It was recited: 'our offspring' and 'our descendants'. And 'the delight of the eyes' and 'the delights of the eyes'. They asked their Lord to provide them with spouses and offspring who work for Allah, who bring them joy in their place and whose eyes are delighted by them. And regarding Muhammad ibn Ka'b: there is nothing that brings more delight to the eyes of a believer than seeing his wife and children obedient to Allah. And regarding Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him: it is the child when he sees him writing jurisprudence. It was said: they asked Allah to unite them with their spouses and offspring in Paradise so that their joy may be complete. He meant leaders, and he sufficed with the singular to indicate the genus and to avoid ambiguity, as in His saying: 'Then He brings you out as a child' or they meant make each one of us a leader. Or they meant make us one leader, without division and agreement among us. And some of them said: in the verse there is an indication that leadership in religion should be sought and desired. It was said: these verses were revealed concerning the ten who were given glad tidings of Paradise. If you say: what is meant by 'from our spouses' in the phrase 'from our spouses'? I say: it may be explanatory, as if it were said: grant us the delight of the eyes, then the delight was clarified and explained by saying: from our spouses and offspring. Its meaning is: that Allah makes them for them the delight of the eyes, and it is from their saying: 'I saw a lion from you', meaning: you are a lion, and it may be initial in meaning: grant us from them what delights our eyes in obedience and righteousness. If you say: why did he say 'delight of the eyes' in the indefinite and in a reduced form? I say: as for the indefiniteness, it is due to the indefiniteness of the delight, because the addition cannot be made indefinite except by making the added to it indefinite, as if it were said: grant us joy and happiness from them. And it was said 'eyes' instead of 'the eyes', because he meant the eyes of the righteous, which are few compared to the eyes of others. Allah, glorified and exalted is He, said: 'And few of My servants are grateful.' [Mawlana said: 'If you say: why did he reduce the eyes when the eyes is a plural form of few? I say: because the eyes of the righteous are few compared to others, as indicated by His saying: 'And few of My servants are grateful.' Ahmad said: and it is apparent that the quoted words are from everyone among the righteous, as if he said: let each one of us have from our spouses and offspring the delight of the eyes, and this is safer in its interpretation, for although the righteous are few compared to others, they are numerous in themselves. What is considered in the use of the plural of few is that the total is few in itself, not in relation and addition, and Allah knows best.] And it may be said regarding the indefiniteness of 'eyes' that they are specific eyes, which are the eyes of the righteous.