Al-Mutaffifin: (22) Indeed, the righteous will be in...

Know that when the Almighty glorified their Book in the preceding verse, He glorified their station in this verse, saying: {Indeed, the righteous will be in bliss} (83:22).

He then described the nature of this bliss with three things.

The first is His saying: {On couches, observing} (83:23).

Al-Qaffal said: Arā’ik (couches) are beds within chambers (ḥujal). They claim that a couch is not called an arīkah unless it is like that. Al-Hasan said: "We did not know what an arīkah was until we met a man from Yemen who informed us that the arīkah is that thing among them."

Regarding His saying: {observing} (yanẓurūn), there are three interpretations:

1. They observe the types of their blessings in Paradise: the wide-eyed maidens (ḥūr ‘ayn), the youths, the various foods, drinks, garments, mounts, and so on. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The believer gazes, and encompasses everything Allah has given him, and even for the lowest among them, the expanse of the world appears to him."
2. Muqātil said: They look at their enemies while they are being tormented in the Fire.
3. When they desire something, they look at it, and that thing is immediately present to them.

Know that these three interpretations are types belonging to one category: the object being observed. Therefore, the word must be taken to encompass all of them.

A fourth interpretation occurs to me, which is more sublime than all others: that they are looking at their Lord. This interpretation is confirmed by His saying immediately after this verse: {You will recognize in their faces the freshness of bliss} (83:24). Observation coupled with freshness (nuḍrah) is the vision of Allah, as stated: {Some faces, that Day, will be radiant, looking toward their Lord} (Al-Qiyāmah: 22-23). What further confirms this interpretation is that the greatest pleasure must be mentioned first, and nothing is greater than the vision of Allah Almighty.

The second description is His saying: {You will recognize in their faces the freshness of bliss} (83:24). This involves two issues:

The meaning is: If you see them, you will know they are people of bliss because of the signs you see on their faces indicating that. Regarding these signs, there are two opinions:

1. It is the laughter and joy visible on their faces, as stated: {Some faces, that Day, will be bright, laughing, rejoicing} (Abasa: 38-39).
2. ‘Aṭā’ said that Allah Almighty increases the light, beauty, and whiteness on their faces in a way that no describer can describe. The meaning of nuḍrah (freshness) has already been explained when discussing the verse {radiant} (nāḍirah).

It has been recited: {tu‘rafu} (recognized) with the passive verb form, and {jannātun-na‘īm} (gardens of bliss) in the nominative case (as the subject of the implied verb).

The third description is His saying: {They will be given to drink from a sealed nectar} (83:25). This involves two issues:

Al-Layth said: Ar-Rahīq is wine. He cited the poetry of Ḥassān:

Bārdā (a river) strikes with the smooth rahīq.

Abū ‘Ubaydah and Al-Zajjāj said: Ar-Rahīq is the purest part of wine, containing no adulteration or anything that spoils it. Perhaps it is the wine described by Allah as: {For the drinkers, in it is no intoxication, nor will they be exhausted thereby} (Aṣ-Ṣāffāt: 47).

Allah mentioned attributes for this Rahīq:

The First Attribute: {sealed} (mukhtūm). This has several interpretations:

1. Al-Qaffāl said: It is possible that they are given a sealed drink, sealed as an honor to preserve it, as is customary for honoring and preserving things. There is other wine from which rivers flow, as He said: {And rivers of wine, a delight to those who drink} (Muḥammad: 15), but this sealed one is more noble than the flowing one.
2. Abū ‘Ubaydah, Al-Mubarrid, and Al-Zajjāj said: Mukhtūm means it has an end/consequence (khitām).
3. It is narrated from ‘Abdullāh that mukhtūm means mixed. Al-Wāḥidī said this is not an interpretation because sealing is not explained by mixing. However, since its consequence is the scent of musk, they interpreted it as mixed, because if it were not mixed with musk, it would not have the scent of musk.
4. Mujāhid said mukhtūm means sealed with clay. Al-Wāḥidī said his intention by sealing with clay was that no hand should touch it until the righteous break the seal. The closest of these views is the first one mentioned by Al-Qaffāl regarding the meaning of {sealed}.

The Second Attribute: {Its seal is musk} (khtimuhu misk). This has several interpretations:

