سُوْرَةُ الْاَنْۣبِيَآءِ
Surah Al-Anbiyaa (21) — Ayah 79
فَفَهَّمْنَـٰهَا سُلَيْمَـٰنَ ۚ وَكُلًّا ءَاتَيْنَا حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا ۚ وَسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاوُۥدَ ٱلْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحْنَ وَٱلطَّيْرَ ۚ وَكُنَّا فَـٰعِلِينَ ﴿79﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And We made Sulaimân (Solomon) to understand (the case); and to each of them We gave Hukm (right judgement of the affairs and Prophethood) and knowledge. And We subjected the mountains and the birds to glorify Our Praises along with Dâwûd (David). And it was We Who were the doer (of all these things).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَفَهَّمْنَـٰهَا
fafahhamnāhā
And We gave understanding of it
سُلَيْمَـٰنَ ۚ
sulaymāna
(to) Sulaiman
وَكُلًّا
wakullan
and (to) each
ءَاتَيْنَا
ātaynā
We gave
حُكْمًۭا
ḥuk'man
judgment
وَعِلْمًۭا ۚ
waʿil'man
and knowledge
وَسَخَّرْنَا
wasakharnā
And We subjected
مَعَ
maʿa
with
دَاوُۥدَ
dāwūda
Dawud
ٱلْجِبَالَ
l-jibāla
the mountains
يُسَبِّحْنَ
yusabbiḥ'na
(to) glorify Our praises
وَٱلطَّيْرَ ۚ
wal-ṭayra
and the birds
وَكُنَّا
wakunnā
And We were
فَـٰعِلِينَ
fāʿilīna
the Doers
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
79. And We gave Solomon the correct understanding of the matter, and to each (of them) We gave judgment and knowledge [66]. And We subjected the mountains and the birds to glorify (Us) along with David, and it was We who did (all this).
[66] Now see that both Dawud (David) ؑ and Sulaiman (Solomon) ؑ were prophets. And Allah granted both of them the power of judgment as well as the knowledge of prophethood. Despite this, Dawud ؑ made an ijtihadi (interpretative) error in judgment. That is, even if a judge makes a decision with utmost sincerity, there is still the possibility of an ijtihadi error. Now, in this regard, consider the following hadiths: Hasan Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Allah Almighty gave both Dawud ؑ and Sulaiman ؑ the power of judgment and knowledge. Then Allah praised Sulaiman ؑ and did not reproach Dawud ؑ, even though his decision was not correct. And if Allah Almighty had not mentioned these two prophets in the Quran, I would have thought that judges would be destroyed. But Allah Almighty praised Sulaiman ؑ for his correct decision and kept Dawud ؑ (regarding his ijtihadi error) restrained. [بخاري۔ كتاب الاحكام۔ باب متي۔ يستوجب الرحل القضاء]
(2) If ijtihad is correct, the mujtahid receives a double reward, and if he errs, he still receives one reward: It is narrated from Amr bin al-As ؓ that the Prophet ﷺ said: "When a ruler makes a judgment by ijtihad and his judgment is correct, he will have two rewards, and if (due to human nature) he errs in his judgment, he will still have one reward." [بخاري، كتاب الاعتصام۔ باب اجرالحاكم اذا اجتهاد فاصاب او اخطا]
(3)
Three Types of Judges, and One Who Judges Without Knowledge is from Hell:
Buraidah ؓ narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: Judges are of three types. One of them is destined for Paradise, and two for Hell. The one destined for Paradise is the judge who recognizes the truth and judges accordingly. But the one who, despite recognizing the truth, judges against it, is from Hell. Similarly, the one who sits to judge people without knowledge is also from Hell. [ابوداؤد۔ كتاب القضاء۔ باب فى القاضي يخطي]
An incident regarding Dawud ؑ and Sulaiman ؑ is also mentioned in the hadiths, which is of exactly the same nature. It is as follows:
The Judgment of Both Regarding the Suckling Child:
Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: (Among the Children of Israel) there were two women, each of whom had a child. A wolf came and took away one child. Now both began to argue with each other. One said, "Your child was taken," and the other said, "No, your child was taken." Eventually, both came to Dawud ؑ for judgment. He gave the child to the older woman. Then both women came again to Sulaiman ؑ for judgment and presented their claims. At that time, Sulaiman ؑ was only eleven years old. He ordered: "Bring me an axe, I will cut the child in half and give each of you a half." Hearing this, the younger woman said, "May Allah have mercy on you, do not do this. The child belongs to the older woman." Then Sulaiman ؑ gave the child to the younger woman. [بخاري۔ كتاب الفرائض۔ اذا ادعت المراة ابنا]
Testimony of Circumstantial Evidence:
That is, Dawud ؑ gave the child to the older woman considering that she was older and the child was in her possession. But the decision Sulaiman ؑ made was exactly in accordance with human nature. When Sulaiman ؑ decided to cut the child in two and give each woman a half, the real mother, who was the younger woman, immediately became agitated at the thought of her child being cut in two. Thinking that her child should remain alive even if not with her, she immediately said that the child belonged to the older woman and should be given to her. But the older woman listened to this decision silently. If it had been her child, she would have felt some pain. Seeing this situation, Sulaiman ؑ decided in favor of the younger woman and gave her the child. Such insights at the time of judgment were purely a gift from Allah Almighty to Sulaiman ؑ.
[67]
The Melodious Voice of Our Master Dawud ؑ:
The melodious voice of Dawud ؑ has become proverbial, and the phrase "Lahn-e-Dawudi" (the melody of Dawud) is used idiomatically. His voice was so melodious and pleasant that when he sang hymns of praise to Allah Almighty, the entire universe would become enchanted and begin to sing in ecstasy. Echoes would arise in the mountains, and it would seem as if the mountains were singing hymns of praise along with him. The same was the case with animals; wherever he sang hymns of praise, birds would gather and become his companions. The meaning of this is also supported by this hadith.
The Melodious Voice of Abu Musa Ash'ari:
Once, Abu Musa Ash'ari ؓ, who was extremely melodious, was reciting the Quran in his sweet voice. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by and, hearing his voice, stopped and listened to his recitation for a long time. When he finished reciting, the Prophet ﷺ said: «لقد أوتي مزما راً من مزامير آل داؤد» [بخاري۔ كتاب فضائل القرآن۔ باب حسن الصوت بالقراة]
That is, this person has been given a portion of the melodious voice of Dawud ؑ.
The mention of his melodious voice and his glorification with the mountains and birds is also found in Surah Saba, verse 10, and in verse 18 of the Surah. What kind of glorification was done by the mountains and birds, and how they became companions of Dawud ؑ, Allah alone knows the full reality. Since the mountains and birds joining Dawud ؑ in glorification and harmonizing with him is an extraordinary matter, Parwez Sahib felt the need to interpret these things and, in his tafsir "Mafhoom-ul-Quran," explained the meaning of "Ya Jibalu" (O mountains) as "O rebellious chiefs!" As if Allah could not find any word other than "mountains" for rebellious chiefs. And when the same subject appeared in verse 19 of the Surah, in accordance with the saying "a liar needs a good memory," he explained "mountains" as "mountain tribes" and "birds" as the tribe of Tayr, and explained "awbi" as "obey the divine law of Allah with utmost zeal along with Dawud." [لغات القرآن ج 1 ص 283] Although Parwez Sahib himself has written in the same lexicon that "awba" means to return intentionally. That is, "O mountains and birds! Turn towards Dawud intentionally," and at this place, he explained the meaning as "obey the divine law of Allah with utmost zeal." Just think, in this meaning, which word of the Quran can mean "divine law of Allah," and which word can mean "with utmost zeal"? Iqbal truly said:
Your commands are true, but your interpreters,
With their interpretations, turn the Quran into a Pazand.
[66] Now see that both Dawud (David) ؑ and Sulaiman (Solomon) ؑ were prophets. And Allah granted both of them the power of judgment as well as the knowledge of prophethood. Despite this, Dawud ؑ made an ijtihadi (interpretative) error in judgment. That is, even if a judge makes a decision with utmost sincerity, there is still the possibility of an ijtihadi error. Now, in this regard, consider the following hadiths: Hasan Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Allah Almighty gave both Dawud ؑ and Sulaiman ؑ the power of judgment and knowledge. Then Allah praised Sulaiman ؑ and did not reproach Dawud ؑ, even though his decision was not correct. And if Allah Almighty had not mentioned these two prophets in the Quran, I would have thought that judges would be destroyed. But Allah Almighty praised Sulaiman ؑ for his correct decision and kept Dawud ؑ (regarding his ijtihadi error) restrained. [بخاري۔ كتاب الاحكام۔ باب متي۔ يستوجب الرحل القضاء]
(2) If ijtihad is correct, the mujtahid receives a double reward, and if he errs, he still receives one reward: It is narrated from Amr bin al-As ؓ that the Prophet ﷺ said: "When a ruler makes a judgment by ijtihad and his judgment is correct, he will have two rewards, and if (due to human nature) he errs in his judgment, he will still have one reward." [بخاري، كتاب الاعتصام۔ باب اجرالحاكم اذا اجتهاد فاصاب او اخطا]
(3)
Three Types of Judges, and One Who Judges Without Knowledge is from Hell:
Buraidah ؓ narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: Judges are of three types. One of them is destined for Paradise, and two for Hell. The one destined for Paradise is the judge who recognizes the truth and judges accordingly. But the one who, despite recognizing the truth, judges against it, is from Hell. Similarly, the one who sits to judge people without knowledge is also from Hell. [ابوداؤد۔ كتاب القضاء۔ باب فى القاضي يخطي]
