Surah Sad is a Surah that reshifts us and brings a certain strength to us.
In Surah Saffat we were taught the important lesson of Tauhid, and were given proofs of Allah and Who He is. Additionally, Allah showed us what happens to those who are amongst the Muhsineen.
The opening of Surah Sad, however, is not the focus. The focus is the response system. And so what message is Allah giving to me personally to apply to my life?
صٓ ۚ وَٱلْقُرْءَانِ ذِى ٱلذِّكْرِ ١
“Ṣãd. By the Quran, full of reminders!” (38:1)
‘Sad’ is one of several words in the Qur’an that we do not know the meaning of.
In Surah Yasin, Allah says the Qur’an is ‘hakeem’. But usually when Allah takes an oath by the Qur’an, that Surah has these qualities in them. Here, the Qur’an is a ‘reminder’.
بَلِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فِى عِزَّةٍ وَشِقَاقٍ ٢
“This is the truth, yet the disbelievers are entrenched in arrogance and opposition.” (38:2)
كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِن قَبْلِهِم مِّن قَرْنٍ فَنَادَوا۟ وَّلَاتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ ٣
“Imagine how many peoples We destroyed before them, and they cried out when it was too late to escape.” (38:3)
The people of Makkah wanted to worship the idols and be left to their misguided devices. Allah is exposing how they cannot understand the reality of their situation. Yet many people like them in the past; who believed themselves very powerful; were destroyed.
وَعَجِبُوٓا۟ أَن جَآءَهُم مُّنذِرٌ مِّنْهُمْ ۖ وَقَالَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ هَـٰذَا سَـٰحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ ٤
“Now, the pagans are astonished that a warner has come to them from among themselves. And the disbelievers say, “This is a magician, a total liar!” (38:4)
أَجَعَلَ ٱلْـَٔالِهَةَ إِلَـٰهًا وَٰحِدًا ۖ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَشَىْءٌ عُجَابٌ ٥
“Has he reduced all gods to One God? Indeed, this is something totally astonishing.”” (38:5)
وَٱنطَلَقَ ٱلْمَلَأُ مِنْهُمْ أَنِ ٱمْشُوا۟ وَٱصْبِرُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ ءَالِهَتِكُمْ ۖ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَشَىْءٌ يُرَادُ ٦
“The chiefs among them went forth saying, “Carry on, and stand firm in devotion to your gods. Certainly this is just a scheme for power.” (38:6)
Allah is drawing our attention to the interaction between the people and Muhammad (SAW). In the last Surah, Allah showed us examples of His might. Now, He shows us the people’s response system to it.
مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَـٰذَا فِى ٱلْمِلَّةِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا ٱخْتِلَـٰقٌ ٧
“We have never heard of this in the previous faith. This is nothing but a fabrication.” (38:7)
أَءُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلذِّكْرُ مِنۢ بَيْنِنَا ۚ بَلْ هُمْ فِى شَكٍّ مِّن ذِكْرِى ۖ بَل لَّمَّا يَذُوقُوا۟ عَذَابِ ٨
“Has the Reminder been revealed only to him out of all of us?” In fact, they are only in doubt of My revealed Reminder. In fact, they do so because they have not yet tasted My punishment.” (38:8)
أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَآئِنُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْوَهَّابِ ٩
“Or is it because they possess the treasuries of the mercy of your Lord–the Almighty, the Giver of all bounties.” (38:9)
If they deny what Allah is telling them, they will only realise the Truth when they taste the punishment.
أَمْ لَهُم مُّلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ فَلْيَرْتَقُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَسْبَـٰبِ ١٠
“Or is it because the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and everything in between belongs to them? Let them then climb their way to heaven, if their claim is true.” (38:10)
جُندٌ مَّا هُنَالِكَ مَهْزُومٌ مِّنَ ٱلْأَحْزَابِ ١١
“This is just another enemy force bound for defeat out there.” (38:11)
Allah is setting the scene for us before the lessons of the Surah appear.
Allah is questioning the disbelievers and the power and ability they thought they had, for He can easily take away this power of theirs.
كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَعَادٌ وَفِرْعَوْنُ ذُو ٱلْأَوْتَادِ ١٢
“Before them, the people of Noah denied the truth, as did ’Âd, Pharaoh of the mighty structures,” (38:12)
The people of Nuh (AS) and Firaun also denied the truth. This is drawing our attention to the fact that the people of the past who stood against Allah were so much stronger than the people of Makkah. The Pharaohs ruled for many years during their time, and none of them believed that their dominions would fall.
Yet Allah says that irrespective of how great these nations may be, they will fall because His power is so much greater than theirs. Allah overpowered and destroyed them all for their disbelief.
وَثَمُودُ وَقَوْمُ لُوطٍ وَأَصْحَـٰبُ لْـَٔيْكَةِ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلْأَحْزَابُ ١٣
“Thamûd, the people of Lot, and the residents of the Forest. These were all enemy forces.” (38:13)
إِن كُلٌّ إِلَّا كَذَّبَ ٱلرُّسُلَ فَحَقَّ عِقَابِ ١٤
“Each rejected their messenger, so My punishment was justified.” (38:14)
وَمَا يَنظُرُ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِلَّا صَيْحَةً وَٰحِدَةً مَّا لَهَا مِن فَوَاقٍ ١٥
“These pagans are awaiting nothing but a single Blast that cannot be stopped.” (38:15)
Allah is describing how the people of the past, massive communities, refused Allah, and how He punished them. This message is building up to something.
وَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا عَجِّل لَّنَا قِطَّنَا قَبْلَ يَوْمِ ٱلْحِسَابِ ١٦
“They say mockingly, “Our Lord! Hasten for us our share of the punishment before the Day of Reckoning.”” (38:16)
These people are confident in their disbelief and speak sarcastically.
ٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُۥدَ ذَا ٱلْأَيْدِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌ ١٧
“Be patient O Prophet with what they say. And remember Our servant, David, the man of strength. Indeed, he constantly turned to Allah.” (38:17)
Allah is speaking to Muhammad (SAW) and addressing what he needs during this trying period of time. And so we must ask ourselves: what kind of a person do I have to be in difficult times?
Nabi Muhammad (SAW) said:
“The most beloved fasting to Allah was the fasting of (the Prophet) David who used to fast on alternate days. And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of David who used to sleep for (the first) half of the night and pray for 1/3 of it and (again) sleep for a sixth of it.”
Not only was Dawud (AS) fulfilling ‘Ibadah with consistency, but he was making sure he was fulfilling the rights of his family and those around him. Here, Allah says to be a person that constantly returns to Him.
إِنَّا سَخَّرْنَا ٱلْجِبَالَ مَعَهُۥ يُسَبِّحْنَ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِشْرَاقِ ١٨
“We truly subjected the mountains to hymn Our praises along with him in the evening and after sunrise.” (38:18)
Because of the strength of Dawud (AS)’s ‘Ibadah, even the mountains made their praise of Allah alongside him. The birds also made Dhikr with him.
In life, we are going to face people who mock and question us and our actions for Allah. We go through many different challenges and difficulties. But our focus must be the strength of our ‘Ibadah.
وَٱلطَّيْرَ مَحْشُورَةً ۖ كُلٌّ لَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌ ١٩
“And We subjected the birds, flocking together. All turned to him echoing his hymns.” (38:19)
Allah says to Muhammad (SAW) that this is the type of person he must be in this challenging situation. To become so strong in ‘Ibadah that the words of the people do not affect him, and he can continue with his objective.
Our challenges will never be resolved by our response systems and our logical explanations to people. It is only by the strength of our ‘Ibadah.
When you become a person of Allah and turn to Him, Allah will subjugate the world, people, organisations and opportunities to you. Allah will take away even the smallest challenges.
وَشَدَدْنَا مُلْكَهُۥ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَفَصْلَ ٱلْخِطَابِ ٢٠
“We strengthened his kingship, and gave him wisdom and sound judgement.” (38:20)
And so what is it that I need to navigate my life?
Our nights have to be like that of Dawud (AS). Our ‘Ibadah, like his, to understand where our true source of strength is. We must aspire to become of the spiritually strong; the Dhul Ayd.
