وَأَصحابُ اليَمينِ ما أَصحابُ اليَمينِ

And the people of the right hand – what are the people of the right hand?

EXEGESIS

Yamīn is the same as maymanah in verse 8. The difference might be that verse 8 refers to the cause of why they will receive their book of deeds from the right side, or why they will stand on the right side on the Day of Judgement: because they were people of felicity and blessing (yumn).^{‎[1]Furqan, 28/71.} The same goes with shimāl and mashʾamah in verses 41 and 9, respectively. It may also be that maymanah and mashʾamah concern the position of the two groups, while yamīn and shimāl concern the giving of the books of deeds. Then the order of the verses would be in accordance with the order of events on the Day of Resurrection: the groups are first separated by their position (into maymanah and mashʾamah), and then it comes to receiving their books, which will be either by the right hand (yamīn) or the by the left hand (shimāl).^{‎[2]Razi, 29/404.}

EXPOSITION

This group of verses describe the second group in the hereafter, which are the people of the right hand. They will be saved and felicitous on the Day of Judgement, though their rank will be lower than the close ones. Elsewhere in the Quran, these two groups have not been set apart from one another, but are mentioned as one group altogether.

They are called the people of the right hand as the right side is the symbol of the right path and all good: The day you will see the faithful, men and women, with their light moving swiftly before them and on their right (57:12); the day when Allah will not let the Prophet down and the faithful who are with him. Their light will move swiftly before them and on their right. They will say: ‘Our Lord! Perfect our light for us, and forgive us! Indeed You have power over all things’ (66:8).

They are described as those who free the slaves and feed the needy and orphans on the days of hardship (90:13-16), while being one of those who have faith and who enjoin one another to patience, and enjoin one another to compassion. They are the people of the right hand (90:17-18). They are the only ones who are not taken hostage for their deeds: Every soul is hostage to what it has earned, except the people of the right hand (74:38-39).

[1] Furqan, 28/71.
[2] Razi, 29/404.