Tafsir of Sad 38:35

"He said, 'My Lord, forgive me...'"

He prioritized seeking forgiveness over requesting the kingdom, following the custom of the prophets and the righteous in prioritizing their religious affairs over their worldly ones.

"{...that will not belong to anyone after me.}" Meaning: It will not be easy for anyone, nor will it exist for them.

If you ask: Does it not resemble envy and a desire for exclusivity in blessings to ask God for something He does not grant to others?

I say: Solomon (peace be upon him) was raised in a house of kingship and prophethood, and was an heir to both. He wished to request a miracle from his Lord. Thus, he requested—in accordance with what he was accustomed to—a kingdom that exceeded all other kingdoms in a way that was extraordinary and reached the level of a miracle, so that it might serve as proof of his prophethood and a subjugator to those to whom he was sent. This is the meaning of his saying: "that will not belong to anyone after me."

It is also said: It was a great kingdom, and he feared that if it were given to someone else, they would not uphold the limits of God within it, just as the angels said: "Will You place therein those who will make mischief therein and shed blood?" (Al-Baqarah: 30).

It is also said: He meant a kingdom from which I would not be removed, and in which no one else would take my place, just as I was once removed and another took my place.

It is permissible to say: God knew that in the great kingdom He specifically granted him, there were benefits for the religion, and He knew that no one else could bear its burdens. Wisdom necessitated requesting it, so God commanded him to ask for it, and he asked for it by God’s command, with the condition that no one but he alone, among all His servants, could control it.

Or he intended to say: "A great kingdom," so he said: "that will not belong to anyone after me," intending nothing by it except the greatness and vastness of the kingdom. Just as you might say: "So-and-so possesses virtue and wealth that no one else has," even if others might possess the like, but you intend to magnify what he has.

Regarding Al-Hajjaj: It was said to him, "You are envious." He replied, "Is there anyone more envious than the one who said: 'Grant me a kingdom that will not belong to anyone after me'?" This is part of his audacity toward God and his devilish nature, just as it was narrated of him that he said: "Obedience to us is more binding than obedience to God, because He placed a condition on obedience to Him, saying: 'So fear God as much as you are able' (At-Taghābun: 16), while He made obedience to us absolute, saying: '...and those in authority among you' (An-Nisā': 59)."

"{So We subjected to him the wind, blowing by his command, gently, wherever he directed, and the devils, every builder and diver, and others bound together in shackles. This is Our gift, so grant or withhold without account. And indeed, for him is a near station and a good place of return.}"