Al Islam

2529. ‘An denotes transition; compensation (2:49); superiority (47:39). It also denotes a cause as in the present verse, and it has the same sense as li (53:4). (close)

2530. God had bestowed upon Solomon power and wealth. He ruled over a vast kingdom and, therefore, he had to keep a strong army. Naturally, he had a great liking for horses of good breed because cavalry formed a strong wing of his army. Solomon’s love for horses was not that of a race-goer or a professional breeder of horses. It only sprang from his love for his Creator as the horses were used for fighting in the cause of God. (close)

3403. Important Words:

عن (because) is a preposition and as such it has several meanings:

1. It denotes transition as in the saying سافرت عن البلد i.e. I journeyed from the town.

2. It denotes compensation as in the verse لاتجزی نفس عن نفس شیئاً i.e. no soul shall serve as a substitute for another soul (2:49).

3. It denotes superiority i.e. being synonymous with علی as in the verse فانـما یبخل عن نفسه i.e. And whoso is niggardly, is niggardly only against his own soul or is niggardly only to himself (47:39).

4. It denotes a cause as in the verse under comment and also in the verse وما نـحن بتارکی آلـھتنا عن قولك i.e. we are not going to forsake our gods because of thy saying (11:54).

5. It is synonymous with بعد (after) as in the verse لترکبن طبقا عن طبق, meaning حالة بعد حالة i.e. you will surely pass on from one stage to another (84:20).

6. It is also synonymous with من (from) as in the verse الذی یقبل التوبة عن عبادہ i.e. He it is Who accepts repentance from His servants (42:26).

7. It has the same sense as ب (by or with) as in the verse وما ینطق عن الـھوی i.e. nor does he speak with the desire of self-gratification (53:4).

8. It denotes the using of a thing as an aid or instrument as in the saying: رمیت عن القوس i.e. I shot with or by means of the bow (Lane).

Commentary:

God had bestowed upon Solomon power and wealth. He ruled over a vast kingdom and, therefore, he had to keep a strong army. Naturally, he had a great liking for horses of good breed because cavalry formed a strong wing of his army which was so necessary to guard and protect his God-given and far-flung kingdom—a great stronghold of truth and righteousness. So Solomon’s love for horses was not that of a race-goer or a professional breeder of horses. It only sprang from his love for his Creator as the horses were used for fighting in the cause of God. (close)

2531. It seems that Solomon was seeing a horse parade and in order to show his admiration for his horses he stroked their necks and legs. (close)

3404. Commentary:

The verse shows that Solomon was seeing a horse parade and in order to show his admiration for his horses he stroked their necks and legs. (close)

2532. In 34:15 the expression used is 'a worm of the earth.' The reference may either be to Solomon’s son and heir, Rehoboam, a worthless fellow or to Jeroboam who raised the standard of revolt against the House of David (I Kings, 12:‌28). Solomon had realized that after his death his kingdom would not maintain its integrity under his incompetent and inefficient successors. So he turned to God and prayed to Him. The prayer is given in the next verse. (close)

3405. Commentary:

While here the words are "a mere body," in 34:15 the expression used is "a worm of the earth." The reference in both the places may either be to Solomon’s son and heir, Rehoboam, a worthless fellow, in whose reign Solomon’s kingdom fell victim to disintegration and disruption, or to Jeroboam who raised the standard of revolt against the House of David and succeeded in winning the allegiance of ten tribes of Israel. Jeroboam was an idol worshipper and under his lead the Israelites relapsed into image-worship (1 Kings 12:28).

The words "he turned to God" seem to imply that Solomon had realized that after his death his kingdom would not maintain its integrity under his incompetent and inefficient successor. So he turned to God and prayed to Him. The prayer is given in the next verse. (close)

2533. As it appears from the preceding verse Solomon had foreseen that his temporal kingdom would become disrupted after his death through the imbecility of his foolish and worthless son, so he prayed that the spiritual kingdom which God had bestowed upon his House might continue. If the words, 'a kingdom that may not be inherited by anyone after me,' are taken in their literal sense, then Solomon’s prayer would be understood to have been accepted in the sense that after his death no king possessing the power and prestige that he possessed ever appeared among the Israelites. (close)

3406. Commentary:

As it appears from the preceding verse Solomon had foreseen that his temporal kingdom would become disrupted after his death, through the imbecility of his foolish and worthless son, so he prayed that the spiritual kingdom which God had bestowed upon his House might continue among them. If the words "a kingdom that will not suit anyone after me" are taken in their literal sense, then Solomon’s prayer would be understood to have been accepted in the sense that after his death no king possessing the power and prestige that he possessed ever appeared among the Israelites.

