Hazrat Sulaiman (Solomon)

SiteTitle

صفحه کاربران ویژه - خروج
ورود کاربران ورود کاربران

LoginToSite

SecurityWord:

Username:

Password:

LoginComment LoginComment2 LoginComment3 .
SortBy
 
Hazrat Dawood (David)Apostle Yunus

There is a verse in the Qura’n about apostle Solomon that says he asked for forgiveness due to some deeds that he had done and god accepted his repentance.

Verses 34 to 36 Of Surah Saad deal with this issue:

“Indeed We did try Solomon and a (mere) body was cast on his throne and he turned to God. 35. He said “Lord forgive me and grant me a dominion such as none shall have after me; verily you are the Bestower. 36. So We gave him power over the wind and it blew gently at his command wherever he desired.”

What was the test? For whom did the corpse that was put on his throne come? This is not explained by the Qura’n but the Islamic commentaries explain this. We learn that many people have narrated baseless stories about it and said things about him that cannot be accepted by the brain. For they are all insulting to the great status of chastity and infallibility that he had. there is another story that says that the devil usurped his throne because he had lost a ring and made him subservient. (this is because of the idea that there was a relation between the ring and his authority through which he ruled). These ideas are similar to those floated by the Jews and found in the Talmud. (the book that records the commandments of Moses) they create doubts and they have been narrated for fun.

The correct version is recorded in the Islamic commentaries though there are variations there also.

Firstly: Solomon wanted to have brave sons who could take care of the affairs of the state and rule the kingdom after him. So one night he said:

“I will copulate with my wives in the hope of having sons” but he did not say Inshallah. It was due to this oversight that he was not granted any child excepting a handicapped one. He was like a dead body put on the throne.

There is a hadith from the Holy Messenger in which he said, “By Him in whose hands is my life, saying Inshallah is like going to Jihad.” (1)

When Solomon was admonished for this oversight he prayed in repentance and asked for forgiveness.

Secondly: “And we did try Solomon and placed a body on the throne.” It means we put Solomon like a dead body on the throne but this seems against the literal meaning of the verse.

If we do not discern the reason for which he prayed for forgiveness does it mean that it was for a disease? Or do we say that man commits oversight normally but especially when he is sick. Solomon repented because of such a condition but this answer too is not enough.

The other issue related to this great apostle is in the same verse and says:

“Bestow on me a kingdom that none shall have after me.”

Does this prayer behoove an elevated apostle like Solomon when he is chaste and very intelligent something which all the apostles and Imams had? Doesn’t this sentence reek of miserliness?

Though the hadith been recorded for the chastity and infallibility of the apostles. Any manner of defect is below the status of an apostle. The late Sayyid Murtaza in Tanzihol Anbiya and Mohaqqiq Tabrisi in Majmaul Bayan have answered this question and others have also given various explanations for it. (2)

But the following answer is more appropriate:

Indeed Solomon had asked God for a special miracle just as there are special miracles for every apostle. His miracle was the prayer for a kingdom that was unparalleled and unique or the rule over mankind, Jinns, clouds and wind. God was kind to grant such a kingdom to him. It was a kingdom that was surrounded by miraculous happenings every where. It is evident that such a prayer is not a defect in an apostle of God.

The second answer is: Solomon had been asked by a revelation to pray for such a kingdom. In other words Gad desired that He could give the world a glimpse of his authority through a Prophet. So God found Solomon pious enough for this purpose. And permitted him to ask for the same. So Solomon asked for it. God gave him a unique and strange kingdom that had no equal and will have no equal ever. It is evident without doubt that when God finds someone deserving he bestows favors on him.

