النص المفهرس

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 78 - 82
فُعِلِيْنَ ﴿٧٩﴾ وَعَلَّمُنْهُ صَنْعَةَ لَبُوُسِ لَّكُمْ لِتُحْصِنَكُمُ مِّنُ بَأُسِكُمُ=
فَهَلُ أَنْتُمُ شكِرُونَ ﴿٨٠﴾ وَلِسُلَيْمِنَ الرِّيْحَ عَاصِفَةٌ تَجْرِىُ بِأَمْرِهٍ إِلَى
الْأَرْضِ الَّتِىُ بَرَكُنَا فِيُهَا وَكُنَّا بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عِلِمِيْنَ ﴿٨١﴾ وَمِنَ
الشَّيْطِيْنِ مَنْ يَّغُوُصُوْنَ لَهْ وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلاً دُوْنَ ذُلِكَ وَكُنَّا لَهُمُ
y
حفِظِيْنَ ﴿٢﴾
And (remember) Dawud and Sulayman, when they were
adjudicating about the tillage, when the goats of the
people wandered therein grazing, and We were witness
to their judgment. [78] So, We enabled Sulayman to
understand it. And to each one of them We gave wisdom
and knowledge. And with Dawud We subjugated the
mountains that proclaimed the purity of Allah, and the
birds as well. And We were the One who did (it). [79]
And We taught him making of armour as dress for you,
to protect you from what may harm you (in combat). So
are you grateful? [80] And for Sulayman, (We
subjugated) the violent wind that blew under his
command to the land in which We placed Our blessings.
And We were the One who knew everything. [81] And
from the devils, (We subjugated for him) those who
dived in water for him and did jobs other than that. And
We were the One who kept watch over them. [82]
Commentary
- the goats of the people wandered therein grazing) نَفَشَتُ فِيْهِ غَنَمُ الْقَوْمِ
21:78). In Arabic language the word Aa (translated above as 'wandering
and grazing') means an animal getting into a field at night and damaging
it.
So We enabled Sulayman to understand it - 21:79). This) فَفَهَّمُنْهَا سُلَيُمْنَ
expression means that Allah Ta'ala had made known to Sayyidna
Sulayman &Cal the judgment which was better. Although the judgment
passed by Sayyidna Dawud Skal was not in conflict with religious
jurisprudence, but the one adjudged by Sulayman Mal was inspired by
Allah and was therefore, more appropriate because it benefitted both the
parties without hurting either.

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Imam Baghawi Jw Ull As, has reported this story on authority of
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4 and Qatadah and Zuhri that two persons came
to Sayyidna Dawud 89 . One of them had a flock of goats and the other
one owned a field on which he grew crops. The latter made a complaint
against the former that his goats entered his field at night and ate up his
crop (It appears that the respondent had accepted the petitioner's
complaint and presumably the value of the flock of goats was equal to the
value of the crop). Thus Sayyidna Dawud
announced his judgment
that the owner of the goats should give his entire flock to the other man
in compensation for his loss. (This judgment was in line with the religious
jurisprudence which requires that if goods valued by a price are destroyed
by someone, the amount of compensation will be determined according to
that price. In this case, the value of the crop was the same as the value of
the flock; hence the judgment. When these two men i.e. the complainant
and the respondent, emerged from the court of Sayyidna Dawud Sel
they met Sayyidna Sulayman Sall at the door. He enquired from them
about the judgment of their case, which they related to him. After hearing
the judgment he remarked that if he were the judge in this case his
verdict would have been different, which would be to the benefit of both
parties. Then he went to his father Sayyidna Dawud Sel and repeated
the same thing. Thereupon Sayyidna Dawud &
-
enquired from him as
to what kind of verdict he had in mind which would be more beneficial to
both the parties. He replied that it would be more just and equitable if the
flock of goats is given to the owner of the field so that he could use to his
own benefit their milk, wool etc. and his field is given to the goats-man
who should cultivate it and grow crops in it. When the field returns to the
same condition in which it was before it was eaten by the goats, then the
two men should get back their respective properties. Sayyidna Dawud
approved this judgment, called back the two men and announced the
second judgment to them. (Mazhari, Qurțubi, etc.)
Can the verdict of a Judge (Qadi) be changed or annulled after it
has been announced?
It will be observed that Sayyidna Dawud Med had pronounced a
judgment which he revoked after hearing the views of Sayyidna
Sulayman &&l. Here a question arises whether a Qadi (Judge) has the
authority to change his own verdict pronounced by him earlier.