An incident regarding Dawud ؑ and Sulaiman ؑ is also mentioned in the hadiths, which is of exactly the same nature. It is as follows:
The Judgment of Both Regarding the Suckling Child:
Abu Hurairah ؓ says that the Prophet ﷺ said: (Among the Children of Israel) there were two women, each of whom had a child. A wolf came and took away one child. Now both began to argue with each other. One said, "Your child was taken," and the other said, "No, your child was taken." Eventually, both came to Dawud ؑ for judgment. He gave the child to the older woman. Then both women came again to Sulaiman ؑ for judgment and presented their claims. At that time, Sulaiman ؑ was only eleven years old. He ordered: "Bring me an axe, I will cut the child in half and give each of you a half." Hearing this, the younger woman said, "May Allah have mercy on you, do not do this. The child belongs to the older woman." Then Sulaiman ؑ gave the child to the younger woman. [بخاري۔ كتاب الفرائض۔ اذا ادعت المراة ابنا]
Testimony of Circumstantial Evidence:
That is, Dawud ؑ gave the child to the older woman considering that she was older and the child was in her possession. But the decision Sulaiman ؑ made was exactly in accordance with human nature. When Sulaiman ؑ decided to cut the child in two and give each woman a half, the real mother, who was the younger woman, immediately became agitated at the thought of her child being cut in two. Thinking that her child should remain alive even if not with her, she immediately said that the child belonged to the older woman and should be given to her. But the older woman listened to this decision silently. If it had been her child, she would have felt some pain. Seeing this situation, Sulaiman ؑ decided in favor of the younger woman and gave her the child. Such insights at the time of judgment were purely a gift from Allah Almighty to Sulaiman ؑ.
[67]
The Melodious Voice of Our Master Dawud ؑ:
The melodious voice of Dawud ؑ has become proverbial, and the phrase "Lahn-e-Dawudi" (the melody of Dawud) is used idiomatically. His voice was so melodious and pleasant that when he sang hymns of praise to Allah Almighty, the entire universe would become enchanted and begin to sing in ecstasy. Echoes would arise in the mountains, and it would seem as if the mountains were singing hymns of praise along with him. The same was the case with animals; wherever he sang hymns of praise, birds would gather and become his companions. The meaning of this is also supported by this hadith.
The Melodious Voice of Abu Musa Ash'ari:
Once, Abu Musa Ash'ari ؓ, who was extremely melodious, was reciting the Quran in his sweet voice. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed by and, hearing his voice, stopped and listened to his recitation for a long time. When he finished reciting, the Prophet ﷺ said: «لقد أوتي مزما راً من مزامير آل داؤد» [بخاري۔ كتاب فضائل القرآن۔ باب حسن الصوت بالقراة]
That is, this person has been given a portion of the melodious voice of Dawud ؑ.
The mention of his melodious voice and his glorification with the mountains and birds is also found in Surah Saba, verse 10, and in verse 18 of the Surah. What kind of glorification was done by the mountains and birds, and how they became companions of Dawud ؑ, Allah alone knows the full reality. Since the mountains and birds joining Dawud ؑ in glorification and harmonizing with him is an extraordinary matter, Parwez Sahib felt the need to interpret these things and, in his tafsir "Mafhoom-ul-Quran," explained the meaning of "Ya Jibalu" (O mountains) as "O rebellious chiefs!" As if Allah could not find any word other than "mountains" for rebellious chiefs. And when the same subject appeared in verse 19 of the Surah, in accordance with the saying "a liar needs a good memory," he explained "mountains" as "mountain tribes" and "birds" as the tribe of Tayr, and explained "awbi" as "obey the divine law of Allah with utmost zeal along with Dawud." [لغات القرآن ج 1 ص 283] Although Parwez Sahib himself has written in the same lexicon that "awba" means to return intentionally. That is, "O mountains and birds! Turn towards Dawud intentionally," and at this place, he explained the meaning as "obey the divine law of Allah with utmost zeal." Just think, in this meaning, which word of the Quran can mean "divine law of Allah," and which word can mean "with utmost zeal"? Iqbal truly said:
Your commands are true, but your interpreters,
With their interpretations, turn the Quran into a Pazand.
