| Page: 26 | Surah Sad (38)

Verse 26: O David, indeed We have made you a vicegerent (Khalifah) on earth...

It is to be noted that after completing the discourse concerning the story [of David], the Almighty followed it up by clarifying that He entrusted David with the vicegerency (Khilafah) of the earth. This serves as one of the strongest proofs against the common narrative regarding that story, as it is highly improbable that a man described as striving to shed Muslim blood and desiring to seize their wives would immediately thereafter be mentioned as having been entrusted by God with the vicegerency of the earth.

Regarding the interpretation of his being a Khalifah (vicegerent), there are two views:

1. Successor in Prophetic Duty: We have made you succeed those who preceded you among the Prophets in calling people to God and in governing the populace. The successor (Khalifah) of a person is one who takes their place, which is typically understood in the context of someone who can be absent (i.e., die or be away).
2. Ruler with Executory Power: We have made you the master of the people, whose judgment is binding upon them. By this interpretation, he is called a Khalifah. This is why we speak of God's vicegerents on His earth. In essence, the ruler has binding authority over his subjects. The literal meaning of Khilafah is impossible for God, so the term is used here to imply the necessity of binding authority.

Verse 26 (Cont.): ...so judge between people with truth...

The Almighty then said: {فاحكم بين الناس بالحق} (so judge between people with truth).

Man is naturally a social being (madani bi al-tab') because a single individual cannot organize his needs without a complete city. One person tills, another grinds, another bakes, another weaves, and another sews. Thus, each is occupied with a specific task, and the interests of all are served by the combined efforts of everyone. Therefore, man is naturally social. When they gather in one place, disputes and conflicts arise, necessitating a powerful, dominant individual to cut off these contentions—this is the Sultan whose judgment is binding upon all. Thus, the interests of creation cannot be organized without a dominant, governing authority.

If this dominant ruler governs according to his own desires and the pursuit of his worldly interests, his harm to the populace will be immense, as he will use the subjects as a ransom for himself to achieve his own goals. This leads to the ruin of the world and chaos among the people, ultimately resulting in the ruler's own destruction. However, if the ruler's judgments conform to the true Divine Law, the interests of the world are organized, and the doors of good are opened in the best manner. This is the meaning of {فاحكم بين الناس بالحق}: there must be a judge among the people based on truth, and you must be that judge.

Verse 26 (Cont.): ...and do not follow desire, lest it mislead you from the way of Allah...

The verse continues: {ولا تتبع الهوى فيضلك عن سبيل الله} (and do not follow desire, lest it mislead you from the way of Allah).

The interpretation is that following desire leads to deviation from the path of Allah, and deviation from the path of Allah results in punishment. Therefore, following desire results in severe punishment.

The desire (hawa) calls one to be engrossed in physical pleasures. Being engrossed in these pleasures prevents one from engaging in the pursuit of spiritual happiness, which are the lasting good deeds (al-baqiyat al-salihat). This is because these two states are contradictory; as one increases, the other decreases.

This point is evident. When a person becomes deeply accustomed to these physical things and completely forgets his spiritual state, upon death, he parts with what he loved and cherished and enters a realm for which he has no familiarity, and his faculties lack the power to behold the lights of that realm. It is as if he has separated from the beloved and arrived at the detested, thus inevitably being in the greatest distress and affliction.

Thus, it is established that following desire leads to deviation from the path of Allah, and deviation from the path of Allah results in punishment. This is a perfectly complete explanation.

Verse 26 (Cont.): ...for those who forget the Day of Account.

The Almighty then said: {بما نسوا يوم الحساب} (for those who forget the Day of Account). This means the primary cause for this deviation is forgetting the Day of Account. If one remembered the Day of Return, he would not turn away from preparing provisions for the Hereafter, nor would he become engrossed in these corrupt pleasures.

It is narrated that one of the Umayyad caliphs said to 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz: "Have you heard that the pen of accountability does not apply to the Caliph, and no sin is recorded against him?" 'Umar replied: "O Commander of the Faithful, are the Caliphs superior or the Prophets?" Then he recited this verse: {إن الذين يضلون عن سبيل الله لهم عذاب شديد بما نسوا يوم الحساب} (Indeed, those who stray from the way of Allah will have a severe punishment because they forgot the Day of Account).

Verse 26 (Cont.): And We did not create the heaven and the earth and all that is between them in vain. That is the assumption of those who disbelieve, so woe to the disbelievers from the Fire.

The Almighty then said: {وما خلقنا السماء والارض وما بينهما باطلا ذالك ظن الذين كفروا فويل للذين كفروا من النار}. This is similar to His saying: {ربنا ما خلقت هذا باطلا سبحانك فقنا عذاب النار} (Our Lord, You did not create this in vain. Exalted are You! Then protect us from the punishment of the Fire) (Al 'Imran: 191), and {ما خلق الله السماوات والارض وما بينهما إلا بالحق} (Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them except in truth) (Ar-Rum: 8). There are two issues concerning this:

Al-Jubba'i used this verse as evidence that it is not permissible for God to be the Creator of the actions of His servants, arguing that these actions include disbelief and transgression, which are all falsehoods (abāṭīl). Since God clarified that He did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them in vain, this indicates that He did not create the actions of His servants. This is supported by {وما خلقنا السماوات والارض وما بينهما إلا بالحق} (We did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them except in truth) (Al-Hijr: 85).

The Mujbirah (determinists) argue that God created the disbeliever for the purpose of disbelief, and disbelief is falsehood (bāṭil). Thus, God created falsehood. The Almighty then emphasized this by saying: {ذالك ظن الذين كفروا} (That is the assumption of those who disbelieve), meaning everyone who holds this view is a disbeliever. This explicitly states that the doctrine of the Mujbirah is the very essence of disbelief.

Our companions (the Ash'arites), may God have mercy on them, argued that this verse proves God is the Creator of the actions of His servants. They said: This verse indicates that God is the Creator of everything between the heavens and the earth, and the actions of servants occur between heaven and earth; therefore, God must be their Creator.

This verse indicates the validity of the doctrine of resurrection, the raising of the dead, and the Last Day. This is because God created creation in this world. We must consider: Did He create them for harm, for benefit, neither for benefit nor for harm, or neither for harm nor for benefit?

1. The first option (for harm) is false, as it does not befit the Merciful and Generous.
2. The third option (neither for benefit nor harm) is also false, as this state (non-existence) was already present before they were created.

Therefore, we must conclude that He created them for benefit. This benefit must be either in this worldly life or in the life to come. The first option (benefit only in this life) is false because worldly benefits are few and their harms are many. Enduring many harms for little benefit does not befit wisdom. Since this possibility is negated, the existence of another life after this worldly life—i.e., resurrection and the Last Day—is established.

This proof can be formulated in many ways, which we have summarized exhaustively at the beginning of Surah Yunus, so repetition is unnecessary. Thus, it is established that God did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them in vain. If His creation was not in vain, then the doctrine of resurrection is necessary. Anyone who denies resurrection is doubting God's wisdom in creating the heavens and the earth. This is the meaning of {ذالك ظن الذين كفروا فويل للذين كفروا من النار}.

After establishing generally that denying the resurrection implies doubt in God's wisdom, the Almighty detailed this by saying: {أم نجعل الذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات كالمفسدين في الأرض أم نجعل المتقين كالفجار} (Shall We treat those who believe and do righteous deeds like those who spread corruption in the land? Or shall We treat the pious like the wicked?).

The argument is: In this world, we see those who obey God and refrain from sin afflicted by poverty, weakness, and various trials, while we see the disbelievers and transgressors in comfort and ease. If there were no resurrection or return, the state of the obedient would be inferior to that of the sinner, which does not suit the wisdom of the Wise and Merciful. Since this casts doubt on His wisdom, it is established that denying the resurrection necessitates denying God's wisdom.

Verse 29: A Book which We have revealed to you, blessed, that they may reflect upon its verses, and that those of understanding may be reminded.

The Almighty then said: {كتاب أنزلناه إليك مبارك ليدبروا آياته وليتذكر أولو الألباب} (A Book which We have revealed to you, blessed, that they may reflect upon its verses, and that those of understanding may be reminded). There are two issues here:

The Mu'tazilah argued that this verse proves that God revealed the Qur'an only for goodness, mercy, and guidance. This implies two things:

1. God's actions are motivated by the consideration of public interests (masalih).
2. God intended faith, goodness, and obedience from everyone, contrary to those who claim God intended disbelief for the disbeliever.

