Verses 30–40
This is the second story telling of the servants of God who turned often towards Him, and which enjoin the Prophet to be patient and keep them in mind.
Commentary
وَوَهَبْنَا لِدَاوُودَ سُلَيْمَانَ ۚ نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ ۖ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ ٣٠
(38:30) And We bestowed Solomon upon David. What an excellent servant! He often turned [to Us].
Meaning, God gave Solomon to David as a son. The rest of the verse is clear, in light of what was mentioned previously.
إِذْ عُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ بِالْعَشِيِّ الصَّافِنَاتُ الْجِيَادُ ٣١
(38:31) When noble swift-running steeds (al-ṣāfināt al-jiyād) were displayed to him near eventide (bil-ʿashiyy).
ʿAshiyy (“eventide”) is the opposite of ghadāh (“morning”) and refers to the latter part of the day, after midday.
According to Majmaʿ al-Bayān, ṣāfināt and jiyād mean:
Ṣāfināt is the plural of ṣāfinah. It is used for a horse that is standing on three legs, with one hoof raised.
Jiyād is the plural of jawād (“horse”). It comes from the root j-w-d (“to be generous”, “to rain”, “to race”); in the plural form, the y takes the place of the w. It speaks of swift steeds, fleet of foot, racing along (tajūd).
فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَحْبَبْتُ حُبَّ الْخَيْرِ عَنْ ذِكْرِ رَبِّي حَتَّىٰ تَوَارَتْ بِالْحِجَابِ ٣٢
(38:32) He said, “I loved the good things (aḥbabtu ḥubb al-khayr) more than the remembrance of my Lord.” Then, it [the sun] was hidden in the veil [of night].
The pronouns “he” and “I” refer to Solomon. According to exegetes, good things (khayr) refers to the horses, since the Arabs used to refer to horses as khayr. For instance, this expression is used in a narration from the Prophet: “Good will remain on the foreheads of horses until the Day of Resurrection.” However, some exegetes take khayr to mean “immense wealth”. The Qur’an uses khayr to mean “immense wealth” elsewhere; for instance, in if you leave behind wealth… ().
“I loved” (aḥbabtu) means “I preferred”, and the preposition ʿan is used to mean “to prefer one thing over another,” similar to how the preposition ʿalā is often used. It means, “I preferred these horses to the remembrance of my Lord—that is, prayer, although I also love prayer. Therefore, when the horses were paraded before me, I became engrossed in them and neglected to say my prayers, until the sun set.”
Then, it [the sun] was hidden in the veil [of night]: According to exegetes, it refers to the sun. Hidden in the veil means that it set and was veiled by the horizon. This understanding is reinforced by the word eventide (ʿashiyy) in the previous verse; otherwise, there would be no clear textual evidence for it.
Overall, the verse means: “When the horses were paraded before me, I was engrossed in them and neglected my prayer, until the prayer-time elapsed at sunset. I loved these horses for the sake of God, since they could be readied for jihad in the way of God. Thus, attending to them was an act of worship; and one form of worship distracted me from another—namely, the prayer, even though the prayer is more important.”
Some exegetes hold that it was hidden actually refers to the horses. That is, he ordered the horses to be paraded before him, and he became preoccupied with them until they disappeared from view, and were hidden behind the veil of distance. However, while the word eventide in the previous verse supports the previous view, there is no textual evidence for the view that Solomon commanded that the horses [instead of the sun] to be brought back, either in the Qur’an or narrations.
رُدُّوهَا عَلَيَّ ۖ فَطَفِقَ مَسْحًا بِالسُّوقِ وَالْأَعْنَاقِ ٣٣
(34:33) He said, “Bring it back to me.” Then they wiped their legs and necks [for ablutions].
Some exegetes say that the pronoun it refers to the sun, meaning that he commanded the angels to reverse the course of the Sun so that he could pray on time. Then, the next sentence means that he began to wipe his legs and neck for ablutions, and told those around him to do the same. Then they all prayed. This interpretation has been related in some narrations from the Imams of Ahl al-Bayt.
Some exegetes also say that it refers to the horses; that is, he commanded that the horses be brought back before him. Then he began to stroke their legs and necks, to dedicate them to the way of God, as a way of making up for how he had been distracted from his prayers.
Others say that the pronoun it refers to the horses, and by “wiping” their necks and legs, it means he struck them with his sword and severed them, since he was angry at them for distracting him from the remembrance of God. Therefore, he ordered that they be brought back so he could cleave their necks and legs with his sword, and killed them all. However, such an act would not be befitting of the status of the prophets at all, for what sin did the horses commit? It was not their fault that he looked at them so long that he missed his prayers. They would not deserve this sort of horrendous punishment. Additionally, the horses were likely someone’s property, and so this would be despoiling someone else’s property.
Some exegetes argue for this view on the basis of a narration ascribed to the Prophet from Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, which says that this expression means that he severed their legs and necks with the sword. Then they explain that this was done as a sacrifice to God, since sacrificing horses was part of their religious practice. However, this is baseless; no narrations—neither from Ubayy, nor from anyone else—say that they used to sacrifice horses.
Furthermore, Solomon was not distracted wantonly; rather, one form of worship distracted him from another, as mentioned previously. With that in mind, the first view agrees best with the text; if not that, then the second.
وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا سُلَيْمَانَ وَأَلْقَيْنَا عَلَىٰ كُرْسِيِّهِ جَسَدًا ثُمَّ أَنَابَ ٣٤
(38:34) We tried Solomon and placed a lifeless body (jasadan) on his throne. Then He turned [to Us].
A jasad is a body with no soul.
According to exegetes, the lifeless body that was draped limply over Solomon’s throne was Solomon himself. He had fallen gravely ill, as a test from God, and was slumped over his throne as if he were a corpse, due to his severe illness.
However, there are some problems with this interpretation. First, a pronoun is missing. Second, it requires We placed him (alqaynāhu) to be interpreted non-literally [that is, inherently, the expression conveys the sense that someone else’s body was placed on the throne, not that Solomon slumped over it]. This choppy, ineloquent expression would not be acceptable.
Other exegetes have put forward other views about what the verse means; these are in accordance with different narrations about it. The most suitable of these interpretations is that the body was that of a young boy: God had taken his soul and made his body slump against the throne. From Then he turned [to Us]. He said, “O Lord, forgive me”, it is understood that this boy had been Solomon’s son, and Solomon had placed his hopes in him, that he would be suitable for the way of God. So God took his soul and left the boy upon the throne to remind Solomon to always place matters in God’s hands.
قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَهَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لَا يَنْبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْوَهَّابُ ٣٥
(38:35) He said, “O Lord, forgive me, and grant me a kingdom like none shall have after me. You are the bestower!”
Solomon’s words seemingly relate to what happened in the previous verse; that is, he said that after the body was cast onto the throne. This does not begin with the conjunction wāw (“and”) so that it follows smoothly in a question-answer paradigm. That is, it is as if someone were to ask, “What did Solomon say when he turned to God?” and the answer was, “He said, ‘O Lord, forgive me….’”
Some people might take umbrage at Solomon’s request—“grant me a kingdom like none shall have after me”—on the grounds that it seems miserly or stingy, since he is asking for a type of kingdom that no one else will ever have, anywhere, anytime. However, this discomfort is easily allayed by observing that he is asking for his own special, unique type of kingdom; he is not asking for it to be taken away from anyone else or that no one could ask for a special sort of kingdom.
فَسَخَّرْنَا لَهُ الرِّيحَ تَجْرِي بِأَمْرِهِ رُخَاءً حَيْثُ أَصَابَ ٣٦
(38:36) So We subjected the winds to him, blowing pliantly (rukhāʾ) at his command, wherever he pleased.
This is the response to his request. It tells us that his prayer as answered, and explains what kind of kingdom he was given—one that would never be given to someone after him; namely, dominion over the winds and the jinn.
Rukhāʾ means “softly”, “pliantly”, or “yieldingly”. Here, it is used as an adverb, meaning that the winds would breeze along compliantly at his command, towards wherever he wished. It is not saying that the winds themselves were soft (rukhāʾ), since this would conflict with their description in And Solomon had the gusting winds, blowing pliantly at his command (), which describes the winds as “gusting” or “tempestuous” (ʿāṣifah)—although one might argue that God made some of the winds tame and others tempestuous, in accordance with Solomon’s wishes.
Wherever he pleased—meaning, wherever Solomon directed them; this conjoins with the verb blowing.
وَالشَّيَاطِينَ كُلَّ بَنَّاءٍ وَغَوَّاصٍ ٣٧
(38:37) As well as the malevolent spirits—the builders and the divers.
Meaning, “We gave Solomon control over the malevolent spirits (shayāṭīn)—that is, the land-jinn who built things, and the sea-jinn who worked in the sea, and extracted pearls and the like.”
وَآخَرِينَ مُقَرَّنِينَ فِي الْأَصْفَادِ ٣٨
(38:38) And others fettered in chains.
Aṣfād is the plural of ṣafad, meaning “an iron shackle.” It means, “We gave him control over other jinn who were joined in shackles, bound in chains.”
هَٰذَا عَطَاؤُنَا فَامْنُنْ أَوْ أَمْسِكْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ٣٩
(38:39) This is Our gift. Give it freely or withhold it, without reckoning.
Meaning, “This kingdom is Our exclusive gift to you. We do not require anything in return.” Without reckoning seemingly means “endless”; that is, should Solomon give of it, it would not diminish. This is why it says give freely or withhold it; both options are the same, in that, either way, it will have no impact on his kingdom.
Some exegetes hold that without reckoning means that he will not be held accountable for it on the Day of Resurrection. Others say that it means he should give without expecting anything in return. There are also other views.
وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِنْدَنَا لَزُلْفَىٰ وَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ ٤٠
(38:40) He enjoyed nearness to Us and an excellent return.
This has already been discussed.
Examining Narrations
- Regarding He said, “I loved the good things more than the remembrance of my Lord.” Then, it [the sun] was hidden in the veil [of night]… (), Majmaʿ al-Bayān says:
It is said that this refers to the horses. They had busied him from his afternoon prayers until the prayer-time elapsed. It is related from ʿAlī, and in a Shiʿi narration, that this means that the prime time for the prayer had elapsed.
- In Majmaʿ al-Bayān, it is related from Ibn ʿAbbās:
I asked ʿAlī about this verse ().
He said, “What have you heard about it, Ibn ʿAbbās?”
I said, “I heard Kaʿb say, ‘Solomon was preoccupied with the horses that were paraded in front of him, until the prayer-time elapsed. So he said, ‘Bring them back to me’—meaning the horses. There were fourteen horses, and he ordered that their legs and necks be cleaved with the sword, and he killed them all. Therefore, God stripped him of his kingdom for fourteen days, because he had wronged the horses by killing them.”
ʿAlī said, “Kaʿb has lied. Solomon was engrossed with the horses when they were paraded before him on that day because he wanted to go for jihad against the enemy. Then the sun disappeared, so he said—with the [right to issue this] command from God—to the angels responsible for the sun, ‘Bring it back to me.’ They brought it back, and he prayed the afternoon prayer on time. The prophets of God do not wrong others or command injustice, for they are protected from sin and purified.”
Author’s comments: The phrase attributed to Kaʿb al-Aḥbār—“and God stripped him of his kingdom” (fa-salabahu Allāhu mulkahu) alludes to a narration about Solomon’s ring, which we shall mention later.
- In al-Faqīh, it is related from Imām al-Ṣādiq:
On that day, during the afternoon, horses were paraded before Solomon, the son of David, and he became preoccupied with looking at them until the sun disappeared and was hidden. So he told the angels, “Bring back the sun so I can pray my prayer on time,” and they brought it back it. He stood and wiped his legs and neck like that, and this was their ablution for prayer. Then he stood and prayed. Then when he finished, it set, and the stars came out. That is what is meant by verses (And We bestowed Solomon upon David…then they wiped their legs and necks).
Author’s comments: This narration is fine as long as it agrees with the wording of the verse (then they wiped their legs and necks). Once it has been established that the prophets can perform miracles, there is no problem with the idea of the sun being brought back; similar things have been narrated about others, like Joshua, the son of Nun, andʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib in narrations which are agreed-upon. Pay no heed to what al-Rāzī said in al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr.
Many Sunni narrations relate that Solomon hamstrung the horses and struck their legs and necks; al-Qummī also relates this in his Tafsīr. All these narrations seem to trace back to Kaʿb, as, indeed, occurred in the previous narration related from Ibn ʿAbbās. In any case, this interpretation should be disregarded, for the reasons already mentioned.
Some of these narrations are so involved that they say that there were twenty-thousand horses—with wings! Similarly, it is related from Kaʿb that the “veil” in it was hidden in the veil was a veil of emerald, surrounding the world, which turned the sky green.
Likewise, astounding stories have been related about We tried Solomon and placed a lifeless body on his throne (). For instance, it is said that Solomon had a son. Solomon ordered that he be nursed, then hid him in a cloud, lest the malicious jinn get to him. Another narration says that this was in fact out of fear of the Angel of Death, until, one day, his dead body plunged down to Solomon’s throne.
It is also related that, one day, he said, “Tonight, I shall lie with one hundred women, each of whom will bear me a son who will be a knight, fighting in the way of God.” However, he did not say “if God wills,” and none of them conceived, except one, who gave birth to a son. Solomon loved him so greatly that some of the jinn hid him from the Angel of Death. But the Angel of Death came anyway, took him out of their hands, snatched up his soul, and left his body on Solomon’s throne.
Similarly, a number of narrations, each tracing to Ibn ʿAbbās—who clarifies that he heard this from Kaʿb—say that Solomon’s kingdom was vested in his ring, so, one day, one of the demons stole it from him. Immediately, his kingdom fell, and the demon took control over it for a number of days. Then, God returned his ring to him, and Solomon stepped back into his former position.
Other matters are also related about Solomon, but it is more appropriate to omit them out of respect for the sanctity of the prophets, even though these narrations attribute these things to him. For instance, regarding the verse We tried Solomon and placed a lifeless body on his throne (), they say that the demon sat on Solomon’s throne.
None of this can be taken seriously, in light of what we have already discussed. These narrations are fabrications, and the fabricators were having a field day with them.