Verses 78–91

Chapter 21: Al-Anbiyāʾ (The Prophets) · Printed edition: Volume 28, pp. 100–115

وَدَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ إِذْ يَحْكُمَانِ فِي الْحَرْثِ إِذْ نَفَشَتْ فِيهِ غَنَمُ الْقَوْمِ وَكُنَّا لِحُكْمِهِمْ شَاهِدِينَ ٧٨ فَفَهَّمْنَاهَا سُلَيْمَانَ وَكُلاًّ آتَيْنَا حُكْماً وَعِلْماً وَسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاوُودَ الْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحْنَ وَالطَّيْرَ وَكُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ ٧٩ وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ صَنْعَةَ لَبُوسٍ لَكُمْ لِتُحْصِنَكُمْ مِنْ بَأْسِكُمْ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ شَاكِرُونَ ٨٠ وَلِسُلَيْمَانَ الرِّيحَ عَاصِفَةً تَجْرِي بِأَمْرِهِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا وَكُنَّا بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَالِمِينَ ٨١ وَمِنْ الشَّيَاطِينِ مَنْ يَغُوصُونَ لَهُ وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلاً دُونَ ذَلِكَ وَكُنَّا لَهُمْ حَافِظِينَ ٨٢ وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِي الضُّرُّ وَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ ٨٣ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِ مِنْ ضُرٍّ وَآتَيْنَاهُ أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُمْ مَعَهُمْ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِنْدِنَا وَذِكْرَى لِلْعَابِدِينَ ٨٤ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِدْرِيسَ وَذَا الْكِفْلِ كُلٌّ مِنْ الصَّابِرِينَ ٨٥ وَأَدْخَلْنَاهُمْ فِي رَحْمَتِنَا إِنَّهُمْ مِنْ الصَّالِحِينَ ٨٦ وَذَا النُّونِ إِذْ ذَهَبَ مُغَاضِباً فَظَنَّ أَنْ لَنْ نَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَى فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنْ الظَّالِمِينَ ٨٧ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ مِنْ الْغَمِّ وَكَذَلِكَ نُنْجِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٨٨ وَزَكَرِيَّا إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ رَبِّ لا تَذَرْنِي فَرْداً وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِينَ ٨٩ فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ يَحْيَى وَأَصْلَحْنَا لَهُ زَوْجَهُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَباً وَرَهَباً وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ ٩٠ وَالَّتِي أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهَا مِنْ رُوحِنَا وَجَعَلْنَاهَا وَابْنَهَا آيَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ ٩١

78. And David and Solomon when they were giving judgment concerning the field when the people’s sheep pastured therein by night, and We were bearers of witness to their judgment.
79. So We made Solomon understand it; and to each one We gave wisdom and knowledge; and We subdued the mountains and the birds to celebrate Our praise with David; and We were the doers.
80. And We taught him the making of coats of mail for you, that they might protect you in your wars; will you then be grateful?
81. And (We made subservient) to Solomon the wind blowing violent, pursuing its course by his command to the land which We had blessed, and We are the Knower of all things.
82. And of the devils there were those who dived for him and did other work besides that, and We kept guard over them;
83. And Job, when he cried to his Lord, (saying): Harm has afflicted me, and Thou art the most Merciful of the merciful.
84. Therefore We responded to him and took away what harm he had, and We gave him his family and the like of them with them: a mercy from Us and a reminder to the worshipers.
85. And Ishmael and Idrīs and Ezekiel; all were of the patient ones;
86. And We caused them to enter into Our mercy, surely they were of the good ones.
87. And Dhū al-Nūn, when he went away in wrath, so he thought that We would not straiten him, so he called out in the darkness: There is no god but Thou, glory be to Thee; surely I was among the wrongdoers.
88. So We responded to him and delivered him from grief and thus do We deliver the believers.
89. And Zechariah, when he cried to his Lord: O my Lord leave me not alone; and Thou art the best of inheritors.
90. So We responded to him and gave him John and made his wife fit for him; surely they used to hasten with one another in deeds of goodness and to call upon Us hoping and fearing, and they were humble before Us.
91. And she who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her of Our spirit and made her and her son a sign for the nations.

Introduction

These verses refer to a number of other prophets—David (Dāwūd), Solomon (Sulaymān), Job (Ayyūb), Ishmael (Ismāʿīl), Enoch (Idrīs), Ezekiel (Dhū al-Kifl), Jonah (Dhū al-Nūn, Yūnus), Zechariah (Zakariyyā), John the Baptist (Yaḥyā) and Jesus (ʿĪsā). They are mentioned neither in chronological nor reverse chronological order, just like the previous verses. In the case of some, God describes some of His great blessings that He bestowed upon them, and in the case of others He only mentions their names.

Commentary

وَدَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ إِذْ يَحْكُمَانِ فِي الْحَرْثِ إِذْ نَفَشَتْ فِيهِ غَنَمُ الْقَوْمِ وَكُنَّا لِحُكْمِهِمْ شَاهِدِينَ ٧٨ فَفَهَّمْنَاهَا سُلَيْمَانَ وَكُلاًّ آتَيْنَا حُكْماً وَعِلْماً وَسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاوُودَ الْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحْنَ وَالطَّيْرَ وَكُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ ٧٩

(21:78-79) And David and Solomon when they were giving judgment concerning the field (al-ḥarth) when the people’s sheep pastured (nafashat, from nafsh) therein by night, and We were bearers of witness to their judgment.So We made Solomon understand it; and to each one We gave wisdom and knowledge; and We subdued the mountains and the birds to celebrate Our praise with David; and We were the doers.

Ḥarth means “cultivation.” It can also mean “vineyard.” Nafsh means “pasturing livestock at night.” Majmaʿ al-bayān says: “Nafash and nafsh mean camels or sheep spreading out at night and pasturing without a herder.’”

And David and Solomon when they were giving judgment concerning the field (al-ḥarth) when the people’s sheep pastured therein by night: The context indicates that this was a specific incident that was litigated before David because he was the king who ruled the Israelites. God made him a successor in the earth, as He says: O David! Surely We have made you a successor in the land; so judge between men with justice (). If Solomon was brought into deciding on the incident, it was with David’s permission and for some reason—perhaps to show his worthiness of being David’s heir.

Obviously, it makes no sense for two judges to decide about a single case while both maintain autonomy in judgment and rule. This shows that when they gave judgment means their consultation and exchange of opinion regarding the verdict, not issuing final judgment. This is wholly supported by saying when they were giving judgment in the progressive tense, which suggests that they were gradually building their way toward a verdict which was not yet achieved, and was yet to be completed as a single decisive rule to be implemented. Otherwise the verse should have said “when they ruled” [in the perfect tense] (idh ḥakamā).

… and We were bearers of witness to their judgment (li-ḥukmihim): This also supports the above interpretation, because apparently the pronoun “their” [in the plural form, as opposed to the dual form] refers to all prophets, whom He has repeatedly described as being given ḥukm (judgment, wisdom). Some have suggested that the pronoun refers to David, Solomon and the plaintiffs. However, there is no justification for attributing judgment to the plaintiffs. Therefore, “their judgment” was a single judgment, which is the judgment of all prophets. Apparently this judgment was that the owner of the flock bears the responsibility for the property destroyed by his flock.

Thus, there was a single judgment, but they disagreed over how it should be applied and executed. If their disagreement were over the actual verdict, meaning that each of them had his own judgment, then it must have been one of the following:

(1) Both rulings were correct, but one of them abrogated the other. That would be Solomon’s rule which abrogated David’s, as per His words: So We made Solomon understand it ().

(2) Their judgments were according to ijtihad, meaning speculative personal opinion where the person does not know the real rule. Then He verified that Solomon’s personal judgment (ijtihād) matched the real rule.

The problem with the first view—that Solomon’s judgment abrogated David’s—is that it contravenes the apparent meaning of the sentences in the verse, because abrogation applies when there are two distinct judgments. If that were the case, then the verse should have indicated that their rules were distinct from one another by saying, “We were bearers of witness to the judgment [in singular form]—or to the two judgments [in dual form]—of both of them” (li-ḥukmihimā or li-ḥukmayhimā). However, it says: We were bearers of witness to their judgment (li-ḥukmayhim). This expression suggests the unity of their judgment. If David’s judgment in the case had been abrogated, then it would be erroneous, while the verse says that God was witness to their judgment, which suggests that they were free from error. Moreover, that would contravene His Words: “and to each one We gave wisdom and knowledge” (), which suggests confirmation and shows approval.

The second view—that their rulings were based on their ijtihad while being ignorant of God’s true ruling—is even more unlikely than the first one, because He says: So We made Solomon understand it (), which implies Solomon’s knowledge of God’s true rule. How can this expression apply to a speculative opinion? Moreover, He then says: and to each one We gave wisdom and knowledge (), which confirms that David’s judgment was also based on knowledge, not speculative personal opinion. If this statement—and to each one We gave wisdom and knowledge—were not applicable to David’s judgment, then there would be no justification for saying it here.

Furthermore, and We were bearers of witness to their judgment hints that there was only one judgment and it was protected from error, as we said above [because “judgment” is singular]. Hence, the only plausible interpretation is to say that their judgment was one in itself, but different in terms of how it should be applied and executed. In this sense, Solomon’s judgment was more accurate and moderate.

The Shia and Sunni narrations on this can be summarized as follows: David ruled that the owner of the field should be given the actual livestock, but Solomon ruled that he should receive the proceeds of their milk, wool and produce in that year.

Perhaps the main judgment was that the field owner should be compensated for the crops that were destroyed by the flock, and that was equal in value to the livestock. That is why David ruled that the owner of the field should receive the actual livestock. Solomon’s rule achieved the same goal in a more lenient way, namely that the property loss he had suffered should be compensated out of the proceeds of that year. The annual proceeds of livestock every year are normally equivalent to the value of the actual livestock.

The implied meaning of And David and Solomon when (idh) they were giving judgment concerning the field when (idh) the people’s sheep pastured therein by night is: “Remember when David and Solomon…” The word idh here means ḥīn (when, as, while). The sheep scattered in the field at night and spoiled it. And We were bearers of witness to their judgment: that is, the judgment of the prophets. Some have said that the pronoun “their” refers to David, Solomon and the plaintiff, but you already know the problem with that. Others have said that the pronoun refers to David and Solomon, because the plural is also used for two. Clearly this is also an unwarranted claim. We were bearers of witness means that We were present with them, seeing, hearing and aiding them to follow the right path. So We made Solomon understand it: We made him understand the [appropriate] rule and judgment. And to each one We gave wisdom and knowledge: that is, to both David and Solomon. Some have suggested that this pertains to the beginning of the verse []. The implied meaning would then be: “We gave David and Solomon wisdom and knowledge when they were giving judgment…”

… and We subdued (sakhkharnā, from taskhīr) the mountains and the birds to celebrate Our praise with David: Taskhīr means “subjecting something someone such that it acts in favor of the subduer’s objectives.” This is different from compulsion (ijbār), coercion (ikrāh) and constraint (qasr), because the doer in those cases acts contrary to its choice or nature, but the doer in taskhīr follows its nature and choice. For example, when one uses fire to burn wood, the fire is subdued to burn but it is not constrained. Similarly, one who is hired to work is subdued by his employer but he is not forced or compelled.

This explains what is meant by subduing the mountains and the birds to celebrate [God’s] praise with David even though they already praise God in themselves. It means the synchronization of their inherent celebration of praise with David’s. Thus, “to celebrate Our praise” (yusabbiḥna) explains “We subdued [them] with David” (wa sakhkharnā maʿa Dāwūd). The conjunction “and” joins “the birds” to “the mountains.”

… and We were the doers: That is: The likes of these gifts and graces have always been part of Our custom; the blessings that We bestowed upon them were nothing new for Us.

وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ صَنْعَةَ لَبُوسٍ لَكُمْ لِتُحْصِنَكُمْ مِنْ بَأْسِكُمْ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ شَاكِرُونَ ٨٠

(21:80) And We taught him the making of coats of mail (labūsin) for you, that they might protect you in your wars (baʾsikum); will you then be grateful?

Majmaʿ al-bayān says: “Labūs is a name for all weaponry according to the Arabs… It is also said that it means armor.” Al-Mufradāt says: “The making of labūs for you refers to ‘armors.’ ”

Baʾs means intensity and fierceness in fighting. Apparently in this verse it means the intensity of weapon strikes. The pronoun “him” in And We taught him refers to David—as He says elsewhere: and We made the iron pliant to him (). It means: And We taught David the making of armor for you. That is, We taught him how to make for you coats of mail that would protect you and prevent the force of the weaponry falling on you.

… Will you then be grateful: this urges and encourages the audience to show gratitude.

وَلِسُلَيْمَانَ الرِّيحَ عَاصِفَةً تَجْرِي بِأَمْرِهِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا وَكُنَّا بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَالِمِينَ ٨١

(21:81) And (We made subservient) to Solomon the wind blowing violent (al-rīḥ ʿāṣifatan), pursuing its course by his command to the land which We had blessed, and We are the knower of all things.

The “and” at the beginning of the verse joins it to “with David.” That is: We made subdued to Solomon al-rīḥ ʿāṣifatan (meaning, the wind that blows violently) pursuing its course by his command to the land which We had blessed: that is, the Levant where Solomon dwelt, “and We are the knower of all things.”

The wind was subservient to him in both its violent and gentle states, as He says: to run gently wherever he desired (). The current verse, however, specifically mentions its violent state because its subservience is more astounding and better indicative of His [or his] power.

Some exegetes have said:

The verse only mentions the wind taking Solomon to the Blessed land by his command but not away from it, because he was a resident of that land for most of the time. This is a clearer indication of God’s blessing upon him.

Perhaps the verse is referring to the wind’s movement “to” that land by his command in order to carry him from it to wherever he wanted, not its movement “to” that land to return him and drop him off after carrying him “away”. Based on this explanation, the verse would apply to both the leaving and returning of the wind.

وَمِنْ الشَّيَاطِينِ مَنْ يَغُوصُونَ لَهُ وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلاً دُونَ ذَلِكَ وَكُنَّا لَهُمْ حَافِظِينَ٨٢

(21:82) And of the devils there were those who dived for him and did other work besides that, and We kept guard over them;

The devils would dive to extract sea resources such as pearls. God has described other work besides that elsewhere as follows: They made for him what he pleased of fortresses and images, and bowls (large) as watering-troughs and cooking-pots that will not move from their place (). “Keeping guard over the devils” means keeping them in his service and preventing them from escape, disobedience, and corruption of his affairs. The meaning is clear. The stories of David and Solomon shall come up in Sūrah Sabaʾ [under verses ], by God’s will.

وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِي الضُّرُّ وَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ ٨٣

(21:83) And Job, when he cried to his Lord, (saying): Harm (al-ḍurr) has afflicted me, and Thou art the most Merciful of the merciful.

The word ḍarr is used for any kind of harm, but ḍurr is used for harms that specifically afflict one’s life, such as illness and emaciation.

Job was enveloped by calamity. He lost his property, his children died, and he was afflicted in his body with a severe illness for a protracted period. He then called to God and complained to Him about his condition. Thus God answered his prayer, delivered him from his illness, and returned his property and children to him—along with the like of them, as He says in the subsequent verse.

فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِ مِنْ ضُرٍّ ۖ وَآتَيْنَاهُ أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُمْ مَعَهُمْ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِنْدِنَا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَابِدِينَ ٨٤

(21:84) Therefore We responded to him and took away what harm he had, and We gave him his family and the like of them with them: a mercy from Us and a reminder to the worshipers.

We responded to him and took away what harm he had: We delivered him from his illness and healed him; and We gave him his family, meaning those of his children who had died. And a reminder to the worshipers: so that they would remember and know that God tests His friends with a trial from Him for them, then gives them their reward. He does not waste the reward of the good-doers.

Job’s story is coming up in Sūrah Ṣāḍ [under verses ], if God wills.

وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِدْرِيسَ وَذَا الْكِفْلِ ۖ كُلٌّ مِنَ الصَّابِرِينَ ٨٥ وَأَدْخَلْنَاهُمْ فِي رَحْمَتِنَا ۖ إِنَّهُمْ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ ٨٦

(21:85-86) And Ishmael and Idrīs and Ezekiel; all were of the patient ones; And We caused them to enter into Our mercy, surely they were of the good ones.

The story of Idrīs (Enoch) was presented above in Sūrah Maryam [under verses ]. The story of Ishmael is coming up in Sūrah Ṣaffāt [under verses ], and Ezekiel’s (Dhū al-Kifl’s) story is coming up in Sūrah Ṣāḍ [under verse ], by the will of God.

وَذَا النُّونِ إِذْ ذَهَبَ مُغَاضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَنْ لَنْ نَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ ٨٧

(21:87) And Dhū al-Nūn, when he went away in wrath, so he thought that We would not straiten him (lan naqdira ʿalayhi), so he called out in the darkness: There is no god but Thou, glory be to Thee; surely I was among the wrongdoers.

Nūn means “fish.” Dhū al-Nūn is Prophet Jonah (Yūnus), son of Amittai (Mattā), who was swallowed by a great fish. He was sent to the people of Nineveh and called them [to God’s religion], but they did not believe in him. Thus he asked God to punish them. When the punishment was about to descend upon them, they repented and believed, so God removed the punishment from them. Since Jonah had departed his people, God tested him with a great fish that swallowed him. Thereupon he called God in the fish’s belly, and thus God delivered him and sent him to his people for a second time.

And Dhū al-Nūn: that is, remember Dhū al-Nūn; when he went away in wrath, enraged by his people when they did not believe in him. It has been said that naqdira here means nuḍayyiqa (straiten, stint, narrow down on), similar to how it is said qudira ʿalayhi rizquhu when one’s provision and livelihood is tightened.

It could also be that the clause, when he went away in wrath, so he thought that We would not straiten him is meant as an analogy. That is, his departure and going away from his people was “like” the departure of a slave who is angry with his master and thinks that his master would have no power over him (lan yaqdira ʿalayhi), such that if he flees from him his master he would have no control over him. As for Jonah truly being angry with his Lord and thinking that God would seriously have no power over him, it is something which is indubitably far from the noble prophets, for they are infallible by God’s protection.

… so he called out in the (layers of) darkness: This is subsequent to some parts that are omitted for brevity. The implied meaning is: “God then tested him with the great fish that swallowed him. Then he called to his Lord in its belly.” It has been said that the “layers of darkness” (al-ẓulumāt, in plural form) refer to the darkness of the sea, the darkness of the fish’s belly, and the darkness of the night.

… There is no god but Thou, glory be to Thee: Here he disassociates himself from what leaving without order seemed like. His departure resembled—even though he did not intend this—the idea that he can resort to someone or somewhere apart from his Lord. That is why he disassociated himself from it by saying: There is no god but You. His departure could also resemble the idea that one can be critical of God’s action and be enraged by it, and one can thwart Him and escape from the domain of His power. Hence, he also disassociated himself from this by proclaiming God’s purity by saying: Glory be to Thee.

… surely I was among the wrongdoers: Here he acknowledges wrongdoing in the sense that he performed an action that resembled wrongdoing, even though what he did was not really wrongdoing, nor had he intended to do wrong and disobey. This is God’s way of disciplining and correcting His prophet, so that he would tread on the carpet of nearness with his will cleared of resembling any wrongdoing, let alone any actual wrongdoing.

فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَنَجَّيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْغَمِّ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُنْجِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٨٨

(21:88) So We responded to him and delivered him from grief (al-ghamm) and thus do We deliver the believers.

He did not state any explicit request or prayer, but only declared God’s unity and purity and confessed to wrongdoing. Yet, this was itself an expression of his condition and position with respect to his Lord, an implicit request for deliverance and exemption. Thus God responded to him and delivered him from al-ghamm, which is the grief that had befallen him.

… and thus do We deliver the believers: This is a promise of deliverance to any believer who is tested with grief and then calls out to his Lord similarly to Jonah. His story is coming up in Sūrah al-Ṣāffāt [under verses ], if God wills.

وَزَكَرِيَّا إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِينَ ٨٩

(21:89) And Zechariah, when he cried to his Lord: O my Lord leave me not alone; and Thou art the best of inheritors.

This verse is joined with a conjunction to the command “remember” that was implied at the beginning of the previous stories. The meaning is: And remember Zechariah, when he cried out to his Lord asking for a son.

O my Lord leave me not alone…: This is what he cried for. “Not leaving him alone” means not leaving him childless; without a child to inherit from him.

… and Thou art the best of inheritors: These words show praise and extolment of God, but they also imply a declaration of God’s purity in this context. What Zechariah said above—leave me not alone—was equivalent to asking for an inheritor, but God is the One Who inherits everything. Thus he proclaimed that God is free from having any associate in inheritance, and declared Him to be above being equal to anyone else by saying: and You are the best of inheritors.

فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ يَحْيَىٰ وَأَصْلَحْنَا لَهُ زَوْجَهُ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا ۖ وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ ٩٠

(21:90) So We responded to him and gave him John and made his wife fit for him; surely they used to hasten with one another in deeds of goodness and to call upon Us hoping and fearing, and they were humble before Us.

“His wife” refers to Zechariah’s wife, and “making her fit” apparently means that God made her young and fecund after being barren, as explicitly stated in his prayer: and my wife is barren ().

… surely they used to hasten with one another in deeds of goodness and to call upon Us hoping (raghaban) and fearing (rahaban), and they were humble (khāshiʿīn, from khushūʿ) before Us: The thread of the verse shows that the pronoun “they” refers to Zechariah’s household. It is as if this statement explains and justifies an implied idea by the previous discussion. That is: “We bestowed blessings upon them because they used to hasten with one another in deeds of goodness.”

Raghab (hoping) and rahab (fearing) are two infinitives like raghbah and rahbah, meaning “desire” and “fear,” respectively. They are participial elements that serve as either tamyīz or ḥāl. The former would be if they retain their infinitival meaning, and the latter would be if the infinitive here has a subject meaning (that is, “those who hope” and “those who fear”; rāghibīn wa rāhibīn). Khushūʿ (humility) is a condition of the heart when it is affected and impressed due to facing some grandeur and magnificence.

The meaning is: We bestowed blessing upon them because they used to hasten with one another in deeds of goodness; they used to call upon Us, hoping for Our mercy and/or reward and fearing Our wrath and/or punishment—or alternatively: they used to call upon Us as those who are hopeful and fearful—and their hearts were humble before Us.

The story of Zechariah and John’ was discussed above at the beginning of Sūrah Maryam [under verses ].

وَالَّتِي أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهَا مِنْ رُوحِنَا وَجَعَلْنَاهَا وَابْنَهَا آيَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ٩١

(21:91) And she who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her of Our spirit and made her and her son a sign for the nations.

“She who guarded her chastity” refers to Mary daughter of ʿImrān (Joachim). This description involves praise for her chastity and immaculateness, and refutes the Jews’ accusation of her.

… so We breathed into her of Our spirit: The pronoun “her” refers to Mary. The “breathing of spirit into her” is an indirect way of saying that Jesus was not born in the usual way, where there is the conception of the zygote (nuṭfah) first, then the blowing of spirit into it. Since there was no conception, what remains is only the blowing of the spirit—that is, the divine word—into her, as He says: Surely the likeness of Jesus is with Allah as the likeness of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, Be, and he was (). Their similarity was in that their creation was needless of a fertilized sperm.

… and made her and her son a sign for the nations: The word “sign” (āyah) is singular, which means that they—that is, Mary and Jesus—are counted together as a single sign for all people. The sign was Jesus’ extraordinary birth, which depends on both of them. Since Mary preceded Jesus in terms of time, God mentions her first by saying: “and made her and her son” instead of “and made her son and her.” Even though Mary was not a prophet, she is named among the prophets in the Book of God, and this alone is ample glory and pride for her.

Examining Narrations

1. Concerning His words, And David and Solomon when they gave judgment concerning the field when the people’s sheep pastured therein (), Imam al-Bāqir said: They did not issue any judgment, but they were only debating with one another. Then He made Solomon understand it.

Author’s comment: The meaning of the hadith is clarified by what was discussed in the exposition of the verse.

2. Abū Baṣīr says: “I asked Imam al-Ṣādiq about God’s words: And David and Solomon when they gave judgment concerning the field when the people’s sheep nafashat ().” He replied: Nafsh is pasturing only at night. The owner of a field has to protect his field only during the day, and the owner of livestock does not have to protect them during the day. He should herd and feed them during the day, so he is not responsible for what they ruin, but the owner of livestock has to keep the livestock away from the people’s fields at night, so if they spoil anything at night, then the owner is responsible. That is nafsh. David ruled that the person whose field was affected should receive the actual livestock. Solomon ruled that he should receive their milk and wool for that year.
3. In another version of this narration, the Imam continues: David ruled in accordance with what the previous prophets had, but God revealed to Solomon: “The owner of a field is only entitled to what comes out of the insides of any flocks which pastured in the field.” This became a new custom after Solomon. This is what is meant by God’s words: and to each one We gave wisdom and knowledge (). Thus, each of them ruled according to God’s ruling.
4. Imam al-Ṣādiq says in a hadith: “The field was a vineyard in which the flock pastured.” The Imam described Solomon’s ruling and then added: “This was David’s ruling, but he only wanted the Israelites to know that Solomon would be his successor. They did not disagree over the ruling, otherwise the verse would have said ‘and We were bearers of witness to their two judgments (ḥukmihuma, in dual form).’”
5. Majmaʿ al-bayān says: There are different views about their rulings. It is said that the field was a vineyard where the grapes were just starting to grow. David ruled that the owner of the vineyard should receive the flock.

Then Solomon told him: “Change this and be more lenient, O Prophet of God!” He asked: “How?” He replied: “Give the vines to the owner of the flock, who should tend to them until they return to how they were. Give the flock to the owner of the vineyard and he will benefit from it until the vineyard is back as it was. Then give each of them back to its owner.” This view is narrated from Imams al-Bāqir and al-Ṣādiq.

Author’s comment: The field being a vineyard is also narrated via Sunni chains of narration, on the authority of Ibn Masʿūd. There are other narrations from the Imams of the Prophet’s Household with similar meanings to those cited above. What we said in the exposition of the verse should suffice to clarify what is meant in these narrations.

6. Concerning verse Tafsīr al-Qummī says: “And (We made subservient) to Solomon the wind blowing violent—blowing from every side—pursuing its course by his command to the land which We had blessed—to Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis) and the Levant.”
7. Concerning verse (and We gave him his family and the like of them with them) Imam al-Ṣādiq said: God brought back to life those of his family who had died both before his trial and during his trial.
8. Imam al-Bāqir said: “And Dhū al-Nūn, when he went away in wrath due to the action of his people, and thought that We would not straiten him—he thought that he would not be punished for what he was doing.”
9. Imam al-Riḍā said: Concerning His words, And Dhū al-Nūn, when he went away in wrath and thought that We would not straiten him (), “he thought” (ẓanna) here means “he was certain” (istayqana). He was sure that God would not straiten his provision. Have you not heard God’s words: But when He tries him (differently), fa-qadara ʿalayhi his means of subsistence ()? It [qadara ʿalayhi] means “straitens against him” (ḍayyaqa ʿayyaqa). If he thought that God would “not have power over him” (lā yaqdiru ʿalayhi), he would be an unbeliever.
10. Imam al-Ṣādiq said: “There are four things for four things [that is, there are four verses for four problems]… The fourth one is for sorrow and worry: There is no god but Thou, glory be to Thee; surely I was among the wrongdoers (), [because then] God says: So We responded to him and delivered him from grief and thus do We deliver the believers ().”

Author’s comment: The same idea is narrated in al-Khiṣāl from the Imam, via an incomplete chain of transmission (mursal).

11. Saʿd has narrated: I heard God’s Messenger saying: “A name of God that if He is called by it He will answer and if He is petitioned by it He will grant is the supplication of Jonah the son of Amittai.” I asked: “O Messenger of God, was it exclusive to Jonah or is it for all Muslims?” He replied: “It was for Jonah in particular, but also for the believers if they call God by it. Have you not heard God’s words: and thus do We deliver the believers ()? So it is a stipulation by God for anyone who calls Him.”
12. Concerning verse (and made his wife fit for him) Tafsīr al-Qummī says: She did not menstruate, but then she started menstruating.
13. Concerning raghaban wa rahaban () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: “It means rāghibīna rāhibīna (hoping and fearing, or those who hope and fear).” Concerning she who guarded her chastity () he said: “That is Mary; no being saw her.” Concerning so We breathed into her of Our spirit () he said: “that is the spirit which is created; that is, of Our command.”
14. Imam Mūsā ibn Jaʿfar said: “Raghbah (hope) is to hold your palms up to heaven facing your face, and rahbah (fear) is to hold your palms facing downwards and lifting [your hands] up to your face.”
15. A similar tradition to the above is narrated from Imam al-Ṣādiq: Raghbah is to hold the palms of your hands up heavenwards, and rahbah is to hold the backs of your hands heavenwards.

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1. In other words, a noun in the singular or dual form should have been annexed to a possessive pronoun in the dual form. (Trans.) ↩︎

2. That is, a singular noun is annexed to a plural possessive pronoun. (Trans.) ↩︎

3. In the Arabic text of the verse, “the mountains” and “the birds” are separated by yusabbiḥna. (Trans.) ↩︎

4. This sense of qadara, meaning the tightening of sustenance, is used in the following verses: , , , , , , , , , , . (Trans.) ↩︎

5. Tamyīz (or tamīz) is a participial form of a verb that serves to specify and clarify an ambiguity. Ḥāl is in the same form, but it serves to describe the condition of either the subject or the object in a sentence. (Trans.) ↩︎

6. See verse . (Trans.) ↩︎

7. The opposite order is seen in verse . (Trans.) ↩︎

8. Man lā yaḥḍuruhu al-faqīh, on the authority of Jamīl b. Darrāj, on the authority of Zurārah. ↩︎

9. There was a slight difference between the author’s wording and the original hadith as in al-Kāfī here which does not alter the meaning. The translation is based on al-Kāfī. (Trans.) ↩︎

10. Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of al-Ḥusayn ibn Saʿīd, on the authority of one of our co-religionists, on the authority of al-Muʿallā Abū ʿUthmān. ↩︎

11. Ibid., via its chain of narration, on the authority of Abū Baṣīr. ↩︎

12. Tafsīr al-Qummī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Abū Baṣīr. ↩︎

13. Ibid., via its chain of narration, on the authority of ʿAbd-Allāh b. Bukayr and others. ↩︎

14. Ibid., on the authority of Abū al-Jārūd. ↩︎

15. The gist of this hadith is that qadara in verse does not mean “having power,” but it means “straitening” or “tightening,” just as in verse . (Trans.) ↩︎

16. ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Abū al-Ṣalt al-Harawī, in al-Rida’s conversation with al-Maʿmūn about the infallibility of the prophets. ↩︎

17. Tahdhīb al-aḥkām, via its chain of narration, on the authority of al-Zayyāt, on the authority of “a man,” on the authority of Karrām. ↩︎

18. Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Jarīr. ↩︎

19. Maʿānī al-akhbār, via its chain of narration, on the authority of ʿAli ibn Jaʿfar, narrating from his brother. ↩︎

20. Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Abū Isḥāq. ↩︎