Sad 38:25
The Letter "Saad" · Juz 23 · Page 454
فَغَفَرۡنَا لَهُۥ ذَٰلِكَۖ وَإِنَّ لَهُۥ عِندَنَا لَزُلۡفَىٰ وَحُسۡنَ مَـَٔابٖ ٢٥
So We forgave him that; and indeed, for him is nearness to Us and a good place of return.
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 38:25
In verse 25, it was said: وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِندَنَا لَزُلْفَىٰ وَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ (and surely he has a place of nearness in Our presence, and an excellent resort.). By concluding this event on this verse, a hint was released towards the fact that, no matter whatever the slip of Sayyidna Dawud (علیہ السلام) would have been, once he had sought forgiveness from Allah and had passionately turned to Him, it goes without saying that the level of his communion with Allah Ta’ ala had increased further.
When warn, warn with wisdom!
Yet another aspect of this event needs to be mentioned here. Let this slip of Sayyidna Dawud (علیہ السلام) be whatever it was, it was a matter between him and his Lord who could have alerted him to it even directly through a revelation. But, rather than do something of this nature, why was a particular method used when the case of a dispute was sent in his court to alert him thereby? The truth of the matter is that this method invites deliberation. It helps us realize that it provides guidance for those who are engaged in preaching and bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair. Those who do their duty in this field should know that the conduct of a person is not to be corrected casually. It takes a lot of wisdom to do it. To alert someone to his error, it is better to take to a method that helps the concerned person realize his error on his own, without having recourse to warn him verbally. For that purpose, it is more effective to use such examples as may convey the message without hurting the addressee in the least.
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38:17
ٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱذۡكُرۡ عَبۡدَنَا دَاوُۥدَ ذَا ٱلۡأَيۡدِۖ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌ ١٧
Be patient over what they say and remember Our servant, David, the possessor of strength; indeed, he was one who repeatedly turned back [to Allāh].
38:18
إِنَّا سَخَّرۡنَا ٱلۡجِبَالَ مَعَهُۥ يُسَبِّحۡنَ بِٱلۡعَشِيِّ وَٱلۡإِشۡرَاقِ ١٨
Indeed, We subjected the mountains [to praise] with him, exalting [Allāh] in the [late] afternoon and [after] sunrise.
38:19
وَٱلطَّيۡرَ مَحۡشُورَةٗۖ كُلّٞ لَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٞ ١٩
And the birds were assembled, all with him repeating [praises].
38:20
وَشَدَدۡنَا مُلۡكَهُۥ وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُ ٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَفَصۡلَ ٱلۡخِطَابِ ٢٠
And We strengthened his kingdom and gave him wisdom and discernment in speech.
38:21
۞ وَهَلۡ أَتَىٰكَ نَبَؤُاْ ٱلۡخَصۡمِ إِذۡ تَسَوَّرُواْ ٱلۡمِحۡرَابَ ٢١
And has there come to you the news of the adversaries, when they climbed over the wall of [his] prayer chamber -
38:22
إِذۡ دَخَلُواْ عَلَىٰ دَاوُۥدَ فَفَزِعَ مِنۡهُمۡۖ قَالُواْ لَا تَخَفۡۖ خَصۡمَانِ بَغَىٰ بَعۡضُنَا عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖ فَٱحۡكُم بَيۡنَنَا بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَا تُشۡطِطۡ وَٱهۡدِنَآ إِلَىٰ سَوَآءِ ٱلصِّرَٰطِ ٢٢
When they entered upon David and he was alarmed by them? They said, "Fear not. [We are] two adversaries, one of whom has wronged the other, so judge between us with truth and do not exceed [it] and guide us to the sound path.
38:23
إِنَّ هَٰذَآ أَخِي لَهُۥ تِسۡعٞ وَتِسۡعُونَ نَعۡجَةٗ وَلِيَ نَعۡجَةٞ وَٰحِدَةٞ فَقَالَ أَكۡفِلۡنِيهَا وَعَزَّنِي فِي ٱلۡخِطَابِ ٢٣
Indeed this, my brother, has ninety-nine ewes, and I have one ewe; so he said, 'Entrust her to me,' and he overpowered me in speech."
38:24
قَالَ لَقَدۡ ظَلَمَكَ بِسُؤَالِ نَعۡجَتِكَ إِلَىٰ نِعَاجِهِۦۖ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡخُلَطَآءِ لَيَبۡغِي بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٍ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَقَلِيلٞ مَّا هُمۡۗ وَظَنَّ دَاوُۥدُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّٰهُ فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرَ رَبَّهُۥ وَخَرَّۤ رَاكِعٗاۤ وَأَنَابَ۩ ٢٤
[David] said, "He has certainly wronged you in demanding your ewe [in addition] to his ewes. And indeed, many associates oppress one another, except for those who believe and do righteous deeds - and few are they." And David became certain that We had tried him, and he asked forgiveness of his Lord1 and fell down bowing [in prostration] and turned in repentance [to Allāh].
1 translator’s note
- For his errors, such as fear and suspicion of the two men at the outset, any mistake in judgement he might have made, concealed feelings of partiality, etc. ↩
38:25
فَغَفَرۡنَا لَهُۥ ذَٰلِكَۖ وَإِنَّ لَهُۥ عِندَنَا لَزُلۡفَىٰ وَحُسۡنَ مَـَٔابٖ ٢٥
So We forgave him that; and indeed, for him is nearness to Us and a good place of return.
38:26
يَٰدَاوُۥدُ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَٰكَ خَلِيفَةٗ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱحۡكُم بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٞ شَدِيدُۢ بِمَا نَسُواْ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡحِسَابِ ٢٦
[We said], "O David, indeed We have made you a successor upon the earth, so judge between the people in truth and do not follow [your own] desire, as it will lead you astray from the way of Allāh." Indeed, those who go astray from the way of Allāh will have a severe punishment for having forgotten the Day of Account.