يُطَافُ عَلَيْهِم بِصِحَافٍ مِّن ذَهَبٍ وَأَكْوَابٍ ۖ وَفِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِيهِ ٱلْأَنفُسُ وَتَلَذُّ ٱلْأَعْيُنُ ۖ وَأَنتُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ 71
Translations
Circulated among them will be plates and vessels of gold. And therein is whatever the souls desire and [what] delights the eyes, and you will abide therein eternally.
Transliteration
Yutaafu alayhim bi-sihaafin min dhahab wa-akwab. Wa-feeha ma tashtagheehi al-anfus wa-talazzul al-ayun. Wa-antum feeha khalidun.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the blessed servants of Allah in Paradise being served with plates and cups of gold filled with whatever their souls desire and what delights their eyes, while they dwell therein eternally. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this depicts the abundance and eternal nature of Paradise's blessings, emphasizing that the delights are both physical (food and drink) and spiritual (the joy of beholding divine favors), surpassing all worldly comprehension and desire.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Az-Zukhruf's depiction of Paradise as a reward for the righteous believers. The surah, revealed in Mecca during the early period of Islam, contrasts the eternal pleasures of Paradise with the temporary ornaments of worldly life, encouraging believers to prioritize the Hereafter over material possessions.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'In Paradise, there are things which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has ever thought of' (Sahih Bukhari, Book of Riqaq). Additionally, Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet described Paradise's food and drink as never diminishing despite continuous consumption (Sunan Tirmidhi).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to shift their focus from temporary worldly pleasures and material luxuries to the eternal rewards awaiting them in Paradise through obedience to Allah. It serves as a powerful motivational reminder that the true measure of success lies not in earthly acquisitions but in securing endless blessings in the Hereafter.
Related Ayahs
وَقَالُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَ ٱلسَّاحِرُ ٱدْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ بِمَا عَهِدَ عِندَكَ إِنَّنَا لَمُهْتَدُونَ
And they said [to Moses], "O magician, invoke for us your Lord by what He has promised you. Indeed, we will be guided."
وَلَمَّا جَآءَ عِيسَىٰ بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ قَالَ قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِٱلْحِكْمَةِ وَلِأُبَيِّنَ لَكُم بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى تَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ ۖ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ
And when Jesus brought clear proofs, he said, "I have come to you with wisdom [i.e., prophethood] and to make clear to you some of that over which you differ, so fear Allāh and obey me.
فَأَهْلَكْنَآ أَشَدَّ مِنْهُم بَطْشًا وَمَضَىٰ مَثَلُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
And We destroyed greater than them in [striking] power, and the example of the former peoples has preceded.
وَنَادَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ فِى قَوْمِهِۦ قَالَ يَـٰقَوْمِ أَلَيْسَ لِى مُلْكُ مِصْرَ وَهَـٰذِهِ ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِىٓ ۖ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ
And Pharaoh called out among his people; he said, "O my people, does not the kingdom of Egypt belong to me, and these rivers flowing beneath me; then do you not see?