—fruits, and they will be honored, in gardens of bliss, seated on couches facing one another. A cup will be passed around among them from a flowing spring, white and delightful to those who drink it. It will cause them no ill effect, nor will they be intoxicated by it. And with them will be companions restraining their gaze, with large, beautiful eyes, as though they were sheltered eggs. (42–49)
“Fruits” is the plural of “fruit,” encompassing all fruits, fresh and dried. It also refers to every food eaten for enjoyment rather than sustenance. “And they will be honored”: through Allah’s reward.
“In gardens of bliss, seated on couches facing one another”: none of them will see another’s back.
“A cup will be passed around among them”: that is, a vessel containing a drink. It is not called a cup unless it contains a drink; otherwise, it is simply a vessel. “From a flowing spring”: wine flowing openly in rivers, visible to the eyes.
“White”: al-Hasan said, “The wine of Paradise is whiter than milk.” “Delightful”: that is, delicious, “to those who drink it.”
“It will cause them no ill effect”: al-Shaʿbi said, “It will not overcome their minds and take them away.” Al-Kalbi said: sin. Qatadah said: stomachache. Al-Hasan said: headache.
The scholars of language said: An ill effect is a corruption that comes about secretly. One says, “He undermined him,” when he secretly spoils his affair. Worldly wine produces various harmful effects, including intoxication and loss of reason, stomachache, headache, vomiting, and urination. None of these is found in the wine of Paradise.
“Nor will they be intoxicated by it”: Hamzah and al-Kisaʾi recited it with the letter zāy bearing kasrah; ʿAsim agreed with them in Surat al-Waqiʿah. The others recited it with the zāy bearing fathah in both places. According to the recitation with fathah, its meaning is that it will not overpower their minds and they will not become intoxicated. One says that a man has become drained when he becomes intoxicated. According to the recitation with kasrah, its meaning is that their drink will not be exhausted. One says that a man has exhausted his drink when his wine has run out.
“And with them will be companions restraining their gaze”: they keep their eyes lowered, restricting their gaze to their husbands and looking at no one else. “With large, beautiful eyes”: that is, possessing beautiful eyes. One says: a wide-eyed man, a wide-eyed woman, and wide-eyed women.
“As though they were sheltered eggs”: [the plural of egg] (1). “Sheltered”: preserved and concealed. The masculine plural forms “sheltered” and “eggs” are used because the expression is treated according to its wording.
Al-Hasan said: He likened them to ostrich eggs, which the feathers protect from wind and dust; their color is white tinged with yellow. It is said that this is the most beautiful complexion for women: that a woman be fair, with a tinge of yellow. The Arabs liken her to an ostrich egg.