The Event: (19) They will not suffer headache from it...

There are several issues concerning this verse:

Issue 1: The meaning of {lā yuṣaddaʿūn} (they will not suffer headache)

There are two interpretations:

1. They will not be afflicted with headache from it. The saying ṣadaʿanī fulān (so-and-so gave me a headache) implies causing headache.
2. They will not be depleted or exhausted from it. This is derived from ṣadaʿ, which generally relates to headache. The origin of headache is often attributed to a mixture or vapor affecting the membranes of the brain, causing pain as if it is pressing against the brain's surface.

Issue 2: The preposition used with ṣadaʿa

If the meaning is the negation of headache, why is the preposition ʿanhā (from it) used, when the preposition typically used for causation is min (from), as in marḍun min kadhā (a sickness from such-and-such), while ʿan is used for separation, as in barīʾa ʿan al-maraḍ (he recovered from the sickness)?

The Answer: The reason is that when a cause establishes an effect in something, it is as if something separates from the cause and establishes its action in the place (the effect). Thus, there are two perspectives:

1. When looking at the recipient (the place) and seeing something in it, you ask: "What is this from?" (min), meaning, from what did its existence originate? Your focus is on the cause.
2. When looking at the side of the agent (the cause), the matter that originated from it seems to have separated and adhered to the recipient. This is why it cannot occur again; the cause seems to have contained it and then transferred it away.

Given this, we say that here the focus is on the wine of the Hereafter in itself and what pertains to it, not on the drinkers. If the intent was to describe the drinkers—that they do not get headaches from it—it would not be a praise for the wine itself. However, when saying it does not cause headache (lā yuṣaddaʿu ʿanhā), it is a praise for the wine because of a quality inherent in it.

If you were describing a man who drinks heavily but is strong enough to handle it, you would say regarding him: "He does not get a headache from such-and-such wine" (using min). But when describing the wine itself, you say: "No one gets a headache from it" (using ʿan).

Issue 3: The relationship between {lā yuṣaddaʿūn} and {wa-lā yanzifūn} (and they will not be intoxicated/depleted)

The meaning of {wa-lā yanzifūn} was previously explained in Al-Saffat. What is relevant to mention here is:

If {wa-lā yanzifūn} means they will not become intoxicated:

1. If we take {lā yuṣaddaʿūn} to mean they are not afflicted with headache, the sequence is perfectly elegant as it follows a pattern of escalation (irtiqāʾ). Saying they are not afflicted with headache does not negate intoxication. Therefore, the subsequent phrase, "nor will it cause intoxication," serves as a completion of the explanation, like saying, "It does not contain a great corruption, and then, 'nor a small one,'" to fully clarify. Reversing the order would not be as elegant.
2. If we take {wa-lā yanzifūn} to mean they will not become depleted/lose their minds (from intoxication), the sequence is also elegant. Saying {lā yuṣaddaʿūn} means they do not lose their minds. Even with abundant and continuous drinking, they do not become intoxicated. The absence of intoxication due to the depletion of the drink is not surprising. However, their lack of intoxication while they continuously drink is astonishing.

If we take {wa-lā yanzifūn} to mean their drink will not run out (as explained previously):

1. If {lā yuṣaddaʿūn} means they are not afflicted with headache, the sequence is highly elegant. It is not a surprising statement that they do not get a headache if their drink is minimal. However, saying {lā yuṣaddaʿūn ʿanhā} while they do not deplete the drink and {wa-lā yanzifūn} (the drink does not run out) is remarkable.
2. If {wa-lā yanzifūn} means they will not be taken away from their state (i.e., they remain in their enjoyment and are not deprived of the drink they were given, and if they finish it, more is given), then the sequence is also good.

Then, Allah Almighty said: