وَعِندَهُم قاصِراتُ الطَّرفِ أَترابٌ

And with them will be maidens of restrained glances of a like age.

EXEGESIS

Qāṣirāt al-ṭarf (maidens of restrained glances): qāṣirāt comes from qaṣr, meaning shortness or restriction. It is the feminine plural of qāṣir, meaning one who falls short. Ṭarf comes from ṭaraf, literally meaning the side of something. Ṭarf is used for the movement of the eye to the side, and when used in the context of looking at something it means a glance.^{‎[1]Raghib, p. 517.} Hence, qāṣirāt al-ṭarf literally means those whose glances are restricted, and it refers to the women of paradise who do not look to other than their husbands.^{‎[2]Tibyan, 8/573; Tabari, 23/112.}

Atrāb (of a like age) comes from tirb, meaning to enjoy (which in turn is derived from playing with sand, or turāb).^{‎[3]Zamakhshari, 4/100, argues the link to turāb is because those who are of the same age will return to the dirt at the same time; Shawkani, 4/503.} Atrāb is used only for women and means comparable, of like age as their spouses, none of them being old.^{‎[4]Tibyan, 8/573; Tabari, 23/112.} Some have said it means that they are of like age to each other.^{‎[5]Zamakhshari, 4/100; Qurtubi, 15/220; Mudarrisi, 11/384. Some have added that they are all thirty-three years of age.}

EXPOSITION

Not only are the people of heaven rewarded with food and drink, their other desires are sated too. This verse describes the spouses that they are to be given. Two qualities are attributed to those women; firstly, that they have restrained glances, meaning they are completely devoted to their husbands, desiring no one else than them. The second attribute continues the concept of devotion; the heavenly women are described as being of like age. This is because, in general, the love and connection between a couple who are of comparable age is greater.^{‎[6]Nemuneh, 19/316.}

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Rāzī suggests that the reason for the maidens of paradise being of like age is that they would not get jealous of each other.^{‎[7]Razi, 26/402.} Tabatabai says their likeness means that whenever their husbands would increase in piety and station, they would increase in beauty and goodness. So, the expression would mean of like status.^{‎[8]Mizan, 17/218.} Others have said atrāb may come from tarāʾib, which can have the meaning of breast-bones. In this case it would mean wide-chested.^{‎[9]Raghib, p. 165; Tantawi, 12/174.}

[1] Raghib, p. 517.
[2] Tibyan, 8/573; Tabari, 23/112.
[3] Zamakhshari, 4/100, argues the link to turāb is because those who are of the same age will return to the dirt at the same time; Shawkani, 4/503.
[4] Tibyan, 8/573; Tabari, 23/112.
[5] Zamakhshari, 4/100; Qurtubi, 15/220; Mudarrisi, 11/384. Some have added that they are all thirty-three years of age.
[6] Nemuneh, 19/316.
[7] Razi, 26/402.
[8] Mizan, 17/218.
[9] Raghib, p. 165; Tantawi, 12/174.