1. Since “dahr” is endless, and “heen” a part of it, the term “heenum min al-dahr” implies a considerable length of time; some of the Salaf have said that the allusion is to the event of Adam’s creation who was made of dust and then left alone for a long time before the spirit was blown into him. Until then no one knew in the heaven or the earth what would be made of him (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi); but Man in general could also be in reference (Razi).

However, there is no hadith to the above effect (Au.).

2. It may be noted that the last chapter ended with the mention of the sperm drop while this one continues with the theme of its insignificance (Au.).

It is reported of Abu Bakr that when someone recited this ayah before him, he remarked, “Only if the period (of being in dust) had not ended, so that (there was no creation and) no trial (Qurtubi, Razi). Similar statements are reported of `Umar (Qurtubi), and of Ibn Mas`ud (Alusi).

3. Until the development of powerful microscopes in the 18th century, the belief among the biologists was that it is man’s spermatozoa dropped into the womb that alone grows as a man. In fact, illustrations in some biology books of the 17th century depicted a little human being in the spermatozoa. To the Qur’anic statement, 1000 years before the discovery, the Prophet added his own clarification at a time many women did not know that they secreted any liquid at the time of fertilization or contributed an ovum. See Umm Saleem’s hadith in Muslim, no. 738, Kitab al-Taharah (Au.).

4. We have a hadith on the topic of humans choosing their own fate after Allah guided them to both good and evil). Ibn Kathir quotes it:

عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّ النَّبِىَّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قَالَ لِكَعْبِ بْنِ عُجْرَةَ « أَعَاذَكَ اللَّهُ مِنْ إِمَارَةِ السُّفَهَاءِ ». قَالَ َمَا إِمَارَةُ السُّفَهَاءِ قَالَ « أُمَرَاءُ يَكُونُونَ بَعْدِى لاَ يَقْتَدُونَ بِهَدْيِى وَلاَ يَسْتَنُّونَ بِسُنَّتِى فَمَنْ صَدَّقَهُمْ بِكَذِبِهِمْ وَأَعَانَهُمْ عَلَى ظُلْمِهِمْ فَأُولَئِكَ لَيْسُوا مِنِّى وَلَسْتُ مِنْهُمْ وَلاَ يَرِدُوا عَلَىَّ حَوْضِى وَمَنْ لَمْ يُصَدِّقْهُمْ بِكَذِبِهِمْ وَلَمْ يُعِنْهُمْ عَلَى ظُلْمِهِمْ فَأُولَئِكَ مِنِّى وَأَنَا مِنْهُمْ وَسَيَرِدُوا عَلَىَّ حَوْضِى يَا كَعْبُ بْنَ عُجْرَةَ الصَّوْمُ جُنَّةٌ وَالصَّدَقَةُ تُطْفِئُ الْخَطِيئَةَ وَالصَّلاَةُ قُرْبَانٌ - أَوْ قَالَ بُرْهَانٌ - يَا كَعْبُ بْنَ عُجْرَةَ إِنَّهُ لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ لَحْمٌ نَبَتَ مِنْ سُحْتٍ النَّارُ أَوْلَى بِهِ يَا كَعْبُ بْنَ عُجْرَةَ النَّاسُ غَادِيَانِ فَمُبْتَاعٌ نَفْسَهُ فَمُعْتِقُهَا وَبَائِعٌ نَفْسَهُ فَمُوبِقُهَا » (رواه أحمد والبزار ورجالهما رجال الصحيح: مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد)

The Prophet said to Ka`b b. `Ujrah: “May Allah save you from the leadership of the foolish.” He asked, “What about the leadership of the foolish?” He answered, “Leaders who will come after me but who will not follow my guidance, nor my Sunnah. So, whoever testified them in their lies and helped them in their tyranny, they are not of me and I am not of them. They will not come to my Pond. But he who did not testify them in their lies and did not help them in their tyranny, they are of me and I am of them. They will come to my Pond. O Ka`b b. `Ujrah, fast is a shield, and charity obliterates minor errors. And Prayers are an offering, (or maybe he said, “an evidence”). O Ka`b b. `Ujrah, Fire is better deserving of the flesh that grew on the forbidden. O Ka`b b. `Ujrah, people are two types that start off in the morning: He who buys his soul and frees it, or he who sells away his soul and destroys it.”

Haythami declared the above report as trustworthy (Au.).

