Benefits and Virtues of Surah 38 Saad

virtues-benefits-surah-saad

38. Saad

38.1 Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه)

“Abu Talib fell ill, so the Quraish went to see him, and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) went to see him. There was a gathering there with Abu Talib, so Abu Jahl stood up enraged, to prevent him [the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) from entering].” He said: “He complained to Abu Talib. So he (Abu Talib) said: ‘O my nephew! What is it that you want from your people?’ He said: ‘I only want one word from them, for which, if they were to say it, then the Arabs will become their followers, and the non-Arabs will pay Jizyah to them.’ He said: ‘One word?’ He replied: ‘One word.’

So he said: ‘O uncle! Let them say La ilaha il Allah so they replied: ‘One God? We have not heard (the like) of this in the religion of these later days. This is nothing but an invention.'” He said: “So the (following) was revealed in the Qur’an about them:

﴾ ص والقرآن ذي الذكر ﴿

Sad. By the Qur’an full of reminding

﴾ بل الذين كفروا في عزة وشقاق ﴿

Those who disbelieve are in false pride and opposition

﴾ كم أهلكنا من قبلهم من قرن فنادوا ولات حين مناص ﴿

How many a generation have We destroyed before them, and they [then] called out; but it was not a time for escape.

﴾ وعجبوا أن جاءهم منذر منهم وقال الكافرون هذا ساحر كذاب ﴿

And they wonder that there has come to them a warner from among themselves. And the disbelievers say, “This is a magician and a liar.

﴾ أجعل الآلهة إلها واحدا إن هذا لشيء عجاب ﴿

Has he made the gods [only] one God? Indeed, this is a curious thing.”

﴾ وانطلق الملأ منهم أن امشوا واصبروا على آلهتكم إن هذا لشيء يراد ﴿

And the eminent among them went forth, [saying], “Continue, and be patient over [the defense of] your gods. Indeed, this is a thing intended.

﴾ ما سمعنا بهذا في الملة الآخرة إن هذا إلا اختلاق ﴿

We have not heard (the like) of this in the religion of these later days. This is nothing but an invention (38:1-7).’ “

Jami` at-Tirmidhi Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3232

38.2 Masruq (رضي الله عنه) said

We visited ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه) and he said to us: O people! He who has the knowledge of any matter may convey it to the others. And he who has no knowledge, thereof, should say: “Allahu A’lam (Allah knows better).” It is a part and parcel of knowledge that a man who has no knowledge of a matter should say: “Allah knows better.” Allah said to His Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم):

﴾ قل ما أسألكم عليه من أجر وما أنا من المتكلفين ﴿

Say, [O Muhammad], “I do not ask you for the Qur’an any payment, and I am not of the pretentious (38:86)

Riyad as-Salihin Book 18, Hadith 146

38.3 Ibn Kathir related about

﴾ واذكر عبدنا داوود ذا الأيد إنه أواب ﴿

And remember Our servant, David, the possessor of strength; indeed, he was one who repeatedly turned back [to Allah] (38:17)

It was reported in the Two Sahihs, where it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: “The most beloved of prayer to Allah is the prayer of Dawud (عليه السلام), and the most beloved of fasting to Allah is the fasting of Dawud. He used to sleep for half of the night, stand in prayer for a third of the night, then sleep for a sixth of the night, and he used to fast alternate days. He never fled from the battlefield, and he always turned to Allah.”

(Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

38.4 Mufti Shafi Usmani related about

﴾ إنا سخرنا الجبال معه يسبحن بالعشي والإشراق ﴿

Indeed, We subjected the mountains [to praise] with him, exalting [ Allah ] in the [late] afternoon and [after] sunrise (38:18)

The word Ashiyy used here means the time following Zuhr up to the next morning while Ishraq means the time of the morning when sunshine has spread over the land. From this verse, Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه) has argued that the Salah of ad-Duha stands proved. This Salah is also called the Salah of al-Awwabin. There are others who call it the Salah of al-Ishraq – though, later on, the name of the Salah of al-Awwabin became particularized with the six nafls made after Maghrib, while the Salah of al-Ishraq became well known for the two or four nafls offered close after sunrise.

In the Salah of ad-Duha, one could choose to offer any (even) number of rakat from two to twelve. Hadith mentions many benefits it brings. According to a narration of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) appearing in Jami’ of Tirmidhi, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said: “Anyone who were to become particular about two rakat of the Salah of ad-Duha, has his sins forgiven – even if they be like the froth of the sea.”

