فَوَقاهُمُ اللَّهُ شَرَّ ذٰلِكَ اليَومِ وَلَقّاهُم نَضرَةً وَسُرورًا

So Allah saved them from the ills of that day, and granted them freshness and joy.

EXEGESIS

Laqqāhum (he granted them) actually means ‘he received them’.^{‎[1]Tabrisi, 10/621.} Hence, God will cast away from the abrār all the afflictions of Judgement Day. He will receive them such that they will have resplendent faces on a day when most faces will be marked with despondence and gloom (75:22-24).^{‎[2]Mizan, 20/128; Tahqiq, 10/229.}

Throughout verses 9-11, a subtle expression of moving beauty is communicated by an interplay of words that revolve around the idea of the face. Wajh allāh (God’s countenance – or more literally, God’s face), yawman ʿabūsan (a frowning day), and finally, laqqāhum naḍratan (received them welcomingly such that it made their faces resplendent), all share a common point: they are expressions of the face.

EXPOSITION

This verse describes the final destiny of the abrār. With resplendence in their faces and joy in their hearts,^{‎[3]Tabari, 29/132.} they are saved from the predominant ills of the last hour (22:2, 73:17).

Verses 12-22 delve into the description of paradise. Ibn Abbas has said: ‘All that God has mentioned in the Quran about what lies in paradise and that is described by name does not have an equal in this world. However, God has described it with the name with which it can be known.’^{‎[4]Tabrisi, 10/622.} This reality must always be kept in mind when seeking to advance an understanding of any Quranic description of paradise (2:25).

[1] Tabrisi, 10/621.
[2] Mizan, 20/128; Tahqiq, 10/229.
[3] Tabari, 29/132.
[4] Tabrisi, 10/622.