قَواريرَ مِن فِضَّةٍ قَدَّروها تَقديرًا

Crystal of silver – [from] which they dispense in a precise measure.

EXEGESIS

Qawārīr (crystal) is the plural form of qārūrah, which is a cylindrical cup made of glass or crystal that holds a drink or other (28:44).^{‎[1]Lisan, 5/87.} The expression qawārir min fiḍḍah can be literally translated as ‘crystal cups of silver’.^{‎[2]According to Qummi, 2/399, the silver will be transparent.} The question of how a cup can be at once both crystaline and silver has been approached in a number of ways. Some have said that its crystaline property is as pure as silver without being made of it. In other words, it is as if to say: crystal cups with the purity of silver.^{‎[3]Tabrisi, 10/621-622.} Others have taken insight from a narration from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) that informs that both silver and glass will be transparent in paradise.^{‎[4]Tabrisi, 10/621.} In turn, they understood that qawārīr were transparent silver cups. Another narration attributed to Ibn Abbas offers a different angle. He says that glass cups are made from the sand of their land and the sand of paradise is silver. For this reason, its qawārīr are like silver.^{‎[5]Tabrisi, 10/622.} In line with this, it is said that the superiority of the qawārīr of paradise to those of our world is greater than the superiority of silver to sand.^{‎[6]Razi, 30/751.}

Qaddarūhā (they dispense it) comes from the root qadara, which, in this context, means to apportion or dispense. It means that the abrār will be served their drinks with crystal goblets, shaped exactly as they had hoped for and in the very measure that they had desired. The fashioning and fill of the crystal goblets will reflect their good deeds in this life^{‎[7]Safi, 5/263.} and their rank in heaven.^{‎[8]Qummi, 2/399.} Finally, the amount of drink which the inhabitants of heaven desire is based on spiritual yearning and not physical thirst (20:117-119).

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) is reported to have said: ‘Eyes can see through the silver of paradise as they can see through glass.’^{‎[9]Tabrisi, 10/621.}

[1] Lisan, 5/87.
[2] According to Qummi, 2/399, the silver will be transparent.
[3] Tabrisi, 10/621-622.
[4] Tabrisi, 10/621.
[5] Tabrisi, 10/622.
[6] Razi, 30/751.
[7] Safi, 5/263.
[8] Qummi, 2/399.
[9] Tabrisi, 10/621.