38. Sūrat Ṣād

٣٨۔ سُورَةُ ص

Qurʾān > Chapter 38 > Section 2
القرآن > كتاب ٣٨ > باب ٢

38.2 The story of the Prophet David with whom mountains and birds used to sing the rhymes of God. The story of the two litigants who came to David for a decision.

٣٨۔٢ مقطع في سُورَةُ ص

quran:38:15 –

And these ˹disbelievers˺ await not but one blast ˹of the Horn˺; for it there will be no delay.  

And these, that is, the disbelievers of Mecca, do not await but a single Cry, namely, the Blast of the Resurrection that will herald chastisement for them, for which there will be no revoking (read fawāq or fuwāq).
القرآن:٣٨:١٥ –

وَمَا يَنْظُرُ هَٰؤُلَاءِ إِلَّا صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً مَا لَهَا مِنْ فَوَاقٍ  

{وما ينظر} ينتظر {هؤلاء} أي كفار مكة {إلا صيحة واحدة} هي نفخة القيامة تحل بهم العذاب {ما لها من فواق} بفتح الفاء وضمها: رجوع.
quran:38:16 –

And they say, "Our Lord, hasten for us our share ˹of the punishment˺ before the Day of Account"  

And they said — after the following ˹verse˺ was revealed, As for him who is given his book in his right hand … to the end ˹of the verse, Q. 69:19˺ — ‘Our Lord, hasten on for us the record of our deeds before the Day of Reckoning’ — they said this mockingly.
القرآن:٣٨:١٦ –

وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا عَجِّلْ لَنَا قِطَّنَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْحِسَابِ  

{وقالوا} لما نزل (فأما من أوتي كتابه بيمينه) الخ {ربنا عجل لنا قطنا} أي كتاب أعمالنا {قبل يوم الحساب} قالوا ذلك استهزاء.
quran:38:17 –

Be patient over what they say and remember Our servant, David, the possessor of strength; indeed, he was one who repeatedly turned back ˹to Allah˺.  

God, exalted be He, says: Bear patiently what they say and remember Our servant David, the one of fortitude, that is to say, ˹the one˺ of fortitude in worship: he used to fast every other day and keep vigil for half the night, sleep for a third and then keep vigil for the ˹last˺ sixth. Indeed he was a penitent ˹soul˺, always returning to what pleases God.
القرآن:٣٨:١٧ –

اصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُودَ ذَا الْأَيْدِ ۖ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ  

قال تعالى: {اصبر على ما يقولون واذكر عبدنا داود ذا الأيد} أي القوة في العبادة كان يصوم يوما ويفطر يوما ويقوم نصف الليل وينام ثلثه ويقوم سدسه {إنه أوَّاب} رجّاع إلى مرضاة الله.
quran:38:18 –

Indeed, We subjected the mountains ˹to praise˺ with him, exalting ˹Allah˺ in the ˹late˺ afternoon and ˹after˺ sunrise.  

Truly We disposed the mountains to glorify ˹God˺ with him, with the same glorification, at evening, at the time of the night prayer, and at sunrise, at the time of the morning prayer, which is when the sun has fully risen with its light extending everywhere.
القرآن:٣٨:١٨ –

إِنَّا سَخَّرْنَا الْجِبَالَ مَعَهُ يُسَبِّحْنَ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالْإِشْرَاقِ  

{إنا سخرنا الجبال معه يسبحن} بتسبيحه {بالعشيّ} وقت صلاة العشاء {والإشراق} وقت صلاة الضحى وهو أن تشرق الشمس ويتناهى ضوءُها.
quran:38:19 –

And the birds were assembled, all with him repeating ˹praises˺.  

And, We disposed, the birds, mustered ˹in flocks˺, gathered before him, glorifying with him; each, of the mountains and birds, turning to him, reverting to obedience of him by glorifying ˹God with him˺.
القرآن:٣٨:١٩ –

وَالطَّيْرَ مَحْشُورَةً ۖ كُلٌّ لَهُ أَوَّابٌ  

{و} سخرنا {الطير محشورة} مجموعة إليه تسبح معه {كل} من الجبال والطير {له أوَّاب} رجّاع إلى طاعته بالتسبيح.
quran:38:20 –

And We strengthened his kingdom and gave him wisdom and discernment in speech.  

