The Event (Al-Wāqi‘ah): (25) They will not hear therein...

There are several issues concerning this verse:

The First Issue: Why is the mention of this [Divine] speech delayed after the mention of the rewards, even though it is one of the greatest blessings?

We offer several subtle points (laṭā’if):

1. It is the most perfect blessing: This blessing is considered the culmination of favors. Some scholars consider it part of the increase (ziyādah), which includes the Vision (of God), and it has no equivalent in terms of deeds. We assert it is the most perfect blessing because it is the blessing of hearing the Word of God, as we will explain that the meaning of {Salām} (Peace) here refers to what is mentioned in Sūrat Yā-Sīn: {Salāmun Qawlan min Rabb-in Raḥīm} (Peace, a saying from a Merciful Lord) (Yā-Sīn: 58). Since this specific form of speech was not mentioned among the deeds that earned the reward (as in {Jazā’an bimā kānū ya‘malūn} - a recompense for what they used to do), this supports our view that {Ulā’ika al-Muqarrabūn} (Those nearest to God) (Al-Wāqi‘ah: 11) does not explicitly indicate the Vision (of God).
2. Bookending the Blessings: God began with the most perfect physical blessing, the Vision (by sight), as previously discussed, and concluded with a similar perfection: the blessing of direct address (speech).
3. Reciprocity with Deeds: When God mentioned the physical/action-based blessings, He correlated them with the corresponding actions: {Jazā’an bimā kānū ya‘malūn} (Al-Wāqi‘ah: 24). He then mentioned the verbal blessings in correlation with their good utterances. He did not mention the intellectual delights corresponding to the deeds of their hearts (sincerity and belief) because the deeds of the heart were neither seen nor heard. Therefore, what God grants them corresponding to their inner states is a blessing that no eye has seen nor ear heard. This is alluded to in the Prophet's saying: "That which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and has never crossed the heart of a human being." The phrase "nor crossed the heart" points to the increase (ziyādah). The evidence for the verbal blessing corresponding to their good speech is found in: {Inna alladhīna qālū Rabbunā Allāhu thumma istaqāmū tatanazzalu ‘alayhim al-malā’ikatu allā takhāfū wa lā taḥzanū wa absherū... nizalan min Ghafūrin Raḥīm} (Indeed, those who say, "Our Lord is Allah," and then remain steadfast, the angels descend upon them, [saying], "Fear not, nor grieve, but receive good tidings of Paradise...") (Fuṣṣilat: 30–32).

The Second Issue: His statement, {Lā yasma‘ūna fīhā laghwā wa lā ta’thīmā} (They will not hear therein idle talk or sinful speech). Why is the negation of the disliked (makrūh) mentioned, when it is not considered one of the great blessings mentioned previously?

Negating the disliked is not counted among the great blessings. If someone were told, "So-and-so is honored and respected in such-and-such a city; he will not be beaten or insulted," this does not equate to true honor.

• Laghw (Idle Talk): This refers to invalid speech, which is disliked among respected people. It is like the wāghil (one who intrudes) who eats and drinks with a group without invitation or permission; his presence is considered invalid or meaningless to them. The term wulūgh (lapping/drinking greedily) is only used for dogs or beasts, implying a base action.
• Ta’thīm (Sinful Speech): This means attributing falsehood or sin. It implies that no one mentions anything but falsehood, or attributes falsehood to anyone.
• Order of Mention: Laghw is more general than ta’thīm. Laghw can lead to ta’thīm (e.g., calling someone a sinner or a fornicator). In essence, speech is divided into speech that is laghw and speech that is not. Speech that is not laghw intends to enjoin good and forbid evil, and people are held accountable for it, while the speaker is safe. Thus, God states that no one will utter laghw or anything resembling it. He then states that no one will commit ta’thīm (sinful attribution), confirming that the truthful person neither engages in laghw nor commits sin. Since falsehood is the ugliest form of speech resembling laghw, He negated ta’thīm afterward.

The Third Issue: God states in Sūrat An-Naba’: {Lā yasma‘ūna fīhā laghwā wa lā kadhibā} (They will not hear therein idle talk or falsehood) (An-Naba’: 35). Is there a difference between this and the verse here?

Yes, there is a difference:

• In An-Naba’ ({Lā kadhibā}): Kadhāb (liar) implies someone who frequently lies. This means they will not hear falsehood, nor will they hear anyone accuse another person of lying, whether that person is specifically identified or not. In this world, we know certain individuals are liars, or at least that someone accuses another of lying ("You lied!"). In the Hereafter, there is no such thing as lying.
• Here ({Wa lā ta’thīmā}): Ta’thīm (sinful attribution) is more comprehensive than kadhib (falsehood). If someone accuses an unknown person of being an adulterer or a drunkard, even if the accusation is true, the speaker commits a sin (ithm) by speaking without knowledge. Therefore, the speech here is more profound: no one will accuse another of something they do not know about. This context is specific to the Sābiqūn (Foremost ones), whereas An-Naba’ addresses the Muttaqūn (Pious ones). As established, the Sābiqūn are superior to the Muttaqūn.

The Fourth Issue: The phrase {Illā qaylan} (Except speech). Is this a connected (muttasil) or disconnected (munqaṭi‘) exception?

There are two views:

1. Disconnected (The more apparent view): Salām (Peace) is not of the same genus as laghw. The meaning is: "They will not hear laghw, but they will hear: {Qīlan Salāman Salāmā} (Speech: Peace, Peace)."
2. Connected: This requires a metaphorical understanding of the meaning. For example, one might say, "I have no sin except my love for you," meaning that among the things close to sin, love is the only one, while other things (like true sins) are far removed. Similarly, the speech heard is the furthest removed from laghw—it is the most perfect and delightful speech. The closest thing to laghw they hear is one person saying to another, "Peace be upon you." What then of those further removed from laghw? This is like saying, "I have no cold water except this," meaning, "I have nothing that is far from true coldness and close to warmth." Thus, {Lā yasma‘ūna fīhā laghwā} means they hear speech of immense benefit and complete delight, the lowest degree of which is one person saying to another, "Peace be upon you." In this case, laghw is used metaphorically for speech close to it, and the exception is connected.

If we must use metaphor, it is better to apply it to the nouns (asmā’) rather than the particles (ḥurūf), because nouns can change their meaning independently, whereas particles require association with a noun to become metaphorical (e.g., "I saw a lion [brave man] throwing"). Furthermore, the rhetorical force of "I have no sin except my love for you" is not achieved by metaphorizing the particle illā (except) into lākin (but).

The Fifth Issue: Regarding the word {Qīlan} (Speech), there are two opinions:

1. It is a verbal noun (maṣdar) like qawl.
2. It is a noun (ism), while qawl is the verbal noun. This is more apparent, similar to sadl (noun) vs. sadaal (verbal noun).

If we take the second view, qīl is a noun derived from the verb qāla (to say), whose agent is not mentioned. This aligns with the Prophet's prohibition against al-qīl wa al-qāl (gossiping/repeating unverified talk), which means forbidding disputes and recounting matters between people that have no benefit other than mere narration without wisdom or admonition.

However, some argue against this by citing {Wa qīluhu yā Rabbi inna hā’ulā’i qawmun lā yu’minūn} (And his saying, "O my Lord, indeed these are a people who do not believe") (Az-Zukhruf: 88). Here, the pronoun refers to the Prophet (PBUH), meaning God knows the speech of Muhammad. If qīl refers to the Prophet's speech, it cannot mean "speech whose speaker is unknown."

We answer this in two ways:

1. Our initial statement—that qīl fundamentally means speech whose speaker is unknown—does not preclude its use for known speech in a specific context.
2. The precise answer: The hā’ in {wa qīluhu} is a pronoun of state/matter (ḍamīr al-sha’n). The Kufans consider it an unspecified pronoun, while the Basrans consider it a pronoun referring to the story/matter. Under the Kufan view, the meaning is that God’s knowledge encompasses the speech of every speaker who says, "Indeed, these people do not believe." This is known to God because He knows they will say it. Similarly, the inhabitants of heaven know that God possesses knowledge of the Hour, and thus know the speech of those who say, {Wa qīluhu yā Rabbi...} without specifying the speaker, as all share in that statement.

This is supported because if the pronoun referred to a known entity, it would either be mentioned previously (which it is not) or it would refer to an unmentioned known entity (the Prophet). But the command {Fāṣfaḥ ‘anhum} (So turn away from them) (Az-Zukhruf: 89) implies the Prophet was the addressee, suggesting the pronoun should be qīluk (your speech), as he was addressed first.

Considering this, we observe the usage of qīl in the Qur'an:

• Here: {Illā qaylan Salāman Salāmā} because this speech (Peace) is not exclusive to one speaker; it is constantly heard from angels and people ({wa al-malā’ikatu yadkhulūna ‘alayhim min kulli bābin Salām} - And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], "Peace be upon you") (Ar-Ra‘d: 23-24).
• In Yā-Sīn: {Salāmun Qawlan min Rabb-in Raḥīm} where the speaker is singular (God), implying "Peace, a saying from Us."
• In Fuṣṣilat: {Wa man aḥsanu qawlan mimman da‘ā ilā Allāhi} (And who is better in speech than one who calls to Allah...) and {hiya ashaddu waṭ’an wa aqwamu qaylā} (It is heavier in impact and firmer in speech) (Al-Muzzammil: 6), referring to the specific callers (Prophets and their followers).
• In Az-Zukhruf: {Wa qīluhu yā Rabbi...} because everyone says, "They do not believe"—the disbelievers by their actions, and others by acknowledging their disbelief.

This supports the negation of laghw and ta’thīm. The connected exception ({Illā qaylan}) brings the meaning closer to the general context, referring to speech whose speaker is unknown (like "Peace be upon you"). However, the speech whose speaker is known (God) is the furthest from laghw, hence the distinct phrasing: {Salāmun Qawlan} (Yā-Sīn: 58).

The Sixth Issue: Regarding {Salām} (Peace), there are three views:

1. It is an adjective describing {Qīlan}, similar to saying rajulun ‘adl (a just man). Meaning: Except speech that is sound/free from defects.
2. It is a verbal noun (maṣdar), meaning: "Except that they say, {Salāman}."
3. It is a substitute (badal) for {Qīlan}, meaning: "Except {Salāman}."

The Seventh Issue: Is there significance in repeating the word {Salāman Salāmā}?

Yes, it indicates the completeness of the blessing. In the world, the effect of peace is not complete until the greeting is returned. Just as one person says, "Peace be upon you," and the other replies, "And upon you be peace," in the Hereafter they say, {Salāman Salāmā}. Furthermore, when God says {Salāmun Qawlan min Rabb-in Raḥīm} (Yā-Sīn: 58), there is no reply required from the believer, as God’s greeting to His believing servant is absolute. If a reply were to be given, it would be the believer saying, "Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah."

The Eighth Issue: What is the difference between the accusative {Salāman Salāmā} here, and the nominative {Qālū Salāman Qāla Salām} (They said, "Peace," and he said, "Peace") (Hūd: 69)?

We explained previously that {Salāmun ‘Alayk} (Peace be upon you) is more complete and eloquent than {Salāman ‘Alayk}. Abraham (PBUH) intended to be superior in his response by offering the best form of greeting. Here, the inhabitants of Paradise do not compete in offering superior greetings to one another because they are all of one kind (believers) and none is found lacking compared to another.

The Ninth Issue: If {Salāmun ‘Alayk} is more complete, why is the famous reading here in the accusative case ({Salāman})? And is the one who reads it in the nominative case ({Salām}) different in status?

This relates to both form and meaning:

• Formally: It is an exception from what is heard ({Lā yasma‘ūna}), and what is heard is the object of hearing (accusative). Thus, the accusative case is governed by the preceding verb.
• Meaning: Since we established the exception is connected, the phrase {Salām} (nominative) is further removed from laghw than {Salāman} (accusative). Therefore, God says {Illā qaylan Salāman} (Except speech, [which is] Peace), making it the closest thing to laghw (though still extremely far from it).

Then God Almighty said:

{Wa aṣḥābu al-yamīni mā aṣḥābu al-yamīn} And those on the Right Hand—what are those on the Right Hand?

{Fī sidrin makhḍūd} In lotus trees with thorns removed,

{Wa ṭalḥin manḍūd} And trees of Talh laden [with fruit],