Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Insan -> Vessels of Silver and Drinking Cups

Allah says,

﴿وَيُطَافُ عَلَيْهِمْ بِـَانِيَةٍ مِّن فِضَّةٍ وَأَكْوابٍ﴾

(And among them will be passed round vessels of silver and cups of crystal) meaning, servants will go around them with containers of food made of silver and cups of drink. These are drinking vessels that do not have handles or spouts. Then Allah says,

﴿قَوَارِيرَاْقَوَارِيرَاْ مِن فِضَّةٍ﴾

((Qawarir) Crystal-clear, made of silver.) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and others have all said, "It (Qawarir) is the whiteness of silver in the transparency of glass.'' Qawarir is only made of glass. So these cups are made of silver, but due to their fine thinness, what is inside of them will be visible from outside of them (as if they are glass). This is among the things of which there is nothing like in this world. Allah said,

﴿قَدَّرُوهَا تَقْدِيراً﴾

(They will determine the measure thereof.) meaning, according to the amount that will quench their thirst. It will not be more than that nor less than it, rather it will be prepared in an amount that is suitable for quenching the thirst of their drinkers. This is the meaning of the statement of Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Abu Salih, Qatadah, Ibn Abza, `Abdullah bin `Ubayd bin `Umayr, Ash-Sha`bi and Ibn Zayd. This was stated by Ibn Jarir and others. This is the most excellent provision, distinction and honor.