Surah 21. Al-Anbiyaa, Ayah 82
| وَمِنَ الشَّيَاطِينِ مَنْ يَغُوصُونَ لَهُ وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلًا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ وَكُنَّا لَهُمْ حَافِظِينَ |
| Transliteration | : | wa- min ash- shayaat.en man yaghos.on la- -hu wa- yacmalon camal(an) dona dhaalika wa- kunnaa la- -hum h.aafiz.en |
| Pickthall | : | And of the evil ones (subdued We unto him) some who dived (for pearls) for him and did other work, and We were warders unto them. |
| Asad | : | And among the rebel-lious forces [which We made subservient to him]76 there were some that dived for him [into the sea] and performed other works besides: but it was We who kept watch over them.77 |
| Malik | : | And We had subjected to him many of the shaitans who dived for him into the sea and performed other duties besides this; and We were the One Who had control over them for him. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | And of the evil ones were some who dived for him and did other work besides; and lit was We Who guarded them. 2738 |
Note - 76My rendering, in this particular context, of shayatin
(lit., "satans") as "rebellious forces" is based on the
tropical use of the term shaytan in the sense of anything
"rebellious", "inordinately proud" or "insolent" (cf.
Lane IV, 1552)-in this case, possibly a reference to
subdued and enslaved enemies or, more probably, to
"rebellious" forces of nature which Solomon was able to
tame and utilize; however, see also next note.
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Note - 77In this as well as in several other passages relating to
Solomon, the Qur'an alludes to the many poetic legends
which were associated with his name since early antiquity
and had become part and parcel of Judaeo-Christian and
Arabian lore long before the advent of Islam. Although it
is undoubtedly possible to interpret such passages in a
"rationalistic" manner, I do not think that this is
really necessary. Because they were so deeply ingrained
in the imagination of the people to whom the Qur'an
addressed itself in the first instance, these legendary
accounts of Solomon's wisdom and magic powers had
acquired a cultural reality of their own and were,
therefore, eminently suited to serve as a medium for the
parabolic exposition of certain ethical truths with which
this book is concerned: and so, without denying or
confirming their mythical character, the Qur'an uses them
as a foil for the idea that God is the ultimate source of
all human power and glory, and that all achievements of
human ingenuity, even though they may sometimes border on
the miraculous, are but an expression of His
transcendental creativity.
|
Note - 2738It was Allah's power ultimately, Who granted him wisdom.
Solomon tamed the jinns with Wisdom.
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My rendering, in this particular context, of shayatin (lit., "satans") as "rebellious forces" is based on the tropical use of the term shaytan in the sense of anything "rebellious", "inordinately proud" or "insolent" (cf. Lane IV, 1552)-in this case, possibly a reference to subdued and enslaved enemies or, more probably, to "rebellious" forces of nature which Solomon was able to tame and utilize; however, see also next note. |
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In this as well as in several other passages relating to Solomon, the Qur'an alludes to the many poetic legends which were associated with his name since early antiquity and had become part and parcel of Judaeo-Christian and Arabian lore long before the advent of Islam. Although it is undoubtedly possible to interpret such passages in a "rationalistic" manner, I do not think that this is really necessary. Because they were so deeply ingrained in the imagination of the people to whom the Qur'an addressed itself in the first instance, these legendary accounts of Solomon's wisdom and magic powers had acquired a cultural reality of their own and were, therefore, eminently suited to serve as a medium for the parabolic exposition of certain ethical truths with which this book is concerned: and so, without denying or confirming their mythical character, the Qur'an uses them as a foil for the idea that God is the ultimate source of all human power and glory, and that all achievements of human ingenuity, even though they may sometimes border on the miraculous, are but an expression of His transcendental creativity. |
