Surah 76. Al-Insan

a source [of bliss] whereof God's servants shall drink, seeing it flow in a flow abundant.⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "making [or "letting"] it flow...", etc.: i.e., having it always at their disposal.

from a gushing spring at which the servants of Allah will refresh themselves, and shall be able to take out its channels from place to place at their will.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'from' a spring where Allah's servants will drink, flowing at their will.

  - Mustafa Khattab

A spring wherefrom the slaves of Allah drink, making it gush forth abundantly,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

A Fountain where the Devotees of Allah do drink making it flow in unstinted abundance.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

[The truly virtuous are] they [who] fulfil their vows,⁹ and stand in awe of a Day the woe of which is bound to spread far and wide,

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the spiritual and social obligations arising from their faith.

They are those who keep their vows and dread the Day of widespread terror,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They 'are those who' fulfil 'their' vows and fear a Day of sweeping horror,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Because they perform the vow and fear a day whereof the evil is wide-spreading,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

They perform (their) vows and they fear a Day whose evil flies far and wide. ^{5836 5837 5838}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

They: i.e., the Righteous: they are known in the present life by the virtues described in verses 7-10, and in the life of the Hereafter they will enjoy the Bliss described in verses 11-22.

Cf. xxii. 29. The vows must be vows of spiritual service, which of course includes service to humanity, such as is mentioned in the next verse. They are Devotees of Allah, and they must perform all vows and contracts (v. I and n. 682). Vows of the Pagan sort, savouring of a sort of "bribe" to the Deity, are not approved.

That is, they prepare for the Judgment to come, where the effects of Sin will not be transitory but far-reaching.

and who give food - however great be their own want of it¹⁰ - unto the needy, and the orphan, and the captive,¹¹

  - Mohammad Asad

Or, as in 2:177 , "however much they themselves may cherish [i.e., "need"] it"; cf. also {90:14-16}. It is to be noted that in this context the concept of "giving food" comprises every kind of help and care, both material and moral.

The term asir denotes anyone who is a "captive" either literally (e.g., a prisoner) or figuratively, i.e., a captive of circumstances which render him helpless; thus, the Prophet said, "Thy debtor is thy captive; be, therefore, truly kind to thy captive" (Zamakhshari, Razi, et al.). The injunction of kindness towards all who are in need of help - and therefore "captive" in one sense or another - applies to believers and non-believers alike (Tabari, Zamakhshari), and apparently also to animals dependent on man.

who feed the poor, the orphan and the captive for the love of Allah,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

and give food- despite their desire for it- to the poor, the orphan, and the captive,

  - Mustafa Khattab

And feed with food the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And they feed for the love of Allah the indigent the orphan and the captive ⁵⁸³⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The captive: when taken literally, it refers to the old state of things when captives of war had to earn their own food, or their own redemption; even ordinary prisoners in jail for criminal offences often starved unless food was provided for them by private friends or from their own earnings.

[saying, in their hearts,] "We feed you for the sake of God alone: we desire no recompense from you, nor thanks:

  - Mohammad Asad

saying: "We feed you for the sake of Allah Alone; we seek from you neither reward nor thanks,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

'saying to themselves,' 'We feed you only for the sake of Allah, seeking neither reward nor thanks from you.

  - Mustafa Khattab

(Saying): We feed you, for the sake of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

(Saying) "We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: No reward do we desire from you nor thanks. ⁵⁸⁴⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

These words need not be actually uttered. They express the true motives of pious and unpretentious Charity.

behold, we stand in awe of our Sustainer's judgment¹² on a distressful, fateful Day!,

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "we fear our Sustainer".

for we dread from our Rabb's torment of a very distressful Day."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

We fear from our Lord a horribly distressful Day.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Lo! we fear from our Lord a day of frowning and of fate.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"We only fear a Day of distressful Wrath from the side of our Lord." ⁵⁸⁴¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

It is a Day of Distress for sin and evil. But the truly righteous are not self- righteous. They have the fear of Allah in their minds: they know they are human, and they fear lest they should be found wanting in the sight of Allah. But Allah in His Mercy gives them a bountiful Reward.

