Tafsir of Surat al-Anbiya
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question: I hope you will explain to us the meaning of the saying of Allah the Exalted in Surat al-Anbiya: [al-Anbiya: 78, 79]?
Answer: In this verse, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) mentioned a case and an incident in which Dawud (peace be upon him) judged by the ruling of Allah, and Sulayman (peace be upon him) judged by another ruling. This case was that a flock of sheep grazed in the field of a group of people at night, ruining it and eating it up at night. So the people of the field went to Dawud (peace be upon him) to judge between them and the owners of these sheep. Dawud ruled that the sheep should be given to the people of the field as compensation for their field. Then, when Sulayman heard the ruling, he ruled with another ruling, which was that the owners of the sheep should take care of watering the field and tending to it until it is fully restored, and the sheep should remain in the hands of the people of the field to benefit from them and drink from their milk as compensation for what they lost from the field. When the field is fully restored as it was, their field is returned to the people of the field, and their sheep are returned to the people of the sheep. So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) mentioned this case and these two rulings [Al-Anbya 21:78-79], then He praised the two prophets by saying: [Al-Anbya 21:79].
It is said: It is said that Dawud judged by revelation, and Sulayman judged by revelation, so the ruling of Sulayman abrogates the ruling of Dawud.And it was said: It is said that both prophets judged by independent legal reasoning, and this contains evidence that the prophets engage in independent legal reasoning.
In any case, this is from the rulings of the two prophets (peace and blessings be upon them), and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) mentioned this for His servants as a lesson and a realization.
(78) And [mention] David and Solomon, when they judged concerning the field - when the sheep of a people overran it [at night], and We were witness to their judgement. (79) And We gave understanding of the case to Solomon, and to each [of them] We gave judgement and knowledge. And We subjected the mountains to exalt [Us], along with David and [also] the birds. And We were doing [that].
وَدَاوُدَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ إِذْ يَحْكُمَانِ فِي الْحَرْثِ إِذْ نَفَشَتْ فِيهِ غَنَمُ الْقَوْمِ وَكُنَّا لِحُكْمِهِمْ شَاهِدِينَ فَفَهَّمْنَاهَا سُلَيْمَانَ وَكُلًّا آتَيْنَا حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا وَسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاوُدَ الْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحْنَ وَالطَّيْرَ وَكُنَّا فَاعِلِينَAnswer: In this verse, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) mentioned a case and an incident in which Dawud (peace be upon him) judged by the ruling of Allah, and Sulayman (peace be upon him) judged by another ruling. This case was that a flock of sheep grazed in the field of a group of people at night,
had grazed in it
نَفَشَتْ فِيهِ(78) And [mention] David and Solomon, when they judged concerning the field - when the sheep of a people overran it [at night], and We were witness to their judgement. (79) And We gave understanding of the case to Solomon
وَدَاوُدَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ إِذْ يَحْكُمَانِ فِي الْحَرْثِ إِذْ نَفَشَتْ فِيهِ غَنَمُ الْقَوْمِ وَكُنَّا لِحُكْمِهِمْ شَاهِدِينَ فَفَهَّمْنَاهَا سُلَيْمَانَand to each [of them] We gave judgement and knowledge
وَكُلًّا آتَيْنَا حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًاIt is said: It is said that Dawud judged by revelation, and Sulayman judged by revelation, so the ruling of Sulayman abrogates the ruling of Dawud.And it was said: It is said that both prophets judged by independent legal reasoning, and this contains evidence that the prophets engage in independent legal reasoning.
In any case, this is from the rulings of the two prophets (peace and blessings be upon them), and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) mentioned this for His servants as a lesson and a realization.