1 Sad. By the renowned Qur'an,
Trivia:
Surah 38
SAD
38:1-11
Sad. By the renowned Qur'an. [1]
2 Nay, but those who disbelieve are in false pride and schism.
Those who disbelieve are in false pride and schism.
3 How many a generation We destroyed before them, and they cried out when it was no longer the time for escape!
4 And they marvel that a warner from among themselves hath come unto them, and the disbelievers say: This is a wizard, a charlatan.
5 Maketh he the gods One God? Lo! that is an astounding thing.
How many generations have we destroyed! [2]
They cried, but there was no way for them to escape.
6 The chiefs among them go about, exhorting: Go and be staunch to your gods! Lo! this is a thing designed.
7 We have not heard of this in later religion. This is naught but an invention.
Their leaders say,
We haven't heard of this new religion.
It's just an invention.
8 Hath the reminder been unto him (alone) among us? Nay, but they are in doubt concerning My reminder; nay but they have not yet tasted My doom.
9 Or are theirs the treasures of the mercy of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower?
10 Or is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them theirs? Then let them ascend by ropes!
11 A defeated host are (all) the factions that are there.
So they doubt my [Allah's] reminder, eh?.
Well, they'll find out when they taste my doom!
38:12-16
12 The folk of Noah before them denied (their messenger) and (so did the tribe of) A'ad, and Pharaoh firmly planted,
13 And (the tribe of) Thamud, and the folk of Lot, and the dwellers in the wood: these were the factions.
The people of Noah, A'ad, Pharaoh, Thamud, Lot, and the wood dwellers -
14 Not one of them but did deny the messengers, therefore My doom was justified,
They all denied the messengers, so my doom was justified.
15 These wait for but one Shout, there will be no second thereto.
16 They say: Our Lord! Hasten on for us our fate before the Day of Reckoning.
They're waiting for one shout - there won't be a second one.
17 Bear with what they say, and remember Our bondman David, lord of might, Lo! he was ever turning in repentance (toward Allah).
18 Lo! We subdued the hills to hymn the praises (of their Lord) with him at nightfall and sunrise,
We subdued the hills to sing with David.
19 And the birds assembled; all were turning unto Him.
20 We made his kingdom strong and gave him wisdom and decisive speech.
And he gathered all the birds together.
21 And hath the story of the litigants come unto thee? How they climbed the wall into the royal chamber;
22 How they burst in upon David, and he was afraid of them. They said: Be not afraid! (We are) two litigants, one of whom hath wronged the other, therefor judge aright between us; be not unjust; and show us the fair way.
23 Lo! this my brother hath ninety and nine ewes while I had one ewe; and he said: Entrust it to me, and he conquered me in speech.
24 (David) said: He hath wronged thee in demanding thine ewe in addition to his ewes, and lo! many partners oppress one another, save such as believe and do good works, and they are few. And David guessed that We had tried him, and he sought forgiveness of his Lord, and he bowed himself and fell down prostrate and repented.
25 So We forgave him that; and lo! he had access to Our presence and a happy journey's end.
Have you heard the story about the litigants? [3]
26 (And it was said unto him): O David! Lo! We have set thee as a viceroy in the earth; therefor judge aright between mankind, and follow not desire that it beguile thee from the way of Allah. Lo! those who wander from the way of Allah have an awful doom, forasmuch as they forgot the Day of Reckoning.
Those who wander from the way of Allah have an awful doom.
27 And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them in vain. That is the opinion of those who disbelieve. And woe unto those who disbelieve, from the Fire!
28 Shall We treat those who believe and do good works as those who spread corruption in the earth; or shall We treat the pious as the wicked?
29 (This is) a Scripture that We have revealed unto thee, full of blessing, that they may ponder its revelations, and that men of understanding may reflect.
Woe to the disbelievers.
They will burn in the fire.
30 And We bestowed on David, Solomon. How excellent a slave! Lo! he was ever turning in repentance (toward Allah).
Solomon was an excellent slave.
31 When there were shown to him at eventide lightfooted coursers
32 And he said: Lo! I have preferred the good things (of the world) to the remembrance of my Lord; till they were taken out of sight behind the curtain.
Once some horse where shown to Solomon, and he said,
Bring them to me.
33 (Then he said): Bring them back to me, and fell to slashing (with his sword their) legs and necks.
So they were brought to him.
And he began to slash their legs and necks with his sword.
34 And verily We tried Solomon, and set upon his throne a (mere) body. Then did he repent.
35 He said: My Lord! Forgive me and bestow on me sovereignty such as shall not belong to any after me. Lo! Thou art the Bestower.
We tried Solomon and he repented. [4]
36 So We made the wind subservient unto him, setting fair by his command whithersoever he intended.
We made the wind to obey Solomon.
37 And the unruly, every builder and diver (made We subservient),
Unruly builders and divers served him.
38 And others linked together in chains,
39 (Saying): This is Our gift, so bestow thou, or withhold, without reckoning.
40 And lo! he hath favour with Us, and a happy journey's end.
And he put other in chains.
38:41-44
41 And make mention (O Muhammad) of Our bondman Job, when he cried unto his Lord (saying): Lo! the devil doth afflict me with distress and torment.
Oh, and mention our bondman Job, Muchammad, when he said,
The devil is tormenting me.
42 (And it was said unto him): Strike the ground with thy foot. This (spring) is a cool bath and a refreshing drink.
43 And We bestowed on him (again) his household and therewith the like thereof, a mercy from Us, and a memorial for men of understanding.
Then someone said to him,
Kick the ground with your foot.
And a spring sprung up and provided him with a cool bath and a refreshing drink.
44 And (it was said unto him): Take in thine hand a branch and smite therewith, and break not thine oath. Lo! We found him steadfast, how excellent a slave! Lo! he was ever turning in repentance (to his Lord).
After that someone said to him,
Smite something with a branch [5] and don't break your oath.
We found him an excellent slave!
Notes
- Sad. By the renowned Qur'an. (v.1)
This surah is well named. It's pretty sad.
(But actually its title is taken from a letter in the arabic alphabet. No one knows what it means.)
- How many a generation We destroyed (v.4)
Allah is proud of the strangest things!
To see the details of God's killings see Drunk with Blood: God's killings in the Bible
- The story of the litigants (v.21)
The nonsensical story about the litigants is supposedly about David, but it is not in the Bible.
Some say it refers to the story about David's adulterous afair with Bathsheba, since it is somewhat similar to Nathan's story condemning David for sending Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, to be killed in battle so David could have his wife. But since David is a prophet to Muslims, and Muslim prophets are perfect, that interpretation is not allowed in Islam. (See 2 Samuel 11-12.)
- We tried Solomon. (v.34)
Like the prvious story about Solomon slashing horses, no one knows what this story means.
- Take in thine hand a branch and smite therewith. (v.44)
What did Allah tell Job to smite with the branch?
See here for an interesting interpretation of this verse.