Tafseer of The letter Saad · Saad · 38:17
Be patient over what they say and remember Our servant, David, the possessor of strength; indeed, he was one who repeatedly turned back [to Allah].
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The statement concerning the explanation of His word, the Exalted: ( اصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُونَ وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُدَ ذَا الأَيْدِ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ ) (17) ("Be patient with what they say, and remember Our servant Dāwūd, the man of strength; truly, he was one who turned back in repentance") (17).
The Exalted, whose remembrance is exalted, says to His Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ: Be patient, O Muḥammad, with what the polytheists of your people say against you of things whose utterances against you you abhor, for indeed We are testing you with adversities, just as We tested all Our other messengers before you; thereafter We will grant you eminence, elevation, and victory over whoever denied you and fought against you — that is Our established way (sunna) with the messengers whom We sent as Our servants before you. Among them were Our servant Ayyūb and Dāwūd ibn Īshā (Jesse); so remember the man of strength. And by His word ( ذَا الأيْدِ ) ("the man of strength") He means: possessor of strength and tremendous capability in the cause of Allah, and of patience in obedience to Him.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, he said: my father related to me, he said: my uncle related to me, he said: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: ( دَاوُدَ ذَا الأيْدِ ), he said: possessor of strength.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to me, he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, His word ( ذَا الأيْدِ ), he said: possessor of strength in obedience to Allah.
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: ( وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُدَ ذَا الأيْدِ ), he said: he was given strength in worship and understanding (fiqh) in Islam.
And it has been related to us that Dāwūd ﷺ would stand the night in prayer and fast half of the year.
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, His word ( دَاوُدَ ذَا الأيْدِ ): possessor of strength in obedience to Allah.
Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word ( دَاوُدَ ذَا الأيْدِ ), he said: possessor of strength in the worship of Allah; "al-ayd" is strength, and he recited: ( وَالسَّمَاءَ بَنَيْنَاهَا بِأَيْدٍ ) ("and the heaven We built with strength"), he said: with strength.
And His word ( إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ ), He says: truly, Dāwūd was one who frequently turned back from what Allah abhors to what pleases Him, an "awwāb"; and that is derived from their expression: the man returned (āba) to his family, when he comes back.
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to us, he said: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, he said: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: ( إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ ), he said: frequently turning back from sins.
Al-Ḥārith related to me, he said: al-Ḥasan related to us, he said: Warqāʾ related to us — all on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: ( إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ ), he said: the one who turns back from sins.
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, His word ( إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ ): that is to say, he was obedient to Allah, frequent in prayer.
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to us, he said: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī, His word ( إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ ), he said: the one who praises much.
Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said concerning His word ( إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ ), he said: the "awwāb" is the penitent (tawwāb) who turns back to obedience to Allah and returns to it — that is the "awwāb"; he said: and the "awwāb" is the obedient one.
