Surah Saad (38) — Ayah 34

(Ayah 34) ➊ According to the author of Ruh al-Ma'ani, Alusi, the most apparent meaning of this trial is the incident mentioned in the hadith, in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوٗدَ لَأَطُوْفَنَّ اللَّيْلَةَ عَلٰی سَبْعِيْنَ امْرَأَةً تَحْمِلُ كُلُّ امْرَأَةٍ فَارِسًا يُجَاهِدُ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ صَاحِبُهُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللّٰهُ فَلَمْ يَقُلْ، وَلَمْ تَحْمِلْ شَيْئًا إِلاَّ وَاحِدًا سَاقِطًا أَحَدُ شِقَّيْهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّی اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ لَوْ قَالَهَا لَجَاهَدُوْا فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ، قَالَ شُعَيْبٌ وَ ابْنُ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ تِسْعِيْنَ وَ هُوَ أَصَحُّ ] [بخاري، أحادیث الأنبیاء، باب قول اللہ تعالٰی: « و وھبنا لداوٗد سلیمان نعم العبد…» : ۳۴۲۴ ] "Sulaiman bin Dawud (peace be upon them) said: 'Tonight I will go around to seventy (70) women of mine, and each woman will conceive a horseman who will fight in the way of Allah.'" So his companion (the angel) said: "Say, Insha'Allah (if Allah wills)." But he did not say it, so none of them conceived except one, and even she gave birth to a child with one side incomplete." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If he had said 'Insha'Allah,' they would all have fought in the way of Allah." Shu'ayb and Ibn Abi al-Zinad said "ninety (90) women," and this is more authentic." Thus, the trial of Sulaiman (peace be upon him) was that, instead of ninety warrior sons as he wished, there was no heir to his throne except one body. By "body" is meant the child whose one side was incomplete. The scholars say that Sulaiman (peace be upon him) desired warrior sons, and this was a very good desire, but because he did not say "Insha'Allah," he was tested, and only one son with an incomplete side was born. Although this shortcoming was due to forgetfulness, because of the high status of the prophets, even forgetfulness leads to their being tested, for which they seek forgiveness. As Allah has clearly stated about Adam (peace be upon him) that he tasted the plant out of forgetfulness: « فَنَسِيَ وَ لَمْ نَجِدْ لَهٗ عَزْمًا » [ طٰہٰ : ۱۱۵ ] "Then he forgot, and We did not find in him any firm resolve." But his clothing was removed and he sought forgiveness: « رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَاۤ اَنْفُسَنَا وَ اِنْ لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَ تَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُوْنَنَّ مِنَ الْخٰسِرِيْنَ» [ الأعراف : ۲۳ ] "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will surely be among the losers." Similarly, when Sulaiman (peace be upon him)'s wish was not fulfilled due to his forgetfulness, he turned to Allah and prayed for forgiveness, saying: « قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ وَهَبْ لِيْ مُلْكًا لَّا يَنْۢبَغِيْ لِاَحَدٍ مِّنْۢ بَعْدِيْ اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْوَهَّابُ » [ صٓ : ۳۵ ] "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." In my opinion, this is the correct interpretation of this verse, because the incident mentioned in Bukhari, Muslim, and others is in accordance with this, and there is nothing in it contrary to the dignity of the prophets.

➋ Some scholars have said, it is possible that the trial mentioned in the verses refers to the incident mentioned in this hadith, and by "body" is meant the child with the incomplete side. Although this is a strong possibility, what we can say with certainty is that this was some trial from Allah for Sulaiman (peace be upon him), the details of which Allah has not explained, nor has He clarified the "body" that was placed on his throne. Therefore, it is sufficient to say that Allah tested Sulaiman (peace be upon him) in some way, upon which he became alert and prayed to Allah for forgiveness. (And Allah knows best)

➌ In the interpretation of these verses, some commentators have written many things for which there is no evidence and which are completely contrary to the status of the prophets. Among them is the claim that for some time Allah allowed a jinn named Sakhr to take over the throne of Sulaiman (peace be upon him). Among the various reasons for this, one is that one of Sulaiman (peace be upon him)'s wives was an idolater, and as a punishment for this, Sulaiman (peace be upon him) was deprived of his throne for as long as that wife practiced idolatry, and his ring, which contained the Greatest Name, came into the hands of Sakhr through a slave girl. Then the ring fell from his hand into the river, and a fish swallowed it. Later, that fish was caught and brought to Sulaiman (peace be upon him), and thus he took the ring from its belly and regained his throne. But this entire story is taken from the People of the Book, and most of them do not even consider Sulaiman (peace be upon him) a prophet of Allah, and their aim is to defame him as much as possible. (Ibn Kathir) Many other such baseless stories, which are neither proven by transmission nor accepted by reason, have been written in books without evidence by careless people, and preachers and storytellers continue to narrate them.

The commentator Abu Hayyan said: "The commentators have reported many things about this trial and the placing of this body, from which it is obligatory to consider the prophets pure. These things can be seen in their books, and they are such that it is not permissible to narrate them. Either the Jews have fabricated them or the heretics. Allah has not explained what that trial was, nor what the body placed on Sulaiman (peace be upon him)'s throne was. The closest thing that has been said about it is that the trial refers to Sulaiman (peace be upon him)'s not saying 'Insha'Allah' in the incident of the seventy (70) women mentioned in the hadith, and the body refers to the incomplete child that was born."