Tafsir of Surah An-Naml - Verse 21

The Absence of the Hoopoe

Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and others narrated from Ibn `Abbas and others that the hoopoe was an expert who used to show Sulayman where water was if he was out in open land and needed water. The hoopoe would look for water for him in the various strata of the earth, just as a man looks at things on the surface of the earth, and he would know just how far below the surface the water was. When the hoopoe showed him where the water was, Sulayman would command the Jinn to dig in that place until they brought water from the depths of the earth. One day Sulayman went to some open land and checked on the birds, but he could not see the hoopoe.

فَقَالَ مَالِيَ لاَ أَرَى الْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ الْغَآئِبِينَ

(and (Sulayman) said: "What is the matter that I see not the hoopoe Or is he among the absentees") One day `Abdullah bin `Abbas told a similar story, and among the people was a man from the Khawarij whose name was Nafi` bin Al-Azraq, who often used to raise objections to Ibn `Abbas. He said to him, "Stop, O Ibn `Abbas; you will be defeated (in argument) today!" Ibn `Abbas said: "Why" Nafi` said: "You are telling us that the hoopoe can see water beneath the ground, but any boy can put seed in a trap and cover the trap with dirt, and the hoopoe will come and take the seed, so the boy can catch him in the trap." Ibn `Abbas said, "If it was not for the fact that this man would go and tell others that he had defeated Ibn `Abbas in argument, I would not even answer." Then he said to Nafi`: "Woe to you! When the decree strikes a person, his eyes become blind and he loses all caution." Nafi` said: "By Allah I will never dispute with you concerning anything in the Qur'an. "

لأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَاباً شَدِيداً

(I will surely punish him with a severe torment) Al-A`mash said, narrating from Al-Minhal bin `Amr from Sa`id that Ibn `Abbas said: "He meant, by plucking his feathers." `Abdullah bin Shaddad said: "By plucking his feathers and exposing him to the sun." This was also the view of more than one of the Salaf, that it means plucking his feathers and leaving him exposed to be eaten by ants.

أَوْ لاّذْبَحَنَّهُ

(or slaughter him,) means, killing him.

أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّى بِسُلْطَـنٍ مُّبِينٍ

(unless he brings me a clear reason.) i.e., a valid excuse. Sufyan bin `Uyaynah and `Abdullah bin Shaddad said: "When the hoopoe came back, the other birds said to him: "What kept you Sulayman has vowed to shed your blood." The hoopoe said: "Did he make any exception did he say `unless"' They said, "Yes, he said:

لأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَاباً شَدِيداً أَوْ لاّذْبَحَنَّهُ أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّى بِسُلْطَـنٍ مُّبِينٍ

(I will surely punish him with a severe torment or slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear reason.) The hoopoe said, "Then I am saved."

لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لَأَذْبَحَنَّهُ

I will punish him with a severe punishment - 27:21

It is part of the political sagacity to punish the absentee after making due scrutiny.

It is permissible to punish a lethargic animal moderately

Allah Ta’ ala had permitted Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) to punish the animals in the same way, as He had permitted people of all ages, a permission which is still valid, to slaughter them to make use of their flesh, bones, skin etc. Similarly, if the domestic animals, such as cow, horse, camel, donkey etc., do not perform their normal duty, then it is permissible even now to punish them moderately for disciplining. Punishing animals, other than domestic, is not permissible under Islamic law. (Qurtubi)

أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ

Unless he brings to me a clear plea. - 27:21

That is, if the hoopoe offers a plausible excuse for its absence, then it will be saved from the punishment. There is a subtle hint in it that it is expected of a ruler or an administrator that if someone falters doing something, then it should be thoroughly investigated before punishing him. The punishment should be enforced only when the guilt is established, otherwise he should be forgiven.

The Sabeans were a wealthy community of ancient times (1100 B.C. to 115B.C.). Their country was located in Ma‘arib (Yemen), where its grand ruins are still in existence. During Solomon’s period, this area was under the rule of a queen called Sheba (Bilqis). The people of this place used to worship the sun, Satan having taught them that the only thing worth worshipping was whatever was most prominent. As the sun was the most prominent of all visible things, only the sun, therefore, deserved to be considered a god and worshipped. Solomon received detailed information about the Sabeans through the hoopoe bird. This hoopoe perhaps belonged to Solomon’s army of birds and possibly received regular training.