Tafsir of Al-Waqi'ah 56:11

This is a subject (mubtada’) and predicate (khabar), and the sentence is an explanatory initiation (isti’naf bayani). It has been said that al-sabiqūn (the forerunners) is the subject, and al-sabiqūn (the second mention) is a later confirmation of it, and what follows is the predicate. However, this is not sound, for it fails to correspond to the aforementioned structure—as per the Almighty’s saying: "And the companions of the right..."—and because the classification would not be exhaustive in that case. It also fails to achieve the hyperbole understood from this structure, as you have heard, especially since they—namely the Sabiqūn—are more deserving of praise and astonishment regarding their state than the Sabiqūn (if interpreted otherwise). Furthermore, it lacks the grandeur found in the explanatory initiation of "Those are the brought near."

The expression "What are the forerunners, the forerunners?" follows the pattern of the former ones (the companions of the right/left), as it presents the matter as a settled, conceded, and independent case of praise and astonishment. The demonstrative "Those" (ulā'ika) refers back to the forerunners; the meaning of distance (bu’d) it contains, despite the recent mention of those pointed to, serves to indicate the loftiness of their station in virtue.

Al-muqarrabūn (the brought near) is derived from qurbah (proximity), meaning the step; that is, those described by that majestic attribute who have been granted a step and a status in the presence of Allah the Almighty. Many have said: The intent is those whose ranks have been brought near to the Throne.

Regarding this, in al-Irshad, it is stated that what the eloquence of the Revelation dictates is that the Almighty’s saying, "And the companions of the right," is the predicate of a deleted subject, and likewise His saying, "And the companions of the left," and His saying, "And the forerunners." For when classifying people into three categories, what is expected is the statement of the categories themselves. As for their attributes and states, they ought to be clarified after that by attributing them to those categories. The estimation is: "The first of them are the companions of the right, the second are the companions of the left, and the third are the forerunners." However, since the statement of the states of the first two groups was delayed, He followed each of them with an interjected sentence between the categories, informing of the extremity of their states in good and evil—a general indication that the states of each have details to follow. But this is not based on the interrogative "what" being a subject and what follows it being a predicate, as Sibawayh viewed in such examples; rather, the "what" is a predicate for what follows it. For the locus of the benefit is the statement that the companions of the right are something marvelous—as is implied by "what" being a predicate—not the statement that "a marvelous matter is the companions of the right"—as is implied by it being a subject. The situation is the same regarding "What are the companions of the left?" As for the final category, since the statement of the beauties of its states was joined to it, there was no need for a preliminary model. Thus, the Almighty’s saying, "The forerunners," is a subject, and the explicit mention in the place of a pronoun is for glorification. "Those" is a second subject, or a substitute for the first, and what follows is a predicate for it—or for the second—and the sentence is a predicate for the first. End quote.

It has been objected: There is no statement of the attributes and states of the categories in detail by making the two interrogative sentences and the Almighty’s saying, "The forerunners," predicates of what preceded them, such that it could be said, "They ought to be stated after the categories themselves." Rather, it contains the statement of the categories with an indication of the extremity of their states in good and evil, and astonishment at that. Furthermore, what he mentioned necessitates not mentioning "What are the companions of the right" and "What are the companions of the left" in the detailed breakdown. This was countered by the fact that the mention requires the statement of a subtle point, in the way current among their scholars, just as it requires it in this way. Perhaps the point is that when He followed the first two with what implies that there are expectant details for the states of each, it was repeated to indicate that these wondrous states are indeed these; so listen!

What readily comes to a noble view is what is in al-Irshad regarding the companions of the right—and likewise both of the latter groups—being a predicate of a deleted subject, as you heard, because what is expected after stating the classification is the mention of the categories themselves, such that they are the intended object primarily and essentially, rather than making a judgment upon them or stating their states absolutely—even if that includes mentioning them. However, what they mentioned has a deeper implication. With this, it is not determined that those two interrogative sentences are interjected; rather, it is permissible that each of them is an attribute for what preceded it, with the estimation of a "saying" (qawl), as if it were said: "The first of them are the companions of the right, of whom it is said: 'What are the companions of the right?'" and the same is said for "And the companions of the left," etc. It is also made to be that "The forerunners" is an attribute for the forerunners preceding it, and the interpretation in terms of attributive construction is like the interpretation in terms of predicative construction, and the attribute thereby stands in the place of those two sentences in terms of praise, and the sentence afterward is an explanatory initiation as in the common view. As for what is said—that this view involves the deletion of the relative pronoun along with some parts of the relative clause—it is answered by denying that the al (definite article) in the attribute signifies that, since it is not intended to denote the occurrence. Reflect on this and do not be heedless. The Almighty’s saying, "Those are the brought near..."