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Qurtubi has discussed this and similar matters in great detail, the gist
of which is that where a Qadi (Judge) has given a verdict which is in
conflict with the religious jurisprudence or is contrary to the views held by
the people at large, then, by consensus of the Ummah, such a verdict is
not valid. Then it is not only permissible but mandatory on any other
Qadi (Judge) to nullify the verdict and to issue a fresh judgment in line
with religious jurisprudence, and also to remove the incompetent Qadi
from his position of authority. But, if the judgment of a Qadi is based on
religious jurisprudence and Ijtihad (!) then it is not permissible for
any other Qadis (Judges) to revoke that judgment, because if this is
allowed, the whole judicial system will collapse and Islamic Law will
become a plaything in the hands of different people. However, if a Qadi,
after passing a verdict according to the dictates of Ijtihad realizes that he
had erred in his earlier judgment and Ijtihad, then it is allowed, rather
preferable, that he himself should change the verdict. In a detailed letter
which Sayyidna 'Umar 4
wrote to Abu Musa al-Asha'ri de elaborating
the principles governing the administration of justice and disposal of court
cases, he said that in case Ijtihad ( ?! ) changes after announcing a
judgment then the judgment should be changed to conform to the
changed Ijtihad (2) (This letter is reported by Dar Qutni).
According to great commentator (امام تفسير) Mujahid رحمه الله تعالى both the
judgments are bona fide and correct in their own respective right. The
verdict passed by Sayyidna Dawud &del was strictly judicial, whereas the
judgment made by Sayyidna Sulayman &Ya was in the nature of a
وَالصُّلُحُ خَيْرٌ compromise between the two parties. The Holy Qur'an itself says
(And compromise is better - 4:129). That is why the second judgment was
praised by Allah Ta'ala. (Mazharī)
Sayyidna 'Umar 4
had instructed all his Qadis (Judges) that when a
dispute was raised before them, they should try to arrange a compromise
between the parties. If a compromise was not possible, only then they
should pass their judgment according to religious jurisprudence. The
advantage in following this procedure, as he described it, was that in a
legal judgment the loser has no option but to accept it, but at heart he
develops a sense of hostility and hatred against his rival which is not
healthy between the two Muslims. On the other hand, in the case of a
compromise between the contesting parties, the element of hatred and ill

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will is removed. (From Mu'in al-Hukkam)
Therefore, according to the explanation propounded by Mujahid ,
"les al it was not a case of revoking or changing an earlier verdict, rather
a compromise was willingly agreed between both the parties to the
dispute, before they left the court.
If two Mujtahids by their separate Ijtihad pass two conflicting
verdicts, should both be regarded as valid or should one of them
berejected?
A number of commentators have discussed this subject briefly or in
detail whether all Mujtahideen
(files) be regarded as correct in their
judgment (4) and two opposing verdicts be taken as valid or, in case of
conflict, one judgment be accepted and the other rejected. Qurtubi has
dealt this subject in great detail. Religious scholars have held different
views on the subject from the very beginning, while projecting their
reasoning. All have derived support for their views from this very verse.
Those who support the argument that even conflicting verdicts are valid
وَكُلاَّ أَنَّيِّنَا حُكُمًا وَّعِلْمًا base their reasoning on the last sentence of the verse viz
(And to each one of them We gave wisdom and knowledge - 21:79). The
sentence points out in clear terms that Allah Ta'ala had bestowed wisdom
and knowledge to both Sayyidna Dawud ( and Sulayman (l), and
there is no admonition to the former, nor is he warned for any error on his
part. Therefore it proves that both the judgments given by Sayyidna
Dawud Sel and Sulayman &E were correct and valid. However, the
judgment given by Sulayman
was preferred because it was
advantageous to both the parties. As for those who argue that in the
event of an Ijtihadi (sol ;- ) difference only one judgment can be correct
and the other must be rejected as invalid, they too offer the first sentence
of this very verse i.e. SuL Qua (So, We enabled Sulayman to
understand it - 21:79) in support of their argument. They say that there is
a specific reference to Sulayman Seel, to whom the correct decision was
revealed by Allah. It, therefore, follows that the verdict announced by
Sayyidna Dawud Ma was not right even though he might have arrived
at this decision through his Ijtihad ( ?! ) and was, therefore, free from
all blame. This subject has been discussed in great detail in the books of
jurisprudence. Here one should keep in mind that the Holy Prophet
has said that if some one did Ijtihad (21) and gave a decision in

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accordance with the religious principles governing Ijtihad 21, and his
Ijtihad is correct, he will be granted two rewards one for the the labour
involved in making the Ijtihad, and the other for arriving at the right
decision. But if he erred in his Ijtihad he would still get one reward for
just his labour. (This Hadith is reported in most books of authoritative
ahadith). This Hadith also explains that the difference among the
scholars on this issue is one of semantics only .
For those who believe that both the conflicting judgment are valid, the
consequences are that for the erring Mujtahid wy as well as his
followers that Ijtihad %! is correct and acting upon it will lead to their
salvation. As for the view that only one verdict is correct and the other is
wrong, the consequence of that also is no more than that the reward of
the erring Mujtahid will be lesser because his Ijtihad fell short of the
absolute right decision. However, he will be free from all blame and his
followers will not be regarded as sinners. (Those who wish to see further
details on the subject are advised to refer to Qurtubi's commentary, where
the subject is discussed in great detail).
The question of animals of a person harming another person or
damaging his property
One can deduce from the verdict passed by Sayyidna Dawud el
that if the animals of someone damage the property of a person at night,
the owner of the animals will have to compensate the suffering party for
his loss. However, it does not follow that a verdict given in accordance
with the legal code of Sayyidna Dawud &ya must ipso facto be adopted in
the Shari'ah of the Holy Prophet @ also. This is why there is a difference
of opinion among the cardinal jurists on this issue. The ruling given by
Imam Shafif رحمه الله تعالى says that if someone's animals damage the fields
of another person at night, the owner of the animals will have to
compensate for the loss, but if the animals damage the field during day
time, then there shall be no compensation due on the owner of the
animals. This ruling can be said to be drawn from the judgment of
Sayyidna Dawud &Cel also, but, in fact he has based his ruling on a
saying of the Prophet Muhammad , which has been reported in
Muwatta' of Imam Malik as Mursal (J43). This hadith concerns an
incident in which a camel belonging to Sayyidna Bara' Ibn 'Azib.
entered someone's orchard and damaged it. The matter when reported to