And so, God will preserve them from the woes of that Day, and will bestow on them brightness and joy,

  - Mohammad Asad

So Allah will deliver them from the evil of that Day, and bestow on them freshness and joy,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So Allah will deliver them from the horror of that Day, and grant them radiance and joy,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Therefor Allah hath warded off from them the evil of that day, and hath made them find brightness and joy;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But Allah will deliver them from the evil of that Day and will shed over them a light of Beauty and a (blissful) Joy. ⁵⁸⁴²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. lxxv. 22-23.

and will reward them for all their patience in adversity with a garden [of bliss] and with [garments of] silk.¹³

  - Mohammad Asad

For this allegory, see first half of note [41] on 18:31 .

and reward them, for their steadfastness with paradise and garments of silk.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

and reward them for their perseverance with a Garden 'in Paradise' and 'garments of' silk.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And hath awarded them for all that they endured, a Garden and silk attire;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And because they were patient and constant He will reward them with a Garden and (garments of) silk. ⁵⁸⁴³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xxii. 23.

In that [garden] they will on couches recline, and will know therein neither [burning] sun nor cold severe,

  - Mohammad Asad

There they shall be reclining upon high couches; they shall feel neither the scorching heat nor the biting cold.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

There they will be reclining on 'canopied' couches, never seeing scorching heat or bitter cold.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 There will be no day or night, sun or moon, winter or summer in Paradise. It will always be bright and temperate.

Reclining therein upon couches, they will find there neither (heat of) a sun nor bitter cold.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Reclining in the (Garden) on raised thrones they will see there neither the sun's (excessive heat) nor (the moon's) excessive cold. ^{5844 5845}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xviii. 31.

The sun and the moon as we know them will be no longer there. It will be a new world on a different plane. But to give us an idea of comfort we recall the excessive heat of the sun especially in tropical climates, and the excessive cold of the moon especially in northern climates, and we negative them both. That is, the temperature will be just that delightful one that is most agreeable to our sensations as we know them now. The moon is not mentioned, but Zamharir (excessive cold) is sometimes used for the moon.

since its [blissful] shades will come down low over them,¹⁴ and low will hang down its clusters of fruit, most easy to reach.¹⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

Regarding the allegorical implication of the term "shades" (zilal), see note [74] on 4:57 . It is to be noted that the existence of shade presupposes the existence of light (Jawhari), which latter is one of the characteristics implicit in the concept of "paradise".

Lit., "in all humility".

The trees of paradise will spread their shade around them, and their fruits will hang in clusters within their easy reach.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

The Garden's shade will be right above them, and its fruit will be made very easy to reach.

  - Mustafa Khattab

The shade thereof is close upon them and the clustered fruits thereof bow down.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And the shades of the (Garden) will come low over them and the bunches (of fruit) there will hang low in humility. ⁵⁸⁴⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Without sun and moon there will of course be no shade in the literal sense of the word. But for full comfort, there will be sheltering shade for rest and change from whatever light there be.

And they will be waited upon with vessels of silver and goblets that will [seem to] be crystal -

  - Mohammad Asad

They shall be served with silver dishes, goblets of crystal,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They will be waited on with silver vessels and cups of crystal-

  - Mustafa Khattab

Goblets of silver are brought round for them, and beakers (as) of glass

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And amongst them will be passed round vessels of silver and goblets of crystal ⁵⁸⁴⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xliii. 71, where "dishes and goblets of gold" are mentioned. The idea conveyed is that of rarity, preciousness, and spotless splendour.

crystal-like, [but] of silver - the measure whereof they alone will determine.¹⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., partaking of as much as they may desire.

and goblets made of crystal-clear silver, filled by their attendants in due measure.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

crystalline silver, filled precisely as desired.