A questioner might ask: At the beginning of the Surah, God recounted the scoffers among the disbelievers who vehemently denied the Resurrection, saying: {ربنا عجل لنا قطنا قبل يوم الحساب} (Our Lord, hasten to us our portion before the Day of Reckoning) (38:16). When God recounted this, He did not provide an answer but said: {اصبر على ما يقولون واذكر عبدنا داوود} (Be patient over what they say, and remember Our servant David) (38:17). There is no apparent connection between mentioning David and proving the truth of the Resurrection. Then, God elaborated on David's story, followed by: {وما خلقنا السماء والارض} (And We did not create the heaven and the earth...). There is no apparent connection between establishing God's wisdom and David's story. Finally, after establishing God's wisdom and deriving from it the truth of the Resurrection, He mentioned that the Qur'an is a noble, excellent, and highly beneficial Book. This section seems unconnected to the preceding statements. If so, these sections are disparate, and how fitting is it to describe the Qur'an as noble and excellent in this context?

The Answer: The wise say that when one debates an ignorant, stubborn opponent who insists on his error, one must cut off the discussion on that specific point, because the more he argues for it, the more averse he becomes to accepting the truth. The proper approach is to cease discussion on that matter and engage in a completely foreign topic, elaborating on it until the stubborn opponent forgets the first issue. Once his mind is occupied with the foreign topic and he forgets the first matter, one can subtly introduce a premise relevant to the original objective within the context of the foreign discussion. If the opponent accepts this premise, one can then use it to establish the original point, thus silencing the opponent.

Applying this: The disbelievers reached such a point in denying the Resurrection that they mockingly said: {ربنا عجل لنا قطنا قبل يوم الحساب} (Our Lord, hasten to us our portion before the Day of Reckoning) (38:16). God commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him) to cut off the discussion on this matter and begin a completely foreign topic: the story of David, which has no apparent connection to the Resurrection. God elaborated on this story, concluding with: {مآب يا داوود إنا جعلناك خليفة فى الارض فاحكم بين الناس بالحق} (O David, indeed We have made you a vicegerent on earth, so judge between people with truth) (38:26). Everyone hearing this agrees: Yes, He commanded him with truth.

Then, as if God said: I do not only command you with truth; rather, I, the Lord of the worlds, do nothing except with truth and never act falsely. At this point, the opponent agrees: Yes, He acted only with truth. At this juncture, it is argued: Since you have conceded that God's judgment must be based on truth and not falsehood, you must concede the validity of the Resurrection. For if it did not occur, it would mean the disbeliever would receive greater benefits than the believer, which contradicts wisdom and is sheer falsehood.

Through this subtle method, God presented an undeniable proof against the deniers of the Resurrection that they cannot escape. Thus, the opponent who reached the point of mocking the Hereafter is silenced and refuted by this path. Since God mentioned this precise method of establishing proof in the Qur'an, it is fitting that He described the Qur'an as perfect and excellent, saying: {كتاب أنزلناه إليك مبارك ليدبروا آياته إلا أولوا الألباب} (A Book which We have revealed to you, blessed, that they may reflect upon its verses, and that those of understanding may be reminded). For whoever does not reflect, contemplate, and is not aided by Divine success will not grasp these wondrous secrets contained within this great Qur'an, which appears superficially to lack order but in reality encompasses the most perfect form of arrangement. This concludes what we have presented in the exegesis of these verses, and success is from God.

Verses 30-32: And We granted to David Solomon...

{وَوَهَبْنَا لِدَاوُودَ سُلَيْمَانَ نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ * إِذْ عُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ بِالْعَشِيِّ الصَّافِنَاتُ الْجِيَادُ * فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَحْبَبْتُ حُبَّ الْخَيْرِ عَن ذِكْرِ رَبِّي حَتَّىٰ تَوَارَتْ بِالْحِجَابِ * رُدُّوهَا عَلَيَّ فَطَفِقَ مَسْحًا بِالسُّوقِ وَالْأَعْنَاقِ}

(And We granted to David Solomon: an excellent servant! Indeed, he was ever turning back [to God]. When there were presented to him in the evening the swift, noble horses, He said, "Indeed, I preferred the love of good [deeds] over the remembrance of my Lord until they were hidden by the veil [of night]." Return them to me!" Then he began to wipe their shanks and necks.)