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the Holy Prophet
, he ruled that the responsibility for protecting these
fields and orchards at night rested on the owners, but if in spite of all
reasonable measures adopted by them, the animals damaged the crop,
then the owner of the animals shall be required to compensate for the
loss. On the other hand the Imam Azam Abu Hanifah Js dll , and
other jurists of Kufa School hold the view that if the owner or the
shepherd is with the animals, and yet they damage the field or the
orchard due to his negligence, then the compensation for the loss rests
with the owner irrespective of whether the damage is caused during day
or night. But where unattended animal wandered into somebody's field
damaging the same without any negligence on the part of the owner,
then the owner of the animals will not be held liable for compensation,
regardless of the time of day or night when the damage is caused. Imam
جرح العجماء has based this ruling on the Hadith رحمه الله تعالى Abu Hanifah
(the wound caused by an animal is not compensated) which is
reported by Bukhari and Muslim and all other Scholars of Hadith. It
means that the owner of the animal is not bound to compensate the owner
of the field for any loss caused by his animal (provided that the owner or
the shepherd is not with the animal at the time of the damage). This
saying has set the rule that irrespective of the time of day or night, if the
animal has not been let loose deliberately by its owner into somebody's
field and the animal has escaped, then the owner is not liable to make
good the loss caused by his animal.
Glorification of Allah by birds and mountains
And with Dawud We subjugated) وَسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاؤدَالْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحُنَ وَالطَّيْرَ وَكُنَّا فُعِلِيْنَ
the mountains that proclaimed the purity of Allah, and the birds as well.
And We were the One who did (it) - 21:79.) Allah Ta'ala had granted
Sayyidna Dawud M& a melodious voice among the other outward
absolute excellences. When he used to recite Zabur the birds would stop in
their flight and join him in recitation. In the same way the mountains
and the trees used to produce sounds as if they were singing praises to
glorify Allah. A melodious voice was an external attribute granted to him
by Allah and the joining with him of the birds and the mountains in
praising Allah with him was a miracle. Now, for a miracle to happen it is
not necessary that the birds and the mountains must necessarily possess
life and intelligence; rather a miracle can give intelligence and knowledge

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to those objects which were without these attributes earlier. However
.scientific research has proved that rocks and mountains do have life and
knowledge to a limited extent.
Among the companions Sayyidna Abu Musa al-Ash'ari 400 had a very
sweet voice. Once the Holy Prophet
passed by him when he was
reciting the Holy Qur'an. The Holy Prophet
stopped and listened to the
recitation. Then he
remarked that Allah Ta'ala had granted him the
sweet voice of Dawud Seal . When Abu Musa
learnt that the Holy
Prophet g had been listening to his recitation, he said" Had I known that
you were listening, I would have tried to recite with greater care".
The art of making armor was granted to Sayyidna Dawud Sey by
Allah Ta'ala
And We taught him making of armor as dress for) وَعَلَّمُنْهُ صَنْعَةَ لَبُوُسٍ لَّكُمْ
you - 21:80) Lexically, the word ' is used for anything which is worn in
the neck for protection. Here it is used for armor which is used in battle
for protection against enemy. In another verse Allah Ta'ala says J di,
u-JI that is 'We softened for him iron'- 34:10). This means that either the
iron used to become soft like wax in Sayyidna Dawud's &E hands or he
was taught to heat it up to make it soft and then mould it, a practice
which is used in the foundries today.
Skills beneficial to humanity are desirable and are like acts of
prophets
The above verse also explains the benefit of the industry of the armor
making i.e. ◌ُلِتُحصِنَكُمُ مِّنُ بَأْسِكُم (to protect you from what may harm you [in
combat] - 21:80). This is a need which is felt universally both for religious
and worldly purposes. That is why Allah Ta'ala has said that He had
taught this skill to Dawud &Cel which was a gift to him. It therefore
follows that the learning and teaching of any skill which serves the need
of people is an act of virtue, provided it is meant for the good of people,
and not merely for the monetary gain. Different prophets are known to
have been engaged in different skills in their time. For instance Sayyidna
'Adam NE used his skill in farming. The Holy Prophet
said that an
industrialist producing his product with the intention of serving people is
like the mother of Musa See who fed her own child and also got paid for
her services. Similarly, an industrialist who sets before him the service of
humanity as his ideal draws double benefit - one for serving people and

