Surah Saad

وَهَلْأَتَىٰكَنَبَؤُا۟ٱلْخَصْمِإِذْتَسَوَّرُوا۟ٱلْمِحْرَابَ

AND YET, has the story of the litigants come within thy ken - [the story of the two] who surmounted the walls of the sanctuary [in which David prayed]?

إِذْدَخَلُوا۟عَلَىٰدَاوُۥدَفَفَزِعَمِنْهُمْقَالُوا۟لَاتَخَفْخَصْمَانِبَغَىٰبَعْضُنَاعَلَىٰبَعْضٍۢفَٱحْكُمبَيْنَنَابِٱلْحَقِّوَلَاتُشْطِطْوَٱهْدِنَآإِلَىٰسَوَآءِٱلصِّرَٰطِ

As they came upon David, and he shrank back in fear from them, they said: “Fear not! [We are but] two litigants. One of us has wronged the other: so judge thou between us with justice, and deviate not from what is right, and show [both of] us the way to rectitude.

إِنَّهَٰذَآأَخِىلَهُۥتِسْعٌۭوَتِسْعُونَنَعْجَةًۭوَلِىَنَعْجَةٌۭوَٰحِدَةٌۭفَقَالَأَكْفِلْنِيهَاوَعَزَّنِىفِىٱلْخِطَابِ

“Behold, this is my brother: he has ninety-nine ewes, whereas I have [only] one ewe - and yet he said, ‘Make her over to me,’ and forcibly prevailed against me in this [our] dispute.”

قَالَلَقَدْظَلَمَكَبِسُؤَالِنَعْجَتِكَإِلَىٰنِعَاجِهِۦوَإِنَّكَثِيرًۭامِّنَٱلْخُلَطَآءِلَيَبْغِىبَعْضُهُمْعَلَىٰبَعْضٍإِلَّاٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟وَعَمِلُوا۟ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِوَقَلِيلٌۭمَّاهُمْوَظَنَّدَاوُۥدُأَنَّمَافَتَنَّٰهُفَٱسْتَغْفَرَرَبَّهُۥوَخَرَّرَاكِعًۭاوَأَنَابَ

Said [David]: “He has certainly wronged thee by demanding that thy ewe be added to his ewes! Thus, behold, do many kinsmen wrong one another [all] save those who believe [in God] and do righteous deeds: but how few are they!” And [suddenly] David understood that We had tried him: and so he asked his Sustainer to forgive him his sin, and fell down in prostration, and turned unto Him in repentance.

فَغَفَرْنَالَهُۥذَٰلِكَوَإِنَّلَهُۥعِندَنَالَزُلْفَىٰوَحُسْنَمَـَٔابٍۢ

And thereupon We forgave him that [sin]: and, verily, nearness to Us awaits him [in the life to come], and the most beauteous of all goals!

يَٰدَاوُۥدُإِنَّاجَعَلْنَٰكَخَلِيفَةًۭفِىٱلْأَرْضِفَٱحْكُمبَيْنَٱلنَّاسِبِٱلْحَقِّوَلَاتَتَّبِعِٱلْهَوَىٰفَيُضِلَّكَعَنسَبِيلِٱللَّهِإِنَّٱلَّذِينَيَضِلُّونَعَنسَبِيلِٱللَّهِلَهُمْعَذَابٌۭشَدِيدٌۢبِمَانَسُوا۟يَوْمَٱلْحِسَابِ

[And We said:] “O David! Behold, We have made thee a [prophet and, thus, Our] vicegerent on earth: judge, then, between men with justice, and do not follow vain desire, lest it lead thee astray from the path of God: verily, for those who go astray from the path of God there is suffering severe in store for having forgotten the Day of Reckoning!”

وَمَاخَلَقْنَاٱلسَّمَآءَوَٱلْأَرْضَوَمَابَيْنَهُمَابَٰطِلًۭاذَٰلِكَظَنُّٱلَّذِينَكَفَرُوا۟فَوَيْلٌۭلِّلَّذِينَكَفَرُوا۟مِنَٱلنَّارِ

AND [thus it is:] We have not created heaven and earth and all that is between them without meaning and purpose, as is the surmise of those who are bent on denying the truth: but then, woe from the fire [of hell] unto all who are bent on denying the truth!

