Sura 56, Al-Waqiah (That Which Must Come To Pass), Mecca Period

The Quranic Text & Ali’s translation:

لِّأَصْحَابِ الْيَمِينِ ﴿٣٨﴾

56: 38.  For the companions of the Right Hand.

[li asha-bil yamin]

ثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ الْأَوَّلِينَ ﴿٣٩﴾

56: 39.  A (goodly) number from those of old,

وَثُلَّةٌ مِّنَ الْآخِرِينَ ﴿٤٠﴾

56: 40.  And a (goodly) number from those of later times.

Asad’s translation:

(56:38) with those who have attained to righteousness: 15

(56:39) a good many of olden times,

(56:40) and a good many of later times. 16

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Ali’s comments:

5241. This class-the righteous-will be a large company in Heaven, belonging to all the ages of the world. Cf. n. 5228 to 56:13 above. Such is the unbounded Bounty of Allah.

Asad’s comments:

15 I.e., equal in dignity with all other inmates of paradise. As regards the term atrab (sing, tirb), rendered above - as well as in 38:52 and 78:33 - as "well-matched", there is no doubt that it primarily denotes "[persons] of equal age" (a meaning adopted by most of the commentators); however, as pointed out by all philological authorities, this term is also used in the sense of "[persons] equal in quality", that is, "well-matched" : a significance which, to my mind, is eminently appropriate here inasmuch as

it is meant to stress the equal excellence of all who have attained to righteousness, whether they be men or women; or, alternatively, the equal attraction towards one another and, thus, a mutual fulfilment of their spiritual and emotional needs; or both of the above meanings.

16 In contrast with "the foremost", who have always been "drawn close unto God" - and of whom there are less and less as time goes on (see note 4 above) - there will always be many of those who attain to righteousness after initial stumbling and sinning (see note 10).