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the other in the form of material gain from marketing his industrial
products.
Making the air subservient to Sulayman al and related matters
Hasan al-Başri J Ul , has narrated the following story. Once
Sayyidna Sulayman de was inspecting his cavalry horses and got so
engrossed in the inspection that he missed the 'Asr prayer. When he
realized his lapse, he was very sorry, and removed these horses from
service since they were the cause of this lapse. As this action was taken to
win the goodwill of Allah and to atone for his negligence, Allah rewarded
him by making the wind subservient to him, which is a superior and
faster conveyance. Details of this event will appear with the commentary
of the relevant verses of Surah Sad (y) inshallah .
And for Sulayman [We subjugated] the violent wind) وَلِسُلَيُمْنِ الْرِّيْحَ عَاصِفَةٌ
- 21:81) This sentence is a continuation of an earlier verse 5;15 @ low (And
with Dawud We subjugated - 21:79). Thus it means that just as Allah
Ta'ala had made birds and hills subservient to Dawud Scal who used to
sing in praise of Allah while he recited the Zabur, in the same way He
made the wind subservient to Sulayman Sal who used to fly on its wings
swiftly wherever he wanted to go. It is worth noting here that while
describing subservience of birds and hills for Dawud MA the word
(with) has been used, but the subservience of wind for Sulayman el
has been described using the letter y (which means 'for'). In this there is
a subtle hint that the subservience in both these cases was different. In
the case of Dawud See the birds and hills used to sing praise of Allah
with him simultaneously without any command from him. But in the case
of Sulayman SEE the wind acted according to his commands and carried
him where and when he desired. (Ruh ul-Ma'ani, with reference to Al-Baidawi).
Ibn Kathir in his commentary has described in fair detail the platform
on which Sayyidna Sulayman Me was carried by the wind. It was made
of wood and was of an enormous size which could accomodate him and all
the functionaries of the government as well as the army alongwith their
weapons, and the wind carried them all wherever it was commanded to
go, covering two month's journey in one day.
Ibn Abi Hatim has narrated on the authority of Sayyidna Said Ibn
Jubair 4
that 600,000 six hundred thousand chairs were placed on this

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platform on which humans who were also believers sat in front with
Sayyidna Sulayman Mal and behind them sat the believing Jinns. Then
the birds were commanded to fly above the platform and protect it from
the heat of the sun. Then by the command of Sulayman Sel the wind
would take the platform to a specified destination. Some traditions report
that throughout this aerial journey, Sulayman Sal used to sit with his
head bowed down praying to and thanking Allah Ta'ala in all humility
and not turning his head to the right or to the left.
.is strong and violent wind رِيحٌ عَاصِفَة violent) Literal meaning of) عَاصِفَةٌ
At another place in the Holy Qur'an the attribute of this wind is given as
U; which means a mild breeze, which neither raises dust nor creates
turbulence. On the face of it, these attributes are contradictory, but they
can be reconciled in that whereas in itself it was so strong that it could
accomplish two month's Journey in one day, yet it did not create any
turbulence. It is reported that when this platform used to fly in the air, no
birds were ever harmed due to velocity of the wind.
Subservience of Jinns and satans to Sulayman
And from the) وَمِنَ الشَّيْطِيْنِ مَنْ يَّغُوُصُونَ لَه، وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلاً دُوُنَ ذلِكَ جٌ وَكُنَّا لَهُمُ لحِفِظِيْنَ
devils, (We subjugated for him) those who dived in water for him and did
jobs other than that. And We were the One who kept watch over them. -
21:82) That is, Allah made the satan jinn subservient to Sulayman Sel
and they used to dive in the rivers fishing pearls for him. Apart from this,
they used to perform other jobs for him, some of which are mentioned in
other verses.
That is ("Fashioning for him يَعُمَّلُوُنَ لَهُ مَا يَشَاءُ مِنُ مَّحَارِيُبَ وَتَمَاثِيلَ وَ جِفَانٍ كَالْجَوَابِ
whatsoever he would - places of worship, statues, porringers like
water-troughs - 34:13). Sulayman &Cel also used to put them to hard
labour and make them work in different projects.
Satans
These are ethereal beings made of fire, who possess intelligence and
understanding and are obligated to follow the laws of Shari'ah like
humans. Those beings who fulfill these conditions are described by the
word Jinn, while those among them who disobey the rules of Shari'ah
and persist in their unbelief are called satans. It is obvious that all Jinns
were made subservient to Sayyidna Sulayman 8Ca whether they were

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believers or unbelievers. However, the believers regarded it as their
religious duty to obey his wishes even before they were formally placed
under his command, and there was no need to make a specific mention of
their being placed under subservience to Sulayman 89. Hence in the
context of the Jinns being made subservient to Sayyidna Sulayman el
the reference is to satans (unbelieving Jinns) only. They were made to
obey him despite their unbelief and defiance. Perhaps, it is for this reason
that a sentence is added at the end of the verse saying, "We alone kept
watch over them". Sulayman && was exposed to danger from the
unbelieving Jinns, but Allah was his protector and they could do him no
harm.
It will be observed that while in the case of Sayyidna Dawud Scel
Allah Ta'ala had made subservient to him things which are extremely
hard and dense, like iron and mountains, Sulayman &Cel was given
mastery over things which are ethereal and cannot even be perceived e.g.
wind and Jinn. This shows that He is omnipotent and that His authority
extends over all created things. (Commentary by Ra'zi)
Verses 83 - 84
وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادِى رَبَّةَ آنِّىُ مَسَّنِىَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنْتَ ارْحَمُ الرّحِمِيْنَ ﴿٨٣﴾
فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِ مِنْ ضُرٍّ وَّاتَيْنَهُ أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُمُ مَّعَهُمُ
رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِنْدِنَا وَذِكُرِى لِلْغِدِينَ ﴿٤﴾
And (remember) Ayyub, when he called his Lord saying,
"Here I am, afflicted by pain and You are the most
merciful of all the merciful." [83] So, We answered his
prayer and removed whatever pain he had, and gave
him (back) his family and the like thereof alongwith
them, as a mercy from Our own Self and as a lesson for
the worshippers. [84]
Commentary
Story of Sayyidna Ayyub Šal
The story of Sayyidna Ayyub Ma is based mostly on Jewish legends.
Those which are considered as historically reliable by scholars of hadith
are being reproduced here. The Holy Qur'an tells us only that he suffered

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from some serious disease but he endured his suffering with fortitude.
Ultimately he prayed to Allah for recovery which was granted. During his
illness all his family members and friends disappeared. They either died
or just abandoned him to his fate. Then Allah Ta'ala restored him to
complete health and gave him back all his children and also an equal
number in addition. The remaining elements of this story have come
down to us either through authentic sayings or by way of historical
accounts. Hafiz Ibn Kathir has recorded the story as follows:
Allah Ta'ala had bestowed upon Sayyidna Ayyub &el, in the early
days of his life, all sorts of material comforts such as wealth, property,
magnificent houses, children, servants and attendants. But later he faced
a trial whereby the prophets are normally tested by Allah, and was
deprived of all these comforts. Moreover he suffered from a serious disease
which was like leprosy and which affected his whole body except the
heart and the tongue. In this miserable condition too he spent his time in
prayers and in giving thanks to Allah Ta'ala with his heart and tongue.
Because of this serious illness all his relatives, friends and neighbors
avoided him and placed him near a garbage-dump outside the city.
Nobody went near him except his wife who used to take care of him. She
was either the daughter or grand daughter of Sayyidna Yusuf Seal and
her name was Layya daughter of Misha Ibn Yusuf &H . (Ibn Kathir) All
his wealth having been lost, she worked and earned a living for him and
for herself and also nursed him in his illness. The ordeal of Sayyidna
Ayyub
was nothing new, nor something to be wondered at. The Holy
Prophet
has said اشدّ النّاس بلاء الانبياء ثمّ الصّالحون ثمّ الامثل فالامثل that is the
prophets face the most severe tests, and then come the other believers
according to their degree of piety. In another tradition it is reported that
every man is tested according to his adherence and devotion to religion.
The stronger his beliefs, the harder is the test to which he is subjected, so
that his rewards are in proportion to his sufferings. Sayyidna Ayyub Sel
occupies a distinctive position among all the prophets for firmness in his
devotion and endurance in his sufferings in the same manner as Dawud
all enjoyed distinction for offering thanks to Allah Ta'ala. Sayyidna
Ayyub &gel is a model of endurance and fortitude in the most trying
circumstances. Yazid Ibn Maisara reports that when Allah Ta'ala
deprived him of all his worldly possessions and subjected him to a severe
ordeal, he concentrated all his mind and efforts upon the sole purpose of

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 83 - 84
remembering Allah Ta'ala and offering prayers to Him. While thanking
Allah Ta'ala for all sorts of worldly comforts and children granted to him
ealier and whose love had filled his heart completely, he also thanked
Him for their total withdrawal because nothing remained to distract him
from total devotion to Allah Ta'ala.
The invocation of Sayyidna Ayyub ca
is not counter to patience
The ordeal of Sayyidna Ayyub
was very severe indeed. He not
only lost all his worldly possessions but was also afflicted by a terrible
disease because of which people avoided his company. He spent seven
years and some months lying near a garbage dump outside the city, but
never once did he lose his heart nor did he ever utter a word of complaint
about his fate. His wife, Layya once asked him to pray to Allah for His
Mercy as his sufferings had become unbearable, to which he replied that
having enjoyed for seventy years the best of health surrounded by all the
luxuries that money could buy, it would be unworthy of him to complain
because a mere seven years has been spent in pain and poverty. His firm
prophetic resolve, self-descipline and fortitude prevented him from
beseeching Allah Ta'ala's mercy on his condition, lest it should be
construed as an act contrary to the unquestioning submission to the will
of Allah Ta'ala (Although to invoke Allah's Mercy for relief from
sufferings does not mean absence of fortitude). Ultimately something
happened which made him pray to Allah Ta'ala for His Mercy but as
mentioned earlier this was just a prayer and did not express a sense of
complaint. As such Allah Ta'ala has put His seal in acknowledgment of
his extreme endurance in these words إِنَّا وَجَدُنَاهُ صَابِرًا (Surely We found him
a steadfast man - 38:44). There are numerous versions of this story which
have been omitted for their length.
Ibn Abi Hatim has reported on the authority of Sayyidna 'Abdullah
Ibn 'Abbas 4
e that when Sayyidna Ayyub's &el supplication was
granted, he was told to rub his heels on the ground and a stream of fresh
and clear water would gush forth. He should then bathe himself in the
water and also drink it, and the disease would disappear. Sayyidna
Ayyub &
did as he was told and in no time his body, which was covered
with boils and was reduced to skin and bones regained its original shape
and health. Allah Ta'ala sent him garments from Paradise which he wore

