ص : ٢٤

  • قَالَ He said
  • لَقَدۡ Certainly
  • ظَلَمَكَ he has wronged you
  • بِسُؤَالِ by demanding
  • نَعۡجَتِكَ your ewe
  • إِلَىٰ to
  • نِعَاجِهِۦۖ his ewes
  • وَإِنَّ And indeed
  • كَثِيرٗا many
  • مِّنَ of
  • ٱلۡخُلَطَآءِ the partners
  • لَيَبۡغِي certainly oppress
  • بَعۡضُهُمۡ one
  • عَلَىٰ [on]
  • بَعۡضٍ another
  • إِلَّا except
  • ٱلَّذِينَ those who
  • ءَامَنُواْ believe
  • وَعَمِلُواْ and do
  • ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ righteous deeds
  • وَقَلِيلٞ and few
  • مَّا (are) they
  • هُمۡۗ (are) they
  • وَظَنَّ And became certain
  • دَاوُۥدُ Dawood
  • أَنَّمَا that
  • فَتَنَّـٰهُ We (had) tried him
  • فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرَ and he asked forgiveness
  • رَبَّهُۥ (of) his Lord
  • وَخَرَّۤ and fell down
  • رَاكِعٗاۤ bowing
  • وَأَنَابَ۩ and turned in repentance
[David] said, "He has certainly wronged you in demanding your ewe [in addition] to his ewes. And indeed, many associates oppress one another, except for those who believe and do righteous deeds - and few are they." And David became certain that We had tried him, and he asked forgiveness of his Lord1 and fell down bowing [in prostration] and turned in repentance [to Allāh].
Footnotes
1 - For his errors, such as fear and suspicion of the two men at the outset, any mistake in judgement he might have made, concealed feelings of partiality, etc.
He said, 'He has certainly wronged you by asking for your ewe that he may add it to his sheep. And indeed many associates infringe upon [the rights of] one another, except such as believe and perform righteous deeds, but few are they!' (maa emphasises the 'fewness'). As the two angels were ascending to the sky one said to the other, 'He has certainly passed judgement on himself!' David was thus alerted [to his deed]. God, exalted be He, says: And David thought, in other words, he became certain, that We had indeed tried him, that We had caused him to fall into a trial, that is, a test, through his love for that woman. So he sought forgiveness of his Lord and fell down bowing, in other words, prostrate, and repented.