A017
Surah: 056 - Ayah: 017
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56:17
Wisdom 13: A bright proof of the presence of the higher "I" and the Permanent Soul of the people in Paradise is huris (pure maidens with big beautiful eyes), ghilman (young attendants), and wildan (youths) (56:17, 22; 52:24). These subtle creatures, with their countless beauties, are like living houses of Paradise and their existence there is pre-eternal and post-eternal, because Paradise and all its bounties were created in pre-eternity, as the Qur'an says in these wisdom-filled words: (a) "There wait on them immortal youths." (56:17), (b) Huris cloistered in pavilions (veil of pre-eternity)" (55:72), (c) The collective meaning of verses (56:35-38) is that the people of the right hand and their wives will be pre-eternally and post-eternally young, lovely and coeval. But, in reality, God has done this in the pre-eternity itself.
Wildan mukhalladun (Youths of paradise)
It is said in verse (56:17): "There wait on them immortal youths." These are intellectual ghilman whose work is to provide the sublime bounties of intellect and true love for the muqarrabon (those who are close to God). They will always remain youthful in paradise, and a great secret is hidden in this.
Wildan mukhalladun (Eternal youths)
This term “eternal youths” shows clearly that the higher “I” of man is always in paradise. (56:17).
Wildan mukhalladun (Eternal youths of paradise)
Who are these eternal youths (56:17; 76:19) of paradise? They are the wisdom and symbol of eternity and immortality (khulud). In one way they come to this world and in another they do not, just like the ocean, the centre of water, which both rests at its own place as well as revolves on its circle.
Yatufu (He goes/will go round)
It is an aorist from tawf and tawaf, which means to circumambulate a great personality or a sacred place. It is mentioned in verse (56:17): "There go round them immortal youths." These are the ghilman of the intellect and knowledge of the supreme paradise. Who are they in reality? When were they born? How? Why do they circumambulate? Can there be hidden the great secret of the circle of beginninglessness and endlessness in their circumambulation? Are you yourself not that secret?
Q52 In verse (56:17) eternal youths (wildanum-mukhalladun) are mentioned. Who are they? Since when do they exist? Whence have they come? Do they belong to the world of ibdac or to the world of creation? Are they subtle or dense?
A52 These eternal youths are the people of paradise and they are the symbol and wisdom of “eternal life” (50:34). The people of paradise are initially the people of this world. When they die, they are renewed in the subtle body and are ushered into paradise. Initially they are related to the world of creation. Later on when they receive the subtle body, they become ibdaci. They are in paradise eternally and they also come to this world and are born. Therefore they have two “I’s”, the higher “I” and the lower “I” (6:99; 56:17).
There are handsome youth in Paradise, who always remain youthful (56:17; 76:19). Think carefully: Where do these youths come from? If they are born from human beings, then definitely their birth-place has to be this world and according to the unchangeable law of nature (30:30), they would have been born from mixed sperm (76:2). Certainly, this is true, but the point worth pondering on is that Paradise is above time and space and therefore those men and women who enter Paradise find themselves as everlasting youths. This is an explanation of the law of eternal life (al-khulud, 50:34).
This verse has been referred 3 times.