Tafseer of Man · Al-Insaan · 76:19
There will circulate among them young boys made eternal. When you see them, you would think them [as beautiful as] scattered pearls.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
His statement: وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ثَمَّ رَأَيْتَ نَعِيمًا ("And when you look there, you will behold bliss"). The Exalted — He whose praise is commemorated — says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: And when you look with your gaze, O Muḥammad, and let your eye roam over the honor I have bestowed upon these righteous ones (al-abrār) in Paradise (janna) — by His statement ثَمَّ ("there") Paradise is meant — رَأَيْتَ نَعِيمًا ("you will behold bliss"). That is because the lowest of them in rank, according to what has been said, looks over his kingdom across a distance of two thousand years' journey, and sees its farthest part just as he sees its nearest part.
The Arabic linguists have differed concerning the reason why the object of the first "raʾayta" ("you saw/looked") was not mentioned. Some grammarians of Basra said: He did that only because he intends a seeing that does not govern an object, as you say: "ẓanantu fī l-dār" ("I supposed in the house"), wherein he gives report about the place of his supposing; likewise here he gives report about the place of his seeing. Some grammarians of Kufa said: He did that only because the meaning is: "And when you see what is there, you will behold bliss." He said: And it is correct to omit and imply "mā" ("what"), as has been said: "laqad taqaṭṭaʿa baynakum" ("truly, the bond between you has been severed"), wherein "mā baynakum" ("what is between you") is meant. He said: And one says: "idhā raʾayta thamma" ("when you look there"), wherein is meant: when you look there — that is: when you cast your gaze thither, you will behold bliss.
His statement: وَمُلْكًا كَبِيرًا ("and a great kingdom"). He says: And you will behold, alongside the bliss that you see there for them, a great kingdom. And it has been said that this great kingdom is the greeting of the angels to them, and their asking permission to enter upon them.
* Mention of those who said that:
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: Muʾammal related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, saying: Someone who heard Mujāhid say related to me: وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ثَمَّ رَأَيْتَ نَعِيمًا وَمُلْكًا كَبِيرًا ("And when you look there, you will behold bliss and a great kingdom"), he said: The greeting of the angels.
He said: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān related to us, saying: I heard Sufyān say concerning His statement: مُلْكًا كَبِيرًا ("a great kingdom"), he said: It has reached us that it is the greeting of the angels.
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Al-Ashjaʿī related to us, concerning His statement: وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ثَمَّ رَأَيْتَ نَعِيمًا وَمُلْكًا كَبِيرًا ("And when you look there, you will behold bliss and a great kingdom"), he said: Sufyān explained it and said: The angels ask permission to enter upon them.
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Mihrān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān: وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ثَمَّ رَأَيْتَ نَعِيمًا وَمُلْكًا كَبِيرًا ("And when you look there, you will behold bliss and a great kingdom"), he said: The asking of permission by the angels to enter upon them.
