The Event: (7) And you shall be three groups.

This means on that Day, you will be three categories of groups. This is explained by His saying: {Then the companions of the right hand—what are the companions of the right hand?}

There are several issues concerning this:

Issue 1: The Function of the Particle 'Fa' (ف)

The particle Fa' (ف) here indicates explanation and clarification of the division mentioned previously. It is as if He said: "(You shall be three groups: the companions of the right hand, the companions of the left hand, etc.)," and then He explained the state of each group by saying: {What are the companions of the right hand?}

He omitted the initial enumeration of the three divisions, relying on what the context implies. Since He mentioned the three categories along with their conditions, and since the preceding verse stated: {And you shall be three groups}, this suffices to avoid listing the divisions again. He then returned to each one individually to explain its condition.

Issue 2: Who are the Companions of the Right Hand (أصحاب الميمنة)?

They are the inhabitants of Paradise. Their designation as Aṣḥāb al-Maymana (Companions of the Right Hand) is either:

1. Because their records will be given to them in their right hands.
2. Because their right hands will be illuminated with light from God, as stated: {Their light running forward before them and to their right} (Al-Hadid: 12).
3. Because the word Yamin (right) is used to signify a good omen. The Arabs are optimistic about things approaching from the right side (the auspicious sign, sāniḥ).

The origin of this is a matter of divine decree. When God created creation, there were signs of His Power and Choice in everything, even in the human self, with countless signs. Signs of choice involve establishing two different things in two similar locations, or establishing two similar things in two different locations. The human condition is one of the most similar things, being created from similar components.

Furthermore, God placed a power in the right side of a human that is not in the left side. If all scholars agreed on a reason for this preference other than God's Power and Will, they could not state it. Some might argue that the liver, which aids nourishment, is on the right, while the spleen, which has no apparent beneficial function, is on the left, thus making the right side stronger due to the liver's position.

We respond: This very positioning is a sign of choice, because the right side is inherently like the left. God's specific designation of the right side to host the liver proves His choice. Since it is established that a person's right side is stronger than their left, people preferred the right side, assigning the right side to the most honored individuals. It is said that whoever holds a high status is one of the Aṣḥāb al-Yamin. A term was coined for them on the pattern of al-'Azīz (the Mighty), suggesting it should follow the pattern of al-Samī', al-Baṣīr, or unchanging attributes like al-Ṭawīl (the Long) and al-Qaṣīr (the Short).

The word Yamin (right) indicates strength. Its opposite, Yasār (left), was coined on a pattern often associated with blameworthy names when used in address, such as al-Fajjār (the wicked) or al-Fussāq (the transgressors), often with a broken vowel structure (fa''āl). Some say Yamin was originally Yasār, but then Yamin came to be used for the right side.

As for al-Maymana (the place of the right hand), it is on the pattern Muf''ala, signifying the place where the right hand is, just as mal'aba (playground) is the place of play.

Issue 3: The Wisdom in Three Divisions

God making creation into three divisions is evidence of the prevalence of His Mercy. Human dimensions are four: right, left, front, and back. The right opposes the left, and the front opposes the back.

1. Companions of the Right Hand (Aṣḥāb al-Yamin): These are the saved ones who receive their records in their right hands; they are the honored ones of the noble side.
2. Companions of the Left Hand (Aṣḥāb al-Shamāl): Their condition is the opposite of the companions of the right; they receive their records in their left hands in humiliation.
3. The Foremost (al-Sābiqūn): These are those who have no reckoning and precede all others without accountability. They are in the highest station on the right side, the Near Ones (the Muqarrabūn) before God. They speak concerning others and intercede for them, fulfilling people's needs. They are of a higher rank than the Aṣḥāb al-Yamin.

God did not mention a fourth group lagging behind the companions of the left, ignored due to intense wrath. Normally, division is into four parts, but due to the abundance of grace, it became three. This is like His saying: {So of them are doers of wrong to themselves, and of them are those who are moderate, and of them are those who are foremost in good deeds} (Fāṭir: 32). He did not say there was a group left behind all others.

Issue 4: The Order of Mentioning the Groups

What is the wisdom in starting with the companions of the right hand, then moving to the companions of the left, and finally to the Foremost, when the explanation of the Foremost is superior to the left-handers?

The discourse about the Event and the terrifying things that occur is directed toward those whose love for God is not sufficient to prevent them from sinning. As for those whose hearts are preoccupied with their Lord, they will not fear punishment.

When God said: {When the Event occurs} (Al-Wāqi'ah: 11), which contains immense terrifying warnings, it is most appropriate to address those who are motivated by hope for reward and fear of punishment to cut off any excuse.

The Foremost, however, do not need encouragement or deterrence. Therefore, God first mentioned the companions of the right hand, who listen and are motivated by hope. Then, He mentioned the Foremost so that the companions of the right hand might strive to approach their rank, even though no one attains it except by a drawing from God. The Foremost attain what they attain through such a divine drawing, as indicated by the saying: "A single drawing from the drawings of the Merciful is better than seventy years of worship."

