Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa laqad fatanna Sulayman...» - ضمن «Athar al-Muallimi»

Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa laqad fatanna Sulayman...» (Exegesis of God's Word: "And We Certainly Tried Solomon...") is an exegetical treatise by the Yemeni scholar Abd al-Rahman al-Muallimi al-Yamani (d. 1386 AH / 1966 CE) dedicated to interpreting verses 34–36 of Surah Sad Athar Abd al-Rahman ibn Y…+1.

Structure and Scope

The treatise is a fully redacted, eleven-page monograph preserved within al-Mu'allimi's collected writings (Athar al-Mu'allimi) Athar Abd al-Rahman ibn Y…. Al-Mu'allimi structured the work into five sequential sections Athar Abd al-Rahman ibn Y…:

1. Components of the Verse (Ajza al-Ayah): A lexical and contextual breakdown of the verse's key phrases Athar Abd al-Rahman ibn Y…+1.
2. Exegetical Opinions (Ma Qila fi Tafsir al-Ayah): An overview of the interpretations transmitted across classical sources Athar Abd al-Rahman ibn Y…+1.
3. Critical Examination (Tamhis): A critical evaluation of those transmitted opinions Athar Abd al-Rahman ibn Y…+1.
4. Contemplation (Tadabbur): Reflections on the underlying wisdom of the Quran's narrative framing Athar Abd al-Rahman ibn Y…+1.
5. Summation (Al-Muhassal): The core conclusions derived from the study Athar Abd al-Rahman ibn Y…+1.

Linguistic Analysis

In the first section, al-Mu'allimi analyzes the components of the passage:

• فَتَنَّا (fatanna): Denotes putting to trial and testing, which does not inherently indicate that the tested servant committed a transgression Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa…+1.
• جَسَدًا (jasadan): Defined as a lifeless human or animal form, arguing that lexicons that expand the term to include jinn and angels relied on ungrounded exegetical conjectures Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa….
• ثُمَّ أَنَابَ (thumma anaba): Distinguished from tawbah (repentance from a grave offense), as inabah applies to turning toward God after a period of inattention, even without a prior sin Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa….
• قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي (qala rabbi ighfir li): Seeking forgiveness is standard practice for prophets to guard against inadvertent lapses or distraction from the remembrance of God, without necessitating sin Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa….
• وَهَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لَا يَنْبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي (wahab li mulkan la yanbaghi li-ahadin min ba'di): Conjoined directly with his seeking of forgiveness, indicating that the trial and the placement of the lifeless form were directly connected to matters of governance and authority Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa….

Survey and Evaluation of Exegetical Views

Al-Mu'allimi categorizes classical interpretations into three primary accounts:

1. Early narrative traditions: Narratives cited in works such as Al-Durr al-Manthur of Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, claiming that a devil seized Solomon's signet ring, assumed his form, and occupied his throne while Solomon was driven away, until the ring was later recovered from the belly of a fish Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa…+1.
2. The view of al-Naqqash (d. 351 AH): Attempted to link the verse to the sound prophetic hadith regarding Solomon's oath to visit his wives to bear fighters, resulting in only one wife giving birth to a malformed half-human child (shiqq rajul), which al-Naqqash claimed was the body placed upon the throne Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa….
3. The view of Abu Muslim Muhammad ibn Bahr al-Isfahani: Transmitted by Fakhr al-Din al-Razi and Mahmud al-Alusi, interpreting the body as Solomon's own physique reduced to extreme emaciation by severe illness, with his subsequent turning (anaba) denoting his recovery to health Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa….

In his critical assessment, al-Mu'allimi rejects al-Naqqash's reading as an unnatural, forced correlation (ta'assuf) because the hadith contains no textual indicator connecting it to this verse Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa…. He likewise dismisses Abu Muslim's explanation as mere conjecture (hads) Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa….

Regarding the first category, al-Mu'allimi affirms the criticisms of later scholars regarding the repulsive (shana'ah) and contradictory elements borrowed from Jewish lore (Isra'iliyyat) Athar Abd al-Rahman ibn Y…+1. However, he notes that early authorities did not reject the underlying basis of a trial related to Solomon's kingdom Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa…. He reconstructs a plausible scenario unmarred by theological improprieties: that Solomon may have had a minor oversight compatible with prophetic infallibility (such as secluding himself for three days), leading God to place a lifeless, created likeness resembling him on his throne while he was away, causing confusion among his subjects; fearing misrule and usurpation of power, Solomon turned to God and prayed for a kingdom so peerless that no usurper could ever contest or undermine it Athar Abd al-Rahman ibn Y…+1.

Reflections and Conclusions

Al-Mu'allimi concludes the treatise by highlighting the divine purpose behind the Quran's concise and unelaborated (mujmal) account of the event Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa…:

• It instructs believers against despair, against looking down upon anyone who errs and subsequently repents, and against excessive veneration or blind imitation of scholars and righteous figures Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa….
• It teaches that when a necessity arises to mention a Muslim's lapse, one should maintain brevity, highlight their repentance, and accompany it with praise for their virtues, mirroring the practice of hadith critics when discussing narrators Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa….
• None of the detailed classical accounts provide definitive proof, demonstrating that the brevity of the Quranic text was itself intended Tafsir Qawlihi Taala: «Wa….