قال الذي عنده علم من الكتاب
One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said:
Ibn Abbas said,
"This was Asif, the scribe of Suleiman.''
It was also narrated by Muhammad bin Ishaq from Yazid bin Ruman that:
he was Asif bin Barkhiya' and he was a truthful believer who knew the Greatest Name of Allah.
Qatadah said:
"He was a believer among the humans, and his name was Asif.''
أنا آتيك به قبل أن يرتد إليك طرفك
I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!
Meaning, lift your gaze and look as far as you can, and before you get tired and blink, you will find it before you.
Then he got up, performed ablution and prayed to Allah, may He be exalted.
Mujahid said:
"He said, O Owner of majesty and honor.''
فلما رآه مستقرا عنده
Then when he saw it placed before him,
When Suleiman and his chiefs saw it before them,
قال هذا من فضل ربي
he said: "This is by the grace of my Lord...''
meaning, `this is one of the blessings which Allah has bestowed upon me.'
ليبلوني أأشكر أم أكفر ومن شكر فٳنما يشكر لنفسه
...to test whether I am grateful or ungrateful!
And whoever is grateful, truly, his gratitude is for himself;
This is like the Ayat:
من عمل صلحا فلنفسه ومن أساء فعليها
Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is for himself; and whosoever does evil, it is against himself. (41:46)
ومن عمل صلحا فﻼنفسهم يمهدون
and whosoever does righteous good deed, then such will prepare a good place for themselves. (30:44)
ومن كفر فٳن ربي غني كريم
and whoever is ungrateful, certainly my Lord is Rich, Bountiful.
He has no need of His servants or their worship
كريم
(Bountiful),
He is Bountiful in and of Himself, even if no one were to worship Him. His greatness does not depend on anyone.
This is like what Musa said:
إن تكفروا أنتم ومن فى اﻻرض جميعا فٳن الله لغنى حميد
If you disbelieve, you and all on earth together, then verily, Allah is Rich, Owner of all praise. (14:8)
It is recorded in Sahih Muslim:
يقول الله تعالى
يا عبادي لو أن أولكم وآخركم وإنسكم وجنكم كانوا على أتقى قلب رجل منكم ما زاد ذلك في ملكي شييا
يا عبادي لو أن أولكم وآخركم وإنسكم وجنكم كانوا على أفجر قلب رجل منكم ما نقص ذلك من ملكي شييا
يا عبادي إنما هي أعمالكم أحصيها لكم ثم أوفيكم إياها فمن وجد خيرا فليحمد الله ومن وجد غير ذلك فﻼ يلومن إﻻ نفسه
Allah, may He be exalted, says:
"O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, mankind and Jinn alike, were all to be as pious as the most pious among you, that would not add to My dominion in the slightest.
O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, mankind and Jinn alike, were all to be as evil as the most evil one among you, that would not detract from My dominion in the slightest.
O My servants, these are deeds which I am recording for you, and I will judge you according to them, so whoever finds something good, let him praise Allah, and whoever finds otherwise, let him blame no one but himself.''
