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Ayah
Word by Word
يَٰدَاوُۥدُ
O Dawood!
إِنَّا
Indeed We
جَعَلۡنَٰكَ
[We] have made you
خَلِيفَةٗ
a vicegerent
فِي
in
ٱلۡأَرۡضِ
the earth
فَٱحۡكُم
so judge
بَيۡنَ
between
ٱلنَّاسِ
[the] men
بِٱلۡحَقِّ
in truth
وَلَا
and (do) not
تَتَّبِعِ
follow
ٱلۡهَوَىٰ
the desire
فَيُضِلَّكَ
for it will lead you stray
عَن
from
سَبِيلِ
(the) way
ٱللَّهِۚ
(of) Allah
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
يَضِلُّونَ
go astray
عَن
from
سَبِيلِ
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
لَهُمۡ
for them
عَذَابٞ
(is) a punishment
شَدِيدُۢ
severe
بِمَا
because
نَسُواْ
they forgot
يَوۡمَ
(the) Day
ٱلۡحِسَابِ
(of) Account
يَٰدَاوُۥدُ
O Dawood!
إِنَّا
Indeed We
جَعَلۡنَٰكَ
[We] have made you
خَلِيفَةٗ
a vicegerent
فِي
in
ٱلۡأَرۡضِ
the earth
فَٱحۡكُم
so judge
بَيۡنَ
between
ٱلنَّاسِ
[the] men
بِٱلۡحَقِّ
in truth
وَلَا
and (do) not
تَتَّبِعِ
follow
ٱلۡهَوَىٰ
the desire
فَيُضِلَّكَ
for it will lead you stray
عَن
from
سَبِيلِ
(the) way
ٱللَّهِۚ
(of) Allah
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
يَضِلُّونَ
go astray
عَن
from
سَبِيلِ
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
لَهُمۡ
for them
عَذَابٞ
(is) a punishment
شَدِيدُۢ
severe
بِمَا
because
نَسُواْ
they forgot
يَوۡمَ
(the) Day
ٱلۡحِسَابِ
(of) Account
Translation
O David! We did indeed make thee a vicegerent on earth: so judge thou between men in truth (and justice): Nor follow thou the lusts (of thy heart), for they will mislead thee from the Path of Allah: for those who wander astray from the Path of Allah, is a Penalty Grievous, for that they forget the Day of Account.
Tafsir
'O David! We have indeed made you a vicegerent on the earth, managing the affairs of people; so judge justly between people and do not follow desire, that is, the desires of the soul, that it then lead you astray from the way of God, that is to say, from the proofs that indicate [the truth of] His Oneness. Truly those who go astray from the way of God, in other words, from belief in God - for them there will be a severe chastisement because of their forgetting the Day of Reckoning', as a result of their having neglected faith. For had they been certain of [the truth of] the Day of Reckoning, they would have [first] been believers in this world.
The Story of the Two Litigants
Allah tells,
وَهَلۡ أَتَاكَ نَبَأُ الۡخَصۡمِ إِذۡ تَسَوَّرُوا الۡمِحۡرَابَ
إِذۡ دَخَلُوا عَلَى دَاوُودَ
And has the news of the litigants reached you? When they climbed over the wall into (his) Mihrab (private chamber of worship); When they entered in upon Dawud,
In discussing this passage, the scholars of Tafsir mention a story which is mostly based upon Isra'iliyat narrations. Nothing has been reported about this from the Infallible Prophet that we could accept as true. But Ibn Abi Hatim narrated a Hadith whose chain of narration cannot be regarded as Sahih because it is reported by Yazid Ar-Raqashi from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him. Although Yazid was one of the righteous, his Hadiths are regarded as weak by the Imams. So, it is better to speak briefly of this story and refer knowledge of it to Allah, may He be exalted. For the Qur'an is true and what it contains is also true.
فَفَزِعَ مِنۡهُمۡ
he was terrified of them.
This was because he was in his Mihrab (private chamber). That was the noblest part of his house, where he commanded that no one should enter upon him that day. So, he did not realize that these two people had climbed the fence surrounding his Mihrab (private chamber) to ask him about their case.
قَالُوا لَاا تَخَفۡ خَصۡمَانِ بَغَى بَعۡضُنَا عَلَى بَعۡضٍ فَاحۡكُم بَيۡنَنَا بِالۡحَقِّ وَلَاا تُشۡطِطۡ وَاهۡدِنَا إِلَى سَوَاء الصِّرَاطِ
إِنَّ هَذَا أَخِي لَهُ تِسۡعٌ وَتِسۡعُونَ نَعۡجَةً وَلِيَ نَعۡجَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فَقَالَ أَكۡفِلۡنِيهَا
They said:Fear not! (We are) two litigants, one of us has wronged the other, therefore judge between us with truth, and treat us not with injustice, and guide us to the right way.
Verily, this my brother (in religion) has ninety-nine ewes, while I have (only) one ewe, and he says:Hand it over to me,
وَعَزَّنِي فِي الۡخِطَابِ
and he overpowered me in speech.
means, `he defeated me.
قَالَ لَقَدۡ ظَلَمَكَ بِسُوَالِ نَعۡجَتِكَ إِلَى نِعَاجِهِ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنۡ الۡخُلَطَاء لَيَبۡغِي بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَى بَعۡضٍ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَقَلِيلٌ مَّا هُمۡ
(Dawud) said:He has wronged you in demanding your ewe in addition to his ewes. And, verily, many partners oppress one another, except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and they are few.
وَظَنَّ دَاوُودُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّاهُ
And Dawud guessed that We have tried him
Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said that this means,
We tested him.
فَاسۡتَغۡفَرَ رَبَّهُ
and he sought forgiveness of his Lord,
وَخَرَّ رَاكِعًا وَأَنَابَ
and he fell down prostrate and turned (to Allah) in repentance
فَغَفَرۡنَا لَهُ ذَلِكَ
So, We forgave him that,
and verily, for him is a near access to Us, and a good place of return.
The Sajdah in Surah Saad
The performance of Sajdah in Surah Saad is not one of the obligatory locations; it is a prostration of thanks (Sajdah Shukr).
The evidence for it is the report recorded by Imam Ahmad from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said;
The prostration in Surah Saad is not one of the obligatory prostrations; I ﷺ the Messenger of Allah prostrating in this Surah.
This was also recorded by Al-Bukhari, Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, and An-Nasa'i in his Tafsir.
At-Tirmidhi said, Hasan Sahih.
In his Tafsir of this Ayah, An-Nasa'i also recorded that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
The Prophet prostrated in Saad, and he said:
سَجَدَهَا دَاوُدُ عَلَيۡهِ الصَّلَةُ وَالسَّلَمُ تَوۡبَةً وَنَسۡجُدُهَا شُكۡرًا
Dawud prostrated as an act of repentance and we prostrate as an act of thanks.
This was recorded only by An-Nasa'i. The men of its chain of narration are all reliable.
In his Tafsir of this Ayah, Al-Bukhari recorded that Al-Awwam said that he asked Mujahid about the prostration in Surah Saad. He said,
`I asked Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, `Why do you prostrate?'
He said, `Have you not read:
وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِ دَاوُودَ وَسُلَيۡمَانَ
(and among his (Nuh's) progeny Dawud, Suleiman), (6:84),
أُوۡلَـيِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللّهُ فَبِهُدَاهُمُ اقۡتَدِهۡ
(They are those whom Allah had guided. So follow their guidance), (6:90). Dawud, peace be upon him, was one of those whom your Prophet was commanded to follow. Dawud prostrated here so the Messenger of Allah also prostrated here.'
Abu Dawud recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
The Messenger of Allah recited Saad while he was on the Minbar. When he reached the prostration, he came down from the Minbar and prostrated, and the people prostrated with him.
On another occasion when he recited it, he reached the prostration and the people prepared to prostrate. He said:
إِنَّمَا هِيَ تَوۡبَةُ نَبِيَ وَلَكِنِّي رَأَيۡتُكُمۡ تَشَزَّنۡتُم
This is repentance for a Prophet, but I see that you are preparing to prostrate.
Then he came down (from the Minbar) and prostrated.
This was recorded only by Abu Dawud and its chain of narration meets the conditions of the Two Sahihs.
Then Allah says,
وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِندَنَا لَزُلۡفَى وَحُسۡنَ مَأبٍ
and verily, for him is a near access to Us, and a good place of (final) return.
means, on the Day of Resurrection, he will have good deeds by virtue of which he will be brought close to Allah, and he will have a good place of (final) return, which means the lofty levels of Paradise, because of his repentance and his perfect justice in his kingdom.
As it says in the Sahih:
الۡمُقۡسِطُونَ عَلَى مَنَابِرَ مِنۡ نُورٍ عَنۡ يَمِينِ الرَّحۡمنِ وَكِلۡتَا يَدَيۡهِ يَمِينٌ الَّذِينَ يُقۡسِطُونَ فِي أَهۡلِيهِمۡ وَمَا وَلُوا
Those who are fair and just with their families and those who are under their authority will be on Minbars of light on the right hand of Ar-Rahman, and both His Hands are right Hands.
Advice to Rulers and Leaders
This is advice from Allah, may He be exalted, to those who are in positions of authority. They should rule according to the truth and justice revealed from Him, they should not turn away from it and be led astray from the path of Allah. Allah has issued a stern warning of a severe punishment to those who go astray from His path and forget the Day of Resurrection.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibrahim Abu Zur`ah, who read the Scripture, reported that Al-Walid bin Abd Al-Malik said to him:
Does anyone have the right to question the Khalifah? You have read the first Scripture and the Qur'an, and you have understood them.
He replied, May I speak, O Commander of the faithful?
He said, Speak, for you are under the protection of Allah.
I said, O Commander of the faithful, are you more dear to Allah, or Dawud, peace be upon him, For Allah gave him both Prophethood and rulership, then He warned him in His Book:
يَا دَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الاۡاَرۡضِ فَاحۡكُم بَيۡنَ النَّاسِ بِالۡحَقِّ وَلَاا تَتَّبِعِ الۡهَوَى فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ
O Dawud ! Verily, We have placed you as a successor on the earth; so judge you between men in truth (and justice) and follow not your desire -- for it will mislead you from the path of Allah.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ
Verily, those who wander astray from the path of Allah,
Ikrimah said:
لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا نَسُوا يَوۡمَ الۡحِسَابِ
(Those shall) have a severe torment, because they forgot the Day of Reckoning.
They will have a severe punishment on the Day of Reckoning because of what they forgot.
As-Suddi said,
They will have a severe punishment because of what they neglected to do for the sake of the Day of Reckoning.
This interpretation is more in accordance with the apparent meaning of the Ayah. And Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is the Guide to the Truth.
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