Indexed OCR Text

522
Surah Şad : 38 : 30 - 33
According to this Tafsir, the word: 2 ('an: from or because) in: $
55 ('an dhikri-rabbi: from or because of the remembrance of my Lord) is
تَوَارَتْ :an sababiyah), and the pronoun in') عَن سَببيّه 'the 'an of cause
(tawarat: disappeared) is invariably reverting to horses, and: . (mash)
does not mean to cut, instead, it means to pass or wipe hands (over the
body of the horses) with affection.
Classical commentators like Hafiz Ibn Jarir Țabari, Imam Razī and
others have preferred this very Tafsir, because it is free from any possible
doubt about property being wasted.
In terms of the words of the noble Qur'an, there is room for both
explanations. But, since a marfu' Hadith has appeared in favor of the
first Tafsir, a Hadith that is hasan (good) as regards its authority,
therefore, it has become weightier and more acceptable.
The story of the return and resetting of the Sun
Some early interpreters have, while following the first Tafsir, also said
that soon after having missed the Salah of al-'Asr, Sayyidna Sulayman
prayed to Allah Ta'ala, or requested the angels, that the Sun should
be made to return. Accordingly, the Sun was returned and he was
enabled to perform his appointed Salah. After that, the Sun set once
again. These people take the pronoun in: Us; (rudduha: Bring it back to
me - 38:33) as reverting to the Sun.
But, investigative commentators, for instance, 'Allamah 'Alusi and
others have rejected this fictional approach, and have said that the
pronoun in: ws; (rudduha: Bring them back to me) is reverting to 'horses'
and not to the Sun - not because, refuge with Allah, making the Sun to
return is not within the power and control of Allah Ta'ala, but because
this story does not stand proved from the Qur'an and Hadith.
(Rūņ-ul-Ma'ānī)
In the event one neglects the remembrance of Allah, some
self-imposed penalty is in order as part of one's remorse
Anyway, this much does stand proved from the event that, should
there come a time when one happens to have been neglectful of the
remembrance of Allah, then, in order to punish one's aberrant self,
depriving it of some lawful thing is permissible. This, in the terminology of
the noble Sufis, is called: , (ghayrah: sense of honor or shame).

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Surah Şad : 38 : 30 - 33
(Bayan-ul-Qur'an)
Imposing such penalties on one's own self for the purpose of training
it to do what is good is a prescription of self-reform - and this event seems
to suggest its justification, in fact, recommendation. It has also been
reported from the Holy Prophet that, on a certain occasion, Sayyidna
Abu Jahm 4ee presented to him the gift of a Syrian throw-over shawl
having some sort of design embroidered or painted on it. He made his
Salah covering himself with this shawl. Then, he came to Sayyidah
،A'ishah رضى الله عنها and said to her, "Return this shawl to Abu Jahm,
because I happened to have cast a look at the design it had during the
course of my Salah, and this design would have almost thrown me into
some trial" (Ahkam-ul- Qur'an with reference to al-Muwatta' of Imam Malik).
Similarly, there is an incident related to Sayyidna Abu Talhah
diese .
Once, while making Salah in his fruit-farm, he happened to have turned
his attention to look at a bird, and as a result, his attention was diverted
away from the Salah (a contravention of the essential etiquette of Salah
being offered before Allah Ta'ala). After that, he gave the whole farm as
sadaqah (charity).
But one has to bear in mind that the penalty thought of for this
purpose should be permissible by itself. Wasting away some property for
no valid reason is not permissible. Therefore, no such action is correct as
would result in the wastage of property. Among the Sufis, the famous
Shibli Jw All das, had once burnt his clothes as part of this kind of
self-imposed penalty. But, the more discerning among Sufis, such as
Shaikh 'Abdul-Wahhab Sha'rani Ju Ul ), did not approve of that
action of his as correct and sound. (Ruh-ul-Maani)
The ruler should personally keep watching over the functions of
the state
The second line of conduct that emerges from this event is that the
person responsible for the affairs of the state or its high officials (who
share this responsibility with him) should personally keep watching over
their subordinate departments in a way that they never sit relaxed after
having passed on the trust to their deputies and assistants. This is the
reason why Sayyidna Sulayman Meall who had a host of subordinates at
his command, inspected the horses in person. This concern (to be

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Surah Şad : 38 : 34
personally vigilant against any malfunction of the state system) stands
proved also from the examples set by the rightly guided caliphs of Islam,
particularly from the practice of Sayyidna 'Umar
At the time of one act of 'ibadah (worship), engaging in another
is an error
The second line of conduct that stands proved from this event is that
the time of an ibadah that is already bound with a certain hour should
not be spent in getting busy with some other act of 'ibadah. It is obvious
that the inspection of horses prepared for Jihad amounted to a significant
act of worship in its own right. But, as this was not the time for this kind
of 'ibadah, rather, was the time of the prescribed 'ibadah of Salah,
therefore, Sayyidna Sulayman Seal counted this too as an error, for
which he made amends. Hence, Muslim jurists say that the way it is not
permissible to stay occupied with buying and selling activity after the
adhan (call for prayer) of Jumu'ah Salah, similarly, it is also not correct to
stay occupied with some chore other than the preparation for the
Jumu'ah Salah, even if it happens to be the 'ibadah of reciting the
Qur'an or making nafl salah.
Verse 34
وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا سُلَيْمُنَ وَالْقَيْنَا عَلى كُرُسِيّهِ جَسَدًا ثُمَّ أَنَابَ ﴿٣٤)
And We, indeed, tested Sulayman while We threw on his
throne a body after which he turned (to Us). [34]
Commentary
In this verse, Allah Ta'ala has mentioned yet another test of Sayyidna
Sulayman & with a simple statement saying that, during this test,
some body, or part of it, was put on the throne of Sayyidna Sulayman
Xe. As for what that body was and what its placement on the throne
means and how it was a test, these details are not available in the noble
Qur'an, nor are they proved from any Sahih Hadith. Therefore, some
authentic commentators, for instance, Ibn Kathir seems to incline to the
approach that anything the Qur'an has left ambiguous should be left as
is, without having to dig into its details. One should simply believe this
much that Allah Ta'ala had put Sayyidna Sulayman Sal to some test
after which he turned to Allah more than before - and the real purpose of

