Tafseer of The Announcement · An-Naba · 78:33
And full-breasted [companions] of equal age
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.
And His statement: وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَابًا ("And kawāʿib of equal age") (78:33). He says: and young women with swelling breasts, of one and the same age.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the exegetes (ahl al-taʾwīl) have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement: وَكَوَاعِبَ ("and kawāʿib"), he says: and young women with swelling breasts. And concerning His statement: أَتْرَابًا ("of equal age"), he says: equal to one another.
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement: وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَابًا ("and kawāʿib of equal age"), he means: women who are equal to one another.
Ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَابًا ("and kawāʿib of equal age"), he said: young women with swelling breasts, of equal age; he says: of one and the same age.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda. Then, when he described what is in the Garden (janna), he said: حَدَائِقَ وَأَعْنَابًا ("gardens and vineyards") وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَابًا ("and kawāʿib of equal age"); by this he means women of equal age, of one and the same age.
ʿAbbās ibn Muḥammad related to me, saying: Ḥajjāj related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, he said: the kawāʿib are the young women with swelling breasts.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His statement: وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَابًا ("and kawāʿib of equal age"), he said: the kawāʿib are those whose breasts have risen and whose bosom has become rounded. And he said: atrāb means equal to one another: this woman is the age-mate (tirba) of that woman. He said: the atrāb are the age-mates (lidāt).
Naṣr ibn ʿAlī related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Sulaymān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Mujāhid: وَكَوَاعِبَ أَتْرَابًا ("and kawāʿib of equal age"): age-mates (lidāt).