أَمْنَجْعَلُٱلَّذِينَءَامَنُوا۟وَعَمِلُوا۟ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِكَٱلْمُفْسِدِينَفِىٱلْأَرْضِأَمْنَجْعَلُٱلْمُتَّقِينَكَٱلْفُجَّارِ

[For,] would We treat those who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds in the same manner as [We shall treat] those who spread corruption on earth? Would We treat the God-conscious in the same manner as the wicked?

كِتَٰبٌأَنزَلْنَٰهُإِلَيْكَمُبَٰرَكٌۭلِّيَدَّبَّرُوٓا۟ءَايَٰتِهِۦوَلِيَتَذَكَّرَأُو۟لُوا۟ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ

[All this have We expounded in this] blessed divine writ which We have revealed unto thee, [O Muhammad,] so that men may ponder over its mes­sages, and that those who are endowed with insight may take them to heart.

وَوَهَبْنَالِدَاوُۥدَسُلَيْمَٰنَنِعْمَٱلْعَبْدُإِنَّهُۥٓأَوَّابٌ

AND UNTO DAVID We granted Solomon [as a son - and] how excellent a servant [of Ours he grew up to be]! Behold, he would always turn unto Us -

إِذْعُرِضَعَلَيْهِبِٱلْعَشِىِّٱلصَّٰفِنَٰتُٱلْجِيَادُ

[and even] when, towards the close of day, nobly-bred, swift-footed steeds were brought before him,

فَقَالَإِنِّىٓأَحْبَبْتُحُبَّٱلْخَيْرِعَنذِكْرِرَبِّىحَتَّىٰتَوَارَتْبِٱلْحِجَابِ

he would say, “Verily, I have come to love the love of all that is good because I bear my Sustainer in mind!” [repeating these words as the steeds raced away,] until they were hidden by the veil [of distance - whereupon he would command],

رُدُّوهَاعَلَىَّفَطَفِقَمَسْحًۢابِٱلسُّوقِوَٱلْأَعْنَاقِ

“Bring them back unto me!”- and would [lovingly] stroke their legs and their necks.

وَلَقَدْفَتَنَّاسُلَيْمَٰنَوَأَلْقَيْنَاعَلَىٰكُرْسِيِّهِۦجَسَدًۭاثُمَّأَنَابَ

But [ere this], indeed, We had tried Solomon by placing upon his throne a [lifeless] body; and thereupon he turned [towards Us; and]

قَالَرَبِّٱغْفِرْلِىوَهَبْلِىمُلْكًۭالَّايَنۢبَغِىلِأَحَدٍۢمِّنۢبَعْدِىٓإِنَّكَأَنتَٱلْوَهَّابُ

he prayed: “O my Sustainer! Forgive me my sins, and bestow upon me the gift of a kingdom which may not suit anyone after me: verily, Thou alone art a giver of gifts!”

فَسَخَّرْنَالَهُٱلرِّيحَتَجْرِىبِأَمْرِهِۦرُخَآءًحَيْثُأَصَابَ

And so We made subservient to him the wind, so that it gently sped at his behest whithersoever he willed,

وَٱلشَّيَٰطِينَكُلَّبَنَّآءٍۢوَغَوَّاصٍۢ

as well as all the rebellious forces [that We made to work for him] - every kind of builder and diver -

وَءَاخَرِينَمُقَرَّنِينَفِىٱلْأَصْفَادِ

and others linked together in fetters.

هَٰذَاعَطَآؤُنَافَٱمْنُنْأَوْأَمْسِكْبِغَيْرِحِسَابٍۢ

[And We told him:] “This is Our gift, for thee to bestow freely on others, or to withhold, without [having to render] account!”

وَإِنَّلَهُۥعِندَنَالَزُلْفَىٰوَحُسْنَمَـَٔابٍۢ

And, verily, nearness to Us awaits him [in the life to come], and the most beauteous of all goals!