QUESTION:
Please provide the Tafseer of Aayaat numbers 34 and 35 of Surah As Sa’ad, pertaining to the test of Hazrat Suleiman Alaihis Salaam, with special mention of the word “Jassad”?
ANSWER:
Mufti Muhammad Shafi Sahib Rahimahullah writes in his Ma’ariful Quraan under the commentary of verse 34:
وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا سُلَيْمَانَ وَأَلْقَيْنَا عَلَى كُرْسِيِّهِ جَسَدًا ثُمَّ أَنَابَ
Verily We tested Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam and cast a body on his throne after which he turned [Surah Saad – Verse 34]
Allah Ta’ala has mentioned yet another test of Sayyiduna Sulaiman in this verse of the Quraan Sharif. This much is mentioned that, a malformed body was placed on the throne of Sayyiduna Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam. What the malformed body was, what was meant by it being placed on the throne, why he was tested, etc. is not mentioned in the Quraan Sharif, nor in the authentic books of Hadith.
Therefore, commentators of the Quraan Sharif such as Ibn Kathir Rahimahullah incline towards the following principle; whatever the Quraan Sharif has left ambiguous, there is no need to delve into the details of it without necessity. Yes, one is required to believe this much, that Sayyiduna Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam was tested in some way, after which he turned to Allah Ta’ala even more than before. The objective of the Quraan Sharif is fulfilled by mentioning this much.
However, some commentators have tried to delve into the details of this test and quoted some incidents, whereas some of the possibilities related to the incident are purely Isra’eeli narrations. For example, they state that the secret behind the rule of Sayyiduna Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam was in his ring. One day a Shaytaan got hold of his ring and taking the form of Sayyiduna Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam ended up sitting on the throne of Sayyiduna Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam as the ruler. Forty days later, Sayyiduna Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam retrieved the ring from the belly of a fish and thereafter regained his authority as the ruler. This narrative appears in several books of Tafsir, but Hafiz Ibn Kathir Rahimahullah, after classifying them as Isra’eeli narrations, writes in his Tafsir:
There was a group among the people of the Book who did not believe in Sayyiduna Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam being a Nabi of Allah Ta’ala. It is therefore clear that these false tales have been fabricated by them. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir Pg: 36 Vol 4] Hence, regarding such narratives as the Tafsir of the Quraanic verse is not correct.
There is yet another narration mentioned in Sahih Bukhari regarding the incident of Sayyiduna Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam. Some commentators found the incident like this verse of the Quraan Sharif, and declared it to be the Tafsir of this verse. The gist of the incident is that once Sayyiduna Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam expressed his thought of being intimate with all his wives at night and having a child from each one of them, who will strive in the path of Allah (by going out in Jihad). But, while verbalizing his thought, he forgot to say ‘Insha’Allah.’ Allah Ta’ala disliked this error from such a great messenger, thus his claim was proven to be incorrect, and only one out of all his wives gave birth to a stillborn child with just one side.
Some commentators have fitted this incident on the verse of the Quraan Sharif and said that this is the meaning of placing the malformed child on the throne-that a servant of Sayyiduna Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam brought the baby and placed it on the throne. Thereupon, Sayyiduna Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam was alerted towards the fact that this was the consequence of him not saying, ‘Insha’Allah’. Thus, he turned to Allah and sought forgiveness for his error.
Commentators like Qadi Abu-s-Sa’ud, ‘Allamah ‘Alusi and others have chosen this Tafsir. Maulana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanvi has also gone by it in his Tafsir, ‘Bayaan-ul-Quraan’.
But the reality is, that even this incident cannot be called the Tafsir of this verse as there is no indication that Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam mentioned it in the Tafseer of this verse. Imam Bukhari has reported this Hadith in Kitab-ul-Jihad, Kitab-ul-Ambiya’, Kitab-ul-Ayman wan-Nudhur and elsewhere with various versions, but he has not mentioned it under the Tafsir of Surah Saad anywhere in Kitaab-ut-Tafsir. Hence, even according to Imaam Bukhari Rahimahullah this incident is not the Tafseer of the verse, but as Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam would narrate incidents of the Ambiya Alaihimus Salaam, this is just another incident but not necessarily the Tafseer of the verse.
Although there are one or two other incidents recorded pertaining to the verse, but we will suffice on what has been mentioned above. [Re: Ma’ariful Quraan Vol:7 Pg:515-517]
Regarding the Tafseer of verse 35:
قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَهَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لَا يَنْبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْوَهَّابُ
He (Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam) said, ‘O my Rabb! Forgive me and grant me a kingdom that cannot be had by any other after me. Undoubtedly, You are the Great Giver!’ [Surah Saad – Verse 35]
Hadrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi Sahib Rahimahullah writes:
Some commentators explain this Dua as, “none in my era should enjoy a huge kingdom like mine”. This will mean that the words ‘after me’ means ‘other than me or besides me.’ Maulana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanavi Rahimahullah translated the verse accordingly. But many commentators explain that the Dua means that, “none after me should enjoy such a great kingdom”, and really, after Sayyiduna Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam, none ever enjoyed such a huge kingdom. The wind was never subservient to anyone after him, nor were the Jinn under the control of anyone after him, as he enjoyed control over them. Some Aamils have a couple of Jinn under their control, but it is nothing in comparison to the control that Sayyiduna Sulaiman Alaihis Salaam enjoyed, hence there is no objection. [Re:Ma’ariful Quraan Vol:7 Pg:518-519]
ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:
Maulana Ahmed Saeed
26 Rajab 1445 / 07 February 2024
CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:
Mufti Mohammed Desai Saheb
