Tafsir of Surah Al-Anbiya' - Verse 81

Dawud and Sulayman and the Signs which They were given; the Story of the People whose Sheep pastured at Night in the Field

Abu Ishaq narrated from Murrah from Ibn Mas`ud: "That crop was grapes, bunches of which were dangling." This was also the view of Shurayh. Ibn `Abbas said: "Nafash means grazing." Shurayh, Az-Zuhri and Qatadah said: "Nafash only happens at night." Qatadah added, "and Al-Haml is grazing during the day."

وَدَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَـنَ إِذْ يَحْكُمَانِ فِى الْحَرْثِ إِذْ نَفَشَتْ فِيهِ غَنَمُ الْقَوْمِ

(And (remember) Dawud and Sulayman, when they gave judgement in the case of the field in which the sheep of certain people had pastured at night;) Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn Mas`ud said: "Grapes which had grown and their bunches were spoiled by the sheep. Dawud (David) ruled that the owner of the grapes should keep the sheep. Sulayman (Solomon) said, `Not like this, O Prophet of Allah!' Dawud said, `How then' Sulayman said: `Give the grapes to the owner of the sheep and let him tend them until they grow back as they were, and give the sheep to the owner of the grapes and let him benefit from them until the grapes have grown back as they were. Then the grapes should be given back to their owner, and the sheep should be given back to their owner.' This is what Allah said:

فَفَهَّمْنَـهَا سُلَيْمَـنَ

(And We made Sulayman to understand (the case).)" This was also reported by Al-`Awfi from Ibn `Abbas.

فَفَهَّمْنَـهَا سُلَيْمَـنَ وَكُلاًّ ءَاتَيْنَا حُكْماً وَعِلْماً

(And We made Sulayman to understand (the case); and to each of them We gave wisdom and knowledge.) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that when Iyas bin Mu`awiyah was appointed as a judge, Al-Hasan came to him and found Iyas weeping. Al-Hasan said, "Why are you weeping" Iyas said, "O Abu Sa`id, What I heard about judges among them a judge is he, who studies a case and his judgment is wrong, so he will go to Hell; another judge is he who is biased because of his own whims and desires, so he will go to Hell; and the other judge he who studies a case and gives the right judgement, so he will go to Paradise." Al-Hasan Al-Basari said: "But what Allah tells us about Dawud and Sulayman (peace be upon them both) and the Prophets and whatever judgements they made proves that what these people said is wrong. Allah says:

وَدَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَـنَ إِذْ يَحْكُمَانِ فِى الْحَرْثِ إِذْ نَفَشَتْ فِيهِ غَنَمُ الْقَوْمِ وَكُنَّا لِحُكْمِهِمْ شَـهِدِينَ

(And (remember) Dawud and Sulayman, when they gave judgement in the case of the field in which the sheep of certain people had pastured at night; and We were witness to their judgement.) Allah praised Sulayman but He did not condemn Dawud." Then he -- Al-Hasan -- said, "Allah enjoins three things upon the judges: not to sell thereby for some miserable price; not to follow their own whims and desires; and not to fear anyone concerning their judgements. " Then he recited:

يدَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَـكَ خَلِيفَةً فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَى فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ

(O Dawud! Verily, We have placed you as a successor on the earth; so judge you between men in truth and follow not your desire -- for it will mislead you from the path of Allah.) 38:26

فَلاَ تَخْشَوُاْ النَّاسَ وَاخْشَوْنِ

(Therefore fear not men but fear Me) 5:44

وَلاَ تَشْتَرُواْ بِـَايَـتِى ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً

(and sell not My Ayat for a miserable price.) 5:44 I say: with regard to the Prophets (peace be upon them all), all of them were infallible and supported by Allah. With regard to others, it is recorded in Sahih Al-Bukhari from `Amir bin Al-`As that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«إِذَا اجْتَهَدَ الْحَاكِمُ فَأَصَابَ، فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ، وَإِذَا اجْتَهَدَ فَأَخْطَأَ، فَلَهُ أَجْر»

(If the judge does his best, studies the case and reaches the right conclusion, he will have two rewards. If he does his best, studies the case and reaches the wrong conclusion, he will have one reward.) This Hadith refutes the idea of Iyas, who thought that if he did his best, studied the case and reached the wrong conclusion, he would go to Hell. And Allah knows best. Similar to story in the Qur'an is the report recorded by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad from Abu Hurayrah, who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«بَيْنَمَا امْرَأَتَانِ مَعَهُمَا ابْنَانِ لَهُمَا، إِذْ جَاءَ الذِّئْبُ فَأَخَذَ أَحَدَ الْابْنَيْنِ فَتَحَاكَمَتَا إِلَىىَداوُدَ، فَقَضَى بِهِ لِلْكُبْرَى، فَخَرَجَتَا فَدَعَاهُمَا سُلَيْمَانُ فَقَالَ: هَاتُوا السِّكِّينَ أَشُقُّهُ بَيْنَكُمَا: فَقَالَتِ الصُّغْرَى: يَرْحَمُكَ اللهُ هُوَ ابْنُهَا لَا تَشُقَّهُ، فَقَضَى بِهِ لِلصُّغْرَى»

(There were two women who each had a son. The wolf came and took one of the children, and they referred their dispute to Dawud. He ruled that the (remaining) child belonged to the older woman. They left, then Sulayman called them and said, "Give me a sword and I will divide him between the two of you." The younger woman said, "May Allah have mercy on you! He is her child, do not cut him up!" So he ruled that the child belonged to the younger woman). This was also recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim in their Sahihs. An-Nasa'i also devoted a chapter to this in the Book of Judgements.

وَسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاوُودَ الْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحْنَ وَالطَّيْرَ

(And We subjected the mountains and the birds to glorify Our praises along with Dawud.) This refers to the beauty of his voice when he recited his Book, Az-Zabur. When he recited it in a beautiful manner, the birds would stop and hover in the air, and would repeat after him, and the mountains would respond and echo his words. The Prophet passed by Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari while he was reciting Qur'an at night, and he had a very beautiful voice, he stopped and listened to his recitation, and said:

«لَقَدْ أُوتِيَ هَذَا مِزْمَارًا مِنْ مَزَامِيرِ آلِ دَاوُد»

(This man has been given one of the wind instruments (nice voices) of the family of Dawud.) He said: "O Messenger of Allah, if I had known that you were listening, I would have done my best for you."

وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ صَنْعَةَ لَبُوسٍ لَّكُمْ لِتُحْصِنَكُمْ مِّن بَأْسِكُمْ

(And We taught him the making of metal coats of mail, to protect you in your fighting.) meaning, the manufacture of chain-armor. Qatadah said that before that, they used to wear plated armor; he was the first one to make rings of chain-armor. This is like the Ayah:

وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ الْحَدِيدَأَنِ اعْمَلْ سَـبِغَـتٍ وَقَدِّرْ فِى السَّرْدِ

(And We made the iron soft for him. Saying: "Make you perfect coats of mail, and balance well the rings of chain armor.") 34:10-11, meaning, do not make the pegs so loose that the rings (of chain mail) will shake, or make it so tight that they will not be able to move at all. Allah says:

لِتُحْصِنَكُمْ مِّن بَأْسِكُمْ

(to protect you in your fighting.) meaning, in your battles.

فَهَلْ أَنتُمْ شَـكِرُونَ

(Are you then grateful) means, `Allah blessed you when He inspired His servant Dawud and taught him that for your sake.'

The Power of Sulayman is unparalleled

وَلِسُلَيْمَـنَ الرِّيحَ عَاصِفَةً

(And to Sulayman (We subjected) the wind strongly raging,) means, `We subjugated the strong wind to Sulayman.'

تَجْرِي بِأَمْرِهِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا

(running by his command towards the land which We had blessed.) meaning, the land of Ash-Sham (Greater Syria).

وَكُنَّا بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَـلِمِينَ

(And of everything We are the All-Knower.) He had a mat made of wood on which he would place all the equipment of his kingship; horses, camels, tents and troops, then he would command the wind to carry it, and he would go underneath it and it would carry him aloft, shading him and protecting him from the heat, until it reached wherever he wanted to go in the land. Then it would come down and deposit his equipment and entourage. Allah says:

فَسَخَّرْنَا لَهُ الرِّيحَ تَجْرِى بِأَمْرِهِ رُخَآءً حَيْثُ أَصَابَ

(So, We subjected to him the wind; it blew gently by his order whithersoever he willed.) 38:36

غُدُوُّهَا شَهْرٌ وَرَوَاحُهَا شَهْرٌ

(its morning was a month's (journey), and its afternoon was a month's) 34:12

وَمِنَ الشَّيَـطِينِ مَن يَغُوصُونَ لَهُ

(And of the Shayatin were some who dived for him,) means, they dived into the water to retrieve pearls, jewels, etc., for him.

وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلاً دُونَ ذلِكَ

(and did other work besides that;) This is like the Ayah:

وَالشَّيَـطِينَ كُلَّ بَنَّآءٍ وَغَوَّاصٍ - وَآخَرِينَ مُقَرَّنِينَ فِي الْأَصْفَادِ

(And also the Shayatin, every kind of builder and diver. And also others bound in fetters.) 38:37-38.

وَكُنَّا لَهُمْ حَـفِظِينَ

(and it was We Who guarded them.) means, Allah protected him lest any of these Shayatin did him any harm. All of them were subject to his control and domination, and none of them would have dared to approach him. He was in charge of them and if he wanted, he could set free or detain whomever among them he wished. Allah says:

وَآخَرِينَ مُقَرَّنِينَ فِي الْأَصْفَادِ

(And also others bound in fetters.) 38:38

وَلِسُلَيْمَانَ الرِّ‌يحَ عَاصِفَةً (And for Sulayman [ We subjugated ] the violent wind - 21:81) This sentence is a continuation of an earlier verse وَسَخَّرْ‌نَا مَعَ دَاوُودَ (And with Dawad We subjugated - 21:79). Thus it means that just as Allah Ta’ ala had made birds and hills subservient to Dawud (علیہ السلام) who used to sing in praise of Allah while he recited the Zabur, in the same way He made the wind subservient to Sulayman (علیہ السلام) who used to fly on its wings swiftly wherever he wanted to go. It is worth noting here that while describing subservience of birds and hills for Dawud (علیہ السلام) the word معَ (with) has been used, but the subservience of wind for Sulayman (علیہ السلام) has been described using the letter لام (which means 'for' ). In this there is a subtle hint that the subservience in both these cases was different. In the case of Dawud (علیہ السلام) the birds and hills used to sing praise of Allah with him simultaneously without any command from him. But in the case of Sulayman (علیہ السلام) the wind acted according to his commands and carried him where and when he desired. (Ruh ul-Ma’ ani, with reference to A1-Baidawi).

Ibn Kathir in his commentary has described in fair detail the platform on which Sayyidna Sulayman (علیہ السلام) was carried by the wind. It was made of wood and was of an enormous size which could accomodate him and all the functionaries of the government as well as the army alongwith their weapons, and the wind carried them all wherever it was commanded to go, covering two month's journey in one day.

Ibn Abi Hatim has narrated on the authority of Sayyidna Said Ibn Jubair ؓ that 600, 000 six hundred thousand chairs were placed on this platform on which humans who were also believers sat in front with Sayyidna Sulayman (علیہ السلام) and behind them sat the believing Jinns. Then the birds were commanded to fly above the platform and protect it from the heat of the sun. Then by the command of Sulayman (علیہ السلام) the wind would take the platform to a specified destination. Some traditions report that throughout this aerial journey, Sulayman علیہ السلام used to sit with his head bowed down praying to and thanking Allah Ta` ala in all humility and not turning his head to the right or to the left.

عَاصِفَةً (violent) Literal meaning of is strong and violent wind. At another place in the Holy Qur'an the attribute of this wind is given as رِیحُ عَاصِفَةً which means a mild breeze, which neither raises dust nor creates turbulence. On the face of it, these attributes are contradictory, but they can be reconciled in that whereas in itself it was so strong that it could accomplish two month's Journey in one day, yet it did not create. any turbulence. It is reported that when this platform used to fly in the air, no birds were ever harmed due to velocity of the wind.

Here the taming of the winds means making navigation on the seas a possibility, for in ancient times ocean travel was revolutionised when man invented ships with sails. The sails were in fact a means of harnessing the winds and performed the function of engines for the ships of those days. The invention of ships with sales made the oceans not only navigable, but also suitable for transporting heavy cargo. This gives an indication that man was taught the science of navigation on the seas through the prophets. Besides this, a group of jinn was made subservient to the Prophet Solomon (Sulayman). They used to execute for him large welfare projects which could not be done by ordinary men. In the modern machine age, such enormous tasks of human welfare are performed by machines. Before the machine age, in order to facilitate the performance of major projects, God had made the jinn subordinate to His prophets.