38. Surah Saad

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

ص...

38: 1. Sad:

C4146. Sad is a letter of the Arabic alphabet. It is used here as an Abbreviated Letter, for which see Appendix I (at the end of Sarah 2).

See also the second para, of n. 989 to 7:1 for this particular letter.

No dogmatism is permissible in trying to interpret Abbreviated Letters.

This Surah is concerned mainly with the stories of David and Solomon as illustrative of the relative positions of spiritual and worldly power.

Sale's note: "it may stand for Solomon": is a real howler; for in Arabic the letter Sad does not occur at all in the name of Solomon.

... وَالْقُرْآنِ ذِي الذِّكْرِ ﴿١﴾

by the Qur'án, full of Admonition: (this is the Truth).

C4147. Full of admonition: the word zikr is far more comprehensive than any single word or phrase that I can think of in English: it implies

1. remembrance in a spirit of reverence;

2. recital, celebrating the praises of Allah;

3. teaching, admonition, warning;

4. Message, Revelation, as in Ah-luz-zikr, "those who possess the Message" (16:43, and n. 2069).

Devotional exercises are also called zikr, with reference to meaning (2) above.

بَلِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فِي عِزَّةٍ وَشِقَاقٍ ﴿٢﴾

38: 2. But the Unbelievers (are steeped) in Self-glory and Separatism.

C4148. The great root of Evil and Unbelief is Self-glory or Arrogance, as is pointed out in several places with regard to Satan; cf. below, 78:74-76.

This leads to Envy and opposition or a desire to start a peculiar doctrine or sect of one's own, instead of a desire to find common grounds of belief and life, which lead to the Religion of Unity of Allah.

This teaching of Unity was what the Pagans objected to in the holy Prophet (verse 5 below)!

كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّن قَرْنٍ...

38: 3. How many generations before them did We destroy?

... فَنَادَوْا وَلَاتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ ﴿٣﴾

In the end they cried (for mercy) -- when there was no longer time for being saved!

C4149. Teaching, Warning, Signs have been given by Allah to all nations and at all times, and yet nations have rebelled and gone wrong and suffered destruction. If only later generations could learn that wrong-doing results in self-destruction! For the justice of Allah merely carries out the result of their own choice and actions. At any time during their probation they could repent and obtain mercy, but their "Self-glory and Separatism" stand in the way. Ultimately they do cry for a way of escape, but it is then too late.

Asad’s Version:

38:1 Sad.' CONSIDER 2 this Qur'an, endowed with all that one ought to remember! 3

38:2 But nay - they who are bent on denying the truth are lost in [false] pride, and [hence] deeply in the wrong. 4

(38:3) How many a generation 5 have We destroyed before their time (for this very

sin]! And [how] they called [unto Us] when it was too late to escape! 6