by a damma. Since there is no nominal word in their speech ending in a waw preceded by a damma, the waw was inverted into a ya, and the preceding damma into a kasra. Ibn Abbas read lwiliyan by inverting both hamzas into waws and then into yas. As for the inversion of the second, it is for the reason already mentioned, and as for the first, it is for assimilation. Talha read luwwun, like adul in the plural of dalw (bucket); the two hamzas were inverted into waws, then the damma of the lam was inverted into a kasra, the waw into a ya, and then it underwent the phonetic changes of qadin.

"And their garments therein will be silk." The style was varied, not saying "and they will wear silk" (wa yalbasuna fiha hariran), to signal that the establishment of clothing for them is a confirmed matter, needing no exposition, as it is impossible for them to be naked; what requires exposition is what their clothing is. This is unlike the adornment, for it is not among their essential requirements; thus, its exposition was made the primary intent. Perhaps this is the secret in presenting the exposition of adornment before the exposition of the clothing. This was stated by the scholar Sheikh al-Islam, and he did not approve of what was said—that the change was to indicate that silk is their habitual clothing, or merely to preserve the pattern of the verse endings. The apparent meaning of their words is that the sentence is coordinated with the previous one. It is also permissible for it to be in the position of a state (hal) from the pronoun in yuhallawna.

Furthermore, the apparent meaning is that this ruling is general for all people of Paradise. It is said that it is in consideration of the majority, based on what al-Nasa'i, Ibn Hibban, and others reported from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever wears silk in this world shall not wear it in the Hereafter; if he enters Paradise, the people of Paradise will wear it, but he shall not." The hadith regarding his not wearing it in the Hereafter is mentioned in the Sahihayn from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) as a raised narration (marfu').

It is apparent that the prohibition of using silk for men, except in what has been excepted, is a matter of consensus, and that one who considers it lawful without a legal interpretation (ta'wil) is an infidel. Perhaps the report of al-Bayhaqi in his Sunan and others from Ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both) as a raised narration—"Whoever wears silk in this world shall not wear it in the Hereafter, and shall not enter Paradise"—if it is authentic, is to be interpreted as applying to the case where the wearing was forbidden by consensus and the actor considered it lawful without ta'wil, or that it means he shall not enter Paradise with the forerunners. Otherwise, the absolute non-entry of the wearer into Paradise is problematic.