Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (7/94)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

the body of whom Allah, exalted is He, said: “And We cast upon his throne a body.” Thus Asaf remained in his kingdom, governing according to his way for fourteen days, until Allah restored Solomon’s kingdom to him. He then sat upon his throne, replaced the ring upon his hand, and it remained secure. (1)

It is related from Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib that he said: Solomon withdrew from the people for three days. So Allah revealed to him, “Have you withdrawn from the people for three days, without attending to the affairs of My servants?” Thus Allah tested him. He then mentioned the account of the ring and how the devil took it, as we have related.

It is also said that Solomon once declared, “Tonight I shall visit all my wives, and each of them will bear a son who will strive in the way of Allah.” But he did not make an exception. He had relations with them, yet none bore him anything but half of a newborn child. The midwife brought it and cast it upon his throne. This is the meaning of His saying, exalted is He: “And We cast upon his throne a body.”

‘Abd al-Wahid ibn Ahmad al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Nu‘aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il related to us; Abu al-Yaman related to us; Shu‘ayb informed us; Abu al-Zinad related to us from al-A‘raj, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Solomon said, ‘Tonight I shall visit ninety women, each of whom will bear a mounted warrior who will strive in the way of Allah.’ His companion said to him, ‘Say: If Allah wills.’ But he did not say, ‘If Allah wills.’ So he visited them, and none of them conceived except one woman, who gave birth to half a man. By Him in whose hand is Muhammad’s soul, had he said, ‘If Allah wills,’ they would all have striven in the way of Allah as mounted warriors.” (2)

Tawus related from Abu Hurayrah: “Tonight I shall visit one hundred women.” The angel said to him, “Say: If Allah wills.” But he did not say it and forgot.

The most well-known view is that the body cast upon his throne was Sakhr, the jinn. This is the meaning of His saying, exalted is He: “And We cast upon his throne a body; then he repented.” That is, he returned to his kingdom after forty days. Then, when he returned, he said:

“‘My Lord, forgive me, and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me. Indeed, You are the Bestower.’” (35)

“‘My Lord, forgive me, and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me.’” Muqatil and Ibn Kaysan said: That is, a kingdom which no one after me will possess. ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah said: He meant, “Grant me a kingdom which You will not take away from me at the end of my life and give to another, as You took it away from me earlier in my life.”

“Indeed, You are the Bestower.” It is said that he asked for this so that it might be a sign of his prophethood, evidence of his message, and a miracle.

(1) Ibn al-Jawzi said in Zad al-Masir, 7:133: “This is not sound, nor has it been mentioned by anyone whose authority is trusted.” (2) Recorded by al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Ayman, chapter: “What the Prophet’s oath was like,” 11:524; Muslim, Kitab al-Ayman, chapter on making an exception in an oath, no. 1654, 3:1276; and the author of Sharh al-Sunnah, 1:147. (3) See the foregoing comment (1) and Ibn al-Jawzi’s statement concerning it.

الْجَسَدُ الَّذِي قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: "وَأَلْقَيْنَا عَلَى كُرْسِيِّهِ جَسَدًا" فَأَقَامَ آصَفُ فِي مُلْكِهِ يَسِيرُ بِسِيرَتِهِ أَرْبَعَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا إِلَى أَنْ رَدَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى سُلَيْمَانَ مُلْكَهُ، فَجَلَسَ عَلَى كُرْسِيِّهِ وَأَعَادَ الْخَاتَمَ فِي يَدِهِ فَثَبَتَ (١) . وَرُوِيَ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ قَالَ: احْتَجَبَ سُلَيْمَانُ عَنِ النَّاسِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ، فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ احْتَجَبْتَ عَنِ النَّاسِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ؟ فَلَمْ تَنْظُرْ فِي أُمُورِ عِبَادِي؟ فَابْتَلَاهُ اللَّهُ ﷿. فَذَكَرَ حَدِيثَ الْخَاتَمِ وَأَخْذَ الشَّيْطَانِ إِيَّاهُ كَمَا رَوَيْنَا. وَقِيلَ: قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ يَوْمًا لَأَطُوفَنَّ اللَّيْلَةَ عَلَى نِسَائِي كُلِّهِنَّ، فَتَأْتِي كُلُّ وَاحِدَةٍ بِابْنٍ يُجَاهِدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، وَلَمْ يَسْتَثْنِ، فَجَامَعَهُنَّ فَمَا خَرَجَ لَهُ مِنْهُنَّ إِلَّا شِقُّ مَوْلُودٍ، فَجَاءَتْ بِهِ الْقَابِلَةُ فَأَلْقَتْهُ عَلَى كُرْسِيِّهِ، فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: "وَأَلْقَيْنَا عَلَى كُرْسِيِّهِ جَسَدًا". أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْمَلِيحِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النَّعِيمِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الْأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ "قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ: لَأَطُوفَنَّ اللَّيْلَةَ عَلَى تِسْعِينَ امْرَأَةً كُلُّهُنَّ تَأْتِي بِفَارِسٍ يُجَاهِدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ صَاحِبُهُ: قُلْ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ، فَلَمْ يَقِلْ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ، فَطَافَ عَلَيْهِنَّ فَلَمْ تَحْمِلْ مِنْهُنَّ إِلَّا امْرَأَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ، جَاءَتْ بِشَقِّ رَجُلٍ، وَايْمُ اللَّهِ الَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَوْ قَالَ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فُرْسَانًا أجمعون" (٢) وقال طاووس عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ: لَأَطُوفَنَّ اللَّيْلَةَ بِمِائَةِ امْرَأَةٍ، قَالَ لَهُ الْمَلَكُ: قُلْ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ، فَلَمْ يَقُلْ وَنَسِيَ. وَأَشْهَرُ الْأَقَاوِيلِ أَنَّ الْجَسَدَ الَّذِي أُلْقِيَ عَلَى كُرْسِيِّهِ هُوَ صَخْرٌ الْجِنِّيُّ (٣) ، فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿وَأَلْقَيْنَا عَلَى كُرْسِيِّهِ جَسَدًا ثُمَّ أَنَابَ﴾ أَيْ رَجَعَ إِلَى مُلْكِهِ بَعْدَ أَرْبَعِينَ يَوْمًا فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ. ﴿قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَهَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لَا يَنْبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْوَهَّابُ (٣٥) ﴾ ﴿قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَهَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لَا يَنْبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي﴾ قَالَ مُقَاتِلٌ وَابْنُ كَيْسَانَ: لَا يَكُونُ لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي. قَالَ عَطَاءُ بْنُ أَبِي رَبَاحٍ: يُرِيدُ هَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لَا تَسْلُبْنِيهِ فِي آخر عمري، وتعطيه غَيْرِي كما استلبته في ما مَضَى مِنْ عُمُرِي. ﴿إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْوَهَّابُ﴾ قِيلَ: سَأَلَ ذَلِكَ لِيَكُونَ آيَةً لِنُبُوَّتِهِ، وَدَلَالَةً عَلَى رِسَالَتِهِ، وَمُعْجِزَةً.

(١) قال ابن الجوزي في زاد المسير: ٧ / ١٣٣: وهذا لا يصح، ولا ذكره من يوثق به. (٢) أخرجه البخاري في الأيمان، باب: كيف كانت يمين النبي ﷺ ١١ / ٥٢٤، ومسلم في الأيمان، باب الاستثناء برقم (١٦٥٤) ٣ / ١٢٧٦، والمصنف في شرح السنة: ١ / ١٤٧. (٣) راجع تعليق (١) المتقدم وما قاله ابن الجوزي فيه.