Tafsir of Al-Insan 76:21

(Upon them will be garments of green silk and brocade.) It is said that ‘alayhim (upon them) is a prepositional phrase meaning "above them," functioning as a predicate placed in advance, with thiyab (garments) being the deferred subject. The sentence acts as a state (hal) for the pronominal suffix in ‘alayhim, thereby describing the condition of the righteous who are being served. Abu Hayyan stated that ‘ali itself acts as the state for that pronoun; it is an active participle, and thiyab is in the nominative case as its agent. To prove it functions as a prepositional phrase, it would need to be borrowed from the usage of the Arabs, such as "a garment is upon you" (‘alayka thawb), and similarly, "high" (‘aliyah).

It is also said that it is a state relating to the pronoun in laqahum (He met them) or the pronoun in jazahum (He rewarded them), or the hidden pronoun in muttaki’in (reclining). All of these are far-fetched. Some permitted the state to relate to an implied annexed noun—i.e., "people of bliss" (na‘iman) or "people of sovereignty" (mulkan)—meaning, "I saw the people of bliss, upon them..." This is an unnecessary affectation. It is also said that the possessor of the state is the accusative pronoun in hasibtahum (you would think them), making it a description of the condition of both groups. Its distance is evident because it necessitates separating the connection, given that the pronoun in saqahum (He gave them to drink) further on almost certainly refers back to the righteous. The claim that this separation is permissible due to a determining context is denied.

It was further objected that the content of the sentence would then fall under the "reckoning" (hasban). How could that be, when they are literally wearing the garments, unlike their being pearls—for the comparison to pearls necessitates that the likeness is so close that they are thought to be pearls? The response is that being a state in some condition does not necessitate falling under the "reckoning."

The nominative case for khudr (green) is as an adjective for thiyab (garments), and istabraq (brocade) is a conjunction to thiyab, the meaning being "and garments of brocade." Regarding sundus (silk): Tha‘lab said it is the finer type of dibaj (brocade/silk). It is said to be the finer type of silk garments. The difference is that dibaj is a type of woven silk that has many colors. Al-Layth said it is a type of bizyun (fine silk) made from goats. It is universally accepted among linguists, according to the Qamus and others, that it is a loanword. Some claim that although it is a loanword, its root is Sindi, with a relative ya, because it is imported from Sindh; the ya was changed to a sin, just as it is said in sadi (from sad), sadis.

As for istabraq, it is said to be the thick type of silk garment. Abu Ishaq said it is the thick, heavy, beautiful dibaj. Ibn Durayd said they are silk garments like dibaj. According to Ibn ‘Abadah, it is a red cloak woven with gold. It is a foreign loanword; according to a group, its Persian root is astabra. The Qamus says it is an Arabized form of astaruh, and attributes this to Ibn Durayd, adding that he claimed it was Syriac. It is also said to be an Arabization of istafzah. The "fa" in its form is not a pure "fa" but something between a "fa" and a "ba." Others say it is Arabic, and the language of the Arabs happened to coincide with another language; Al-Azhari deemed this correct.

Just as they differed over whether it is Arabized or Arabic, they differed over whether it is an indefinite noun, a generic proper noun, indeclinable, declinable, or diptote, and whether its hamza is a qat‘ or wasl. The correct view, according to Al-Khafaji, is that it is an indefinite, declinable, triptote noun with a qat‘ hamza, as attested by the mutawatir (mass-transmitted) recitations.

In Jami‘ al-Ta‘rib, it is stated that its plural is abariq and its diminutive is ubayriq, dropping the sin and ta in the broken plural because they were both added at the same time, thus being treated as a single addition.

The color of this istabraq was not mentioned. Nasir al-Din indicated that it is green; thus, khudr (green), even though it comes between the conjoined and the conjoining, applies to both. In any case, these garments are clothing, and the verse perhaps suggests that beneath them are other garments.

It is also said, as a state related to the pronoun in muttaki’in, that the meaning is "above their pavilions (hijab), which are erected over them, are garments of sundus..." The gist is that their pavilions are adorned with sundus and istabraq.

[Various recitations of the verse follow, detailing differences in vowel points, grammatical cases, and morphological interpretations, including the recitation of Ibn ‘Abbas, Al-A‘raj, Abu Ja‘far, and others regarding the voweling of ‘alayhim and istabraq].

(And their Lord will give them a purifying drink.) This is another type that surpasses the two previous types—those mixed with camphor and those mixed with ginger—as indicated by the attribution of the act of giving drink to the Lord of the Worlds and describing it as tahur (purifying).

Abu Qilabah said: They are brought food and drink, and when they finish that, they are brought the tahur drink, which purifies their hearts and stomachs. Perspiration flows from their skin like the scent of musk. According to Muqatil, it is water from a spring at the gate of Paradise, from the root of a tree; whoever drinks from it, God Almighty removes from his heart all guile, rancor, and envy, and from his interior all filth and harm.

Many scholars have stated that it is intended to be in the ultimate state of purity, for it is not rijs (filth/abomination) like the wine of this world—which is rijs in the religious law, as this world is not a place of moral obligation—or because it was not pressed, so that human hands or dirty feet would not touch it. Nor was it placed in jars or pitchers that were not thoroughly cleaned, or because it does not lead to impurity, for it transpires as sweat from their bodies like the scent of musk.

It is also said that it refers to the spiritual drink, not the sensory one; it is an expression of the Divine manifestation that intoxicates them to everything else. It is not water, nor is it air, nor light, nor fire, nor spirit, nor body. Perhaps everything Ibn al-Farid mentioned in his Khamriyyah (Wine Ode)—the likes of which have not been poured into a cup—is an allusion to this drink.

It is narrated that Abu Zayd was asked about this verse, and he said: "He gave them a drink that purified them from loving anyone other than Him." Then he said: "Indeed, God Almighty has a drink He has stored for the elite of His servants; He Himself takes charge of giving it to them. When they drink it, they become bewildered (tashu); when they are bewildered, they fly; when they fly, they arrive; and when they arrive, they become connected. They are then in a seat of truth before a Sovereign who is All-Powerful."

Some have interpreted all the drinks not in their literal sense, saying that the lights emanating from the essences of the great angels—upon them be peace—upon these souls are likened to fresh water that quenches thirst and strengthens the body. Just as springs vary in clarity, abundance, and strength, so too do the springs of celestial lights differ; some are camphor-like, having the nature of cold and dryness—the one who experiences this in the world is in a state of sadness, weeping, and withdrawal—while others are ginger-like, having the nature of heat and dryness—the one who experiences this is less inclined toward others and less concerned with bodies and material things. Then the human soul continues moving from spring to spring and from light to light. There is no doubt that causes and effects end in their ascent to the Necessary Being, who is the Absolute Light, may His majesty be glorified. When the soul reaches that station and drinks that drink, all the aforementioned drinks are obliterated; nay, they cease to exist, for the light of all that is other than God vanishes in the face of the light of the majesty of God Almighty and His greatness. That is the end of the journey of the righteous and the limit of their degrees in ascension and perfection. For this reason, God Almighty concluded the mention of the reward of the righteous by saying: “And their Lord will give them a purifying drink.”