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Surah Şad : 38 : 34
the Qur'an stands accomplished by saying that which has already been
said.
Still, some commentators have tried to go after the details of this test,
and have come up with several probabilities in this connection. Some of
these probabilities happen to have been extracted exclusively from Judaic
narrations. For example, the story that secret of the power of Sayyidna
Sulayman MA was in his ring. On a certain day, the Satan got hold of
his ring, and ended up sitting on the throne of Sayyidna Sulayman
as the ruler looking like him. Forty days later, that ring of Sayyidna
Sulayman fall was retrieved from the belly of a fish. After that, he
regained his authority as the ruler once again. This narrative annexed
with additional tales appears in several books of Tafsir. But, Hafiz Ibn
Kathir, after identifying all such narratives as Judaic reports, writes in
his Tafsir:
"There is a group among the people of the Book that does not
believe in Sayyidna Sulayman ¿gal as a prophet. Therefore, it is
obvious, all these false tales have been forged by them" - Tafsir
Ibn Kathir, p. 36, v. 4.
Hence, labeling narratives of this nature as being the Tafsir of this
Qur'anic verse is not correct by any standard.
There is another event relating to Sayyidna Sulayman deal that finds
mention in the Sahih of al-Bukhari and elsewhere too. Finding some
parts of this event resembling the text of this verse, some commentators
have declared it to be the Tafsir of this verse. The gist of the event is that
once Sayyidna Sulayman Cal confided as to when he would go to his
wives, each of them would give birth to a boy who will carry out Jihad in
the way of Allah. But, while verbalizing his thought, he forgot to say:
Insha'Allah (If Allah wills) Allah Ta'ala did not like this slip coming from
his great prophet, and He proved this claim of his as false as only one out
of all his wives gave birth to a still child that had one side missing.
Some commentators have applied the anatomy of this event on this
verse, and have said that the expression: 'threw or put the body or its part
on the throne' means that some attendant of Sayyidna Sulayman
brought this body of the baby, and put it on the throne. Thereupon,
Sayyidna Sulayman got alerted, and he realized that it was the

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Sūrah Şād : 38 : 34
consequence of not saying: Insha'Allah on his part. Accordingly, he
turned to Allah and sought forgiveness for this slip.
Discerning commentators like Qadi Abu-s-Sa'ud, 'Allamah 'Alusi and
others have followed this Tafsir. Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanavi has also
gone by it in his Tafsir Bayan-ul-Qur'an. But, the reality is that even this
event cannot be called the Tafsir of this verse in a certain manner for the
reason that no Hadith narration that mentions this event has any
indication that the Holy Prophet
has ever mentioned it as part of his
explanation of the verse under study. Even Imam Bukhari has reported
this Hadith in his Kitab-ul-Jihad, Kitab-ul-Anbiya', Kitab-ul-Ayman
wa-n-Nudhur and elsewhere with various versions, but he has not
mentioned it under the head of the Tafsir of Surah Sad anywhere in his
Kitabu-t-Tafsir. In fact, he has reported another narration under the
verse : وَهَبُ لِىُ مُلْكًا (bless me with a kingdom - 38:35) (which follows
immediately next to the verse under discussion here) and has not made
any mention of this Hadith. This shows that, even in the sight of Imam
Bukhari, this particular event is not a Tafsir of the verse under study.
Instead, this too, like the several other events relating to the noble
prophets described by the Holy Prophet , is a separate event that does
not necessarily have to be the Tafsir of one or the other verse.
A third Tafsir is credited to Imam Razi and some others. According to
this Tafsir, once Sayyidna Sulayman Sal became very sick. He grew so
weak because of it that, at the time he was brought in to sit on the throne,
he gave the impression of a body without the soul. Later, Allah Ta'ala
enabled him to get well. At that time, he turned to Allah, expressed his
gratitude before Him, sought His forgiveness - and along with all that,
also prayed for an unmatched kingdom for himself in the future.
But, this Tafsir too is simply conjectural. It also does not carry much
congruence with the words of the noble Qur'an, and there is no proof for
it from any Hadith narration as well.
The reality is that there is no source with us to find out the certain
details of the event alluded to in the verse under study - nor are we
duty-bound to go about finding it. Therefore, we have zero in our faith on
this much that Allah Ta'ala had put Sayyidna Sulayman Sal to a certain
test after which his passion to return to Allah came out stronger than ever

527
Surah Şad : 38 : 35 - 40
before - and that the real purpose of the Qur'an in mentioning this event
is to invite all human beings to turn to Allah like Sayyidna Sulayman
as and when they face any distress or trial. As for the details of the
test and trial of Sayyidna Sulayman Steel, let these be entrusted with
Allah. Allah knows best.
Verses 35 - 40
قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْلِىُ وَهَبُ لِىُ مُلْكًا لاَّ يَنْبَّغِىُ لِأَحَدٍ مِّنُ بَعْدِىُّ إِنَّكَ
أَنْتَ الْوَهَّابُ ﴿٣٥﴾ فَسَخَّرْنَا لَهُ الرِّيْحَ تَجْرِىُ بِأَمْرِهِ رُخَاءً حَيْثُ
أَصَابَ ﴿٢٦ٌ﴾ وَالشَّيْطِيْنَ كُلَّ بَنَّاءٍ وَّغَوَّاصٍ ﴿٢٧) وَآخَرِيْنَ مُقَرَّنِيْنَ
فِى الْأَصُفَادِ ﴿٣٨﴾ هذَا عَطَآؤُنَا فَامُنُنُ أَوْ أَمُسِكُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
ع
﴿٣٩﴾ وَإِنَّ لَهْ عِنْدَنَا لَزُلْفِى وَحُسْنَ مَابِ ﴿٤﴾
He said, "O my Lord, forgive me, and bless me with a
kingdom that will not be available to anyone after me.
Surely, You are the Bountiful. [35] Then We subjugated
the wind for him that blew smoothly on his command
to wherever he wished, [36] and (We subjugated to him)
the satans (among Jinns), all builders and divers, [37]
and many others held in chains. [38] This is Our gift. So,
do favor (to someone) or withhold (it), with no
(requirement to give) account. [39] He has a place of
nearness in Our presence, and an excellent end. [40]
Commentary
It was said in verse 35:هَبُ لِىُ مُلْكَا لَا يَنْبَغِىُ لِأَحَدٍ مِّنُ بَعُدِى (bless me with a
kingdom that will not be available to anyone after me.). Some
commentators explain the sense of this prayer as 'let not a great kingdom
like mine belong to anyone else during my time.' In other words, they
take "min ba'di": or 'after me' in the sense of 'other than me.' Maulana
Ashraf 'Ali Thanavi has done his translation accordingly. But, with most
commentators, the sense of the prayer is: 'Even after me, let no one have
a kingdom as great as this.' Accordingly, so it happened. The kingdom
that Allah Ta'ala gave to Sayyidna Sulayman & was a kingdom the
like of which never became the lot of anyone else. The reason was simple.
The subjugation of the wind and the command over the genre of the Jinn

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Surah Şad : 38 : 35 - 40
were exclusive traits of his kingdom, and no kingdom that followed him
had these characteristics. There are some people who carry out mysterious
exercises ('amaliyyat) through which they are known to subjugate Jinns,
a phenomenon that does not fall contrary to this, because it cannot be
compared, in the least, to the subjugation of the jinn Allah had allowed
for Sayyidna Sulayman Sal. Moreover, these experts in 'amaliyyat are
able to make just about one or a few Jinns become obedient to them, but
the kind of wide spread kingdom that Sayyidna Sulayman && had was
not acquired by anyone.
Praying for office and power
At this place, it should be borne in mind that no prayer made by the
noble prophets is made without the will and permission of Allah Ta'ala.
Sayyidna Sulayman & had made this prayer too by the will and
permission of Allah Ta'ala. And since some bland seeking of power was
not his aim, rather the driving desire to implement Divine laws and the
passion to make truth triumph was behind it - and Allah Ta'ala knew that
once Sayyidna Sulayman de had the power, he would work for these
very high objectives, and would never entertain negative feelings of
office, power and recognition - therefore, he was given the permission to
make this prayer, and it was accepted as well. But, common people have
been prohibited in Hadith from seeking power following their own
initiative. The reason is that such an initiative usually gets to be tainted
with the desire for power, influence, money and property. Accordingly,
where one has the certitude of being free of such selfish desires and one
really would love to see the banner of truth fly high without the least
hunger for power hidden anywhere in the recesses of his heart - then, for
such a person, praying for power and authority of government is
permissible. (Ruh-ul-Ma'ani etc.)
In verse 38, it was said: ◌ِمُقَرَّنِينَ فِى الْأَصُفَاد (held in chains). Details about
the subjugation of Jinns and the services they performed have appeared
earlier in the commentary on Surah Saba' within this Volume VII. Here,
it has been said that Sayyidna Sulayman Med was holding the unruly
Jinns by having them chained. Now, it is not necessary that these chains
be the visible chains of iron. It is possible that there could have been some
other method used to tie them up more tightly or securely - and it has
been expressed as 'chains' for the sake of common comprehension.

529
Surah Şad : 38 : 41 - 44
Verses 41 - 44
وَاذْكُرُ عَبْدَنَا أَيُّوْبَ إِذْنَادِى رَبٌَّ أَنِّىُ مَسَّنِىَ الشَّيْظُنُ بِنُصُبٍ
وَعَذَابِ ﴿٤١﴾ أُرُكُضُ بِرِجُلِكََّ هِذَا مُغْتَسَلٌ بَارِدٌ وَّشَرَابٌ ﴿٤٢)
وَوَهَبْنَالَهُ، أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُمُ مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةً مِّنَّا وَذِكُرَى لُأُولِى الْأَلْبَابِ
﴿٤٣﴾ وَخُذُ بِيَدِكَ ضِغُتًا فَاضْرِبُ بِّهِ وَلاَ تَحْنَثُُ إِنَّا وَجَدُنْهُ ضِرًا"
6
نِعُمَ الْعَبْدُ إِنَّهَ اوَّابٌ ﴿٤٤﴾
And remember Our slave, Ayyub (Job) - when he called
his Lord, "The Shaitan (Satan) has inflicted weariness
and pain upon me." [41] (Allah said to him,) "Strike (the
ground) with your foot: Here is a cool water to bathe,
and a drink!" [42] And We let him have his family and the
like of them besides, as a mercy from Us, and a
reminder for the people of understanding. [43] And (We
said to him,) "Take (a bundle of) thin twigs in your
hand, and strike with it, and do not violate your oath.
Surely, We found him very enduring. He was really an
excellent slave. Surely, he was great in turning (to Us,
in penitence and praise). [44]
Commentary
The event relating to Sayyidna Ayyub & has been introduced here
to comfort and prompt the Holy Prophet
,so that he would also observe
patience. This event has appeared with details in our commentary on
Surah Al-Anbiya' (Maariful-Qur'an, Volume V1). A few significant notes are
being added here.
In the opening verse (41), it was said: ◌ِمَسَّنِىَ الشَّيْطُنُ بِنُصُبِ وَّعَذَاب (The
Shaitan has inflicted weariness and pain upon me). Some early
commentators have given details as to how the Shaitan had caused this
affliction and pain. They say that the disease from which Sayyidna
Ayyub Mill suffered had overtaken him under the influence of the
Shaitan. What happened was that once the angels praised Sayyidna
Ayyub &e) in a manner that made the Shaitan envy him. He prayed to
Allah Ta'ala that he be given such control over his body, wealth and
children that allowed him to do whatever he liked with him. Allah Ta'ala
too intended to test Sayyidna Ayyub Mal, therefore, the Shaitan was

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Surah Şad : 38 : 41 - 44
given this right, and he made him suffer from this disease.
But, discerning commentators have refuted this story by saying that,
in terms of the clear statement of the noble Qur'an, the Shaitan cannot
gain control over the blessed prophets, therefore, it is not possible that he
could have made him suffer from this disease.
Some others have explained the Shaitan having afflicted pain by
saying that the Shaitan used to plant all sorts of scruples in the heart of
Sayyidna Ayyub Mal, while he was very sick which hurt him all the
more. This is what he has mentioned here. But, the best explanation of
this verse is what Maulana Ashraf 'All Thanavi has given in Bayan-ul-
Qur'an. This is being reproduced here from the Khulasa-e-Tafsir in
Ma'ariful-Qur'an:
'This affliction and pain, according to the saying of some
commentators, is what Imam Ahmad has reported from Sayyidna Ibn
'Abbas 4% in his Kitabu-z-zuhd, in which it has been stated that the
Shaitan had once met the wife of Sayyidna Ayyub Mal in the guise of a
physician during the days of his sickness. Since he had posed himself as a
physician, she requested him to treat her husband. He agreed subject to
the condition that once he got cured, she would tell him that she was the
one who cured him, and assured her that he wanted no more in return.
She mentioned this to Sayyidna Ayyub &dl. He said, "O my simple wife,
he was the Shaitan. Now, I solemnly resolve that, should Allah Ta'ala
make me get well again, I am going to beat you with one hundred sticks
of branches.' So, he was particularly shocked that Shaitan had become so
high-handed that he wanted to make his own wife say words that
evidently amount to shirk, though they may not prove to be so if
subjected to interpretation. Though, Sayyidna Ayyub & had made
prayers for the removal of his affliction earlier as well, yet after this
incident, he turned back to Him in plaint and prayer more fervently, and
his prayer was answered: (Reported by Ahmad).
The nature of the ailment of Sayyidna Ayyub Meg
The Qur'an tells us only this much that Sayyidna Ayyub el
was
afflicted with a serious disease, but nothing was said about the nature of
this disease. Even in Ahadith, no details about it have been reported from
the Holy Prophet 5. Nevertheless, from some reports attributed to the

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Surah Şad : 38 : 41 - 44
Şahabah, it appears that blisters had erupted all over his body, and
people had put him off on a dirt-heap out of nausea. But, some discerning
commentators have refused to accept these attributed reports as correct.
They say that diseases can afflict the blessed prophets, but they are not
made to suffer from such diseases as would make people nauseated with
it. Hence, this sort of disease cannot be attributed to Sayyidna Ayyub
el. Instead, they say, it was some common disease. Therefore, reports in
which blisters have been attributed to Sayyidna Ayyub Sul or in which it
has been said that he was put off on a dirt-heap are not trustworthy,
neither in terms of the authenticity of the report, nor rationally (abridged
from Ruh-ul-Ma'ani and Ahkam-ul-Qur'an).
In verse 44, it was said: خُذُ بَيَدِكَ ضِغُئًا (Take [a bundle of] thin twigs in
your hand). This was said in the background when Sayyidna Ayyub Sal
intended to fulfill the oath he had taken. But, as his wife had taken good
care of him, and had done nothing to deserve being chastised (with one
hundred strokes of some stick as sworn by him), Allah Ta'ala, in His
mercy, showed him the way-out as to how he could do it symbolically and
still fulfill his oath (as in khulasa-e-Tafsir of Bayan-ul-Qur'an).
Some issues relating to legal aspects of this event are being
identified here.
Firstly: This event tells us that, should someone declare on oath that
he or she would punish someone else to a count of one hundred strokes
(using a small, thin, dry branch as beating stick) and then, rather
applying one hundred strokes separately, he makes a bundle of all these
branches and applies a single strike with it, the oath stands fulfilled. This
was the reason why Sayyidna Ayyub & was asked to do so. This is also
the ruling given by Imam Abu Hanifah. But, as says 'Allamah
Ibn-ul-Humam, it is subject to two essential conditions: Firstly, each stick
must have made contact with the body of the particular person
length-wise or width-wise. Secondly, it should have caused at least some
pain. If the strokes were so light that they caused no pain, the oath will
not be fulfilled. When Maulana Thanavi said in Tafsir Bayan-ul-Qur'an
that the oath will not be fulfilled, he probably meant thereby the same
thing, that is, if there is no pain at all, or one of the sticks fails to make
contact with the body, the oath will not be fulfilled. Otherwise, Hanafi
jurists have clearly said that, should the striking be accomplished subject

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Surah Şad : 38 : 41 - 44
to these two conditions, the oath is fulfilled. (Please see Fath-ul-Qadir, p. 137,
v. 4).
The Islamic Legal Status of Stratagems
Secondly: From this verse, we also learn that in order to sidetrack and
remain unaffected by something inappropriate or reprehensible, should
some legal stratagem be opted for, then, it becomes permissible (known as
shari hilah [plural: hiyal] as admissible in the Shari'ah of Islam). It is
obvious that the essential requisite of the oath in this event of Sayyidna
Ayyub &&dl was that he should subject his blessed wife to full one
hundred strokes to vacate his oath. But, his wife was innocent. She had
taken remarkably good care of Sayyidna Ayyub Sul during the days of
his suffering. Therefore, Allah Ta'ala Himself prompted Sayyidna Ayyub
Still to take to a via media, a hilah or smart escape route (from his
predicament), and also made it clear to him that his oath will not stand
broken thereby. Therefore, this event provides an argument in favor of
the justification of the device of hilah.
But, one should remember that such hiyal or stratagems become
permissible only when they have not been reduced to an excuse for
nullifying the objectives of the Shari'ah. And if the purpose of such hilah
is to nullify the right of some genuine holder of right, or to make what is
openly haram become halal for one's own person while the spirit of the
prohibited act has been retained intact, then, such a hilah is absolutely
impermissible. For instance, there are people who make a hilah to avoid
having to pay Zakah. Just before the end of the year, they would pass on
their wealth and property into the ownership of their wives. After some
time, the wife passes it on into the ownership of her husband. And when
the next year is about to close, the husband gifts it to the wife. This way
no one remains obligated with the payment of Zakah. Since, doing
something like this is an effort to nullify the objectives of the Shari'ah,
therefore, it is haram (unlawful) - and perhaps, the curse of this
stratagem might as well be more punishing than the curse that would fall
as a result of the abandonment of Zakah. (Ruh-ul-Ma'ani from al-Mabsut of
Sarakhsi)
Resorting to an oath to do what is inappropriate
The third ruling that we come to know from this verse is: If someone
utters an oath to do an act that is inappropriate or wrong or
impermissible, the oath stands effectively concluded, and should it be

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Surah Şad : 38 : 45 - 64
broken, one will have to make amends and pay kaffarah (expiation). It is
evident enough that, should there have been no kaffarah becoming due
in that situation, Sayyidna Ayyub Med would have not been asked to
take to that hilah. But, along with it, one should also bear in mind that in
the event one happens to have uttered an oath to do something
inappropriate, then, the law of the Shari'ah is that the oath should be
broken, and kaffarah should be paid. In a Hadith, the Holy Prophet % is
reported to have said:
"A person who utters an oath, then he decides that doing
otherwise is better, then he should invariably do what is better -
and pay kaffarah for his oath."
Verses 45 - 64
وَاذْكُرُ عِبْدَنَآ إِبْرِهِيُمَ وَاِسْحِقَ وَيَعْقُوُبَ أُولِى الْأَيْدِىُ وَالْأَبْصَارِ
﴿٤٥ ﴾ ◌ِنَّ أَخْلَصُنُهُمْ بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَى الدَّارِ ﴿٢﴾ وَإِنَّهُمُ عِنْدَنَا لَمِنَ
الْمُصْطَفَيْنَ الْآَخْيَارِ ﴿٤٧﴾ وَاذْكُرُ إِسْمْعِيْلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَذَا الْكِفْلِ"
وَكُلٌّ مِّنَ الْآَخْيَارِ ﴿٤٨ُ﴾ هذَا ذِكْرٌ، وَإِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِيْنَ لَحُسُنَ مَابٍ
﴿٤٢٩َ﴾ جَنّتِ عَدُنِ مُّفَتَّحَةً لَّهُمُ الْأَبْوَابُ ﴿٤﴾ مُتَّكِئِيْنَ فِيْهَا يَدْعُوْنَ
فِيْهَا بِفَاكِهَةٍ كَثِيرَةٍ وَشَرَابٍ ﴿٥١﴾ وَ عِنْدَهُمْ قُصِرْتُ الطَّرُفِ آَتْرَابٌ
﴿٢﴾ هذَا مَا تُوُعَدُوُنَ لِيَوْمِ الْحِسَابِ ﴿٥٣﴾ إِنَّ هُذَا لَرِزْقْنَا مَالَهُ مِنْ
نَّفَادٍ ﴿٤﴾ هذَا، وَإِنَّ لِلطَّغِيْنَ لَشَرَّمَاتٍ ﴿٠٥) جَهَنَّمَ ، يَصُلَوْنَهَا "
فَبِئْسَ الْمِهَادُ ﴿٥٦﴾ هذَاٌ فَلْيَذُوُقُوُهُ حَمِيُمُ وَّغَسَّاقٌ ﴿٥٧﴾ وَآخَرُ مِنْ
شَكُلِةِ أَزْوَاجٌ ﴿٥٨ٌ﴾ هذَا فَوْجٌ مُّقْتَحِمٌ مَّعَكُمُّ لاَمَرُحَبًا بِهِمُ +ُ إِنَّهُمُ
صَالُوا النَّارِ ﴿٥٩﴾ قَالُوا بَلْ أَنْتُمُ دَ لاَ مَرْ حَبَّا بِكُمُ ءُ انْتُمْ قَدَّمْتُمُوهُ لَنَا"
فَبِئْسَ الْقَرَارُ ﴿٦٠﴾ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا مَنُ قَدَّمَ لَنَا هَذَا فَزِدُهُ عَذَابًا ضِعُفًّا فِى
النَّارِ ﴿٦١﴾ وَقَالُوا مَالَنَا لاَنَزِى رِ جَالاً كُنَّا نَعُدُّهُمُ مِّنَ الْأَشْرَارِ ﴿٢°﴾
أَتَّخَذُنُهُمُ سِخْرِيًّا أَمْ زَاغَتُ عَنْهُمُ الْأَبْصَارُ ﴿٦٣﴾ إِنَّ ذلِكَ لَحَقُّ

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Sūrah Şad : 38 : 45 - 64
ع
تَخَاصُمُ اَهُلِ النّارِ ﴿٦٤﴾
And remember Our servants - Ibrahim and Ishaq and
Ya'qub - men of strength and men of vision. [45] We
chose them for a trait of remembering the (eternal)
Home (in the Hereafter). [46] And surely they are, in Our
sight, among the the chosen, the best of the righteous.
[47] And remember Isma'il and al-Yasa' and Dhul-Kifl.
Each of them was among the best of the righteous. [48]
This is a reminder (of what has passed). And surely the
God-fearing will have the best place to return: [49]-
everlasting gardens, with (their) doors opened for them.
[50] They will be relaxing therein, calling there for
plenteous fruits and drinks; [51] and in their company
there will be females restricting their glances (to their
husbands, and) of matching ages. [52] This is what you
are being promised for the Day of Reckoning. [53]
Surely, that is provision provided by Us to which there
is no end. [54] Having said this, the transgressors will
surely have the most evil place to return: [55] the
Jahannam, in which they will enter. So, how evil is
that place to rest? [56] Let them taste this: hot water
and pus, [57] and other things similar to it of various
kinds. [58] (When the leaders of the infidels will see
their followers entering the hell after them, they will
say to each other,) "This is a multitude rushing in (the
hell) with you - they are not welcome - they are to burn
in the Fire." [59] They (the followers) will say (to their
leaders) "No, it is you - you are not welcome - you are
the ones who brought this upon us." So, how evil is the
place to stay (for ever)! [60] They (the followers) will
say, "Our Lord, whoever has brought this on us, do
increase his punishment twofold in the Fire." [61] And
they (the infidels) will say, "What is the matter with us
that we do not see those men whom we used to count
amongst the worst? (i.e the Muslims whom the infidels
used to treat as the worst people among them) [62] Had
we taken them as a laughing-stock (unjustly), or have
our eyes missed them?" [63] That is going to happen
definitely, that is, the mutual quarrel of the people of
the Fire. [64]
Commentary
The expression: ◌ِأُولِى الْأَيْدِىُ وَالْأَبْصَار (translated as: men of strength and
men of vision) literally means 'owners or possessors of hands and eyes.'

535
Surah Şad : 38 : 45 - 64
The sense is that they devoted their physical and intellectual energies in
remaining obedient to Allah Ta'ala. When this is said, a hint is being
released to the fact that the real end use of human body parts is no other
but that they are spent or utilized in obedience to the Divine commands,
and the those parts of the body that are not utilized in it, their existence
or non-existence remains equal.
Concern for 'Akhirah is a distinct attribute of the noble prophets
The word 'home' in the statement: Jss; (remembering the [eternal]
Home [in the Hereafter]- 38:46) refers to the 'Akhirah, (the Hereafter, the
life-to-come). Instead of using the word: 'Akhirah, the text has used the
word: jwi (ad-dar: home) whereby it has warned human beings that they
must take 'Akhirah as their real Home, and make the concern for it the
basis for whatever they think and do. Right from here, we also come to
know that the concern for 'Akhirah further sharpens and furbishes one's
intellectual and physical faculties (helping it to flourish in an essentially
true perspective). Hence, the view of some atheists that such concern
blunts human faculties is baseless.
The Prophet : (al-Yasa': Elisha) Sek
In verse 48, it was said: , ( and [remember] al-Yasa'). Sayyidna
al-Yasa' SCell is a prophet from among the prophets of Bani Isra'il, peace
be upon them all. He has been mentioned in the Qur'an only at two
places, once in Surah Al-An'am and then, here in Surah Sad. No details
have been mentioned at any of the two places, rather his name appears
there as part of a list of the blessed prophets.
Historical chronicles report that he is a cousin of Sayyidna Ilyas Skal
and was his deputy. He lived in his company and was made a prophet
after him. Details about him appear in the Bible, the Book of Kings I,
Chapter 19, and Kings II, Chapter 2, and elsewhere. There he has been
mentioned by the name of اليُشَعُ بن سافط (Elisha son of Safit).
In verse 52, it was said : ◌ٌوَعِندَهُمْ قُصِرَاتُ الطَّرُفِ أَتْرَاب (and in their company
there will be females restricting their glances (to their husbands, and) of
matching ages.). Meant by these are the Hurs or Houris of Jannah
(referred to, fondly enough for some people, even as 'nymphs of
Paradise'). Being of matching ages could mean that they will be of the
same age as among themselves. And it could also mean that they will be

536
Surah Şad : 38 : 65 - 88
of the same age as their spouses. In the first situation, if they were of the
same age, the good thing about it would be that they would be relating to
each other in mutual amity as friends, and not as 'the other woman'
something very welcome for spouses.
Consideration of matching age between spouses is better
Then there is the other situation. If being of the same age is taken to
mean that spouses will be of the same age, the good thing about it would
be that there would be temperamental harmony between them, and they
will have consideration for each other's preferences. This tells us that
consideration should be made to keep ages of spouses matched, for it
generates mutual love, and makes the relationship of marriage pleasant
and permanent.
Verses 65 - 88
قُلُ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا مُنْذِرٌنَ هُ وَّمَا مِنْ إِلْهٍ إِلاَّ اللّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ ﴿٢٥﴾ رَبُّ
السَّمْوَتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفَّارُ ﴿٦٦﴾ قُلُ هُوَنَبَؤْا
عَظِيمٌ ﴿٢٧﴾ أَنْتُمُ عَنْهُ مُعْرِضُونَ ﴿٦٨) مَا كَانَ لِىَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ بِالْمَلَاِ
الْأَعْلَى إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ ﴿٦٩﴾ إِنْ يُُّحىّ إِلَىَّ إِلَّا أَنَّمَآ أَنَا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ
﴿ ٧٠﴾ إِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَئِكَةِ إِنِّى خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِّنُ طِيْنٍ ﴿٧١﴾ فَإِذَا
سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيْهِ مِنْ رُوُحِىُ فَقَّعُوا لَهُ سجِدِيْنَ ﴿٧٢﴾ فَسَجَدَ
الْمُلِّكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾ إِلاَّ إِيْلِيُسَ +ُ اِسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ
الْكُفِرِينَ ﴿٧٤﴾ قَالَ يَأْلِيُسُ مَامَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَىَّ ء
اَسْتَكْبَرْتَ أَمْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الْعَالِيْنَ ﴿٧٥﴾ قَالَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِىُ
مِنْ نَّارٍ وَّ خَلَقْتَهْ مِنْ طِيْنٍ ﴿٧٦﴾ قَالَ فَاخْرُجُ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيُمٌ ﴿ ٢٧٧
وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ لَعْنَتِىٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّيْنِ ﴿٧٨﴾ قَالَ رَبِّ فَانْظِرُنِىِّ إِلَى يَوْمِ
يُبْعَثُونَ ﴿٧٩﴾ قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنْظَرِيْنَ ﴿٨﴾ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ

537
Surah Şad : 38 : 65 - 88
الْمَعُلُوُمِ ﴿٨١﴾ قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمُ اَجْمَعِيْنَ ﴿٢﴾﴾ إِلاَّ عِبَادَكَ
مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِيْنَ ﴿٨٣﴾ قَالَ فَالْحَقُّ، وَالْحَقَّ اقُوُلُ ﴿٨٤) لَمُلَئَنَّ
جَهَنَّمَ مِنْكَ وَمِمَّنُ تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ أَجْمَعِيْنَ ﴿٨٥﴾ قُلُ مَآ أَسْئَلُكُمْ
عَلَيْهِ مِنُ اَجُرٍ وَّمَآ أَنَا مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِيْنَ ﴿٨٦﴾ إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ ذِكُرُ لِّلْعَلَمِيْنَ
ع
﴿٨٧﴾ وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ نَبَاةً بَعُدَ حِيْنٍ ﴿٨٨﴾
Say, " I am only a warner - and there is no god but
Allah, the One, the All- Dominant, [65] the Lord of the
heavens and the earth and what is between them, the
Mighty, the Very-Forgiving." [66] Say, "It is a great news
[67] to which you are averse. [68] I had no knowledge of
the Heavenly Beings when they were debating (about
the creation of 'Adam).1 [69] Revelation is sent to me
only because I am a plain warner. [70]2
When your Lord said to the angels, "I am going to create
man from clay. [71] So, once I make him perfectly and
breath My spirit into him, you fall down in prostration
before him. [72] Then, the angels prostrated, all of them
together - [73] except Iblis. He waxed proud, and became
one of the disbelievers. [74] He (Allah) said, "O Iblis,
what did prevent you from prostrating before what I
created with My hands? Did you wax proud or were you
among the lofty ones?" [75] He said, "I am better than
him. You created me from fire, and created him from
clay." [76] He said, "Then, get out from here, for you are
accursed, [77] and on you shall remain My curse till the
Day of Judgement." [78] He said, "O my Lord, then give
me respite till the day they are raised again." [79] He
said, "Then, you have been made one of those given
respite, [80] until the Day of the Appointed Time." [81]
(1). The reference here is to the conversation that took place between Allah
Ta'ala and His angels when He expressed His intention to create 'Adam El,
and which is being mentioned in verse 71 below.
(2). The sense is that I never knew about what Allah said to His angels when He
intended to create 'Adam &El, nor was there any source of knowledge
available to me other than the revelation from Allah. Now that I am
narrating to you these events without having any other source of knowledge,
it clearly proves that I am receiving revelation from Allah which has been
sent to me only for the purpose that I warn you clearly about the evil fate of
rejecting the truth.

538
Surah Şad : 38 : 65 - 88
He said, "Then, I swear by Your Might, that I will
definitely lead them astray, all of them - [82] except Your
chosen servants among them." [83] He (Allah) said,
"Then, the truth is-and it is (always) the truth that I
speak --- [84] that I will definitely fill the Jahannam
with you and with those who will follow you from
among them, all together." [85]
Say, "I do not demand from you any fee for it, nor am I
from among those who make up things artificially. [86]
It is nothing but an advice for all the worlds. [87] And
you will come to know its reality after a while." [88]
Commentary
A Gist of the Subjects of the Surah
In verse 65, it was said :ٌقُلْ إِنمَا أَنَا مُنذِر (Say, " I am only a warner)
At the beginning of the Surah, you have seen that the real objective
of this Surah was the affirmation of the prophethood of the noble Prophet
a refutation of what the disbelievers said. In this connection, events
relating to blessed prophets of the past were mentioned for two reasons.
Firstly, that they bring comfort to the Holy Prophet g and that he too
observes patience against the absurd allegations leveled by those who
disbelieved - the same patience as observed by the blessed prophets before
him. Secondly, that those who were denying the credentials of a true
prophet should themselves learn their lesson through these events. After
that, another method was used to invite the disbelievers to Islam. For this
purpose, their attention was drawn to the good end of the believers, as
opposed to the severe punishment awaiting disbelievers, while they were
also warned that the people they were following were the ones who were
prompting them to belie the true messenger of Allah, and the same people
will refuse to help you in any way on the Day of Judgment, in fact, they
would paint you black and you would curse them.
After a delineation of these subjects, the text has, in the concluding
part, reverted to the main purpose, that is, it takes up the confirmation of
prophethood of the Holy Prophet $3. In this process, along with a
presentation of necessary arguments, a compassionate invitation to
believe has also been given.
In verse 69, it was said: ◌َمَا كَانَ لِىَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ بِالْمَلَاِ الْأَعْلَى إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُون (I had no
knowledge of the Heavenly Beings when they were debating (about the

