Surah Al-Waqi'ah, Ayah 34

The Reward of Those on the Right After

Allah mentioned the final destination of those foremost in faith, the nearest to Him, He next mentioned the end of those on the right, the righteous believers. Maymun bin Mihran said that those on the right side are lesser in rank than the foremost in faith. Allah said,

وَأَصْحَـبُ الْيَمِينِ مَآ أَصْحَـبُ الْيَمِينِ

(And those on the right -- how (fortunate) will be those on the right) who are those on the right, what is their condition and what will their final destination be like Allah next answers this question by saying,

فِى سِدْرٍ مَّخْضُودٍ

((they will be) among Sidr Makhdud.) Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Ibn Al-Ahwas, Qasamah bin Zuhayr, As-Safr bin Nusayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, `Abdullah bin Kathir, As-Suddi, Abu Hazrah and several others said, "The kind without thorns." And from Ibn `Abbas: "It is the one that is laden with fruits." This is also reported from `Ikrimah and Mujahid. Similar was also said by Qatadah as we mentioned. So it is the one with a full load of fruits without thorns. So it appears that both meanings apply here. The lote tree, of this life is thorny and carries few fruits. In the Hereafter, it is the opposite; it does not have thorns and carries plenty of fruit, the weight of which strains its trunk. `Utbah bin `Abd As-Sulami said, "I was sitting with Allah's Messenger ﷺ, when a bedouin came and said, `O Messenger of Allah! Have you heard about the tree that has more thorns than any other being in Paradise' Meaning the Talh tree. So Allah's Messenger ﷺ said:

وَفُرُ‌شٍ مَّرْ‌فُوعَةٍ (...and mattresses of high quality....56:34). The word rush is the plural of firash which means 'bed, couch, mattress'. The word marfu'ah lexically means 'upraised, elevated'. The couches could be upraised or elevated for one of several reasons: [ 1] because the place itself is high; [ 2] because the mattresses will not be on the ground, but on the thrones or beds; or [ 3] because the couches themselves will be thick (and of high quality). Some exegetes have taken the word 'rush' in the sense of 'women', because it is one of the meaning of 'firash' is referred as firash, as in the Prophetic Tradition اَلوَلَدُ لِلفَرَاشِ. 'The child belongs to the firash'. The word firash refers to 'wife'. This is corroborated by the characteristics of the women of Paradise described in the forthcoming verses. In this case, the word marfu` ah would mean 'high-ranking'.

The group at the forefront (as-sabiqun) will comprise of those who, immediately accept the Truth when it appears before them, and surrender themselves to it without hesitation. According to the Prophet’s wife, ‘A’ishah, the Prophet said, ‘Do you know, on the Day of Judgement, who will be the first to find a place in the protective shade of God?’ People said that God and His Prophet knew best. Then he said, ‘It will be those to whom Truth was presented and they accepted it. When Truth was demanded of them, they gave it. They gave the same decision with regard to others as they did with regard to themselves.’ (Tafsir ibn Kathir). In the early period of the call for Truth, for those who came forward and embraced Islam, it was a discovery. The generation coming after them, regarded Islam as a legacy. It is this difference between discovery and legacy which raises the status of first group over that of the second group. Naturally, the second group is larger in number than the first group. In the Hereafter, there will be ordinary rewards for the second group while, for the first group, there will be royal rewards.