5. By which they will be dragged (Alusi).

6. By which they will be shackled (Alusi).

7. Asad comments: “The Lisan al-`Arab gives ‘the calyx (kimm) of the grape before its flowering’ as the primary significance of kafur; according to other lexicologists (e.g., Taj al-`Arus), it denotes ‘the calyx of any flower’; Jawhari applies it to the ‘spathe of a palm tree’. Hence, this – and not ‘camphor’ – is evidently the meaning of kafur in the above context ..”

We may be reminded here once again of the statement of Ibn `Abbas that all that has been named in the Qur’an as blessings are but names. In their reality, they have nothing to do with the blessings they will carry in Paradise.

8. That is, the dwellers of Paradise will be able to sprout forth the springs wherever they want, whenever they want (Ibn Jarir, Zamakhshari).

9. Ibn Kathir reminds that fulfilling a vow is obligatory when it is in Allah’s obedience, otherwise not. Says a hadith of Bukhari:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ نَذَرَ أَنْ يُطِيعَ اللَّهَ فَلْيُطِعْهُ وَمَنْ نَذَرَ أَنْ يَعْصِيَهُ فَلا يَعْصِهِ.‏

On the authority of `A’isha, the Prophet said, “Whoever vowed that he will obey Allah, may obey Him, but whoever vowed that he will disobey Allah, may not disobey Him.”

Perhaps with the Prophet’s indirect disapproval of vows (nadhr) Yusuf Ali offers a reminder about the nature of disapproved vows: “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. Vows of the Pagan sort, savouring of a sort of ‘bribe’ to the Deity, are not approved.”

10. Another possible meaning is that they feed others, in love of Allah (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). This was the opinion of Fudayl b. `Iyad (Zamakhshari).

Ibn Kathir adds: We have a Sahih report (of Muslim) which says,

"أَنْ تَصَدَّقَ وَأَنْتَ صَحِيحٌ شَحِيحٌ تَخْشَى الْفَقْرَ"

“(The best of charity) is that you should spend while you are healthy, fond of wealth, and fear poverty.”

11. Qatadah, `Ikrimah and Hasan have pointed out that the prisoners or captives of this mention were always pagans at the time of the Prophet, whom he ordered to be treated well. However, the term is now applicable to every kind of captive: Muslim or non-Muslim (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir), and every prisoner (Qurtubi). When the Prophet distributed captives among Muslims, he instructed them to treat them well and so, some of them fed them remaining hungry themselves (Kashshaf).

Adds Asad: “The term asir denotes anyone who is ‘captive’ 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.).”

12. It is reported of `A’isha that when she sent gifts to the people, she instructed the messenger to inform her how they reacted. If they supplicated for her, she too supplicated for them in the same words so as to make sure that that the fullest reward remained reserved for her gift (Zamakhshari).

13. Thus, on that hard day, the righteous will have bright faces and peaceful hearts (Ibn Kathir)

14. We have a hadith in this context. The Prophet said,

عَنْ أَبِى هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِىِّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قَالَ « اشْتَكَتِ النَّارُ إِلَى رَبِّهَا فَقَالَتْ رَبِّ أَكَلَ بَعْضِى بَعْضاً فَنَفِّسْنِى. فَأَذِنَ لَهَا فِى كُلِّ عَامٍ بِنَفَسَيْنِ فَأَشَدُّ مَا تَجِدُونَ مِنَ الْبَرْدِ مِنْ زَمْهَرِيرِ جَهَنَّمَ وَأَشَدُّ مَا تَجِدُونَ مِنَ الْحَرِّ مِنْ حَرِّ جَهَنَّمَ »

“The Fire (of Hell) complained to Allah saying, ‘some of me is eating of my other parts.’ So, Allah allowed it two breathings every year. So, the worst that you find of the cold is from the cold blast of Jahannum, while the worst of heat that you experience is from the heat of Jahannum” (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi).

The hadith is in Ahmad as well as Sahih of Ibn Hibban (Au.).

15. The textual word for what we have rendered as “goblet” is “kub” which is for an earless (and spoutless: Ibn Kathir) cup, while “ka’s” of the 17th verse is for that glass which has been filled with wine. If it is not filled with wine then the Arabs would not refer to it as a “ka’s” (from Ibn Jarir).

16. Ancient scholars have said that if you beat silver to the thickness of a fly’s wing, you will still not see through it. But the silver goblets of Paradise will be transparent.

17. “They,” i.e., those appointed to serve them (Au.).

18. Filling a glass to the right measure is an art in which hotel waiters receive instructions (Au.).

19. That is, the lads will ever stay lads. They will not grow old (Ibn Jarir).