  - Mustafa Khattab

(Bright as) glass but (made) of silver, which they (themselves) have measured to the measure (of their deeds).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Crystal-clear made of silver: they will determine the measure thereof (according to their wishes). ⁵⁸⁴⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

That is, silver polished and white, and shining like crystal.

And in that [paradise] they will be given to drink of a cup flavoured with ginger,

  - Mohammad Asad

And they will also be given to drink a cup of wine mixed with Zanjabil (ginger-flavored water),

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And they will be given a drink 'of pure wine' flavoured with ginger

  - Mustafa Khattab

There are they watered with a cup whereof the mixture is of Zanjabil,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And they will be given to drink there of a Cup (of Wine) mixed with Zanjabil ⁵⁸⁴⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. above, lxxvi. 5-6, and n. 5835, where the Cup of Kafur (Camphor) was mentioned for coolness and refreshment to the Righteous, who had just passed the great Event of Judgment. The second stage is described in verses 12-14, when they enter the Garden in Garments of Silk, and find that their former humility in the probationary life is rewarded with high honour in the new world they have entered. The third stage is in verses 15-21, where they settle down in Bliss, with Garments of fine silk and heavy brocades, with Ornaments and Jewels, with an ordered Feast of set service, and the Cup of Zanjabil. This word literally means Ginger. In Eastern medicine Ginger is administered to give warmth to the body and zest to the taste; this is appropriate for the Royal Feast which is now figured forth.

[derived from] a source [to be found] therein, whose name is "Seek Thy Way".¹⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

This is how 'Ali ibn Abi Talib - as quoted by Zamakhshari and Razi - explains the (obviously compound) word salsabilan, dividing it into its two components, sal sabilan ("ask [or "seek"] the way"): namely, "seek thy way to paradise by means of doing righteous deeds". Although Zamakhshari does not quite agree with this interpretation, it is, in my opinion, very convincing inasmuch as it contains an allusion to the highly allegorical character of the concept of "paradise" as a spiritual consequence of one's positive endeavours in this world. That its delights are not of a material nature is also evident from their varying descriptions - i.e., "a cup flavoured with ginger" in verse {17}, and "flavoured with the calyx of sweet-smelling flowers" in verse {5}; or "they will be waited upon with trays and goblets of gold" in 43:71 , and "vessels of silver and goblets that will [seem to] be crystal - crystal-like, [but] of silver", in verses {15-16} of this surah; and so forth.

from a fountain, called Salsabil.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

from a spring there, called Salsabîl.

  - Mustafa Khattab

The water of a spring therein, named Salsabil.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

A fountain there called Salsabil. ⁵⁸⁵⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Salsabil: A fountain in Paradise.

And immortal youths will wait upon them:¹⁸ when thou seest them, thou wouldst deem them to be scattered pearls;

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [6] on {56:17-18}.

They shall be attended by boys graced with eternal youth: when you see them, they would seem like sprinkled pearls.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

They will be waited on by eternal youths. If you saw them, you would think they were scattered pearls.

  - Mustafa Khattab

There serve them youths of everlasting youth, whom, when thou seest, thou wouldst take for scattered pearls.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And round about them will (serve) youths of perpetual (freshness): if thou seest them thou wouldst think them scattered Pearls. ^{5851 5852}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. lvi. 17 and n. 5231.

Pearls for beauty and splendour: scattered, because they are moving to and fro.

and when thou seest [anything that is] there, thou wilt see [only] bliss and a realm transcendent.

  - Mohammad Asad

And which ever direction you will look, you will see blessings and the splendor of a great Kingdom.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And if you looked around, you would see 'indescribable' bliss and a vast kingdom.

  - Mustafa Khattab

When thou seest, thou wilt see there bliss and high estate.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And when thou lookest it is there thou wilt see a Bliss and a Realm Magnificent.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali