Ibn Khalifah, from Salamah ibn Tamam—meaning: Abu 'Abd Allah al-Shaqari—said: "Muttaqa'an" in the language of the Abyssinians, they call the citron (al-turunj) "muttaqa'an."

11536 - My father narrated to us, Ibn 'Aishah and 'Ali ibn 'Uthman al-Lahiqi narrated to us, they both said: 'Abd al-Wahid—meaning Ibn Ziyad—narrated to us, Abu Rawq narrated to us, he said: I heard al-Dahhak regarding His saying: "And prepared for them a reclining place (muttaqa'an)," he said: Citrons after the meal. The narration is attributed to al-Lahiqi.

The second interpretation:

11537 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashaj narrated to us, Isma'il ibn 'Ulayyah narrated to us, from Abu Raja', from al-Hasan: "And prepared for them a reclining place," he said: Food. It was narrated from Mujahid, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, al-Suddi (in one of the narrations), and Qatadah (in one of the narrations) the same as that.

11538 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashaj narrated to us, he said: I said to Ibn Idris: Did you mention from your father, from 'Atiyyah: "And prepared for them a reclining place"? He said: Food, drink, and something to recline upon. I said: Who? He said: I heard my father mentioning it from 'Atiyyah. I said: Regarding what statement? He said: "And prepared for them a reclining place."

11539 - Ahmad ibn Sinan narrated to us, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi narrated to us, from Sufyan, from Mansur, from Mujahid, he said: Whoever recites it as "muttaqa'an" with a heavy emphasis (tashdid), it is food; and whoever recites it as "muttaqa'an" with light emphasis (takhfif), it is the citron.

The third interpretation:

11540 - My father narrated to us, Kathir ibn 'Ubayd al-Madhhiji narrated to us, Mu'awiyah ibn Hafs narrated to us, from Ibrahim al-Taymi—meaning: Ibrahim ibn al-Zibriqan—from Abu Sinan, from al-Dahhak: "And prepared for them a reclining place," he said: We used to say, when we were boys, it is the "bazmaward" (a type of sweet).

11541 - My father narrated to us, Yahya al-Himmani narrated to us, Mu'awiyah ibn Hafs narrated to us, from Abu Rawq, from al-Dahhak: "And prepared for them a reclining place," he said: The "barmaward."

The fourth interpretation:

11542 - Abu 'Abd Allah al-Tahrani narrated to us, Hafs al-'Adani informed us, from al-Hakam, from 'Ikrimah regarding His saying: "And prepared for them a reclining place," he said: Everything that is cut with a knife. It was narrated from 'Ubayd ibn Sulayman and 'Ali ibn al-Hakam, from al-Dahhak, similar to that.