Surah 38. Sad

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Verses [Section]: 1-14[1], 15-26 [2], 27-40 [3], 41-64 [4], 65-88 [5]

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Quran Text of Verse 41-64وَ اذْكُرْAnd rememberعَبْدَنَاۤOur slaveاَیُّوْبَ ۘAyyubاِذْwhenنَادٰیhe calledرَبَّهٗۤhis LordاَنِّیْThat [I]مَسَّنِیَhas touched meالشَّیْطٰنُShaitaanبِنُصْبٍwith distressوَّ عَذَابٍؕand suffering اُرْكُضْStrikeبِرِجْلِكَ ۚwith your footهٰذَاThisمُغْتَسَلٌۢ(is a spring) of water to batheبَارِدٌcoolوَّ شَرَابٌ and a drink 38. Sad Page 456وَ وَهَبْنَاAnd We grantedلَهٗۤ[to] himاَهْلَهٗhis familyوَ مِثْلَهُمْand a like of themمَّعَهُمْwith themرَحْمَةًa Mercyمِّنَّاfrom Usوَ ذِكْرٰیand a Reminderلِاُولِیfor those of understandingالْاَلْبَابِ for those of understanding وَ خُذْAnd takeبِیَدِكَin your handضِغْثًاa bunchفَاضْرِبْand strikeبِّهٖwith itوَ لَاand (do) notتَحْنَثْ ؕbreak (your) oathاِنَّاIndeed Weوَجَدْنٰهُ[We] found himصَابِرًا ؕpatientنِّعْمَan excellentالْعَبْدُ ؕslaveاِنَّهٗۤIndeed heاَوَّابٌ repeatedly turned وَ اذْكُرْAnd rememberعِبٰدَنَاۤOur slavesاِبْرٰهِیْمَIbrahimوَ اِسْحٰقَand Ishaqوَ یَعْقُوْبَand Ayyub,اُولِیpossessorsالْاَیْدِیْ(of) strengthوَ الْاَبْصَارِ and vision اِنَّاۤIndeed Weاَخْلَصْنٰهُمْ[We] chose themبِخَالِصَةٍfor an exclusive (quality)ذِكْرَیremembranceالدَّارِۚ(of) the Home وَ اِنَّهُمْAnd indeed theyعِنْدَنَاto Usلَمِنَ(are) fromالْمُصْطَفَیْنَthe chosen onesالْاَخْیَارِؕthe best وَ اذْكُرْAnd rememberاِسْمٰعِیْلَIsmailوَ الْیَسَعَand Al-Yasaوَ ذَاand Dhul-kiflالْكِفْلِ ؕand Dhul-kiflوَ كُلٌّand allمِّنَ(are) fromالْاَخْیَارِؕthe best هٰذَاThisذِكْرٌ ؕ(is) a Reminderوَ اِنَّAnd indeedلِلْمُتَّقِیْنَfor the righteousلَحُسْنَsurely is a goodمَاٰبٍۙplace of return جَنّٰتِGardensعَدْنٍ(of) Eternityمُّفَتَّحَةً(will be) openedلَّهُمُfor themالْاَبْوَابُۚthe gates مُتَّكِـِٕیْنَRecliningفِیْهَاthereinیَدْعُوْنَthey will callفِیْهَاthereinبِفَاكِهَةٍfor fruitكَثِیْرَةٍmanyوَّ شَرَابٍ and drink وَ عِنْدَهُمْAnd with themقٰصِرٰتُ(will be) companions of modest gazeالطَّرْفِ(will be) companions of modest gazeاَتْرَابٌ well-matched هٰذَاThisمَا(is) whatتُوْعَدُوْنَyou are promisedلِیَوْمِfor (the) Dayالْحِسَابِ (of) Account اِنَّIndeedهٰذَاthisلَرِزْقُنَا(is) surely Our provisionمَاnotلَهٗfor itمِنْanyنَّفَادٍۚۖdepletion هٰذَا ؕThis (is so)!وَ اِنَّAnd indeedلِلطّٰغِیْنَfor the transgressorsلَشَرَّsurely (is) an evilمَاٰبٍۙplace of return جَهَنَّمَ ۚHellیَصْلَوْنَهَا ۚthey will burn thereinفَبِئْسَand wretched isالْمِهَادُ the resting place هٰذَا ۙThis (is so)!فَلْیَذُوْقُوْهُThen let them taste itحَمِیْمٌboiling fluidوَّ غَسَّاقٌۙand purulence وَّ اٰخَرُAnd otherمِنْofشَكْلِهٖۤits typeاَزْوَاجٌؕ(of various) kinds هٰذَاThisفَوْجٌ(is) a companyمُّقْتَحِمٌbursting inمَّعَكُمْ ۚwith youلَاNoمَرْحَبًۢاwelcomeبِهِمْ ؕfor themاِنَّهُمْIndeed theyصَالُوا(will) burnالنَّارِ (in) the Fire قَالُوْاThey sayبَلْNay!اَنْتُمْ ۫Youلَاnoمَرْحَبًۢاwelcomeبِكُمْ ؕfor youاَنْتُمْYouقَدَّمْتُمُوْهُbrought thisلَنَا ۚupon usفَبِئْسَSo wretched isالْقَرَارُ the settlement قَالُوْاThey will sayرَبَّنَاOur Lordمَنْwhoeverقَدَّمَbroughtلَنَاupon usهٰذَاthisفَزِدْهُincrease for himعَذَابًاa punishmentضِعْفًاdoubleفِیinالنَّارِ the Fire 38. Sad Page 457وَ قَالُوْاAnd they will sayمَاWhat (is)لَنَاfor usلَاnotنَرٰیwe seeرِجَالًاmenكُنَّاwe used (to)نَعُدُّهُمْcount themمِّنَamongالْاَشْرَارِؕthe bad ones اَتَّخَذْنٰهُمْDid we take themسِخْرِیًّا(in) ridiculeاَمْorزَاغَتْhas turned awayعَنْهُمُfrom themالْاَبْصَارُ the vision اِنَّIndeedذٰلِكَthatلَحَقٌّ(is) surely (the) truthتَخَاصُمُ(the) quarrelingاَهْلِ(of the) peopleالنَّارِ۠(of) the Fire

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Translation of Verse 41-64

(38:41) And remember Our servant Job:⁴¹ when he cried to his Lord: “Behold, Satan has afflicted me with much hardship and suffering.”⁴²

(38:42) (We commanded him): “Stamp your foot on earth, and here is cool water to wash with and to drink.”⁴³

(38:43) And We granted to him his family and also the like of them,⁴⁴ as a mercy from Us, and as a reminder to people of understanding,⁴⁵

(38:44) (and We said to him): “Take in your hand a bundle of rushes and strike with it, and do not break your oath.”⁴⁶ Indeed We found him steadfast. How excellent a servant (of Ours) he was. Indeed he constantly turned (to his Lord).⁴⁷

(38:45) And remember Our servants � Abraham, Isaac and Jacob � they were endowed with great strength and vision.⁴⁸

(38:46) Verily We exalted them in consideration of a sterling quality: their remembrance of the Abode of the Hereafter.⁴⁹

(38:47) In Our sight they are among the chosen and excellent ones.

(38:48) And remember Ishmael, Elisha,⁵⁰ and Dhu al-Kifl.⁵¹All were of the best.

(38:49) This was a remembrance. An excellent retreat awaits the God-fearing

(38:50) � everlasting Gardens with gates wide open for them⁵²

(38:51) wherein they shall recline, wherein they shall ask for abundant fruit and drinks,

(38:52) and wherein there shall be with them well-matched, bashful mates.⁵³

(38:53) All this is what you are promised for the Day of Judgement.

(38:54) This is Our provision for you, never to end.

(38:55) All this (is for the God-fearing). But for the transgressors, an evil resort awaits them �

(38:56) Hell, where they will be roasted. An evil place to dwell!

(38:57) All this (is for them); so let them taste boiling water and pus,⁵⁴

(38:58) and other sufferings of the kind.

(38:59) (Observing their followers advancing to Hell they will say, among themselves: “This is a troop rushing in to you. There is no welcome for them. They are destined to roast in the Fire.”

(38:60) They will reply: “Rather, no welcome to you. (You will roast in Hell.) It is you who led us to this end. What an evil resort!”

(38:61) They will say: “Our Lord, give twofold punishment in the Fire to him who has led us to this.”

(38:62) They will say to one another: “But why do we not see those whom we considered him among the wicked?⁵⁵

(38:63) Is it that we mistakenly made fun of them; or have they disappeared from our sight?”

(38:64) Verily all this is true. This is how the inmates of the Fire will dispute among themselves.

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Commentary

41. This is the fourth instance in the Qur’an where the Prophet Job (peace be on him) is mentioned. (For a detailed account about him see al-Anbiya’ 21, nn. 76-9, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. V, pp. 287-90.)

42. This does not mean that Job’s complaint was that Satan had actually subjected him to hardship and suffering. Rather, his real complaint was about Satan’s evil promptings which hurt him more than his serious illness, his loss of wealth and the desertion of his family members. Satan tried his level best to make Job (peace be on him) lose all hope in God and prompted him to become an ungrateful servant of His. Satan thereby wanted that Job (peace be on him) should forego his perseverance.

The above interpretation of Job’s supplication is preferable to others on the following grounds: (i) According to the Qur’an, God has granted Satan only the ability to infuse some promptings; he does not have the power to afflict anyone with disease or physical pain. (ii) In Surah al- Anbiya’ (Surah 21) the Prophet Job (peace be on him) prays to God in which he simply says: ‘Behold, disease has struck me and you are the Most Merciful of those that are merciful’ (21: 83.) It is noted that here it has not been said that Satan caused him that disease.

43. As Job (peace be on him) stamped his foot on the ground, there gushed forth a spring by God’s. command. Its water cured the Prophet Job (peace be on him) as he drank and bathed in it. Presumably what Job (peace be on him) suffered from was some kind of severe skin disease.

The Bible states that his body, from the crown of his head to his soles, was afflicted with sores. According to the Bible: ‘So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord, and afflicted Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his feet to the crown of his head.’ (Job 2: 7.)

44, Reports suggest that all, except Job’s wife, deserted him during this sickness. God alludes to this by saying here that [after Job was cured], ‘We granted to him his family and also the like of them as a mercy from Us...’

45. There is a lesson in this for all people endowed with reason. The lesson is that neither one should forget God and become disobedient and rebellious to Him in a state of prosperity nor succumb to despair in adversity. Man’s prosperity and adversity lie entirely with God and none has any share in His power and authority. Were God to so will, He can transform a person’s adversity into prosperity and vice versa. Hence in all circumstances a wise person should repose His trust in God and pin all hopes and expectations in Him alone.

46. Reflection over these words makes it evident that during his illness the Prophet Job (peace be on him) had vowed to beat someone by striking them with a certain number of lashes. (There are reports which indicate that he had vowed to beat his own wife). Al Jassas, Ahkam al-Qur’an, comments on Surah Sad 38: 44.) When God restored his health and he was able to overcome the anger which had caused him to take this vow he felt disconcerted. For, if he were to fulfil the vow, he would be hurting an altogether innocent person without any justifiable reason.

On the other hand, if he were not to fulfil the vow, he would still be a sinner. Then God showed him a way out of the dilemma by directing him to take a bundle of rushes, and strike with it, the volume of rushes equating to the number of times he had vowed to strike. This would fulfil his vow without causing any pain to the person concerned.

Some jurists consider this to be a concession exclusively meant for the Prophet Job (peace be on him). Other jurists, however, believe that the directive is of a general nature and is meant for all. The former view is held, according to Ibn ‘Asakir, by ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas and according to al-Jassas, by Mujahid. As for the latter view, it is held by Abu Hanifah, Abu Yusuf, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, Zufar and Shafi’. For them, if someone had vowed to punish a person, say his servant, with ten lashes, his vow will be deemed to have been fulfilled if he joined the whips together and struck the servant just once. (Jassas, Akkam al-Qur’an, comments on Surah Sad 38: 44.) Several ahadith stress that the Prophet (peace be on him) followed the same principle in punishing a sick or age-stricken culprit charged with illicit sex, who would not have survived had he been lashed a hundred times. Abu Bakr al-Jassas narrates, on the authority of Sa‘id ibn Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubadah, that a member of the Bani Sa’id had committed illicit sex. This person, however, was extremely frail and sick and had virtually been reduced to a skeleton. The Prophet (peace be on him), therefore, directed that he be lashed with a date trunk with a hundred branches. Thereby this would constitute the punishment of one hundred lashes for him. (Jassas, Ahkam al-Qur’an, comments on Surah Sad 38: 44.)

