Tafsir of فَطَفِقَ مَسْحًا بِالسُّوقِ وَالْأَعْنَاقِ: A Review of Two Interpretations
Source: Fatawa Ameenpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri
Question
What is the explanation of the following noble verse?
❀ Allah ﷻ says:
﴿وَوَهَبْنَا لِدَاوُدَ سُلَيْمَانَ نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ إِذْ عُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ بِالْعَشِيِّ الصَّافِنَاتُ الْجِيَادُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَحْبَبْتُ حُبَّ الْخَيْرِ عَنْ ذِكْرِ رَبِّي حَتَّى تَوَارَتْ بِالْحِجَابِ رُدُّوهَا عَلَيَّ فَطَفِقَ مَسْحًا بِالسُّوقِ وَالْأَعْنَاقِ﴾
(Surah Sad: 30–33)
“We granted to Dawud his son Sulaiman; excellent was the servant, indeed he constantly turned (to Allah in repentance). When there were displayed before him in the evening well-bred swift horses, he said: ‘Indeed I preferred the love of good things over the remembrance of my Lord until it (the sun) was hidden behind the veil (of night). Bring them back to me.’ Then he began wiping their legs and necks.”
Answer
❀ Allah ﷻ says:
﴿فَطَفِقَ مَسْحًا بِالسُّوقِ وَالْأَعْنَاقِ﴾ (Sad: 33)
On the meaning of this verse, the scholars of Tafsir hold two opinions:
① First Opinion: Wiping Means
According to the majority of Mufassirun, “wiping” here refers to slaughtering.
- This interpretation is established from Imam Suddi رحمه الله (Tafsir al-Tabari 20/86, with a Hasan chain) and Imam Hasan al-Basri رحمه الله (Tafsir al-Tabari 20/87, with an authentic chain), among others.
- According to this view, Sulaiman (عليه السلام) became engaged with the horses to the extent that he missed the remembrance of Allah. The remembrance here means Salah (prayer). When he realized that the horses caused him to miss Salah, he ordered them to be slaughtered.
- The Qur’an used the word “wiping” as a kinayah (metaphor) for slaughter.
❀ Al-Raghib al-Asfahani رحمه الله (502H) said:
مسحته بالسيف، كناية عن الضرب
“I wiped him with the sword” is a metaphor for striking.
(Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Qur’an, p. 767)
❀ Al-Muntajib al-Hamdani رحمه الله (643H) said:
العرب تقول: مسح علاوته إذا ضرب عنقه
“When one strikes another’s neck, the Arabs say: He wiped his upper part.”
(Al-Kitab al-Farid 5/425)
- Some people argue that this explanation contradicts Prophethood — that a Prophet could neglect Salah or destroy horses without cause. However, this is not contradictory to Prophethood.
- He did not neglect Salah deliberately; rather, he forgot, and forgetting is not against the dignity of Prophethood. Even Prophets may forget, and this has evidences in Qur’an and Sunnah.
- The horses belonged to him as his property. Since they caused his forgetfulness, he sacrificed them for the sake of Allah. It is not that the meat was wasted; rather, it was certainly distributed, as horse meat has never been unlawful for any nation.
- Thus, this interpretation does not contradict Prophethood in any way.
- “Cutting the legs and necks” could mean either:
① slaughtering from the neck, then butchering the limbs as usual, or
② that in the Shari‘ah of Sulaiman (عليه السلام), slaughtering was done from both the neck and legs. - As for the exact number of horses, only Allah knows best.
❀ From Ubayy ibn Ka‘b رضي الله عنه, the Prophet ﷺ said:
قوله: ﴿فَطَفِقَ مَسْحًا بِالسُّوقِ وَالْأَعْنَاقِ﴾ قال: قطع أعناقها وسوقها
“Regarding the verse: ﴿فَطَفِقَ مَسْحًا بِالسُّوقِ وَالْأَعْنَاقِ﴾ — he cut their necks and legs.”
(Al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat of al-Tabarani 6997; Ma‘jam Asami Shuyukh Abi Bakr al-Isma‘ili p. 370)
- Chain is weak because:
- Sa‘id ibn Bashir al-Azdi is weak, especially in narrations from Qatadah.
- Imam Ibn Hibban رحمه الله said:
كان رديء الحفظ فاحش الخطأ يروي عن قتادة ما لا يتابع عليه
“He was poor in memory, greatly erroneous, and narrated from Qatadah things none followed him upon.”
(Al-Majruhin 1/319)
- Hafiz Ibn al-Mulaqqin رحمه الله: الأكثر على ضعفه — “The majority declared him weak.” (Al-Badr al-Munir 4/67)
- Hafiz al-Sakhawi رحمه الله: ضعيف عند أكثرهم — “Weak according to most scholars.” (Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah, p. 403)
② Second Opinion: Wiping Means
Some scholars interpreted it as Sulaiman (عليه السلام) lovingly stroking the horses on their necks and legs.
- According to them, the horses did not distract him from Salah, nor were they slaughtered. Rather, he loved them for the sake of Allah, and this affection was expressed by stroking them.
- Imam Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari رحمه الله gave preference to this meaning (Tafsir al-Tabari 20/87).
❀ Hafiz Ibn Kathir رحمه الله (774H) commented:
هذا الذى رجح به ابن جرير فيه نظر
“The opinion Ibn Jarir preferred is questionable.”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir 7/65)
❀ Hafiz al-Baghawi رحمه الله (510H) said:
هذا قول ضعيف، والمشهور هو الأول
“This is a weak view; the well-known one is the first.”
(Tafsir al-Baghawi 4/68)
- To choose this opinion solely on the claim that the first contradicts Prophethood is baseless, since it has been clarified that the first does not contradict Prophethood.
- From Ibn ‘Abbas رضي الله عنهما regarding this verse:
جعل يمسح أعراف الخيل وعراقيبها حبا لها
“Sulaiman (عليه السلام) began stroking the horses’ manes and legs out of love for them.”
(Tafsir al-Tabari 20/87)
- Chain is weak because:
- ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah did not hear Tafsir directly from Ibn ‘Abbas.
- ‘Abdullah ibn Salih al-Misri, Tabi‘ al-Layth, was poor in memory.
- Hafiz al-Bayhaqi رحمه الله: ضعفه الجمهور — “The majority declared him weak.” (Majma‘ al-Zawa’id 2/13)
- Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله: الجمهور على تضعيفه — “The majority graded him weak.” (Lisan al-Mizan 4/12)
Conclusion:The majority of Mufassirun upheld the first interpretation — that “wiping” refers to slaughtering the horses — and they clarified that this in no way diminishes the dignity of Prophethood.
