Al-Insan (The Human Being): (14) And near them will be its shades...

The third [description of Paradise] is its being a delightful garden, which Allah, the Exalted, described by saying: {And near them will be its shades} (76:14).

There are two questions regarding this verse:

The First Question: What is the reason for the accusative case (naṣb) of {ودانية} (and near)?

The Answer: Al-Akhfash, Al-Kisā'ī, Al-Farra', and Al-Zajjāj mentioned two possibilities:

1. It is a circumstantial clause (ḥāl) coordinated with {متكئين} (reclining) [in the preceding verse]. It is like saying: "In the house, 'Abdullāh is reclining, and the curtains are spread over him." This is because when He said "over them" (عليهم), He returned to mentioning them [the inhabitants].
2. It is a circumstantial clause coordinated with the position (maḥall) of {يرون فيها شمسا ولا زمهريرا} (They will not see therein [the heat of] the sun nor intense cold) (76:13). The meaning is: They will not see therein the sun nor intense cold, {and its shades will be near them}. The conjunction wāw (and) is included to indicate that both states coexist for them, as if it were said: "And He rewarded them with a Garden where they combine being far from heat and cold, and the nearness of its shades to them."
3. The third possibility is that {دانية} (near) is an adjective (na't) for the Garden (Jannah). The meaning is: "And He rewarded them with a near Garden." Under this interpretation, {دانية} is an adjective for an omitted noun, as if it were said: "And He rewarded them for their patience with a Garden and silk garments, and another Garden whose shades are near them." This is because they were promised two Gardens, due to their fear, as indicated by His saying: {Indeed, we fear from our Lord a Day of severe frowning} (76:10). Whoever fears [his Lord] has two Gardens, as evidenced by His saying: {But for him who feared the standing before his Lord, there will be two Gardens} (55:46).

It has also been recited with the nominative case (raf') as {وَدَانِيَةٌ} (and its shades are near), where {ظلالها} (its shades) is the subject (mubtada') and {دانية} is the predicate (khabar). This clause is then in the position of a circumstantial clause (ḥāl), meaning: "They will not see therein the sun nor intense cold," while the state is that its shades are near them.

The Second Question: Shade only exists where the sun exists. If there is no sun in Paradise, how can shade be present there?

The Answer: What is meant is that the trees of Paradise are such that if there were a sun there, those trees would provide shade from it.

Regarding His saying: {And its fruits will be brought near, easily accessible} (76:15)

They mentioned two interpretations for {ذللت} (made easy/submissive):

1. Ibn Qutaybah said: Dhullilat means "brought near" (adniyat), derived from the saying, "A dhulīl wall" (a low wall) if it is short in thickness.
2. It means "made obedient" (ẓullilat), meaning they are not prevented from being plucked however they wish. Al-Barrā' ibn 'Āzib said: "They are made submissive for them, so they reach them however they wish. Whoever eats while standing is not troubled, and whoever eats while sitting is not troubled, and whoever eats while reclining is not troubled."

Know that when the Almighty described their food, clothing, and dwelling, He then described their drink, preceding it with a description of the vessels in which they will drink, saying:

{And there will be passed around to them vessels of silver and cups that are crystal-clear, Crystal-clear cups of silver, which they will have measured according to their measure} (76:15-16).