Tafsir of At-Tur 52:24

Surah At-Tur (52): Verse 24

{وَيَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ غِلْمَانٌ}

That is, they will circulate among them with cups. Allah Almighty also said:

{There will circulate among them young boys, eternal in their youth, With cups and ewers and a cup of pure drink} (Al-Waqi'ah: 17, 18).

{لَهُمْ} (For them)

This means they are their property, informing them of the Lord's power to command them, forbid them, and employ them. This is the well-known interpretation.

Another possibility is that since the Almighty has clarified the distinction between the wine of the Hereafter and the wine of this world, He has also clarified the distinction of the youths of the Hereafter from the youths of this world.

In this world, when youths serve noble kings, they serve them only for their own benefit, either in anticipation of some gain or out of excessive deference. However, in the Hereafter, their service is purely for the benefit of the masters, and they have no need of the masters themselves. A youth with such a characteristic possesses a distinction above others and may even reach the status of one's own children.

{كَأَنَّهُمْ لُؤْلُؤٌ} (As if they were pearls)

This refers to their purity (clarity).

{مَكْنُونٌ} (Hidden/Preserved)

This implies an increase in the clarity of their complexions, or it explains that they are like sheltered women (kept in seclusion), having no outward appearance or leaving their place, remaining within their chambers.

{وَأَقْبَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ * قَالُوا إِنَّا كُنَّا قَبْلُ فِي أَهْلِنَا مُشْفِقِينَ * فَمَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا وَوَقَانَا عَذَابَ السَّمُومِ * إِنَّا كُنَّا مِنْ قَبْلُ نَدْعُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْبَرُّ الرَّحِيمُ}

And some of them will turn to others, inquiring of one another. They will say, "Indeed, before, while among our families, we were fearful. So Allah conferred favor upon us and protected us from the punishment of the Scorching Fire. Indeed, we used to invoke Him before. Indeed, He is the Good, the Merciful."