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 85 - 86
and sat down in a corner away from the garbage dump. His wife came to
see him as usual and when she did not find him, she started crying. She
did not recognize Ayyub Sua who was sitting nearby in a corner because
his appearance had changed completely. Then she turned to him and
asked him if he had any information about the sick man who was lying
there, and whether he had gone somewhere or had been eaten up by
dogs and wolves. She spoke to him for some time without realizing that
the man was none other than her husband. Then Sayyidna Ayyub
revealed himself, but even then she did not recognize him and asked him
why he was making fun of her. Sayyidna Ayyub Sel then told her to
look at him again and try to recognize him. He also informed her that
Allah Ta'ala had healed his body after he invoked His Mercy. Sayyidna
Ibn 'Abbas 44% reports that after this, Allah Ta'ala restored to him all his
wealth and children and gave him more children equal in number to the
children which he had before (Ibn Kathir).
Sayyidna Ibn Mas'ud 400 says that Sayyidna Ayyub & had seven
sons and seven daughters but they all died while he was undergoing the
ordeal. When his days of hardship were over, his children were brought
back to life by Allah Ta'ala and his wife also gave birth to as many more
children, to which the Qur'an refers to as Af, (and the like thereof
alongwith them - 21:84). According to Tha'labi this version is closer to the
text of the Qur'an. (Qurtubi)
Some scholars say that he was granted as many new children as he
had before and the word je, (the like) refers to an equal number of grand
children. (Only Allah knows best).
Verses 85 - 86
وَإِسْمْعِيْلَ وَإِدْرِيْسَ وَذَا الْكِفْلِ كُلُّ مِّنَ الصُّبِرِيْنَ ﴿٨٥﴾ وَ
اَدْخَلْتُهُمُ فِىٌ رَحُمَتِنَا ﴿ إِنَّهُمُ مِّنَ الصَّلِحِيْنَ ﴿٨٦﴾
And (remember) Ismail and Idris and Dhul-Kifl. Each
one of them was of those who observed patience. [85]
And We admitted them to Our mercy. Surely, they were

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 85 - 86
of the righteous. [86]
Commentary
Whether Sayyidna Dhul-Kifl was a prophet or a saint and his
strange story
Three persons are mentioned in the above two verses. Out of these
three there is no doubt about the prophethood of Sayyidna Ismail el
and Sayyidna Idris &
as they are mentioned in the Qur'an as such
several times. Ibn Kathir is of the opinion that the mention of the name of
Sayyidna Dhul-Kifl alongwith the other two prophets in the above verse
shows that he too was a prophet. However, some other versions do not
include him in the category of prophets. They say that he was a saint or a
pious person.
Imam of Tafsir Ibn Jarir J All das, has reported on the authority of
Mujahid w Ull , that where Sayyidna Yasa' && (who is referred to
as a prophet in the Holy Qur'an) became old and weak, he thought of
appointing some one who could perform the duties of a prophet on his
behalf during his life time. He assembled all his companions for this
purpose and told them of his desire to appoint someone who would act as
his deputy but who must fulfill three conditions namely that he should
fast all the year round, should spend the nights in prayers and does not
ever lose his temper. A relatively unknown person who was held in
contempt by the people, stood up and offered himself for the job. Sayyidna
Yasa' Sdel asked him whether he fasted all the year round, spent his
nights in prayers and never lost his temper. The man replied in the
affirmative and confirmed that he fulfilled all the three conditions.
Perhaps Sayyidna Yasa' Sal did not believe his claim and rejected him.
After a few days Sayyidna Yasa' S
reconvened the meeting and
repeated his conditions and asked his companions if any of them met the
requirements. Everyone remained seated but the same man stood up
again and claimed that he fulfilled the three conditions. Then Yasa' Sel
appointed him his deputy. When Satan realized that Sayyidna Dhul-Kifl
had been selected as a deputy to Yasa' ME he asked all his aides to go to
Sayyidna Dhul-Kifl and inveigle him into doing something which would
result in his removal from the post of deputy. All his aides excused
themselves and said that he was beyond their power to harm. The Satan
(Iblis) then said "Alright, leave him to me. I will take care of him."

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 85 - 86
Sayyidna Dhul-Kifl, true to his claim, used to fast during the day and
pray the whole night and had a little nap in the afternoon. Satan went to
him just when he was about to take his afternoon nap and knocked at the
door. He got up and enquired who was there. The Satan replied "I am an
old tortured man". So he opened the door and let him in. The Satan came
in and started a yarn about the cruelty and injustice which he suffered at
the hands of his community and relatives. He stretched the story so long
that no time was left for Sayyidna Dhul-Kifl to take his usual nap. So, he
told the old man (Satan) that he should come to him at the time when he
came out, and he would cause justice to be done to him.
Later on Sayyidna Dhul-Kifl sat in his court and waited for the old
man but he did not turn up. Next morning he again waited for the old
man in his court but again he did not come. Then in the afternoon when
he was about to have his nap, the old man came and started beating at
the door. He enquired who he was, and the Satan replied again - "an old
tortured man" so, he opened the door and asked him "Didn't I tell you to
come to my court yesterday but you failed to appear, nor did you come
this morning?" To this the Satan answered "Sir, my enemies are very
wicked people; when they learnt that you were sitting in your court and
would force them to give back to me what was my due, they agreed to
settle the matter out of court. But as soon as you left your court, they
went back on their promise". Sayyidna Dhul-Kifl asked him again to come
to his court when he was there. All this conversation continued for such a
long time that he could not have his usual nap on that day also. He then
went to the court and waited for the old man, who again did not turn up.
The next day again he waited for him until late in the noon but to no
avail. When he returned home on that day, he was very sleepy because of
lack of sleep for last two days. Therefore, he asked the family members
not to allow any one to knock at the door. The old man came again and
wanted to knock at the door but the family members stopped him, so he
entered the house through a ventilator, and started knocking at the door
of his room, Sayyidna Dhul-Kifl got up again and saw that the old man
had come inside the house while the door was still closed. So he asked him
as to how he had entered the house.
Then suddenly he became aware that the man standing before him

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was Satan and asked him "Are you the God's enemy Iblis?" He admitted
that he was Satan and remarked, "You have thwarted all my plans and
frustrated all my efforts to entice you in my design. My intention was to
make you angry somehow, so that one of your claims before Yasa' Sel
could be proved false." It was because of this episode that he was given
the title Dhul-Kifl, which means a person who is true to his covenant and
performs his duties faithfully, and this title was fully deserved by him.
(Ibn Kathir)
Another narrative is quoted in Masnad of Ahmad but has the name of
the person Alkifl instead of Dhul-Kifl. That is why Ibn Kathir has
observed after quoting this narrative that he was a different person and
not Dhul-Kifl, who is mentioned in this verse. The narrative is as follows:
Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar
has reported that he had heard a
hadith () from the Holy Prophet
not once, but more than seven
times that there was a man by the name Kifl among the Bani Isra'il who
did not abstain from any type of sin. Once a woman came to him and he
persuaded her to have sexual intercourse with him on payment of sixty
guineas. When he got down to start the intercourse, the woman started
crying and trembling. So he enquired from her as to what the matter was
because he had not used any kind of force on her. The woman replied
that the cause of her distress was that she had never in all her life
committed adultery and that it was only her adverse circumstances which
had forced her to agree to the act. Hearing this the man got up and told
her to go away and keep the money he had given her. He also promised
her that he would never again indulge in any sin. Then it so happened
that he died the same night and in the morning it was seen that there
was a hidden writing on his door that Kifl had been pardoned by Allah
JASU aurie. Ibn Kathir observed after quoting this from Masnad of Ahmad
that none of the six authentic books on hadith has reported this tradition
and its authority is weak. Even if the tradition is true, it mentioned the
name as Kifl and not Dhul-Kifl, which means he was some other person.
(Allah knows best).
The sum and substance of this story is that Dhul-Kifl was the deputy
of Prophet Yasa' Bed and it is possible that because of his virtuous deeds

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 87 - 88
his name has been mentioned along with prophets. It is also possible that
initially he was the deputy of Sayyidna Yasa' && and later on he was
elevated to the status of a prophet by Allah Ta'ala.
Verses 87 - 88
وَذَا النَّوْنِ إِذْ ذَّهَبَ مُغَاضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَنْ لَّنُ نَّقُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادِى فِى
جصلے
الظُّلُمْتِ آَنْ لََّ إِلهَ الَّ أَنْتَ سُبُحِنَكَةُ إِنّىُ كُنْتُ مِنَ الظُّلِمِيْنَ ﴿٨٧﴾
فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَه،" وَنَجَُّنْهُ مِنَ الْغَمِّ، وَكَذلِكَ نُنْجِى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٨٨﴾
And (remember) Dhunnun (the man of the fish, namely
Yunus), when he walked away in anger and thought
that We will never put him to trouble. Then, he called
(Us) in depths of darkness saying, "There is no god but
You. Pure are You. Indeed I was among the wrongdoers".
[87] So We responded to him and rescued him from the
distress. And this is how We rescue the believers. [88]
Commentary
The story of Sayyidna Yunus Ibn Matta X appears in (21:87) وَذَا النُّون
the Holy Qur'an in Surah Yunus, Surah Al-Anbiya', Surah As-Saffat and
Surah Nun. At some places he is mentioned by his real name and at
others by the title as Dhunnun or Sahibul Hut. The meaning of Nun and
Hut both is fish. Thus, Dhunnun and Sahibul Hut can be translated as
man of the fish. Sayyidna Yunus & remained inside the stomach of a
fish for a few days in very odd circumstances by the will of Allah. It is
because of this episode that he is sometimes referred to as Dhunnun or
Sahib Al-Hut.
The Story of Yunus See
According to the commentary by Ibn Kathir, Sayyidna Yunus
was sent to preach Allah's message among the people of Nineveh which is
a township in the region of Mousel. Sayyidna Yunus
invited them
towards Islam and asked them to follow the true religion and perform
good deeds, but they rejected his call and behaved in an arrogant and
defiant manner. Being dejected and annoyed, Yunus & left the place
after warning them that Allah's wrath would descend upon them within
three days. After he had departed from the township, the people realized

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 87 - 88
that his warning might come true. (According to some versions they had
actually seen the signs of the impending disaster). So they repented and
asked pardon for their sins and the entire population retired to a forest
with their cattle and animals. Then they started lamenting and bewailing
and invoked Allah's forgiveness and protection. Allah Ta'ala accepted
their sincere contrition and wailing over their sins and released them from
the fear of the impending disaster. While all these events were taking
place, Sayyidna Yunus die waited expecting the news about the
destruction of his people. But when he learnt that the storm had passed
and his people were safe and sound, he worried that they would regard
him as a liar. According to some versions, it was customary with his people
to execute a person if he was proved a liar. (Mazharī). Sayyidna Yunus
Kell, therefore, feared for his life and decided to go away to some other
place rather than returning to his own people. He came across a river on
his way and boarded a boat to cross it. While crossing the river it so
happened that the boat was caught in a whirlpool and was in danger of
sinking. The boatmen decided that if one of the passengers was off loaded
from the boat the chances were that the rest of them would be saved from
drowning. So they cast lots to decide as to who should be off-loaded. As
luck would have it they drew the name of Sayyidna Yunus
. It seems
that the boatmen were aware of his exalted position and they refused to
throw him in the river. The lot was drawn a second and then a third time
and his name was drawn on both occasions. This episode has been
فَسَاهَمَ فَكَانَ :mentioned elsewhere in the Holy Qur'an in the following words
and cast lots, and was of the rebutted - 37:141). Thereupon) مِنَ الْمُدُحَضِيُنَ
Sayyidna Yunus Sel got up, took off the extra clothes which he was
wearing and threw himself in the river. Immediately a fish from the
Caspian Sea arrived on the scene as commanded by Allah Ta'ala and
swallowed Yunus
. (as reported by Ibn Mas'ud 4%). The fish was further
commanded by Allah Ta'ala that he was not to be taken for food, that no
harm was to be done to his body (both flesh and bones) and that he was
only to be held as a prisoner in its stomach for a few days. (Ibn Kathir)
There are references in the Qur'an that Sayyidna Yunus Seal earned
Allah Ta'ala's displeasure when he left his people without His specific
command and his stay for a few days in the stomach of the fish was a sign
of Allah's displeasure for his lapse.

