Pearls

Drawn from the waters as brilliant earthly jewels, pearls (lulu) serve as the text's primary visual standard for untouched purity and lasting adornment. Before they are used as heavenly comparisons, they are noted as physical signs coming forth from the seas in large and small varieties (55:22). Across the seven verses where the term appears, their physical earthly harvest is mentioned only once; the remaining passages locate them entirely within the final reward, defining both what the inhabitants of Paradise will wear and the pristine nature of those who attend them.

How are believers adorned in Paradise?

Entering lasting Gardens graced with flowing streams, those who believe and do good deeds receive precise physical adornments. The text pairs their silken garments with bracelets made of gold and pearls (22:23). This promise is reiterated identically later, emphasizing that they will enter lasting Gardens where they will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls, wearing silk (35:33). This establishes such ornaments not as temporary earthly luxuries, but as the permanent, guaranteed fixtures of the heavenly estate for all admitted.

What is the difference between lulu and marjan?

When detailing the earthly waters from which these jewels emerge, the Quran states that both lulu and marjan come forth from them (55:22). Early linguistic authorities and exegetes scrutinized the distinction between these two terms. Abu Ubaydah categorized marjan specifically as the smaller pearls, noting its singular form is marjanah (مجاز القرآن, 2/ 244). Conversely, the compilation of early exegesis records the view of Mujahid that lulu refers to the large pearls, while marjan designates the small ones (موسوعة التفسير المأثور, 21/ 103). Ibn Juzayy observes that while some scholars held lulu to be the large jewels and marjan the small, others argued the exact reverse (تفسير ابن جزي التسهيل لعلوم التنزيل - ط الأرقم, 2/ 328). Regardless of the precise size allocation, both emerge as brilliant, varied signs of divine provision.

Who is described as scattered or hidden pearls?

Beyond physical jewelry, the pearl operates as a simile for the pristine companions and attendants of Paradise. The companions of the Gardens are likened to rubies and brilliant pearls (55:58), and specifically to "hidden pearls" (56:23). The devoted youths waiting upon the believers receive the identical comparison to hidden pearls (52:24). This recurring descriptor emphasizes a state of being completely sheltered, preserved, and untouched by elements that might otherwise dull a jewel's luster.

When these youths circulate among the inhabitants to serve them, the visual metaphor shifts from static to dynamic. The text states that if one were to look upon these everlasting, attending youths, one would think they were "scattered pearls" (76:19). Explaining this specific visual detail, Abu Hafs al-Nasafi records the aesthetic observation of Sufyan al-Thawri: pearls look their most beautiful when they are scattered rather than strung closely together (التيسير في التفسير - أبو حفص النسفي, 15/ 151).

The inhabitants of the Gardens recline wearing their silken garments and pearl bracelets, while the everlasting youths attending them move through the space, appearing to the eye as brilliant pearls scattered across the gathering.