In another narration from Sayyidna Anas (رضي الله عنه), he is reported to have said: “Anyone who were to make twelve rakat of the Salah of ad-Duha, for him or her Allah Ta’ ala will make a palace of gold in Jannah.” (Qurtubi)

Ulama have said that any (even) number of rakat from two to twelve that can be performed conveniently is correct. But, having some particular routine in the case of its number is better, and if this routine reaches the minimum of four rakat, it is much better – because, the normal routine of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was to do four rakat.

(Ma’ariful Quran)

38.5 Ibn Kathir related about

﴾ وإن له عندنا لزلفى وحسن مآب ﴿

And indeed, for him is nearness to Us and a good place of return (38:25)

It says in the Sahih: “Those who are fair and just with their families and those who are under their authority will be on Minbars of light on the right hand of Ar-Rahman, and both His Hands are right Hands.”

(Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

38.6 Ibn Kathir related about

﴾ ردوها علي فطفق مسحا بالسوق والأعناق ﴿

[He said], “Return them to me,” and set about striking [their] legs and necks (38:33)

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Qatadah and Abu Ad-Dahma, who traveled a lot to the Ka’bah, said,”We met a man from among the Bedouins who said to us: ‘The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) took my hand and started teaching me some of that which Allah had taught him.’ He said, ‘You do not give up anything for the sake of Allah, but Allah will give you something better than it.’ ”

(Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

38.7 Mufti Shafi Usmani related about

﴾ ردوها علي فطفق مسحا بالسوق والأعناق ﴿

[He said], “Return them to me,” and set about striking [their] legs and necks (38:33)

In the event one neglects the remembrance of Allah, some self-imposed penalty is in order as part of one’s remorse. Anyway, this much does stand proved from the event that, should there come a time when one happens to have been neglectful of the remembrance of Allah, then, in order to punish one’s aberrant self, depriving it of some lawful thing is permissible. This, in the terminology of the noble Sufis, is called ghayrah (sense of honor or shame) (Bayan-ul-Qur’an)

Imposing such penalties on one’s own self for the purpose of training it to do what is good is a prescription of self-reform – and this event seems to suggest its justification, in fact, recommendation. It has also been reported from the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) that, on a certain occasion, Sayyidna Abu Jahm (رضي الله عنه) presented to him the gift of a Syrian throw-over shawl having some sort of design embroidered or painted on it. He made his Salah covering himself with this shawl. Then, he came to Sayyidah A’ishah (رضي الله عنها) and said to her, “Return this shawl to Abu Jahm, because I happened to have cast a look at the design it had during the course of my Salah, and this design would have almost thrown me into some trial” (Ahkam-ul-Qur’an with reference to al-Muwatta’ of Imam Malik).

Similarly, there is an incident related to Sayyidna Abu Talhah (رضي الله عنه) . Once, while making Salah in his fruit-farm, he happened to have turned his attention to look at a bird, and as a result, his attention was diverted away from the Salah (a contravention of the essential etiquette of Salah being offered before Allah Ta’ ala). After that, he gave the whole farm as sadaqah (charity).

But one has to bear in mind that the penalty thought of for this purpose should be permissible by itself. Wasting away some property for no valid reason is not permissible. Therefore, no such action is correct as would result in the wastage of property. Among the Sufis, the famous Shibli (رحمه الله) had once burnt his clothes as part of this kind of self-imposed penalty. But, the more discerning among Sufis, such as Shaikh Abdul-Wahhab Sha’rani (رحمه الله), did not approve of that action of his as correct and sound. (Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani)

(Ma’ariful Quran)

38.8 Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه) reported that

He heard the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) saying -A highly wicked one amongst the Jinn escaped yesternight to interrupt my prayer, but Allah gave me power over him, so I seized him and intended to tie him to one of the pillars of the mosque in order that you, all together or all, might look at him, but I remembered the supplication of my brother Sulaiman (عليهم السلام):

﴾ رب اغفر لي وهب لي ملكا لا ينبغي لأحد من بعدي إنك أنت الوهاب ﴿

My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me. Indeed, You are the Bestower (38:35)

Sahih Muslim 541 a

38.9 Duas

﴾ رب اغفر لي وهب لي ملكا لا ينبغي لأحد من بعدي إنك أنت الوهاب ﴿

My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me. Indeed, You are the Bestower (38:35)