Tafsir of Al-Waqi'ah 56:28

(In a Sidr with thorns removed) is a second predicate for it [the subject], or for a deleted subject—meaning, they are in a Sidr. The sentence is an isti'naf (resumption) to clarify what was left ambiguous in His, the Exalted's, saying: (What of those on the Right?) regarding the loftiness of their station. Alternatively, it is a parenthetical clause, and the predicate is His, the Exalted's, saying: (in a Sidr). It is also permissible that the sentence is in the position of an adjective, and the predicate is this prepositional phrase, and the sentence is a conjunction to His, the Blessed and Exalted's, explanation of the states of the Forerunners: (Those are the ones brought near, in gardens of bliss)—meaning, and those on the Right, concerning whom it is said: (What of those on the Right?), they are (in a Sidr), etc.

The apparent meaning is that the expression using al-maymanah (the right side) in what preceded, and al-yamin (the right) here, is for the sake of variety in style (tafannun). The same is said regarding al-mash'amah (the left side) and ash-shamal (the left) thereafter. The Imam [al-Razi] said: The wisdom in this is that al-maymanah, and likewise al-mash'amah, indicates a place and location. The three groups at the beginning are distinguished from one another and separated by place; therefore, a term indicating place was used first. Afterwards, the distinction and separation occur through a matter inherent to them, so that term is brought second.

As-Sidr is the lotus tree (an-nabq). Al-makhdud is that which has been khudida—meaning, its thorns have been cut off. Al-Hakim (who authenticated it) and al-Bayhaqi recorded from Abu Umamah, who said: The companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, used to say, "Allah, the Exalted, benefits us through the Bedouins and their questions." One day, a Bedouin came and said, "O Messenger of Allah, Allah, the Exalted, has mentioned in the Quran a harmful tree, and I did not think there was any tree in Paradise that would harm its owner." He said, "And what is it?" He said, "The Sidr, for it has thorns." The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "Does Allah not say: (In a Sidr with thorns removed)? Allah has removed its thorns and replaced every thorn with fruit, and each fruit among its fruits splits open into seventy-two colors of food, with no color resembling the other."

'Abd bin Humayd recorded from Ibn Abbas, Qatadah, Ikrimah, and ad-Dahhak that it means "heavily laden," based on the meaning of khadada a branch when one bends it while it is moist; so makhdud means one with bent branches, which is a metonym for being heavily laden. Ibn al-Mundhir recorded from Yazid al-Raqashi that [the fruits] are larger than water jars (qilal), and the "containment" (zarfiyah) is figurative, intended to exaggerate the extent of their enjoyment and benefit from what has been mentioned.