The Event: (10) And the foremost, the foremost.

There are several issues concerning this verse:

Issue 1: Grammatical Analysis

There are three possible analyses for the structure:

1. First View: {And the foremost} (والسابقون) is coordinated (conjoined) with {And the companions of the right hand} (8:8). The sentence ends there. Then, {The foremost, those are the ones brought near} (والسابقون أولئك المقربون) is a complete, separate clause.
2. Second View: {The foremost, the foremost} (والسابقون السابقون) is a single clause, similar to saying, "You, you are you," or the poet's line:

   I am Abu al-Najm, and my poetry is my poetry.

This structure has two sub-interpretations: * Sub-view 2a: The repetition emphasizes the fame of the subject (the noun) to such an extent that a predicate (the news about it) is unnecessary. This is the common view among grammarians and what the poet intended. * Sub-view 2b: It indicates that the subject possesses a quality that cannot be fully encompassed by knowledge or described by anything other than itself. It is like when someone asks about a king, and the reply is, "I know nothing about the king except that he is a king." Thus, {The foremost, the foremost} means their state is so sublime that human knowledge cannot grasp or describe it except by naming them.

A Subtle Point Here: Regarding the companions of the right hand, the verse asks, {What are the companions of the right hand?} (8:8) (using Istifhām—interrogation—even if for the purpose of challenging/displaying inability). However, here it does not say, "And the foremost, what are the foremost?" The interrogative form used for challenging knowledge is posed to someone who claims to know, saying, "If you know, then explain." But if someone admits ignorance from the start, one does not say, "You lie," or "How is this, and what is the answer?" Since those who are foremost are not presented as claiming knowledge, the challenge is not issued. Instead, the matter is established on the premise that they inherently acknowledge their inability to describe the reality. Therefore, the Almighty's statement {The foremost, the foremost} is like a scholar responding to a question about an extremely difficult issue, knowing the questioner cannot grasp it even if it were explained perfectly, choosing not to engage in explanation.

3. Third View: The second {the foremost} (السابقون) is merely an emphatic confirmation (Tawkīd) of the first.

The Second View (the middle one) is considered the most equitable and sound. According to this second view, there is another interpretation: that those who were foremost in good deeds in this world are the ones foremost in entering Paradise in the Hereafter.

Issue 2: The Scope of Closeness (المقربون)

The phrase {Those are the ones brought near} (أولئك المقربون) implies exclusivity (confinement/restriction). This seems to contradict the fact that the angels are also described as being "brought near."

We respond: {Those are the ones brought near} refers specifically to the foremost among the three mentioned categories (the companions of the right hand, the foremost, and the companions of the left). If one argues that the companions of the right hand are not among the Muqarrabūn (the brought near), we say: Closeness has degrees, and the foremost are at the utmost degree of closeness, and there is no limit to it.

Another possibility is that the meaning is: The foremost are brought near to Paradise, while the companions of the right hand are still heading toward the path of Paradise. For every measure of time it takes for a believer to undergo a light accounting and receive his book in his right hand, the foremost have already drawn near to their station or have been brought near to God in Paradise. The companions of the right hand are still proceeding toward what the foremost have reached.

Furthermore, the journey and ascent are continuous; the journey in God has no end, and elevation has no limit. So, whenever the companions of the right hand approach the rank of the foremost, the foremost have already moved to a higher station. Thus, {Those are the ones brought near} refers to them being in the highest levels of ‘Illiyyīn (the highest gardens) at the very moment the companions of the right hand reach the Hūr al-‘Ayn (fair-eyed maidens).

Issue 3: The Order of Mention

After explaining the three categories, the text does not return to describe their states in the order they were first mentioned. Instead, it describes the state of the foremost (who were mentioned last) and postpones the mention of the companions of the left (who were mentioned first among the three categories).

We respond: We have previously explained that when mentioning the Wāqi‘ah (the Event/Doomsday), God mentioned those whose state benefits from the mention of terrors first, and postponed those whose state is not affected by fear and hope. However, when providing the detailed explanation, He mentioned the foremost first due to their superior virtue and the excellence of their state.

Then the Almighty said: