Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
Sad 38:34–64
38:34–35Page 455
وَلَقَدۡ فَتَنَّا سُلَيۡمَٰنَ وَأَلۡقَيۡنَا عَلَىٰ كُرۡسِيِّهِۦ جَسَدٗا ثُمَّ أَنَابَ ٣٤
And We certainly tried Solomon and placed on his throne a body;1 then he returned.2
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱغۡفِرۡ لِي وَهَبۡ لِي مُلۡكٗا لَّا يَنۢبَغِي لِأَحَدٖ مِّنۢ بَعۡدِيٓۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡوَهَّابُ ٣٥
He said, "My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me. Indeed, You are the Bestower."
Every human being is liable to err. But, for the pious and righteous subjects of God, a wrongful act leads to great virtue, because after the misdeed, they turn towards their Lord with much more devotion and thus become entitled to a much better reward. On one occasion, Solomon made an error in judgement which required an interpretation and making a decision. When the truth dawned on him, he turned towards God with the utmost devotion. Almighty God forgave him and in addition gave him the reward of a great empire; He also gave him such extraordinary powers as no other man had ever enjoyed.
38:36–43Page 455
فَسَخَّرۡنَا لَهُ ٱلرِّيحَ تَجۡرِي بِأَمۡرِهِۦ رُخَآءً حَيۡثُ أَصَابَ ٣٦
So We subjected to him the wind blowing by his command, gently, wherever he directed,
وَٱلشَّيَٰطِينَ كُلَّ بَنَّآءٖ وَغَوَّاصٖ ٣٧
And [also] the devils [of jinn] - every builder and diver
وَءَاخَرِينَ مُقَرَّنِينَ فِي ٱلۡأَصۡفَادِ ٣٨
And others bound together in irons.
هَٰذَا عَطَآؤُنَا فَٱمۡنُنۡ أَوۡ أَمۡسِكۡ بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٖ ٣٩
[We said], "This is Our gift, so grant or withhold without account."
وَإِنَّ لَهُۥ عِندَنَا لَزُلۡفَىٰ وَحُسۡنَ مَـَٔابٖ ٤٠
And indeed, for him is nearness to Us and a good place of return.
وَٱذۡكُرۡ عَبۡدَنَآ أَيُّوبَ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ بِنُصۡبٖ وَعَذَابٍ ٤١
And remember Our servant Job, when he called to his Lord, "Indeed, Satan has touched me with hardship and torment."
ٱرۡكُضۡ بِرِجۡلِكَۖ هَٰذَا مُغۡتَسَلُۢ بَارِدٞ وَشَرَابٞ ٤٢
[So he was told], "Strike [the ground] with your foot; this is a [spring for a] cool bath and drink."
وَوَهَبۡنَا لَهُۥٓ أَهۡلَهُۥ وَمِثۡلَهُم مَّعَهُمۡ رَحۡمَةٗ مِّنَّا وَذِكۡرَىٰ لِأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ٤٣
And We granted him his family and a like [number] with them as mercy from Us and a reminder for those of understanding.
Job was one of the Israeli prophets who lived probably in the ninth century B.C. He was very rich, but, far from being lost in his riches, he used to pray to God and call people towards God. Some evil-minded people started saying that Job remembered God because he was blessed by God with so much wealth. In order to settle all argument God took away all His blessings from Job but he continued to be a sincere worshipper of God. He said, ‘It was God who gave and God has taken away. Glory be to the name of God.’ Even then, mischievous people were not silenced. They said that the real test would be if he suffered physical affliction and remained patient and grateful. To prove his sincerity, God made Job contract a serious skin disease; yet he remained the embodiment of patience and gratitude. When the process of convincing the people was complete, God caused a spring to come into existence for Job’s nourishment. By bathing in this spring, his body became healthy and, restoring him to his family, God gave him much more wealth.
38:44Page 456
وَخُذۡ بِيَدِكَ ضِغۡثٗا فَٱضۡرِب بِّهِۦ وَلَا تَحۡنَثۡۗ إِنَّا وَجَدۡنَٰهُ صَابِرٗاۚ نِّعۡمَ ٱلۡعَبۡدُ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٞ ٤٤
[We said], "And take in your hand a bunch [of grass] and strike with it and do not break your oath."1 Indeed, We found him patient, an excellent servant. Indeed, he was one repeatedly turning back [to Allāh].
When God makes someone an example for the sake of religion and he surrenders himself to God without any reservation, God restores to him more than what was taken away from him during his period of trial.
38:45–48Page 456
وَٱذۡكُرۡ عِبَٰدَنَآ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسۡحَٰقَ وَيَعۡقُوبَ أُوْلِي ٱلۡأَيۡدِي وَٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرِ ٤٥
And remember Our servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - those of strength and [religious] vision.
إِنَّآ أَخۡلَصۡنَٰهُم بِخَالِصَةٖ ذِكۡرَى ٱلدَّارِ ٤٦
Indeed, We chose them for an exclusive quality: remembrance of the home [of the Hereafter].
وَإِنَّهُمۡ عِندَنَا لَمِنَ ٱلۡمُصۡطَفَيۡنَ ٱلۡأَخۡيَارِ ٤٧
And indeed they are, to Us, among the chosen and outstanding.