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Sūrah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 87 - 88
It is safe to assume that the warning of Sayyidna Yunus &SA to his
people about their imminent destruction within three days was not the
outcome of his own judgment but was based on Divine revelations.
Similarly, his dissociation from his people was nothing new and was in
line with the practice of other prophets in similar situations and must,
therefore, also have been done by the command and approval from Allah
Ta'ala. So, upto this point there seems nothing to be wrong in his conduct
which would deserve Allah Ta'ala's displeasure. But later on when Allah
Ta'ala accepted the genuine remorse and repentance of the people and
released them from the fear of destruction, it was to be expected that
Yunus &de would return to his people. But his decision not to return to
them and go away from them was based on his own judgment (21). He
reasoned that if he returned to them, they would regard him as a liar and
his teachings would be rendered ineffectual and fruitless. There was also
the danger that he might have been taken and executed. For these
reasons he was hopeful that his parting with his people would not be a
reprehensible act before Allah Ta'ala. Although his decision to migrate
was based on his personal judgment (Ijtihad >4 ;- ) without waiting for a
clear direction from Allah Ta'ala, yet it did not constitute a sin.
Nevertheless for a prophet to take a decision on his own without waiting
for the revelation (5) from Allah Ta'ala was not liked by Him. This was
not a crime but an act which was not desirable. The status of the prophets
and His closed ones is highly exalted and it is expected of them not to
indulge even in such undesirable acts. The slightest lapse on their part is
subjected to Allah's displeasure and reproach from Him, and that is why
he faced this hardship.
It is quoted in Tafsir al-Qurtubi from al-Qushairi that this had
happened to Yunus ME when the tempest was removed from his people,
which was against his wish and that his stay in the stomach of the fish
for a few days was more of a reformatory measure than punishment, as
sometimes people warn their young children and take reformatory
measures against them. (Qurtubi)
After learning the background of the episode it would be easier to
understand the meanings of the verses which is as follows.
Likes Css (he walked away in anger 21:87) It is obvious that the anger
was against his own people. Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4
has explained it as
such.

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Surah Al-Anbiya' : 21 : 89 - 90
(21:87 - and thought We will never put him to trouble) فَظَنَّ أَنْ لَن نُقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ
Lexically the word was has three different meanings: If it is derived from
ful the meaning would be that Sayyidna Yunus & imagined that Allah
Ta'ala would not be able to gain mastery over him. This is obviously an
unacceptable explanation as no Muslim can ever entertain such thoughts
in his mind, least of all a prophet of Allah. Alternatively if it is considered
that the word jaa is derived from juf then the meaning would be to
straighten or narrow down, as the Qur'an says:
Allah extends provision to whom He) اللهُ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَقُدِرُ لَه،
wills and straitens it.) The Imams of Tafsir Ata', Said Ibn Jubair, Hasan
Basri and many other scholars have adopted this interpretation, and
therefore the meaning of the verse would be that Yunus Seal thought
that he would not be put in a straitened condition by Allah Ta'ala if he
abandoned his people. This second explanation is adopted by most
commentators (and the translation of the text as appeared above is based
on it). The third possibility is that ,Ja is a derivative of gas in which case
the verse would mean that Yunus a
was sure that he would not be
blamed if he dissociated himself from his people. Qatadah, Mujahid and
Farra' have adopted this explanation.
The prayer of Yunus &# is invoked by all people at all times and
for all their needs
(.21:87 - And this is how We rescue the believers) وَكَذلِكَ نُنُجِى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
That is, just as We released Yunus Seal from his misery and distress, so
do We deliver other believers
('') when they turn towards Us
repenting their sins sincerely.
According to a hadith of the Holy Prophet
if a Muslim prays to
Allah Ta'ala for the grant of a wish in the words used by Yunus El
لَّ إِلَّهَ إِلَّ أَنْتَ سُبْحِنَكَ إِنّى كُنتُ مِنَ الظُّلِمِينَ .when he was in the stomach of the fish i.e
(21:87) He would accept his prayer and grant his wish. (Ahmad, Tirmidhi,
Mazharī)
Verses 89 - 90
جصلے
وَزَكَرِيَّا إِذْنَادِى رَبَّهْ رَبِّ لاَتَذَرُنِىُ فَرُدًا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْوَرِثِيْنَ ﴿٨٩﴾
فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَه، " وَ وَهَبْنَا لَهْ يَحْنِى وَأَصْلَحُنَا لَهْ زَوْجَهْد ◌ِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا