Tafseer of The letter Saad · Saad · 38:33
[He said], "Return them to me," and set about striking [their] legs and necks.
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.
His statement ( رُدُّوهَا عَلَيَّ ) ("Bring them back to me"): he says: bring back to me the horses that were displayed to me, and which kept me from the prayer; make them return to me.
As Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, he said: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: ( رُدُّوهَا عَلَيَّ ) ("Bring them back to me") — he said: the horses.
And his statement ( فَطَفِقَ مَسْحًا بِالسُّوقِ وَالأعْنَاقِ ) ("then he began to stroke them over the shanks and the necks"): he says: he began to stroke their shanks — this is the plural of sāq (shank) — and the necks.
The people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) differed concerning the meaning of Sulaymān's stroking over the shanks and necks of these noble steeds. Some of them said: the meaning of that is that he cut their hamstrings and struck off their necks, in accordance with their expression "masaḥa ʿilāwatahu" (he stroked his upper part): when one strikes off someone's neck.
* Mention of who said this:
Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: ( فَطَفِقَ مَسْحًا بِالسُّوقِ وَالأعْنَاقِ ) ("then he began to stroke them over the shanks and the necks") — he said: al-Ḥasan said: he said: "No, by Allah, you shall not keep me from the worship of my Lord," as the last thing concerning them. He said — meaning what the two, namely Qatāda and al-Ḥasan, said about it —: then he cut their hamstrings and struck off their necks.
Muḥammad related to us, he said: Aḥmad related to us, he said: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: ( فَطَفِقَ مَسْحًا بِالسُّوقِ وَالأعْنَاقِ ) ("then he began to stroke them over the shanks and the necks") — then he struck their shanks and their necks.
Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Bazīʿ related to us, he said: Bishr ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, on the authority of ʿAwf, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, he said: he gave the command concerning them, and their hamstrings were cut.
And others said: no, rather he began to stroke their manes and their hamstrings with his hand out of love for them.
* Mention of who said this:
ʿAlī related to me, he said: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, he said: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, his statement ( فَطَفِقَ مَسْحًا بِالسُّوقِ وَالأعْنَاقِ ) ("then he began to stroke them over the shanks and the necks"): he says: he began to stroke the manes of the horses and their hamstrings out of love for them.
This statement which we have mentioned from Ibn ʿAbbās is the most fitting with the interpretation of the verse, for the prophet of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would not — if Allah wills — torment an animal by cutting its hamstrings, nor destroy any possession of his possessions without cause, except that he was kept from his prayer by looking at it, while the horses bore no blame for the fact that he occupied himself with looking at them.