539
Surah Şad : 38 : 65 - 88
creation of 'Adam). Means: 'It is a clear proof of my prophethood that I am
telling you these things from such a high assembly, things that cannot be
found out through any medium other than wahy (revelation).' The words
'these things' refer to the conversation between Allah Ta'ala and the
angels at the time of the creation of Sayyidna 'Adam Meal and which finds
أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ :mention in Surah Al-Baqarah where the angels had said
They said, "Will You create there one who will spread) فِيُهَا وَيَسُفِكُ الدِّمَآءَ
disorder on the earth and cause bloodsheds ...? - 2:30). This conversation
has been expressed here through the word: Les (ikhtisam) which
literally means 'quarrel' or 'debate' - although, the angels never posed
that question in terms of some objection or debate, instead, they wanted to
find out the wise consideration behind the creation of Sayyidna 'Adam,
Xcell but the outward pattern of the questions and answers had taken the
form of some sort of a debate, therefore, it was alluded to as 'ikhtisam' or
debate. This is similar to a younger person questioning an elder person,
who refers to that question and answer, in a frank and casual manner, as
a debate or quarrel.
In verse 71, it was said : ◌ِإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَئِكَة (When your Lord said to the
angels ... ):
Mentioned here is the event of the creation of 'Adam Sel. Not only
that it alludes to the conversation between Allah Ta'ala and the angels
mentioned above, but also invites our attention towards the way Iblis had
refused to prostrate himself before Sayyidna 'Adam Mall just because of
his envy and arrogance, very similarly, the Mushriks of Arabia were not
willing to accept his advice because of their envy and arrogance - hence,
they were going to meet the same fate as was met by Iblis. (Tafsir Kabir)
In verse 75, it was said: ◌َّلِمَا خَلَقْتُ بَيَدَى (what I created with My hands ... ):
Here, it is about Sayyidna 'Adam & that Allah Ta'ala has said that
it is He who had created him with His hands. There is a consensus among
the majority of the Muslim Ummah that "hands" do not mean that Allah
Ta'ala has hands as human being do. The reason is that Allah Ta'ala is
absolutely pure and free from the need of body or its active limbs.
Therefore, it means the power and control of Allah Ta'ala and that the
word: & (yad: hand) is commonly used in the Arabic language in the
sense of power - for example, it was said: بِيَدِهِ عُقْدَةُ النكاح (in whose hand lies

540
Surah Şad : 38 : 65 - 88
the marriage tie - 2:237). Therefore, the verse means: 'I created 'Adam
with My power.' For that matter, everything in this universe owes its
creation to nothing but Divine power. But, when Allah Ta'ala intends to
manifest the particular sublimity of something, He would specially
attribute it to Himself, for instance, by such attribution the Ka'bah
becomes Baytullah, the House of Allah; the she-camel of Sayyidna Salih
Saly Mar 'nagatullah', the She-Camel of Allah; and Sayyidna 'Isa ]
- 'kalimatullah,' 'the Word of Allah' or 'ruhullah,' 'the Spirit of Allah.'
Here too, this attribution has been introduced there to enhance the grace
of Sayyidna 'Adam {J. (Qurtubi)1
In verse 86, it was said: ◌َوَمَآ أَنَا مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِين (nor am I from among those
who make up things artificially.).
The blameworthiness of artificial behavior
The statement means: 'I am not declaring my prophethood artificially,
nor am I falsely pretending to have knowledge and wisdom, rather, I am
conveying the commandments of Allah to you as they are. From this we
learn that feigned formality and pretension is blameworthy in the light of
the Shari'ah. Accordingly, there are some ahadith that condemn it. In the
Şaķīņayn (al-Bukhārī and Muslim), it has been reported from Sayyidna
'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud Kkll:
"O people, whoever from among you knows something, let him
tell people about it. But, that which he does not know, let him
simply say: el Ul (Allah knows best) (because) Allah Ta'ala has
said about his Rasul # :َقُلُ مَآ أَسْئَلُكُمُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ وَّمَآ أَنَا مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِفِين (Say,
"I do not demand from you any fee for it, nor am I from among
those who make up things artificially."- 38:86)." (Ruh-ul-Ma'ani)
alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Sūrah Şad
1. This interpretation is based on the line adopted by some theologians. The others are
of the view that the word 'yad' (hand) used for Allah does not refer to a limb like the
hand of human beings. It is rather an attribute of Allah Ta'ala, the exact nature of
which is unknown. The third view is of some other elders who abstain from indulging
in the interpretation of such expressions and prefer to keep silent about them, and
leave their exact meaning to Allah Ta'ala. Muhammad Taqi Usmani

543
Surah Az-Zumar : 39 : 1 - 6
Surah Az-zumar
(The Groups)
Surah Az-Zumar is Makki, and it has 75 verses and 8 sections
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 6
تَنْزِيْلُ الْكِتْبِ مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيْمِ ﴿1﴾ إِنَّ أَنْزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ الْكِتْبَ
بِالْحَقِّ فَاعْبُدِ اللّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّيْنَ ﴿ٌ﴾ آلَاَ لِلْهِ الدِّيْنُ الْخَالِصُ ـ
وَالَّذِيْنَ أَتَّخَذُوْا مِنْ دُوْنِةٍ أَوْلِيَآءَ مَا نَعْبُدُ هُمْ إِلاَّ لِيُقَرِبُوْنَآ إِلَى اللّهِ
زُلْفِى ﴿ إِنَّ اللهَ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمُ فِىُ مَاهُمْ فِيْهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ﴿ إِنَّ اللهَ
لَا يَهْدِىُ مَنْ هُوَ كُذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ ﴿٣﴾ لَوْ أَرَادَ اللهُ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا
لِأَصْطَفَى مِمَّا يَخُلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُّ سُبُخَنَةُُ هُوَ اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ ﴿٤﴾
خَلَقَ السَّمُوتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ ◌َ يُكَوِّرُ الَّيْلَ عَلَى النَّهَارِ وَيُكَوِّرُ
النَّهَارَ عَلَى الَّيْلِ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ ، كُلٌّ يَّجْرِئْ لِآَجَلٍ
مُّسَمَّى ء آلَا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفَّارُ ﴿٠﴾ خَلَقَكُمْ مِّنُ نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ ثُمَّ
جَعَلَ مِنْهَ زَوْجَهَا وَأَنْزَلَ لَكُمْ مِّنَ الْأَنْعَامِ ثَمْنِيَةً أَزْوَاجٍ * يَخْلُقُكُمْ
فِىْ بُطُونِ أُمَّهِكُمُ خَلْقًّا مِّنُ بَعْدِ خَلْقِ فِىُ ظُلُمْتٍ ثَلْثٍ + ذلِكُمُ
اللهُ رَبُّكُمْ لَهُ الْمُلُكُ ، لَا إِلهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ فَنَّى تُصُرَفُوْنَ ﴿٢﴾