Issue 5: The Meaning of {What are the companions of the right hand?}

This is a form of eloquence (balāgha). The speaker begins to explain a matter, then stops speaking, implying that the listener cannot fully grasp what is to be said. It is like someone saying, "I will tell you what happened to me," and then answering himself, "I am not afraid that it will sadden you." Or, saying, "Who knows so-and-so?" is more eloquent than describing him, because if the listener hears a description, they might think that is the limit of his status. But if you ask, "Who knows him?" the listener assumes something for themselves, and then you say, "So-and-so, in the estimation of this informant, is greater than what you assumed and more astonishing than what you knew about him."

Issue 6: Grammatical Analysis and Meaning

{Then the companions of the right hand} (Fa-aṣḥāb al-maymana) is the subject (mubtada') for which the predicate was intended but then omitted.

{What are the companions of the right hand?} (Mā aṣḥāb al-maymana?) is an interrogative sentence expressing astonishment, similar to saying to someone claiming knowledge: "What is the meaning of such-and-such?"—questioning and testing them, implying they do not know the answer. You wish they wouldn't answer your question, because if they did, you would dislike it, as your statement is already understood. It is as if you are saying, "You do not know the answer."

Knowing this, it is as if the speaker initially intended to inform, but then did not inform, perhaps because providing the details would be lengthy. He did not remain silent, but posed a question as a test, implying the listener does not grasp the reality of their state.

When a speaker mentions a subject and then remains silent about the predicate, this silence might imply that the reality of the matter is so obvious that the predicate is unnecessary. For example, if someone asks, "Who came?" and you say, "Zayd," and then you see Zayd sitting right there, you stop talking and don't say, "Zayd came," because the utterance becomes pointless. Or, the silence might be intentional from the start because the subject alone suffices. If someone asks, "Who came?" and you say, "Zayd," it is a complete answer; we often just say, "Zayd." Silence might also indicate the story is long, like saying, "The anger of so-and-so toward Zayd..." and then stopping, asking, "What should I say about him?"

Given this, when He said: {Then the companions of the right hand}, it was as if He intended to provide the predicate but remained silent. Then, He thought to Himself: Silence might suggest the matter is obvious, like remaining silent when answering "Who came?" with "Zayd" in Zayd's presence. So, He said: {What are the companions of the right hand?}—testing, implying the listener does not understand. This serves as evidence that His initial silence was not due to the matter being obvious, but due to its strangeness and hidden nature. This is a profound interpretation.

A more apparent interpretation is that the entire phrase {What are the companions of the right hand?} is a single interrogative sentence, as if He meant: "And the companions of the right hand, what are they?" He used the explicit noun instead of the pronoun, emphasizing their great status by mentioning them explicitly twice. The same applies to: {And the companions of the left hand—what are the companions of the left hand?}, and {The Inevitable Event * What is the Inevitable Event?} (Al-Hāqqah: 1-2), and {The Striking Calamity * What is the Striking Calamity?} (Al-Qāri'ah: 1-2).

Issue 7: The Wisdom in Choosing the Word Mash'amah (مشأمة)

Why did God choose the word al-Mash'amah (the ill-omened) to oppose al-Maymana (the blessed right hand), when He explained their condition using Aṣḥāb al-Shamāl (Companions of the Left Hand)?

The word Yamin (right) was originally designated for the known side, and then people took it as a good omen, deriving terms like maymūn (blessed) and ayman (auspicious) from it. The opposite side, Yasār (left), was designated for something lesser, indicating weakness. Thus, in opposition to Yumnā (rightness), we have Yusrā (leftness); in opposition to Ayman (right), we have Aysar (left); and in opposition to Maymana, we have Maysara. However, Shamāl (left) is not used as frequently as Yamin. We do not say al-Ashmal or al-Mashmala.

Mash'amah is used just as Maymana is used. We do not use a term derived from shu'm (ill-omen) to oppose Yamin in terms of body parts. Shā'm is not the direct opposite of Yamin; rather, it is the opposite of Yaman.

Once people adopted Yumn and related terms from the right side due to good omens, they placed Shu'm (ill-omen) in opposition to it, not in their physical body parts, to avoid designating a part of themselves as ill-omened.

When this convention was established, the term Yamin was transferred from the physical side to other contexts. Therefore, God mentioned the disbelievers using two different terms: {And the companions of the left hand} and {And the companions of the ill-omened}. He avoided using al-Maysara or al-Yasār, which suggest a lesser degree of misfortune, and instead used {And the companions of the ill-omened} (al-Mash'amah), the harsher term. This is why military camps use al-Maymana and al-Maysara, avoiding the term derived from ill-omen (shu'm).

Then God Almighty said:

[7] And the Foremost, the Foremost * Those are the Near Ones.