وَٱذۡكُرۡ إِسۡمَٰعِيلَ وَٱلۡيَسَعَ وَذَا ٱلۡكِفۡلِۖ وَكُلّٞ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَخۡيَارِ ٤٨
And remember Ishmael, Elisha and Dhul-Kifl, and all are among the outstanding.
For which special assignment does God choose messengers from amongst human beings? The special mission of prophets entails that they make men aware of the fact that their real destination is the Hereafter, and that they should prepare themselves for it. This is the most crucial problem for man, one which warrants utter seriousness.
38:49–54Page 456
هَٰذَا ذِكۡرٞۚ وَإِنَّ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ لَحُسۡنَ مَـَٔابٖ ٤٩
This is a reminder. And indeed, for the righteous is a good place of return -
جَنَّٰتِ عَدۡنٖ مُّفَتَّحَةٗ لَّهُمُ ٱلۡأَبۡوَٰبُ ٥٠
Gardens of perpetual residence, whose doors will be opened to them.
مُتَّكِـِٔينَ فِيهَا يَدۡعُونَ فِيهَا بِفَٰكِهَةٖ كَثِيرَةٖ وَشَرَابٖ ٥١
Reclining within them, they will call therein for abundant fruit and drink.
۞ وَعِندَهُمۡ قَٰصِرَٰتُ ٱلطَّرۡفِ أَتۡرَابٌ ٥٢
And with them will be women limiting [their] glances1 and of equal age.
هَٰذَا مَا تُوعَدُونَ لِيَوۡمِ ٱلۡحِسَابِ ٥٣
This is what you, [the righteous], are promised for the Day of Account.
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَرِزۡقُنَا مَا لَهُۥ مِن نَّفَادٍ ٥٤
Indeed, this is Our provision; for it there is no depletion.
Paradise will be for those servants of God who submit to Him while He is invisible. They will be the fortunate ones who will relish the everlasting joy of the Hereafter. The blessings bestowed upon men in the Hereafter will be of the same nature as those confered in this world. Yet there will be a tremendous difference between these two forms of divine grace. In this world, favours are given for the time being and in a rudimentary form whereas, in the Hereafter, these favours will be given forever and in their ultimate form. God will banish all kinds of fear in the Hereafter, which is not possible in the present world.
38:55–58Page 456
هَٰذَاۚ وَإِنَّ لِلطَّٰغِينَ لَشَرَّ مَـَٔابٖ ٥٥
This [is so]. But indeed, for the transgressors is an evil place of return -
جَهَنَّمَ يَصۡلَوۡنَهَا فَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡمِهَادُ ٥٦
Hell, which they will [enter to] burn, and wretched is the resting place.
هَٰذَا فَلۡيَذُوقُوهُ حَمِيمٞ وَغَسَّاقٞ ٥٧
This - so let them taste it - is scalding water and [foul] purulence.
وَءَاخَرُ مِن شَكۡلِهِۦٓ أَزۡوَٰجٌ ٥٨
And other [punishments] of its type [in various] kinds.
Hell would also be everlasting and will be an amalgam of all troubles and tortures which can be imagined in the present world. When those who were arrogant in this world and rejected the truth gather in Hell, leaders and followers will quarrel with each other and curse one another. But, none of it would be of avail.
38:59–64Page 456
هَٰذَا فَوۡجٞ مُّقۡتَحِمٞ مَّعَكُمۡ لَا مَرۡحَبَۢا بِهِمۡۚ إِنَّهُمۡ صَالُواْ ٱلنَّارِ ٥٩
[Its inhabitants will say], "This is a company bursting in with you. No welcome for them. Indeed, they will burn in the Fire."
قَالُواْ بَلۡ أَنتُمۡ لَا مَرۡحَبَۢا بِكُمۡۖ أَنتُمۡ قَدَّمۡتُمُوهُ لَنَاۖ فَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡقَرَارُ ٦٠
They will say, "Nor you! No welcome for you. You, [our leaders], brought this upon us, and wretched is the settlement."
قَالُواْ رَبَّنَا مَن قَدَّمَ لَنَا هَٰذَا فَزِدۡهُ عَذَابٗا ضِعۡفٗا فِي ٱلنَّارِ ٦١
They will say, "Our Lord, whoever brought this upon us - increase for him double punishment in the Fire."
وَقَالُواْ مَا لَنَا لَا نَرَىٰ رِجَالٗا كُنَّا نَعُدُّهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَشۡرَارِ ٦٢
And they will say, "Why do we not see men whom we used to count among the worst?1
أَتَّخَذۡنَٰهُمۡ سِخۡرِيًّا أَمۡ زَاغَتۡ عَنۡهُمُ ٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرُ ٦٣
Is it [because] we took them in ridicule, or has [our] vision turned away from them?"
إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَحَقّٞ تَخَاصُمُ أَهۡلِ ٱلنَّارِ ٦٤
Indeed, that is truth [i.e., reality] - the quarreling of the people of the Fire.
When the people who rejected the truth see their miserable lot in the Hereafter, they will remember those who had taken the side of the Truth and as such had come to be regarded as inferior in their society. The rejectors of the truth used to say of the supporters of truth that the latter disrespected the great ones; that they had deviated from their ancestral religion and had made their own path separate from that of the community.These rejectors of the truth had considered themselves to be on the right path. But in the Hereafter, the tables will be turned. At that time it will be clear to them that those whom they looked at with contempt and ridiculed, are the very people who are now enjoying the foremost position of success.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences