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dhawātā ʾafnānin
Both abounding in branches.
— Ali Quli Qarai
55Ar-RaḥmānالرحمنVerse 48 of 78
The Beneficent55. Ar-Raḥmānالرحمن
al-Raḥmān
The All-beneficent
MedinanVerse 48 of 78
55Ar-RaḥmānالرحمنVerse 48 of 78
The All-beneficent
Both abounding in branches.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah al-Rahman - Verses 48-51
48. [Gardens with trees] with spreading and fresh branches [with diverse Blessings].
49. Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both [jinn and men] deny?
50. In those two Gardens shall two springs be flowing.
51. Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both [jinn and men] deny?
These blessed Verses depict the two Gardens in Paradise saying that they have different Blessings and trees with fresh branches. The Arabic word dhawata is dual and designates "having, owing." The Arabic word afnan is the plural of fanan denoting:
"fresh branch"
and also "kind, type." The word may connote both senses in the blessed Verse 48, namely it may refer to fresh branches of trees in Paradise which are unlike trees in this world which may have old, dead, or fresh branches and it may also make a reference to the diversity of Blessings in Paradise. Both applications are accurate, though the trees in Paradise might be different in that one single tree might have different branches with different kinds of fruit.
The blessed Verse 49 reiterates the rhetorical question:
"Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both [jinn and men] deny?"
Since a verdant garden is supposed to have trees and flowing springs, the blessed Verse 50 is saying that:
"In those two Gardens two springs shall be flowing."
Addressing jinn and men, the blessed Verse 51 repeats the question:
"Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both deny?"