1. Al-Qaffāl said: It means that what seals the mouth of the flask of that rahīq is musk, like the clay used to seal the mouths of flasks. That musk would be moist, and the seal would imprint upon it. This view corresponds to the first view we narrated from Al-Qaffāl regarding {sealed}.
2. The meaning of {Its seal is musk} is that its consequence (‘āqibah) is musk, meaning its end is scented with the fragrance of musk. This corresponds to the view narrated from Abū ‘Ubaydah regarding the interpretation of {sealed}. It is as if Allah said: a rahīq that has a consequence, and then He explained that consequence, saying: that consequence is musk. So, whoever drinks it, the end of his drink is scented with musk. This is the view of ‘Alqamah, Aḍ-Ḍaḥḥāk, Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr, Muqātil, and Qatādah. They said: When the drinker lifts his mouth from the last of his drink, he finds its scent like the scent of musk. The meaning is the delight of the final sip, the intensity of the aroma, along with the pleasant taste. Khitām means the end of everything, from which comes the saying, "I sealed the Qur’an" and "Actions have their conclusions." This is supported by the recitation of ‘Alī (peace be upon him) and the preference of Al-Kisā’ī, who recites {khātimuhu misk} (its seal/final part is musk), meaning its end, just as one says Khātim an-Nabiyyīn (Seal of the Prophets). Al-Farrā’ said: The two are close in meaning, but khātim is a noun, while khtām is a verbal noun (maṣdar), like saying, "He has a noble disposition and seal."
3. It means it is mixed with musk. They mentioned that this is to enhance its taste. Or perhaps it is for its scent. I suggest that perhaps the intent is that the wine mixed with these hot spices aids digestion and strengthens desire, perhaps indicating the strength of their desire and the health of their bodies. This view is narrated by Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr from Al-Aswad from ‘Ā’ishah, who said: "A woman said, 'I have taken the clay seal,' meaning, 'I have taken my clay mixtures.' Abū Ad-Dardā’ said: It is a white drink like silver, which they use to finish their last drink. If a person from the world dipped his hand into it and then took it out, every living being would smell its pleasant fragrance."

The Third Attribute: {And in that let the competitors vie} (83:26).

Al-Wāḥidī said: One says nafistu ‘alayhi ash-shay’a anfusuhu nafāsatun when one is stingy with something and dislikes it going to another. Tanāfus (vying) is a reciprocal form of that, as if each of the two persons wants to monopolize it. The meaning is: In that [bliss], let the desirers desire it by hastening to obedience to Allah.

In general, Allah’s exaggeration in encouraging this indicates its high status. It also suggests that competition should be for such great, everlasting bliss, not for the bliss that is troubled and quickly vanishing.

The Fourth Attribute: {And its mixture is from Tasnīm} (83:27). This involves several issues:

Tasnīm is the name of a specific spring in Paradise, named after the tasnīm (the verbal noun of sannama—to raise). This is either because it is the highest drink in Paradise, or because it comes to them from above, as narrated that it flows in the air, musannamah (raised up), and is poured into their vessels. Or, because of its abundance and speed, it rises above everything it passes, which is its tasnīm. Or, because when it flows, one sees elevation and depression in it, which is also tasnīm. This is because the root of this word relates to height and elevation; hence the hump of the camel (sanām al-ba‘īr), and tasannama al-ḥā’iṭ means you climbed the wall.

As for the commentators' view: It is narrated from Maymūn ibn Mihrān that Ibn ‘Abbās was asked about Tasnīm, and he replied: "This is what Allah says: {And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes} (As-Sajdah: 17)." Close to this is what Al-Hasan said: It is a matter that Allah has concealed for the people of Paradise. Al-Wāḥidī said: On this basis, it has no derivation and is a proper noun. From ‘Ikrimah: {from Tasnīm} means from honor (tashrīf).

Allah mentioned that Tasnīm is a spring from which the near ones (al-muqarrabūn) drink. Ibn ‘Abbās said: The noblest drink of the people of Paradise is Tasnīm, because the near ones drink it pure, and it is mixed for the companions of the Right Hand.

Know that when Allah divided the accountable in Sūrat Al-Wāqi‘ah into three groups—the near ones, the companions of the Right Hand, and the companions of the Left Hand—and then mentioned the honor of those mentioned in this Sūrah by saying their drink is mixed from a spring from which the near ones drink, we know that those mentioned here are the companions of the Right Hand. I say: This indicates that the rivers (of Paradise) differ in virtue. Tasnīm is the best spring in Paradise, and the near ones are the best of the people of Paradise. The Tasnīm in Paradise, spiritually, is the knowledge of Allah and the delight of looking at the Noble Face of Allah. The Rahīq is the rejoicing in contemplating the world of existence. Thus, the near ones drink only from Tasnīm, meaning they are occupied only with contemplating His Noble Face. As for the companions of the Right Hand, their drink is mixed, so sometimes their gaze is upon Him, and sometimes upon His creation.

The word {‘Ayn} (spring) is in the accusative case (naṣb) as an object of praise. Al-Zajjāj said it is in the accusative case as an adverbial state (ḥāl). His saying {the near ones drink from it} is like His saying {the servants of Allah drink from it} (Al-Insān: 6), which has already been discussed.

{Indeed, the criminals used to laugh at those who believed, and when they passed by them, they would wink at one another, and when they returned to their own people, they would return jesting. And when they saw them, they would say, "Indeed, these are truly lost!" But they had not been sent as guardians over them. So today, those who believed are laughing at the disbelievers, on couches, observing. Have the disbelievers been recompensed for what they used to do?} (83:27-31)