Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (711)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(17–20) “And remember Our servant David, a man of strength. Indeed, he constantly turned back to Us. We subjected the mountains to glorify with him in the evening and at sunrise, and the birds, gathered together—all constantly turning back to Him. We strengthened his kingdom and gave him wisdom and decisive judgment.”

When Allah commanded His Messenger to remain patient in the face of his people’s words, He instructed him to seek strength for patience by worshipping Allah alone and to remember the condition of the devoted worshippers. As He says in another verse:

“So be patient over what they say, and glorify your Lord with praise before sunrise and before sunset.”

Among the greatest of worshippers was Allah’s prophet David, peace be upon him, “a man of strength” (1)—that is, he possessed immense strength, both physically and spiritually, for worshipping Allah Most High. “Indeed, he constantly turned back to Us”—that is, he continually returned to Allah in every matter, turning to Him with love and devotion, fear and hope, and abundant humble supplication and prayer. Whenever any lapse occurred on his part, he returned to Him by abandoning it and repenting sincerely.

Such was the intensity of his devotion and worship of his Lord that Allah subjected the mountains to him, and they glorified their Lord’s praises together with him “in the evening and at sunrise”—at the beginning and end of the day.

He also subjected “the birds, gathered together”—assembled with him. “All” the mountains and birds “constantly turned back” to Allah Most High, in obedience to His words: “O mountains, echo his praises, and the birds as well.” This was Allah’s favor to him in worship.

Allah then mentioned His favor to him in granting him a mighty kingdom, saying: “We strengthened his kingdom”—that is, We fortified it through the means We granted him and the abundance of manpower and equipment by which Allah strengthened his kingdom. He then mentioned His favor to him in knowledge, saying: “And We gave him wisdom”—that is, prophethood and immense knowledge—“and decisive judgment,” meaning the ability to settle disputes among people.

(1) The reading *dhā al-ayd* (“possessor of strength”) is found in manuscript B; the original reads *dhū al-ayd*.

﴿١٧ - ٢٠﴾ ﴿وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُدَ ذَا الأيْدِ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ * إِنَّا سَخَّرْنَا الْجِبَالَ مَعَهُ يُسَبِّحْنَ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالإشْرَاقِ * وَالطَّيْرَ مَحْشُورَةً كُلٌّ لَهُ أَوَّابٌ * وَشَدَدْنَا مُلْكَهُ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحِكْمَةَ وَفَصْلَ الْخِطَابِ﴾ . لما أمر الله رسوله بالصبر على قومه، أمره أن يستعين على الصبر بالعبادة لله وحده، ويتذكر حال العابدين، كما قال في الآية الأخرى: ﴿فَاصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُونَ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا﴾ ومن أعظم العابدين، نبي الله داود ﵊ ﴿ذَا الأيْدِ﴾ (١) أي: القوة العظيمة على عبادة الله تعالى، في بدنه وقلبه. ﴿إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ﴾ أي: رجَّاع إلى الله في جميع الأمور بالإنابة إليه، بالحب والتأله، والخوف والرجاء، وكثرة التضرع والدعاء، رجاع إليه عندما يقع منه بعض الخلل، بالإقلاع والتوبة النصوح. ومن شدة إنابته لربه وعبادته، أن سخر الله الجبال معه، تسبح معه بحمد ربها ﴿بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالإشْرَاقِ﴾ أول النهار وآخره. ﴿و﴾ سخر ﴿الطَّيْرَ مَحْشُورَةً﴾ معه مجموعة ﴿كُلٌّ﴾ من الجبال والطير، لله تعالى ﴿أَوَّابٌ﴾ امتثالا لقوله تعالى: ﴿يَا جِبَالُ أَوِّبِي مَعَهُ وَالطَّيْرَ﴾ فهذه مِنَّةُ الله عليه بالعبادة. ثم ذكر منته عليه بالملك العظيم فقال: ﴿وَشَدَدْنَا مُلْكَهُ﴾ أي: قويناه بما أعطيناه من الأسباب وكثرة الْعَدَد والْعُدَدِ التي بها قوَّى الله ملكه، ثم ذكر منته عليه بالعلم فقال: ﴿وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحِكْمَةَ﴾ أي: النبوة والعلم العظيم، ﴿وَفَصْلَ الْخِطَابِ﴾ أي: الخصومات بين الناس.

(١) كذا في ب، وفي الأصل: ذو الأيد.