al-Raḥmān

مُتَّكِئِينَ عَلَی رَفْرَفٍ خُضْرٍ وَعَبْقَرِيٍّ حِسَانٍ

فَبِأيِّ آلَآء رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ

76. Reclining on couches covered by the best and the most beautiful green fabrics.

77. Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both [jinn and men] deny?

The blessed Verse 76 provides the last depiction of the Blessings in Paradise, saying that the inhabitants of the twain Paradises recline on couches covered by the best and the fairest green fabrics. The Arabic word rafraf originally denotes spread tree leaves, but it is figuratively applied to beautiful and colorful fabrics which are similar to garden landscapes. The word ‘abqari originally denotes any rare or unrivalled person or thing. Thus, the word is applied to scholars rare amongst people. It is also said that ‘Abqar was the name of a city in which silk fabrics were made.¹² The original sense is obsolete and the Arabic word ‘abqari refers to an ingenious person who is hard to find. The Arabic word hisan is the plural form of hasan denoting "good, beautiful."

In short, all these expressions reflect that all things in Paradise, including fruits, food, palaces, mansions, carpets, and couches are all the best and unrivaled in terms of quality. However, it is worthy of note that such expressions may not fully express such great and unique concepts but they solely reflect shadows of them same. The blessed Verse 77 poses the oft-repeated rhetorical question for the last time:

"Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both [jinn and men] deny?"

It is saying that immaterial or even material Blessings in this world or Blessings of Paradise have encompassed you, but at times, owing to vanity and neglect, you consign them to oblivion and forget the One Who bestows all these Blessings and also those which you expect to fall into your share in future. Which of these Blessings do you deny?

Footnotes

1. 12. Abu al-Futuh Razi's Tafsir.