Tafsir of Saba' 34:11

"That make coats of mail": The particle an (that) is in the position of a verbal noun (masdar), and it occurs upon the elision of a preposition. That is, "We softened the iron for him to make (li-amali) coats of mail," or "We commanded him to make (bi-amali) coats of mail." The former is more appropriate. Al-Hufi and others permitted it to be an explanatory (mufassira) particle. Since a condition for the explanatory particle is that it must be preceded by the meaning of a speech act rather than its literal letters, and "We softened" does not possess this, some scholars posited an implied verb before it containing the meaning of a speech act to validate its status as explanatory. That is: "We commanded him, saying, 'Make...'"—meaning "Make." An objection raised against this is that the omission of the [verb of] explanation is not conventional.

Al-Sabiqat (coats of mail) are armors. Its root is an adjective derived from subugh, meaning completeness and perfection, and it became predominant in usage for armor—similar to al-abtah (the wide valley). A poet said: "Neither coats of mail nor a bold, armored [warrior] can prevent the appointed time when terms are fulfilled." It is also said sawabigh, as in the saying: "Upon them are black, fierce [warriors], whose garments are long, white, impenetrable coats of mail that arrows do not pierce." Thus, there is no need to posit an implied noun—that is, "coats of mail" (duru'an sabighat). Nor does it invalidate what has been said: that an adjective, unless it is exclusive to the noun—like "menstruating" (ha'id)—cannot have its noun omitted. It was also read as sabighat (with an s replaced by s [sad]) due to the ghayn.

"And estimate in the weaving": Al-sard is originally weaving, as Al-Raghib said: the piercing of things that are rough and thick. Al-Shammakh said: "Our horses remained swift in your homes, just as the weaver [of armor] continues the sard of the bridle." It was then metaphorically applied to the linking of iron. In Al-Bahr, it is the following of one thing with another of its kind. A coat of mail is called masrud because the rings were followed one by another. A poet said: "And upon both were two linked [garments of mail], which David forged."

Al-Sawabigh are the links, and for its maker there is sarad or zurad (by substituting sin with zay). Many interpreted it here as "weaving," saying: "The meaning is to be moderate/precise in the weaving of the armor so that its rings are proportionate." Ibn Abbas, in what was narrated from him by Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, and Ibn Abi Hatim via several chains, said: "With the rings," meaning, "make their rings of proportional sizes." Ibn Zayd said: "Do not make them small so they become weak and the armor cannot defend, nor large so that the wearer is harmed through them [the gaps]."

In another narration from Ibn Abbas, it is interpreted as "rivets" (masamir). Qatadah and Mujahid also narrated this, meaning: "Estimate the size of its rivets; do not make them thin nor thick." That is, make them of a specific size, with a thickness suitable for the hole prepared for it in the ring. For if they were thin, they would wobble within it and fail to hold its two ends; and if they were thick, they would tear the end of the ring into which they were placed, and thus also fail to hold.

However, this is unlikely, for the softening of iron for him—such that it was like wax or dough—dispenses with the need for riveting. After gathering the rings and inserting one into another, the separation of the two ends of each ring is removed by blending the two ends, just as the two ends of a ring of wax or dough are blended. The integrity of this is more perfect than the integrity achieved by riveting. In fact, there would remain no need for riveting at all. Perhaps, if it is sound, it is based on the premise that he would forge the rings without blending the ends, and thus rivet them for reinforcement after inserting them into one another. This becomes apparent upon the second interpretation of His saying, "We softened iron for him," as the limit of strength is the breaking of iron as one wishes without tools, without joining some to others. This is not contradicted by what was reported from Al-Biqa'i: "Some who saw what is attributed to David—peace be upon him—of armor said that it was without rivets," for this is narrated from an unknown source and such a report is not to be heeded.

It is also said that the meaning of "Estimate in the weaving" is: "Do not spend all your time on it, but only the amount through which sustenance is obtained, and spend the rest on worship." This is said to be the most appropriate context for the coming command. It is recounted that he was the first to make armor as rings, whereas before they were plates. Qatadah narrated this.

It is reported from Muqatil that when he (David) reigned over the Children of Israel, he would go out in disguise to ask the people about his condition. An angel appeared to him in the form of a man and asked him [about himself]. He replied, "A fine servant, were it not for one deficiency." The angel said, "What is it?" He said, "He eats from the public treasury, whereas if he ate from the work of his own hand, his merits would be complete." So he prayed to Allah to teach him a craft and facilitate it for him—the craft of armor—and He softened the iron for him. He became wealthy and would spend a third of the wealth on the interests of the Muslims. He would finish a coat of mail in part of a day or part of a night, and its price was one thousand dirhams.

Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi in Nawadir al-Usul and Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Ibn Shawdhab that David would raise a coat of mail every day and sell it for six thousand dirhams: two thousand for him and his family, and four thousand to feed the Children of Israel with high-quality bread. It is said he would sell the armor for four thousand, spending on himself and his family and giving the rest to the poor. In Majma' al-Bayan, from al-Sadiq (may Allah be pleased with him), it is stated that he made 360 coats of mail and sold them for 360,000 dirhams, thereby becoming independent of the public treasury.

"And work righteousness": This is an address to David and his family—peace be upon them—and even if they were not explicitly mentioned, they are understood, as Al-Khafaji said, by necessity from the mention of him [David]. It is also permitted that it is an address to him specifically by way of glorification. In any case, the apparent meaning is a command to perform righteous deeds absolutely, and it is not—according to the second interpretation—a command to make armor free of defects.

"Indeed, I am All-Seeing of what you do": I will reward you for it. This is a justification for the command, or for the necessity of complying with it, by way of inducement and intimidation.