The proof of these words is the moral character of Solomon and it is said that he was a great and pious man in his life. There is a hadith from the Holy Messenger on this topic. He said:

“He used to eat barley and fed flour to the people” (3) His dress was woolen. He used to pray till daybreak and throughout the night. (4)

There is a very subtle explanation from Imam Reza when he was asked about this verse. The kingdom or the rule is of two kinds; one that is obtained through power and suppression and another that is gifted by God, like those given to the progeny of Abraham, Saul, and Dhulqarnain. Solomon said, “Grant me a kingdom that none will have after me not even by power and suppression. So God gave him the power over the wind, and devils, and bestowed him the power of understanding about the speech of animals. He then established him on earth. So we know that from his time till today no one even by force and suppression has been able to attain a kingdom like him. (5)

What this hadith says is that Solomon did not ask for a limited authority or kingdom but an unlimited one in which none could interfere and that it would be free from the accusation of suppression. So God bestowed very strange miracles on him which were the proof that this kingdom was granted by God and not by any person and not gained by suppression. (6)

The third Answer. The previous verse contains the proof of the chastity and infallibility of Solomon. It is said, “Behold there were brought before him in the evening, horses of the highest breeding and swift on foot” (Thoroughbred horses). He said, as defined in verses 31 to 33 of Surah Saad “Truly do I prefer wealth to the remembrance of my Lord” (I love these horses because they will be helpful in Jihad” and he kept watching them. Until the sun was hidden in the veil of night: “Bring them back to me.” Then he began to pass his hands over (their) legs and necks because they were wroth taking to war. )

According to meanings of the previous verses there is no doubt about the deed of Solomon because he was preparing his army and was preparing the horses for war also. This is why he asked them to be sent back and all this is proper, logical and divine.

But some people explain the verse in a manner that doubts are raised about Solomon. They say the words “hidden” and “bring them” revert to the sun which of course is not the literal meaning of the verse.

It is possible to discern from this explanation that Solomon was so engrossed with the horses that he forgot his daily prayers so much so that the sun had set. He became very upset about it and he asked the angels to make the sun come back and did his ablution. Verse 31-33 of Surah Saad which speaks about the ablution, says:

“Behold there were brought before him at eventide, horses of the highest breeding and swift on foot and he said, “Truly do I prefer wealth to the remembrance of my Lord.” Until (the sun) was hidden by the night. “Bring them back to me.” Then he began to pass his hands over their legs and necks.”

But some people think which very far from this explanation also. They say that this sentence means that he was given the command to cut the necks and calves of the horses from God. This is why he was neglectful of the prayers (the excuse of a deed that is very bad) and this idea that he slaughtered them and cut them to pieces in the way of God is also very strange. This is because the slaughtering of these horses was not like slaying the sheep and goats. It was like giving them to others provided they were alive. It is also no secret that the explanation given by me has no drawback.

 If this sentence was about ablution then the word “A’naq “would not have been used but the “Saqain” would have been used which is in feminine gender. If some one says the ablution is because of “Masah” or swiping then it is meaningless.

If it is about cutting the necks and legs then this deed is very illogical and no sane person would ever do it let alone an apostle like Solomon when he is infallible. If this is a sin then it is because of being busy in some other work then even it will be a sin.

It is also possible to say that this work was done by others and not him but still the slaughter was done. The sentence does not speak about sun but to well being which is closer in meaning. The meaning of “Khair” is “Aljiyaaad” or thoroughbred horses. In the same way the verse does not say that Solomon addressed the angels and this too would be below his status. If the angels were interjecting then too it is below the station of the angels to do so.

If we accept this explanation then this would be acceptable that the prayers that he missed were optional prayers. and which had to be done before the sunset. Then how could we prove that this prayer was the compulsory ones. How can we then prove that he missed his prayers when Solomon used to say some special prayers? Some people have also said that if “Zikra Rabbi” means the compulsory prayer then Solomon became negligent of it so that he could prepare the horses for Jihad. So there could be no objection about since this kind of deed is better than other worship that he neglected.

But this explanation is also far fetched because decreases the importance of prayers. The correct explanation is that we which we have given in the beginning.

 


 

1. Bukhari has mentioned this hadith in his Sahih and it is found in other commentaries too including Ruhul Bayan and Fi Zalalol Qura’n.
2. Tanzihol Anbiya page 97-98; Tafsir Majmaul Bayan vol.8 page 476
3. Al Howwari means white flour.
4. Safinatol Behar the origin is AzZohod and other commentaries.
5. Tafsir Nurus Saqlain vol.4 page 459 hadith 56
6. One sentence is hidden of supposed in this verse because of this interpretation “Grant me a kingdom that none shall have after me”

 

Hazrat Dawood (David)Apostle Yunus
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Lotus
Mitra
Nazanin
Titr
Tahoma