Al-Waqi'ah 56:49
The Inevitable · Juz 27 · Page 535
قُلۡ إِنَّ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ وَٱلۡأٓخِرِينَ ٤٩
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Indeed, the former and later peoples
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Detailed · A modern classic, with rulings and practical points.
Change
Commentary on 56:39–56
ثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ الْآخِرِينَ (many from the earlier generations, and many from the later ones....56:39-40) In connection with sabiqun, (the Foremost) two views of the commentators were quoted earlier as to the identity of 'the earlier' and the 'later' generations. If 'the earlier' refers to the generations from 'Adam (علیہ السلام) to the period just prior to the advent of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and 'the later generations' refers to the 'Ummah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ till the Day of Judgment, as some of the commentators have opined, then the verses would mean: 'the People of the Right' will constitute a 'large party' of believers and the righteous from all the previous communities combined together, while there will be a 'large party' from the Ummah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ alone. In this case, it is a great honor for the Ummah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ that, despite the short period they lived in this world, they could be compared to all the previous communities who were headed by hundreds of thousands of Prophets (علیہم السلام) . Besides, the words 'many from the later generations' has the scope of being larger in number than the 'many from the earlier generations'.
If we go by the second view of the commentators, who say that both 'earlier' and 'later' generations are from the ummah of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ، then even the later generations of this ummah will not be totally deprived of 'the Foremost', though their number in later generations will be less. As for the People of the Right, their number will be large in both 'earlier' and 'later' generations. This fact is proved by a Hadith reported by Bukhari and Muslim from Sayyidna Mu` awiyah ؓ in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said, 'A group of my 'Ummah will always remain on the truth and dominant, unharmed by those who fail to support them and those who defy them, until the Last Hour begins.'.
Page 535
56:17
يَطُوفُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وِلۡدَٰنٞ مُّخَلَّدُونَ ١٧
There will circulate among them young boys made eternal
56:18
بِأَكۡوَابٖ وَأَبَارِيقَ وَكَأۡسٖ مِّن مَّعِينٖ ١٨
With vessels, pitchers and a cup [of wine] from a flowing spring -
56:19
لَّا يُصَدَّعُونَ عَنۡهَا وَلَا يُنزِفُونَ ١٩
No headache will they have therefrom, nor will they be intoxicated -
56:20
وَفَٰكِهَةٖ مِّمَّا يَتَخَيَّرُونَ ٢٠
And fruit of what they select
56:21
وَلَحۡمِ طَيۡرٖ مِّمَّا يَشۡتَهُونَ ٢١
And the meat of fowl, from whatever they desire.
56:22
وَحُورٌ عِينٞ ٢٢
And [for them are] fair women with large, [beautiful] eyes,
56:23
كَأَمۡثَٰلِ ٱللُّؤۡلُوِٕ ٱلۡمَكۡنُونِ ٢٣
The likenesses of pearls well-protected,
56:24
جَزَآءَۢ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ ٢٤
As reward for what they used to do.
56:25
لَا يَسۡمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغۡوٗا وَلَا تَأۡثِيمًا ٢٥
They will not hear therein ill speech or commission of sin -
56:26
إِلَّا قِيلٗا سَلَٰمٗا سَلَٰمٗا ٢٦
Only a saying [of] peace, peace.
56:27
وَأَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡيَمِينِ مَآ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡيَمِينِ ٢٧
The companions of the right - what are the companions of the right?
56:28
فِي سِدۡرٖ مَّخۡضُودٖ ٢٨
[They will be] among lote trees with thorns removed
56:29
وَطَلۡحٖ مَّنضُودٖ ٢٩
And [banana] trees layered [with fruit]
56:30
وَظِلّٖ مَّمۡدُودٖ ٣٠
And shade extended
56:31
وَمَآءٖ مَّسۡكُوبٖ ٣١
And water poured out
56:32
وَفَٰكِهَةٖ كَثِيرَةٖ ٣٢
And fruit, abundant [and varied],
56:33
لَّا مَقۡطُوعَةٖ وَلَا مَمۡنُوعَةٖ ٣٣
Neither limited [to season] nor forbidden,
56:34
وَفُرُشٖ مَّرۡفُوعَةٍ ٣٤
And [upon] beds raised high.
56:35
إِنَّآ أَنشَأۡنَٰهُنَّ إِنشَآءٗ ٣٥
Indeed, We have produced them [i.e., the women of Paradise] in a [new] creation
56:36
فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُنَّ أَبۡكَارًا ٣٦
And made them virgins,
56:37
عُرُبًا أَتۡرَابٗا ٣٧
Devoted [to their husbands] and of equal age,
56:38
لِّأَصۡحَٰبِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ ٣٨
For the companions of the right [who are]
56:39
ثُلَّةٞ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ٣٩
A company of the former peoples
56:40
وَثُلَّةٞ مِّنَ ٱلۡأٓخِرِينَ ٤٠
And a company of the later peoples.
56:41
وَأَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلشِّمَالِ مَآ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلشِّمَالِ ٤١
And the companions of the left - what are the companions of the left?
56:42
فِي سَمُومٖ وَحَمِيمٖ ٤٢
[They will be] in scorching fire and scalding water
56:43
وَظِلّٖ مِّن يَحۡمُومٖ ٤٣
And a shade of black smoke,
56:44
لَّا بَارِدٖ وَلَا كَرِيمٍ ٤٤
Neither cool nor beneficial.
56:45
إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ قَبۡلَ ذَٰلِكَ مُتۡرَفِينَ ٤٥
Indeed they were, before that, indulging in affluence,
56:46
وَكَانُواْ يُصِرُّونَ عَلَى ٱلۡحِنثِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ ٤٦
And they used to persist in the great violation,1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., shirk (association with Allāh) or disbelief. ↩
56:47
وَكَانُواْ يَقُولُونَ أَئِذَا مِتۡنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابٗا وَعِظَٰمًا أَءِنَّا لَمَبۡعُوثُونَ ٤٧
And they used to say, "When we die and become dust and bones, are we indeed to be resurrected?
56:48
أَوَءَابَآؤُنَا ٱلۡأَوَّلُونَ ٤٨
And our forefathers [as well]?"
56:49
قُلۡ إِنَّ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ وَٱلۡأٓخِرِينَ ٤٩
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Indeed, the former and later peoples
56:50
لَمَجۡمُوعُونَ إِلَىٰ مِيقَٰتِ يَوۡمٖ مَّعۡلُومٖ ٥٠
Are to be gathered together for the appointment of a known Day."