38. Sad Page 455 وَ مَا And not خَلَقْنَا We created السَّمَآءَ the heaven وَ الْاَرْضَ and the earth وَ مَا and whatever بَیْنَهُمَا (is) between them بَاطِلًا ؕ without purpose ذٰلِكَ That ظَنُّ (is the) assumption الَّذِیْنَ (of) those who كَفَرُوْا ۚ disbelieve فَوَیْلٌ So woe لِّلَّذِیْنَ to those كَفَرُوْا who disbelieve مِنَ from النَّارِؕ the Fire اَمْ Or نَجْعَلُ should We treat الَّذِیْنَ those who اٰمَنُوْا believe وَ عَمِلُوا and do الصّٰلِحٰتِ righteous deeds كَالْمُفْسِدِیْنَ like those who spread corruption فِی in الْاَرْضِ ؗ the earth اَمْ Or نَجْعَلُ should We treat الْمُتَّقِیْنَ the pious كَالْفُجَّارِ like the wicked كِتٰبٌ (This is) a Book اَنْزَلْنٰهُ We have revealed it اِلَیْكَ to you مُبٰرَكٌ blessed لِّیَدَّبَّرُوْۤا that they may ponder اٰیٰتِهٖ (over) its Verses وَ لِیَتَذَكَّرَ and may be reminded اُولُوا those of understanding الْاَلْبَابِ those of understanding وَ وَهَبْنَا And We gave لِدَاوٗدَ to Dawood سُلَیْمٰنَ ؕ Sulaiman نِعْمَ an excellent الْعَبْدُ ؕ slave اِنَّهٗۤ Indeed he اَوَّابٌؕ was one who repeatedly turned اِذْ When عُرِضَ were displayed عَلَیْهِ to him بِالْعَشِیِّ in the afternoon الصّٰفِنٰتُ excellent bred steeds الْجِیَادُۙ excellent bred steeds فَقَالَ And he said اِنِّیْۤ Indeed I اَحْبَبْتُ [I] preferred حُبَّ (the) love الْخَیْرِ (of) the good عَنْ for ذِكْرِ (the) remembrance رَبِّیْ ۚ (of) my Lord حَتّٰی Until تَوَارَتْ they were hidden بِالْحِجَابِۥ in the veil رُدُّوْهَا Return them عَلَیَّ ؕ to me فَطَفِقَ Then he began مَسْحًۢا to pass (his hand) بِالسُّوْقِ over the legs وَ الْاَعْنَاقِ and the necks وَ لَقَدْ And certainly فَتَنَّا We tried سُلَیْمٰنَ Sulaiman وَ اَلْقَیْنَا and We placed عَلٰی on كُرْسِیِّهٖ his throne جَسَدًا a body ثُمَّ then اَنَابَ he turned قَالَ He said رَبِّ O my Lord اغْفِرْ Forgive لِیْ me وَهَبْ and grant لِیْ me مُلْكًا a kingdom لَّا not یَنْۢبَغِیْ (will) belong لِاَحَدٍ to anyone مِّنْۢ after me بَعْدِیْ ۚ after me اِنَّكَ Indeed, You اَنْتَ [You] الْوَهَّابُ (are) the Bestower فَسَخَّرْنَا Then We subjected لَهُ to him الرِّیْحَ the wind تَجْرِیْ to flow بِاَمْرِهٖ by his command رُخَآءً gently حَیْثُ wherever اَصَابَۙ he directed وَ الشَّیٰطِیْنَ And the devils كُلَّ every بَنَّآءٍ builder وَّ غَوَّاصٍۙ and diver وَّ اٰخَرِیْنَ And others مُقَرَّنِیْنَ bound فِی in الْاَصْفَادِ chains هٰذَا This عَطَآؤُنَا (is) Our gift فَامْنُنْ so grant اَوْ or اَمْسِكْ withhold بِغَیْرِ without حِسَابٍ account وَ اِنَّ And indeed لَهٗ for him عِنْدَنَا with Us لَزُلْفٰی surely is a near access وَ حُسْنَ and a good مَاٰبٍ۠ place of return
(38:27) We did not create this heaven and earth and all that lies between them in vain. That is the fancy of those who denied the Truth.29 So woe from the Fire to all who deny the Truth.
(38:28) Shall We then treat alike those that believe and act righteously and those that create mischief on earth? Or treat alike the God-fearing and the wicked?30
(38:29) This is the Blessed Book31 that We have revealed to you, (O Muhammad), that people with understanding may reflect over its verses and those with understanding derive a lesson.
(38:30) We bestowed upon David (an illustrious son), Solomon.32 How excellent a servant (of Ours he was)! Indeed he constantly turned to Us in devotion.
(38:31) And when one evening well-trained and running horses of noble breed were brought to him33
(38:32) he said: “Lo! I have come to love this wealth34 on account of the remembrance of my Lord.” And when the horses disappeared,
(38:33) (he ordered): “Bring these horses back to me,” and then he began to gently stroke their shanks and necks.35
(38:34) Surely We put Solomon to the test and cast upon his throne a mere body. Thereupon he penitently turned (to Us).
(38:35) He said: “My Lord, forgive me and bestow upon me a kingdom such as none other after me will deserve. Surely You are the Bounteous Giver.”36
(38:36) We subjected the wind to him, so that it blew gently at his bidding, wherever he directed it,37
(38:37) and We also subjected the devils to him � all kinds of builders and divers;
(38:38) and others that were bound with chains.38
(38:39) “This is Our bestowal. So give or withhold as you wish without account.”39
(38:40) Indeed an exalted position of nearness awaits him and an excellent resort.40
29. God did not create the heavens and the earth in sport so that His creation would be devoid of wisdom and purpose, justice and fairness. Nor is His creation an act of futility so that regardless of whether one’s acts are good or bad, they would lead to no consequence.
This statement represents the core of the previous discourse and is a prelude to the forthcoming one. The present statement aims to drive home to the audience that man has not been left in the world as an unbridled animal to wander around at will nor is this world a realm of chaos and arbitrariness wherein a person may go about with impunity, free from any thought of accountability.
As a prelude to the discourse that follows, it is stressed that whoever does not believe in ultimate reward and punishment suffers from the illusion that the end of everyone, whether good or bad, is the same: all will be reduced to dust after death without facing any consequence of their deeds. Such people think that the Creator has indulged in an act of utter futility by creating man in the first place. The same point is made at several other places in the Qur’an. Some instances in point are the following: - Did you imagine that We created you without any purpose, and that you will not be brought back to Us? (al-Mu’minun 23: 115).
It was not in idle sport that We created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them. We did not create them except in Truth. But most of them do not know. The Day of Final Decision is the appointed time for all (al-Dukhan 44: 38-40).
30. The unbelievers are asked whether they find it reasonable that both good and evil should ultimately come to the same end. How can it possibly satisfy them, for example, that a pious person should be left unrewarded for his righteousness and a wicked person be left unpunished for his evil? Denial of the Hereafter, of Divine recompense, of Hell and Paradise amounts to denying the Divine attributes of wisdom and justice.
Furthermore, this denial also divests the entire system underlying the universe of all meaning. Should the line of thinking which underlies the denial of the Hereafter be taken seriously, there remains no incentive to do good or to refrain from evil. If God’s realm is indeed so arbitrary and chaotic, then whoever lives righteously and endures pain for the sake of righteousness and seeks to bring about reform in the lives of God’s creatures is no better than a fool. By the same token, whoever accumulates all possible advantages, legitimate or otherwise, and thereby enjoys a life of illicit pleasures is indeed a smart fellow!
31. Barakah signifies the growth of goodness and felicity. That the Qur’an is a blessed Book underscores that it is of immense benefit to man. Contained in it are the best directives to mend and improve his life. One’s adherence to the Qur’an ensures nothing but goodness, discounting all possibility of loss or harm.
32. An account of the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) also features in al-Baqarah 2, n. 104, Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. I, p. 96; Surah Bani Isra’il 17, n. 7, vol. V, pp. 12-16; Surah al-Anbiya’ 21, nn. 70-5, vol. V, pp. 282-7; Surah al-Naml 27, nn. 18-56, vol. VIL, pp. 144-64; and Surah Saba’ 34: 12-14, nn. 17-24, vol. IX, pp. 159-72.
33. The actual words are which refer to the horses that maintain poise while standing and that are also known for their speedy gallop.
34. The word used is khayr. It denotes abundant wealth and is also used figuratively for horses. Since the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) had consecrated these horses for jihad in God’s cause, they are here described as khayr.
35. The Qur’anic commentators disagree in their understanding and interpretation of these verses. According to some scholars, the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) was so absorbed in watching the horses and observing their gallop that he either missed the ‘Asr Prayer or forgot to recite the supplications he used to recite between ‘Asr and Maghrib Prayers. He remained so occupied with watching the horses until the sun set. It was then that Solomon (peace be on him) ordered that the horses be brought back to him. When they came, he began to cut them into pieces; or to put it differently, he began to sacrifice them as an offering to God. He did so because they had made him oblivious of God’s remembrance, (Qurtubi, al-Jami’ li Ahkam al-Qur‘an, comments on Surah Sdd 38: 33.) Taken in this sense, some scholars translate the above verses thus: ‘He said: “I was so overcome by the love of these horses that I missed my Lord’s remembrance [‘Asr Prayer or recitation of the usual supplications].” After the sunset, he recalled these horses and slashed their necks and shanks (with sword).’ Although this interpretation has been offered by some leading Qur’anic scholars, it is nonetheless not persuasive. This because in order to make this interpretation acceptable, these scholars have had to add three points of their own accord, none of which has any basis in any of the relevant sources. The points they have added are the following: (i) It is assumed that the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) missed his ‘Asr Prayer, or the supplications which he used to recite at that hour, because of his preoccupation with the horses. In this regard, it is pertinent to point out that the Qur’anic words are no more than the following be BS e313, ‘Lo! [have come to love this wealth to the extent of becoming headless to the remembrance of my Lord’ (verse 32.) These words, at most, can be construed to mean that so intense was Solomon’s love of the wealth [to wit, the horses] that it made him negligent of God’s remembrance. However, the Qur’anic narrative does not mention that Solomon missed the ‘Asr Prayer or some particular supplications that he used to recite. Moreover, these scholars tend to suppose that the sun set. However, when one reads the words one is instantly reminded of (well-trained and running horses) in the preceding verse. Hence the words simply mean that the § horses disappeared from sight.
(ii) These scholars further assume that the Prophet Solomon (peace] be on him) did not simply pat the horses’ shanks and necks; they rather think that he began to slash them with his sword or, to put it differently, he began to sacrifice them in God's cause because the love of these horses’ had made him heedless to the Prayer. (iii) These scholars also assume that q Solomon struck the horses with the sword although there is no mention of a sword; what is mentioned is that Solomon ‘struck their shanks and necks.’ Not only there is no explicit mention of striking with the sword, but the context too does not lend itself to believing that Solomon would have struck these horses with a sword.
We are, in principle, opposed to this kind of interpretation of the Qur’an. In our opinion, any addition to the content of a Quranic statement is valid in no more than the following four cases: (a) either there should be some contextual indication in the text of the Qur’an itself to support that addition; (b) or there should be some reference of allusion to that addition somewhere else in the Qur’an; (c) or that it is an explanation of a mujmal (unexplained) statement of the Qur’an by a hadith; or (d) that there is some other reliable source to support the addition: if F it is a historical matter, then a historical source should explain it; and if it relates to the natural phenomena, then it should be explained by reliable scientific data; and if the matter relates to fiqh, then it should be explained by any of the recognized works of fiqh.
In the absence of any of the above, it is altogether unjustified for people to weave a story out of their imagination and then pass it off as a plausible explanation of a Qur’anic narrative.
Another group of scholars offers a slightly different explanation. For them, the word as well as refer to the sun. In other words, the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) prayed that the sun be sent back in time so that he might offer ‘Asr Prayer. Accordingly, the sun reappeared and he performed the Prayer, (Qurtubi, al-Jami’ li Ahkam al- Quran, comments on Surah Sad 38: 33.) However, this explanation is even less acceptable than the one above, for the Qur’anic verse in question does not say a word about the sun or its return. We do not say so on the grounds that God does not have the power to send the sun back in time if He so wills. We rather say so because had that happened, it would have been an event of such dazzling importance that it would necessarily have found a place in the historical sources.
These scholars also refer to some hadith to show that the sun’s reappearance occurred not simply once but on several occasions. It is mentioned that this took place on the occasion of the Prophet's Ascension.
(Al-Qadi Abu al-Fadl ‘Iyad al-Yahsubi, al-Shifa bi Ta’rif Huquq al-Mustafa, al-Bab al-Rabt’ fima Azharahu Allah ‘ala Yadayhi min al-Mu ‘jizat, Fasl Inshiqaq al-Qamar wa Habs al-Shams.)
The same was also caused to happen on the occasion of the Battle of the Trench. It is also reported to have happened when ‘Ali lay asleep in the Prophet's lap, as a result of which he missed ‘Asr Prayer. The Prophet (peace be on him) is said to have prayed that the sun be made to reappear and this prayer of his was granted. (Al-Qadi Abu al-Fadl ‘Iyad al-Yahsubi, al-Shifa bi Ta‘rif Huquq al-Mustafa, al-Bab al-Rabi' fima Azharahu Allah ‘ala Yadayhi min al-Mu'‘jizat, Fasl Inshiqaq al-Qamar wa Habs al-Shams.) However, these reports are even less plausible than the explanation itself. Ibn Taymiyah has examined all the versions and chains of narrators in the tradition about the reappearance of the sun wherein ‘Ali has been mentioned and has shown the tradition to be spurious. (Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Halim ibn Taymiyah al-Harrani, Kitab Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyah fi Naqd Kalam al-Shi‘ah wa al-Qadariyah, Balaq: al- Matba’ah al-Kubra al-Amiriyah, 1322 AH, vol. IV, pp. 185-95.) Ahmad ibn Hanbal believes that these reports have no basis. (Muhammad Tahir ibn ‘Ali al-Hindi al-Fatni, Tadhkirat al-Mawdu‘at, Bab Fadl Sahabatih wa Ahl Baytih wa Uways wa Radd al-Shams ‘ala ‘Ali wa ‘Adhab Qatil al-Husayn wa Ta’rikh Qatlih.) Ibn al-Jawzi, too, dismisses them as false and fabricated reports, (Ibn Taymiyah, Kitab Minhaj al-Sunnah, vol. IV, p. 186.) Some scholars brand the reports about the reappearance of the sun during the Battle of Trench as weak and others as fabricated.
As to the traditions about the Prophet’s Ascension, it is worth clarifying that when the Prophet (peace be on him) recounted the details of his Ascension before the unbelievers, the latter asked him to produce some proof. In reply, he told them of an incident that took place on his way to Jerusalem. On being asked as to when that caravan would arrive in Makkah, he indicated the day of its arrival. On the appointed day, the Makkans waited for the caravan to arrive. As evening was about to fall, the Prophet (peace be on him) prayed to God that the sun may not set until the caravan’s arrival and the caravan did indeed arrive before sunset. (Al-Qadi Abu al-Fadl ‘Iyad al-Yahsubi, al-Shifa bi Tarif Huquq al- Mustafa, al-Bab al-Rabi’ fima Azharahu Allah ‘ala Yadayhi min al-Mu ‘jizat, Fasl Inshiqaq al-Qamar wa Habs al-Shams.) Some narrators, however, have recounted the same in a manner that leaves the impression that on that day the sun set an hour later than its appointed time. For them, the sun too waited until the caravan had arrived. Such reports do not constitute sufficient proof for an extraordinary event such as an hour’s long delay in the setting of the sun. Had this really happened, it would have been very widely reported and would not have been confined to some stray reports by a few individuals.
Another group of Qur’anic scholars, however, interprets these verses in a way that conforms to the understanding of those who read this verse without any pre-conceived notions. According to these scholars, what happened was the following: As some high quality horses were [ presented before the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) he remarked, that he did not love them out of any personal motive, but rather because of their effectiveness in exalting the Word of God. He directed that a race between these horses be held. As a result, the horses galloped and disappeared from his sight. According to ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas, when they returned to Solomon (peace be on him), he affectionately patted their necks and shanks. This version of the incident appears to us as the most plausible one.
Furthermore, it not only fits in with the wording of the Qur’anic text but is also not marred by any addition to the meaning of the relevant verses not endorsed by the Qur’an, authentic Hadith or Israelite history.
It is also pertinent to point out that at the conclusion of this narrative, God pays the following tributes to the Prophet Solomon (peace be on f him): ‘How excellent a servant (of Ours he was)! Indeed, he constantly turned to Us in devotion’ (verse 30.) These remarks make it quite clear that notwithstanding the abundant resources available to Solomon, he valued them only in so far as they were instrumental in serving God’s cause. Hence, when he inspected a splendid parade of high quality horses he remembered God and God’s favors instead of engaging in arrogant self-boasting.
36. In the sequence of the discourse, the real purpose of the narrative is to recount this very incident for which the preceding verse serves as a prelude. We have seen in the case of the Prophet David (peace be on him) that he was first praised and then a mention was made of his being subjected to a test which shows that God does not spare even His beloved servants from putting them to test. It was also shown that once David (peace be on him) was informed of his lapse, he repented submitting himself fully to God. In like manner, it is first mentioned in the context of the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) that his was an exalted position as a sincere and devoted servant of God. He too was tested as was David. When a body was cast upon his throne, Solomon instantly realized his lapse, sought forgiveness from God and recanted from what had necessitated that test. In other words, God brings home the following two truths through this story: (i) Even such distinguished and beloved Messengers of God such as the Prophets David and Solomon (peace be on them) were not spared being put to test. (ii) As soon as one realizes one’s lapse, one should humbly turn to the Lord. As the same attitude was displayed by both the Prophets, David and Solomon, God not only pardoned them, but showered further bounties upon them However, this also raises questions about the nature and details of the Prophet Solomon’s test and the significance of casting a body upon his throne. So let us ascertain the nature of the warning directed at Solomon upon which he was prompted to seek God's forgiveness.
The Qur’anic commentators offer four varying answers. One group relates an elaborate version of the story, some of the details of which are mutually divergent. Common to this version is the assertion that the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) had committed some lapse. Either one of his wives indulged in idolatry in his palace for forty days, something that he remained unaware of, or it is said that he stayed indoors for a few days, neglecting the petitions of his people. As punishment, his ring was taken away by a devil. This was the ring through which Solomon governed the jinn and men and established control over the winds. With its loss, Solomon (peace be on him) became deprived of his power and for 40 days ran from pillar to post looking for his lost ring. During this time, it was the devil who had stolen the ring, rather than he, who ruled over his kingdom, impersonating himself as Solomon. The reference here is to the same devil that had been cast upon his throne. Some reports go to the extent of stating that during this period even the king’s wives were not safe from that devil’s amorous encroachments.
Eventually, noticing the unusual. conduct of the devil, Solomon’s ministers and courtiers became suspicious and concluded that he could not be Solomon. Hence, they opened, in his presence, a copy of the Torah and subsequently the devil took to his heels. While fleeing, the ring fell into water and was swallowed by a fish. By sheer coincidence, the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) happened to catch that fish. When he cut open its belly to cook it, he recovered his lost ring. No sooner than this had happened, did all jinn and humans appear before him, renewing their pledge of service. (Qurtubi, al-Jami‘ li Ahkam al-Qur’an, comments on verse 34, Surah Sad 38: 34.) This whole story is full of superstitious tales, which some early converts to Islam uncritically took over from Judaic and Christian sources and spread among the larger body of Muslims. They had accepted this stuff from the Talmud and some other unauthentic popular Israelite sources.
What is intriguing is that some Muslims bought this story, mistaking it to be a part of the Qur’anic account. Unsuspectingly and uncritically they further transmitted this bizarre story. There is, however, no truth about the miraculous qualities of this ring. Nor did the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) owe his extraordinary power to that ring. Moreover, devils are not capable of impersonating a Messenger and thus of misguiding people. It is unthinkable that God would punish a Messenger of His in such a way as would let a devil go about under his identity, wreaking havoc within a whole nation.
It should be noted, first of all, that the Qur’anic account refutes this story outright. Furthermore, verses 36 and 37 of the Surah declare that the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) was subjected to this test and sought God’s forgiveness and God once again yoked the winds and the devils to Solomon’s service. In this respect, then, we observe how this story reverses the chronology of events by stating that, thanks to the magical ring, the devils had already been under Solomon’s control. Qur’anic commentators who narrate this story did not take note of the subsequent verses which are at odds with the content of this narration.
The second group of Qur’anic commentators expounds the following version: After 20 years of waiting, a son was born to the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him). This made the devils all the more apprehensive that even after Solomon’s death, they would still be subservient to his son.
They, therefore, resolved to kill his son. On learning about their evil design, the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) hid his son in the clouds.
This betrayed a serious lapse on Solomon’s part, for instead of reposing his trust in God, he had placed his faith in the clouds. As a punishment, his son died and his corpse fell on his own throne. (Zamakhshari, al- Kashshaf, comments on verse 34, Surah Sad 38:34.) This story is equally baseless and totally at variance with the Quranic account. It presupposes that the devils and winds had been subservient to the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) from the very outset of his designation as God’s Messenger. In contrast, the Qur’an clearly states that their subservience was ordered by God after the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) had successfully stood the test to which he was put.
The third group of Qur’anic commentators adds the following details to the Qur’anic account. The Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) once vowed that he would have sex with his 70 wives in one night and that each one of them would give birth to a son who would strive in God’s cause.
However, he did not add to this assertion the customary formula, ‘if God so wills.’ Consequently, only one of his wives conceived and she had a still birth and the body of that child was cast upon Solomon’s throne. (Razi, al-Tafsir al-Kabir, comments on verse 34, Surah Sad 38: 34.) This version occurs in a hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah on the Prophet's authority.
It has been recorded by Bukhari, Muslim and other Hadith scholars with "several chains of narration. (Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad, Bab man Talab al-Walad li al-Jihad; Muslim, Kitab al-Ayman, Bab al-Istithna’ fi al-Yamin wa ghayriha.) The number of Solomon’s wives variously appears in these reports as 60, 70, 90 or 100. (Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad, Bab man Talab al-Walad li al-Jihad; Kitab Ahadith al-Anbiya’, [Bab] Qawl Allah Ta‘ala: ‘wa Wahabna li Dawud Sulayman Ni’m al-‘Abd Innahu Awwab’; Kitab al-Nikah, Bab Qawl al-Rajul: ‘La’ atufann al-Laylah ‘ala Nisa’ i’; Kitab al-Ayman wa al-Nudhur, Bab kayfa Kanat Yamin al-Nabi Salla Allah ‘alayhi wa Sallam; Kitab al-Tawhid, Bab al- Mashi’ah wa al-Iradah.) As far as the chain of narrators is concerned, in case of most reports they are not flawed. Technically speaking, therefore, the report cannot be brushed aside. Nevertheless, the content of these reports altogether defies reason. One therefore has the distinct impression that this particular version could not have come from the Prophet (peace be on him); rather, he may have cited it as an instance of the weird reports circulated by the Jews. Any attempt to force people to believe these reports on the grounds of a sound chain of narrators amounts to reducing Islam to a laughing stock.
Let us now consider the content of the report: that Solomon had sex with all his wives in one night. The number of these wives was at least sixty. Supposing the reference here is to a night in winter at the time between ‘Isha’ and Fajr when even, the longest night is not more than ten or eleven hours. Now anyone can see whether it is at all possible for a person to have sex with all of his 60 wives. This means that he would have had uninterrupted sex throughout an eleven hour-long night, that he would be disposing of six wives in an hour. Is that credible stuff? How can we believe that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) would relate such a fantastic report as an actual fact? The hadith under discussion makes no reference to ‘a mere body that was cast upon the Prophet Solomon’s throne,’ (verse 34.) It is understandable that Solomon might have prayed to God for forgiveness on the occasion of this child’s birth. However, it is far from clear in the light of the above version, as to why Solomon prayed as follows: ‘Bestow upon me a kingdom such as none other after me will deserve,’ (verse 35.) We also encounter another interpretation, one preferred by Imam Razi. According to this interpretation, the incident was as follows: Once the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) was afflicted with some grave disease, or with anxiety on account of some serious danger he faced.
So absorbing was this anxiety that Solomon (peace be on him) became thoroughly emaciated. (Razi, al-Tafsir al-Kabir, comments on Surah Sad 38: 34.) The Qur’an says only this much: ‘Surely We put Solomon to the test and cast upon his throne a mere body. Thereupon he penitently turned (to Us),’ (verse 34.) Evidently, the body does not allude to that of the Prophet Solomon himself. What emerges from the reading of the verse is that the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) had committed some lapse and, in order to warn him, a body was cast upon his throne. When he realized his lapse, he penitently turned to God.: There is no doubt that this is one of the most difficult passages in the Qur’an, one for whose definitive explanation no textual material is available. However, the Prophet Solomon’s own supplication: ‘My Lord, forgive me and bestow upon me a kingdom such as none other after me will deserve’, seems to provide a clue. Studying the above verse in the light of Israelite history, it seems that perhaps the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) had desired that his son should succeed him and that kingship should remain in his line. God, however, considered this a test for Solomon. Solomon too realized that this was a test for him. When his son, Rehoboam, grew into a youth his ways betrayed his utter incapacity to succeed his grandfather and father, the Prophets David and Solomon (peace be on them). That a dead body was placed upon Solomon's throne indicates that the son whom he had wanted to succeed him was altogether unsuited for the task. He, therefore, recanted his wish, sought God’s pardon and prayed that his kingdom may end with his demise. In other words, he abandoned the idea of kingship continuing in his line. It is also evident from Israelite history that the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) did not name anyone as his successor. In just a short span of time after his death his ministers and the notables of the kingdom placed Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, on the throne. Within a short period, ten Israelite tribes broke away and set up their own kingdom in northern Palestine, leaving only the tribe of Judah loyal to the kingdom of Jerusalem.
37. This point is elucidated elsewhere (see al-Anbiya’ 21,n.74 Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. V, p. 285.) It is, nonetheless, pertinent to clarify that in Surah al-Anbiya’ it is stated that the winds were made subservient to Solomon (peace be on him). In the present verse, however, ‘itis pointedly said that the wind blew smoothly at his command. What this signifies is that the wind — forceful though it is and essential for the sailing of ships - was made subservient to the Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) so that it facilitated the movement of his navy.
38. For further details see al-Anbiya’ 21, n. 75, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. V, pp. 286-7; and al-Naml 27: 23, 28 and 45, vol. VIL, pp. 146, 149-51 and 158-9. The devils here refer to the jinn. As to the devils in fetters, the reference is to those devils who had been imprisoned for their misconduct. It rendered them incapable of fleeing or committing any other mischief.
39. This verse admits three meanings: (i) God’s bestowal of bounties is without measure. The Prophet Solomon (peace be on him) was authorized to grant out of these bounties to whomsoever he wished and deny them to whomsoever he wished. (ii) Solomon was not taken to task for granting or withholding bounties. (iii) The devils were placed under Solomon’s authority. He was free to release or detain them and was not subject to any accountability in this regard. (Razi, al-Tafsir al-Kabir, comments on Surah Sad 38: 39.)
40. The truth enunciated in this verse is that God detests pride and arrogance on man’s part and loves his humility. Both the Prophets David and Solomon (peace and be on them) were showered with His bounties as reward for their humility. The Prophet Solomon’s supplication following his prayer for God’s forgiveness was accepted and he was accordingly granted a kingdom unprecedented in the annals of history. Likewise, the bestowal of control over the wind and the jinn also makes Solomon (peace be on him) unique and distinctively more powerful than any ruler in history.