The words لا ینبغی لاحد من بعدی may also signify a kingdom which pertains to the individual and is not heritable. (close)

a. 21:82; 34:13. (close)

a. 21:82; 27:18; 34:13. (close)

3407. Important Words:

رخاء (blowing gently) is derived from رخا which means, it was or became soft, flabby or brittle. رخاالعیش means, the life became affluent and pleasant, the life became easy or plentiful. رخاء means, a soft or gentle wind or a soft or gentle and quick wind or gentle wind that does not move anything (Lane & Aqrab).

الریح means, (1) wind, (2) a good and pure thing, (3) mercy, (4) aid against an enemy, (5) victory or conquest, (6) predominance and power, (7) a turn of good fortune, etc. (Lane & Aqrab). See also 34:13.

Commentary:

According to the different meanings of the word ریح given above, the expression, سخرنا له الریح would mean:

1. God granted to Solomon good and pure things of the world;

2. He aided Solomon against his enemies;

3. He was merciful to Solomon;

4. Solomon made great conquests and won victories over his enemies;

5. Solomon possessed great power, prestige and predominance.

6. The words also signify that Solomon possessed a large and powerful navy (1 Kings 9:26-28). See also 34:13. (close)

a. 21:83; 34:13, 14. (close)

b. 21:83; 34:13-14. (close)

3408. Important Words:

غواص (divers) is derived from غاص. They say غاص فی الماء i.e. he dived in or descended beneath or entered into the water to fetch out what was in it. غائص or غواص, the latter having an intensive signification or implying the habit of so doing, means, one who dives in or descends beneath or enters into water, particularly one who dives in the sea for pearls and fetches them out (Lane).

Commentary:

See next verse. (close)

b. 14:50. (close)

2534. Solomon, as stated in 21:83 and 34:13, 14, had subdued and subjected to his rule savage and rebellious mountain tribes. He had forced them into his service and had compelled them to do sundry works for him. Shayatin of the preceding verse and jinn of 34:13 are the same people and the work on which they were employed by Solomon was also of the same nature (II Chron. 2:‌1, 2). (close)

c. 14:50. (close)

3409. Commentary:

Solomon as stated in 21:83 and 34:13, 14, had subdued and subjected to his rule savage and rebellious mountain tribes. He had forced them into his service and had compelled them to work for him. الشیاطین (giants) of the preceding verse and الـجن (Jinn) of 34:13 are the same people, and the work on which they were employed by Solomon was also of the same nature. In the Bible we have:

"Now Solomon purposed to build a house for the name of the Lord and a house for his kingdom. And Solomon told three-score and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and four-score thousand men that were hewers in the mountains, and three thousand and six hundred to oversee them" (2 Chronicles 2:1-2).

See also 21:83. (close)

c. 21:84. (close)

2535. Nusb means, fatigue, toil; affliction, distress, disease; misfortune (Lane). In the present and the next three verses the language used is as fittingly metaphorical as that used in the preceding several verses. It seems that Prophet Job lived in a country of which the ruler was, as the word Shaitan (leader of mischief) shows, a cruel and tyrannical idol-worshipper, who opposed the monotheistic teaching of Job and severely persecuted him. Job had to leave his native land and take refuge in another country and as a result of this emigration he was separated from his family and followers. If the word Shaitan, as some authorities hold, should signify Shaitanul-Falat (satan of the desert), i.e. thirst, the verse would mean that Job in his long and tiresome journey had suffered from extreme thirst and fatigue. According to some other authorities the reference in the words, 'Satan has afflicted me with toil and torment,' is to a skin disease from which Prophet Job is said to have temporarily suffered and which left him very much exhausted. (close)

a. 21:84. (close)

3410. Important Words:

نصب (toil) is derived from نصب (nasaba). They say نصبه المرض i.e. the disease pained him or tired him. نصب (nasiba) means, he was tired and fatigued. نصب فی الامر means, he exerted himself and laboured regarding the affair. نصب (nusbun) means, fatigue, toil, weariness, affliction, difficulty, distress, trouble, disease, misfortune, etc. (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

In the present and the next three verses the language used is as fittingly metaphorical as that used in the preceding several verses. It seems that the Prophet Job lived in a country of which the ruler was, as the word الشیطان (the leader of mischief) shows, a cruel and tyrannical idol-worshipper, who opposed the monotheistic teaching of Job and severely persecuted him. Job had to leave his native land and take refuge in another country and as a result of this migration he was separated from his family and followers.

If the word الشیطان as some authorities hold, should signify شیطان الفلاة (satan of the desert) i.e. thirst, the verse would mean that Job in his long and tiresome journey had suffered from thirst and fatigue. According to some other authorities the reference in the word "Satan has afflicted me with toil and torment" is to a skin disease from which Prophet Job is said to have temporarily suffered and which left him very much exhausted. (close)