Surah 38. Sad

And so³⁴ We made subservient to him the wind, so that it gently sped at his behest withersoever he willed,³⁵

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., as a reward for his humility and turning-away from worldly ambitions, implied in the prayer, "Forgive me my sins".

Cf. 21:81 and the corresponding note [75]. For the meaning, in general, of the many legends surrounding the person of Solomon, see note [77] on 21:82 .

We accepted his prayer and subjected to him the wind, which blew gently in whichever direction he wanted;

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So We made the wind subservient unto him, setting fair by his command whithersoever he intended.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

as well as all the rebellious forces [that We made to work for him]-every kind of builder and diver -

  - Mohammad Asad

and the shaitans (Jinns) including all kind of builders, divers

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And the unruly, every builder and diver (made We subservient),

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

and others linked together in fetters.³⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., subdued and, as it were, tamed by him: see note [76] on 21:82 , which explains my rendering, in this context, of shayatln as "rebellious forces".

and others fettered in chains.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And others linked together in chains,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[And We told him:] "This is Our gift, for thee to bestow freely on others, or to withhold, without [having to render] account!"

  - Mohammad Asad

We said to him: "This is Our gift: you may give or withhold to whomever you want, without any accountability."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

(Saying): This is Our gift, so bestow thou, or withhold, without reckoning.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And, verily, nearness to Us awaits him life to comer, and the most beauteous of all goals

  - Mohammad Asad

Surely he has a place of nearness to Us and will have an excellent place of final abode.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And lo! he hath favor with Us, and a happy journey's end.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND CALL to mind Our servant Job,³⁷ [how it was] when he cried out to his Sustainer, "Behold, Satan has afflicted me with [utter] weariness and suffering!"³⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

See note [78] on 21:83 .

I.e., with life-weariness in consequence of suffering. As soon as he realizes that God has been testing him, Job perceives that his utter despondency and weariness of life - eloquently described in the Old Testament (The Book of Job iii) - was but due to what is described as "Satan's whisperings": this is the moral to be drawn from the above evocation of Job's story.

Mention Our devotee Ayub (Job), when he called upon his Rabb saying: "Shaitan has afflicted me with distress and suffering,"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

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.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[and thereupon was told:] "Strike [the ground] with thy foot: here is cool water to wash with and to drink!"³⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

According to the classical commentators, the miraculous appearance of a healing spring heralded the end of Job's suffering, both physical and mental.

and We asked him: "Strike your foot on the ground. A cool spring will gush forth. Wash and drink to refresh yourself."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

(And it was said unto him): Strike the ground with thy foot. This (spring) is a cool bath and a refreshing drink.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And We bestowed upon him new offsprin ,⁴⁰ doubling their number as an act of grace from Us, and as a reminder unto all who are endowed with insight.

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "his family" (cf. 21:84 and the corresponding note [79]).

And We restored to him his family and many more with them as a grace from Ourselves and a reminder for the people of understanding.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And We bestowed on him (again) his household and therewith the like thereof, a mercy from Us, and a memorial for men of understanding.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

[And finally We told him:] "Now take in thy hand a small bunch of grass, and strike therewith, and thou wilt not break shine oath!"⁴¹ - for, verily, We found him full of patience in adversity: how excellent a servant [of Ours], who, behold, would always turn unto us

  - Mohammad Asad

In the words of the Bible (The Book of Job ii, 9), at the time of his seemingly hopeless suffering Job's wife reproached her husband for persevering in his faith: "Doss thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die." According to the classical Qur'an-commentators, Job swore that, if God would restore him to health, he would punish her blasphemy with a hundred stripes. But when he did recover, he bitterly regretted his hasty oath, for he realized that his wife's "blasphemy" had been an outcome of her love and pity for him; and thereupon he was told in a revelation that he could fulfil his vow in a symbolic manner by striking her once with "a bunch of grass containing a hundred blades or more". (Cf. 5:89 - 'God will not take you to task for oaths which you may have uttered without thought.")

Then, to fulfill his oath of giving his wife one hundred strikes which he made during his sickness, We said: "Take a bunch of twigs and strike with it and do not break your oath." Certainly We found him full of patience. He was an excellent devotee, who turned to Us over and over again.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And (it was said unto him): Take in thine hand a branch and smite therewith, and break not twine oath. Lo! We found him steadfast, how excellent a slave! Lo! he was ever turning in repentance (to his Lord).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

AND CALL to mind Our servants Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, [all of them] endowed with inner strength and vision:

  - Mohammad Asad

And mention Our devotees Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaq (Isaac) and Ya'qoob (Jacob): men of power and vision.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And me mention of our bondmen, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, men of parts and vision.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

for, verily, We purified them by means of a thought most pure: the remembrance of the life to come.⁴²

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "of the [final] abode".

Surely We chose them for their special quality of keeping in mind the abode of hereafter.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! We purified them with a pure thought, remembrance of the Home (of the Hereafter).

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And, behold, in Our sight they were indeed among the elect, the truly good!

  - Mohammad Asad

Certainly they are with Us; among the best chosen.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Lo! in Our sight they are verily of the elect, the excellent.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And call to mind Ishmael and Elisha,⁴³ and every one who [like them] has pledged himself [unto Us]:⁴⁴ for, each of them was of the truly good!

  - Mohammad Asad

Al-Yasa' in Arabic - the Biblical prophet who succeeded Elijah (see surah {37}, note [48]).

For an explanation of this rendering of dhu 'l-kifl, see surah {21}, note [81].

Also mention Isma'il, Al-Yas'a (Elisha) and Zul-Kifl; all of them were among the best.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And make mention of Ishmael and Elisha and Dhul Kifl. All are of the chosen.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

LET [all] this be a reminder [to those who believe in God] - for, verily, the most beauteous of all goals awaits the God-conscious:

  - Mohammad Asad

This Qur'an is but a reminder. Surely the righteous shall return to an excellent resort.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

This is a reminder. And lo! for those who ward off (evil) is a happy journey's end,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

gardens of perpetual bliss,⁴⁵ with gates wide-open to them,

  - Mohammad Asad

In all the eleven instances in which the noun 'adn occurs in the Qur'an - and of which the present is the oldest - it is used as a qualifying term for the "gardens" (jannat) of paradise. This noun is derived from the verb 'adana, which primarily denotes "he remained [somewhere]" or "he kept [to something]", i.e., permanently: cf. the phrase adantu l-balad ("I remained for good [or "settled"] in the country"). In Biblical Hebrew - which, after all, is but a very ancient Arabian dialect - the closely related noun 'eden has also the additional connotation of "delight", "pleasure" or "bliss". Hence the combination of the two concepts in my rendering of 'adn as "perpetual bliss". As in many other places in the Qur'an, this bliss is here allegorized - and thus brought closer to man's imagination - by means of descriptions recallinc earthly iovs.

The Gardens of Eden, whose gates shall be wide open to receive them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Gardens of Eden, whereof the gates are opened for them.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall