وُجوهٌ يَومَئِذٍ ناعِمَةٌ
Some faces on that day will be joyous.
EXEGESIS
Wujūh (faces) has been explained earlier in the surah under the Exegesis of verse 2.
Nāʿimah (joyous) is an active participle from naʿīm, a blessing or that which causes joy. Nāʿimah denotes a state rather than a momentary expression. Abdel Haleem, therefore, translates nāʿimah as ‘radiant with bliss’.
EXPOSITION
On that day again refers to the Day of Judgement. This radiance and joy in some faces will either be the result of what is given in the next verse – pleased with their endeavour, or perhaps – and more likely – now a permanent demeanour and state because of their immersion in God’s bounties. Radiant and joyous, the manifest blessings of God will constantly be apparent on them due to the subtlety and light of their immateriality, possessing beauty and handsomeness and magnificence and resplendence (bahjah): You will perceive in their faces the freshness of bliss (83:24).
In contrast to verses 2-7 which described the wretched, the surah now describes the faithful in a like-for-like manner. If the faces of the faithless will be humbled (verse 2) then the faces of the faithful will be joyous. If the wretched will be toiling and weary (verse 3), the faithful will be pleased with their endeavour in this world (verse 9). If the wretched drink from a boiling spring (verse 5), a flowing spring (verse 12) awaits the righteous, and so on.
Such contrasts of the felicitous versus the wretched on Judgement Day is commonly found in the Quran, such as the people of the right hand versus the left (56:8-9), those with bright faces versus those with darkened ones (3:106), those given their record of deeds in their right hand (17:71, 69:19, 84:7) versus those given in their left hand (69:25) or from behind their backs (84:10), and so forth.
The characteristics of faces in the hereafter (as mentioned under verse 2) are also given under 75:22-23, 80:38, and 83:24.
[1] Abdel Haleem, 88:8.
[2] Ibn Arabi, 2/427.
[3] Nawawi, 2/625.
[4] Mizan, 20/274.