And We strengthened his Kingdom, We reinforced it with guards and hosts: every night there thirty thousand men would be standing guard at his sanctuary; and gave him wisdom, prophethood and sound judgement in ˹all˺ matters, and decisive speech, ˹the ability to formulate˺ a satisfactory statement ˹for a decision˺ in any endeavour.
القرآن:٣٨:٢٠ –

وَشَدَدْنَا مُلْكَهُ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحِكْمَةَ وَفَصْلَ الْخِطَابِ  

{وشددنا ملكه} قوَّيناه بالجرس والجنود وكان يحرس محرابه في كل ليلة ثلاثون ألف رجل {وآتيناه الحكمة} النبوة والإصابة في الأمور {وفصل الخطاب} البيان الشافي في كل قصد.
quran:38:21 –

And has there come to you the news of the adversaries, when they climbed over the wall of ˹his˺ prayer chamber -  

And has there come to you, O Muhammad (s) (the purpose of the interrogative ˹indicated by hal˺ here is to provoke curiosity and a desire to listen to what will follow) the tale of the disputants, when they scaled the sanctuary?, David’s sanctuary, that is, his place of prayer, for they had been prohibited from entering by the ˹front˺ gates because of his being engaged in worship, in other words, ˹has it come to you˺ their tale and their account?
القرآن:٣٨:٢١ –

وَهَلْ أَتَاكَ نَبَأُ الْخَصْمِ إِذْ تَسَوَّرُوا الْمِحْرَابَ  

{وهل} معنى الاستفهام هنا التعجيب والتشويق إلى استماع ما بعده {أتاك} يا محمد {نبأ الخصم إذ تسوَّروا المحراب} محراب داود: أي مسجده حيث منعوا الدخول عليه من الباب لشغله بالعبادة، أي خبرهم وقصتهم.
quran:38:22 –

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.  

When they entered upon David, and he was frightened by them. And they said, ‘Do not fear; we are, two disputants (some say that this means ‘two groups’, in order to agree with the plural person ˹of the verb dakhalū, ‘they entered’˺; others say, ‘two individuals’ with the plural person actually denoting these two; alkhasm may refer to a one or more individuals. These two were angels who had come in the form of two disputants, between whom there ˹was supposed to have˺ occurred the situation mentioned — ˹but˺ only hypothetically — in order to alert David, peace be upon him, to what he had done: he had ninety nine women but desired the woman of a man who had only her and no other. He ˹David˺ had married her and consummated the marriage. One of us has infringed upon the ˹rights of the˺ other, so judge justly between us and do not transgress, ˹do not˺ be unjust, and guide us, direct us, to the right path’, the correct way.
القرآن:٣٨:٢٢ –

إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَىٰ دَاوُودَ فَفَزِعَ مِنْهُمْ ۖ قَالُوا لَا تَخَفْ ۖ خَصْمَانِ بَغَىٰ بَعْضُنَا عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تُشْطِطْ وَاهْدِنَا إِلَىٰ سَوَاءِ الصِّرَاطِ  

{إذ دخلوا على داود ففزع منهم قالوا لا تخف} نحن {خصمان} قيل فريقان ليطابق ما قبله من ضمير الجمع، وقيل اثنان والضمير بمعناهما، والخصم يطلق على الواحد وأكثر، وهما ملكان جاءا في صورة خصمين وقع لهما ما ذكر على سبيل الغرض لتنبيه داود عليه السلام على ما وقع منه وكان له تسع وتسعون امرأة وطلب امرأة شخص ليس له غيرها وتزوجها ودخل بها {بغى بعضنا على بعض فاحكم بيننا بالحق ولا تشطط} تَجُرْ {واهدنا} أرشدنا {إلى سواء الصراط} وسط الطريق الصواب.
quran:38:23 –

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."  