There are traditions in the Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, in Abu Da’ud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and al-Tabarani and the Musannaf of ‘Abd al-Razzaq and in other Hadith collections which support this. It is well established that the Prophet (peace be on him) prescribed this method for punishing sick and infirm culprits. (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, narrated by Sa‘id ibn Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah; Abu Daud, Kitab al-Hudud, Bab fi lqamat al-Hadd ‘ala al-Marid; Nasa’i, al-Sunan al-Kubra, Kitab al-Rajm, Bab al-Darir fi al-Khilqah Yusib al-Hadd; Ibn Majah, Kitab al-Hudud, Bab al-Kabir wa al-Marid; Yajib ‘alayhi al-Hadd; Tabarani, al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir, narrated by Sa‘id ibn Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah; ‘Abd al-Razzaq, Musannaf, Kitab al-Ayman wa al-Nudhur, Bab Tahlil al-Darb.) Jurists, however, insist that every branch or rush should touch the culprit’s body, even if it be once, and that it should also cause him some pain. The point is that lash should not simply touch or brush the culprit’s body but should strike it. (Jassas, Ahkam al-Qur’an, comments on Surah Sad 38: 44.) Another question arising from this discussion is: what course of action should one take if one later realizes that one’s vow was inappropriate. A tradition states the Prophet's directive that in such an instance one should do only what is proper and this, in itself, constitutes the expiation for the unfulfilled vow, there is also another tradition which mentions that the Prophet (peace be on him) asked such a person to act fairly and that at the same time they should expiate for their vow as well. The verse under discussion seems to support this position. Had the avoidance of an, inappropriate vow by acting fairly alone been its expiation, God would not have asked the Prophet Job (peace be on him) to ‘Take in your hand a bundle of rushes and strike with it’ (verse 44), in order to fulfil the vow, he had made. It is evident that God did not thereby direct him not to fulfil his inappropriate vow. (For further details see al-Nur 24, n. 20, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. VI, pp. 214-15.) Some scholars, however, consider this verse to provide proof in support of legitimate legal devices (hiyal). This because the Prophet Job (peace be on him) was obviously informed of a way out of his legal obligation.

However, this was not designed to enable him to avoid or evade a duty; rather, it was a means to avoid a wrong. Thus legitimate devices are only those to which one might resort to avoid a wrong, injustice, evil or sin.

If that is not the case, and one resorts to a legal device (hilah) to render something unlawful into lawful or to evade a religious duty or to avoid doing something good, this borders on sheer unbelief because through such devices one virtually tries to deceive God. For example, if one were to transfer-one’s assets before the expiry of the mandatory one-year period in order to evade the payment of zakah, one would be guilty not only of non-observance of a religious duty, but also of deluding oneself that the trick would deceive God and that He will absolve one of the duty to pay zakah. Jurists who have laid down legal devices in their works have done so not in order to encourage people to resort to them with the aim of substantively evading legal commands. The purpose of so doing is to indicate that judges and rulers need not object to those legal devices to which people might resort, providing they do so to avoid a sinful act.

What is crucial in such matters is a person’s intention, and judges and magistrates are hardly in a position to reproach people on the grounds that they had acted with bad intent. It is better that judgement regarding intention should be left to God.

47. The story of the Prophet Job (peace be on him) is narrated here to highlight the truth that when God’s pious servants are faced with hardships, they do not complain to their Lord. On the contrary, they patiently withstand the test to which they have been put by Him, while they invoke His help and look forward to His mercy and grace. Eventually, they are rewarded with God's favors and beneficence as is evident from the Prophet Job’s story. Even when under stress such people are caught in a moral dilemma, God Himself suggests a way out. This is again best illustrated by the Prophet Job’s story.

48. The sense of the words [those] endowed with great strength and vision’. To describe the Prophets as people of great strength means that they were pre-eminently men of action who had been granted tremendous strength and fortitude to carry out God’s command and to eschew sin and evil, and who strove vigorously to exalt the Word of God. Their additional characterization is that they are endowed with ‘vision’. This vision obviously refers to their ability to discern and perceive the truth; the vision here meaning the vision of the heart and the mind rather than of the eyes. The Prophets were so described for they had the ability to perceive truth and reality. Such people do not go around stumbling like the blind. Instead, they move along the Straight Way, with open eyes, in the light of knowledge and understanding.

Implicit in this is the subtle point that the wicked and the disobedient are devoid of power and insight. The really powerful are those who work for God’s cause. Likewise, the people of vision are those who can distinguish between the light of truth and the darkness of falsehood.

49. The Prophets attained great heights of success and achievement but did not hanker after the world, let alone worship it; instead, their thoughts and efforts were focused on the Hereafter. Hence God speaks of, the Hereafter here as ‘the real abode’ which underlines the truth that the world is not man’s true abode. It is only a passing resort, one from which man has to depart soon, man’s true abode, then, is the Hereafter. Those endowed with insight therefore work to improve their prospects in the Hereafter. God loves such people. As for those who indulge in such acts as to embellish their worldly lives, they will find that they destroy their prospects in the Hereafter; such people are naturally not of His liking.

50. Al-Yasa’ is mentioned twice in the Quran. (See also al-An‘am 6: 86.) At both places no further details are provided about him. He is simply -mentioned along with other Prophets. What we do know, however, is that he was a distinguished Israelite Prophet. He came from Abel Meholah, which is situated on the bank of the River Jordan. Jews and Christians speak of him as Elisha. When the Prophet Elijah (peace be on him) was stationed at the Sinai Peninsula, he was directed to return to Syria and Palestine to accomplish some important task. One of these was to prepare and train Elisha as his successor. When Elijah met him, he saw him ploughing his field with a yoke of twelve oxen before him. Later on, he abandoned farming, (1 Kings 19: 15-21.) For more than a decade Elisha was under the care of the Prophet Elijah (peace be on him) and succeeded him after his demise (2 Kings: 2.) A detailed account of him features in the Bible (see 2 Kings: 2-13.) One learns from it that it was he who inspired a prince to stand against the polytheism, idolatry and moral degeneracy that had overtaken the Israelite kingdom. It was he who put an end to Baal worship. He also put to death all members of such degenerate families. However, this reform movement could not extirpate all the evils that had made deep inroads in the society. After Elisha’s demise, these evils reached their zenith and were followed by the Assyrian incursions against Samaria. (For further details see al-Saffat 37, nn. 70-71, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. IX, pp. 310-11.)

51. The Prophet Dhi al-Kifl is mentioned twice in the Qur’an, in this verse and in Sarah al-Anbiya’ 21: 85. (For details about him, see al-Anbiya' 21, n. 81, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. V, pp. 291-2.)

52. The statement that ‘everlasting Gardens with gates wide open’ admits several meanings. One, that when the God-fearing enter Paradise, they will find its gates wide open merely by their desiring to enter Paradise. Two, that those whom God chooses for Paradise will have to make no effort to enter it; no sooner than they want to, its gates will be flung open. Three, that the angels appointed as keepers of Paradise will open its gates as soon as they observe any of the people of Paradise. This last aspect is mentioned more clearly in the following verse of the Qur’an: ‘Its gates will have already been thrown open when they arrive there. Its keepers will tell them: “Peace be upon you! You have done well. Herein you shall abide”, (al-Zumar 39: 73.)

53. This possibly means that the mates of the people of Paradise will ‘be of one and the same age. It can also mean, however, that the age of the mates will match the age of their spouses.

54. Lexicographers consider the word ghassaq to mean the following: (i) fluids of the body such as pus, blood and tears; (ii) intensely cold objects; (iii) objects with a foul, rotten smell. While it is correct to use the word to mean all of these, it is generally used to denote pus and blood.

55. In other words, the true believers, whom the unbelievers had treated with contempt and scorn in the world, will not be found in Hell.

To their astonishment, the unbelievers will find their own leaders in Hell.

However, they will not see there any of those they had condemned in the world and had mocked for talking about God, His Messenger, and the Hereafter.