“21–28. Those who believed and whose descendants followed them in faith—We shall unite their descendants with them, and We shall not detract from their deeds in any way. Every person is held in pledge for what he has earned. * We shall provide them with fruit and meat of whatever they desire. * There they will pass around among themselves a cup in which there is neither idle talk nor sinful speech. * Youths belonging to them will circulate among them, as though they were well-protected pearls. * They will turn to one another, asking each other questions. * They will say, ‘Before this, while among our families, we were fearful. * Then Allah bestowed His favor upon us and protected us from the torment of the scorching wind. * Before this, we used to call upon Him. Indeed, He alone is the Most Kind, the Most Merciful.’”
Part of the perfection of the bliss enjoyed by the people of Paradise is that Allah will join their descendants [to them]—those who followed them in faith. That is, those who joined them through the faith originating from their fathers, so that the descendants followed them in faith. This applies all the more when their descendants followed them through faith originating from themselves. Allah will join the descendants mentioned here to the stations of their fathers in Paradise, even though they did not attain those stations themselves. This will be a reward for their fathers and an increase in their recompense. At the same time, Allah will not diminish the fathers’ reward for their deeds in any way.
Since someone might mistakenly suppose that the same applies to the people of Hell—that Allah will join their children and descendants to them—He informs us that the two abodes are not governed by the same rule. Hell is the abode of justice, and part of His justice, Most High, is that He punishes no one except for a sin. He therefore says: “Every person is held in pledge for what he has earned,” meaning that each person is held accountable for his own deeds. No bearer of burdens shall bear another’s burden, nor will anyone be made to bear another person’s sin. This is a parenthetical statement, one benefit of which is to dispel the misconception just mentioned.
His statement, “And We shall provide them,” means: We shall supply the people of Paradise, out of Our vast bounty and abundant provision, “with fruit”—including grapes, pomegranates, apples, and every kind of delicious fruit beyond what they require for basic nourishment—“and meat of whatever they desire,” meaning every kind they request and their souls desire, including the flesh of birds and other meats.
“There they will pass around among themselves a cup,” meaning that goblets of pure wine will circulate among them and they will partake of them together. Immortal youths will circulate among them carrying cups, pitchers, and goblets. “In which there is neither idle talk nor sinful speech,” meaning that in Paradise there is no idle speech, which is speech containing no benefit, nor sinful speech, which involves sin and disobedience. Once both are excluded, the third state is established: all their speech there will be peaceful, wholesome, and pure, bringing pleasure to souls and joy to hearts. They will enjoy the finest fellowship and the most pleasant conversation, and they will hear nothing from their Lord except that which delights their eyes and signifies His pleasure with them [and His love for them].
“Youths belonging to them will circulate among them,” meaning young servants, “as though they were well-protected pearls,” because of their beauty and radiance. They will move among them, serving them and attending to all their needs (1). This indicates the abundance and vastness of their bliss and the perfection of their ease.
“They will turn to one another, asking each other questions” about the affairs and circumstances of worldly life. “They will say,” [mentioning] and explaining what brought them to their present happiness and joy: “Before this,” meaning in the worldly abode, “while among our families, we were fearful,” meaning afraid and apprehensive. Out of fear of Him, they therefore abandoned sins and rectified their shortcomings.
“Then Allah bestowed His favor upon us” through guidance and divine enablement, “and protected us from the torment of the scorching wind,” meaning the punishment of fiercely intense heat.