Commentary
And when this was a matter leading to their state, preceding those who were standing away from them to their connection, he turned to what might stop him, being preoccupied with amusement or wealth, stirred by what he was ignorant of, and alerting to what he had been heedless of. So he said, returning to the unseen, encouraging towards piety: ﴿They will be served﴾ meaning the pious ones whom We have made by this call as kings ﴿with trays﴾ the plural of [UNTRANSLATED-LATIN:sahifah] which is the dish ﴿of gold﴾ in it from varieties of foods, fruits, and sweets that cannot be imagined.
And when the drinking vessels in this world are fewer than the eating vessels, it followed that known pattern, so he expressed with the plural of scarcity in his saying: ﴿and cups﴾ the plural of [UNTRANSLATED-LATIN:kub] which is a round cup with no handle, which may exceed in something from it the hand or the vessel or may be required from it an ugliness in something from the circumference of the cup, indicating that there is no need at all to attach anything to increase its qualities beyond discomfort or something like that.
And when he desired in it these unseen matters, he summarized what no sane person could refrain from hastening to enter into what concerns it, so he said: ﴿and in it﴾ meaning the Paradise. And when pleasure is confined to what is desired, He, the Exalted, said: ﴿what the souls desire﴾ of the things that are rational, heard, touched, and others as a reward for them for what they prevented their souls from desires in this world. And when what concerns the visible things from that is greater, he specified it and said: ﴿and the eyes will delight﴾ from the visible things, the highest of which is looking at His noble face, the Exalted, as a reward for what they endured of the hardships of longing.
And when that sweetness cannot be complete except with permanence, he returned to the address because it is the most honorable and delightful good news for all who turn to the Book, and those who turn to them with encouragement in this reward, as good news for this noble Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, for what he has presented at the beginning of the Surah and during it of reaching his people to the utmost of reason and knowledge, and the means to the best of actions that lead to happiness: ﴿and you will remain in it forever﴾ for its permanence and the permanence of all that is in it, so there is no burden upon you at all from fear of loss or sadness from missing out.
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