‘Behold, this brother of mine, in other words, my fellow co-religionist, has ninety-nine ewes — here used to represent the women — while I have a single ewe; yet he said, “Entrust it to me”, in other words, make me in charge of it, and he overcame me in speech’, in other words, in the argument; so the latter conceded charge of it to him.
القرآن:٣٨:٢٣ –

إِنَّ هَٰذَا أَخِي لَهُ تِسْعٌ وَتِسْعُونَ نَعْجَةً وَلِيَ نَعْجَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فَقَالَ أَكْفِلْنِيهَا وَعَزَّنِي فِي الْخِطَابِ  

{إن هذا أخي} أي على ديني {له تسع وتسعون نعجة} يعبر بها عن المرأة {وليَ نعجة واحدة فقال أكفلنيها} أي اجعلني كافلها {وعزني} غلبني {في الخطاب} أي الدال، وأقره الآخر على ذلك.
quran:38:24 –

˹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 Lord and fell down bowing ˹in prostration˺ and turned in repentance ˹to Allah˺.  

He said, ‘He has certainly wronged you by asking for your ewe that he may add it to his sheep. And indeed many associates infringe upon ˹the rights of˺ one another, except such as believe and perform righteous deeds, but few are they!’ (mā emphasises the ‘fewness’). As the two angels were ascending to the heaven one said to the other, ‘He has certainly passed judgement on himself!’ David was thus alerted ˹to his deed˺. God, exalted be He, says: And David thought, in other words, he became certain, that We had indeed tried him, that We had caused him to fall into a trial, that is, a test, through his love for that woman. So he sought forgiveness of his Lord and fell down bowing, in other words, prostrate, and repented.
القرآن:٣٨:٢٤ –

قَالَ لَقَدْ ظَلَمَكَ بِسُؤَالِ نَعْجَتِكَ إِلَىٰ نِعَاجِهِ ۖ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْخُلَطَاءِ لَيَبْغِي بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَقَلِيلٌ مَا هُمْ ۗ وَظَنَّ دَاوُودُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّاهُ فَاسْتَغْفَرَ رَبَّهُ وَخَرَّ رَاكِعًا وَأَنَابَ ۩  

{قال لقد ظلمك بسؤال نعجتك} ليضمها {إلى نعاجه وإن كثيرا من الخلطاء} الشركاء {ليبغي بعضهم على بعض إلا الذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات وقليل ما هم} ما لتأكيد القلة فقال الملكان صاعدين في صورتيهما إلى السماء: قضى الرجل على نفسه فتنبه داود قال تعالى: {وظن} أي أيقن {داود أنما فتناه} أوقعناه في فتنة أي بلية بمحبته تلك المرأة {فاستغفر ربَّه وخرَّ راكعا} أي ساجدا {وأناب}.
quran:38:25 –

So We forgave him that; and indeed, for him is nearness to Us and a good place of return.  

So We forgave him that and indeed he has ˹a station of˺ nearness with Us, that is, ˹even˺ more good ˹things˺ in this world, and a fair return, in the Hereafter.
القرآن:٣٨:٢٥ –

فَغَفَرْنَا لَهُ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِنْدَنَا لَزُلْفَىٰ وَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ  

{فغفرنا له ذلك وإن له عندنا لزلفى} أي زيادة خير في الدنيا {وحسن مآب} مرجع في الآخرة.
quran:38:26 –

˹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 Allah." Indeed, those who go astray from the way of Allah will have a severe punishment for having forgotten the Day of Account.  

‘O David! We have indeed made you a vicegerent on the earth, managing the affairs of people; so judge justly between people and do not follow desire, that is, the desires of the soul, that it then lead you astray from the way of God, that is to say, from the proofs that indicate ˹the truth of˺ His Oneness. Truly those who go astray from the way of God, in other words, from belief in God — for them there will be a severe chastisement because of their forgetting the Day of Reckoning’, as a result of their having neglected faith. For had they been certain of ˹the truth of˺ the Day of Reckoning, they would have ˹first˺ been believers in this world.
القرآن:٣٨:٢٦ –

يَا دَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَىٰ فَيُضِلَّكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا نَسُوا يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ  

{يا داود إنا جعلناك خليفة في الأرض} تدبر أمر الناس {فاحكم بين الناس بالحق ولا تتبع الهوى} أي هوى النفس {فيضلك عن سبيل الله} أي عن الدلائل الدالة على توحيده {إن الذين يضلون عن سبيل الله} أي عن الإيمان بالله {لهم عذاب شديد بما نسوا} بنسيانهم {يوم الحساب} المرتب عليه تركهم الإيمان، وقالوا أيقنوا بيوم الحساب لآمنوا في الدنيا.