His words, Exalted is He:

Ṣād. By the Qurʾān endowed with the Remembrance!

He said:

That is, endowed with healing power (al-shaʾn al-shāfī) and sufficient admonition (al-waʿẓ al-kāfī).

His words:

…‘Walk away! And stand by (iṣbirū) your gods’…^{1These words were said by a group of Quraysh, who used to go round discouraging people from listening to the words of the Prophet.}

He said:

This is the reprehensible form of forbearance (ṣabr),^{2Note that the word used in the Qurʾān for to ‘stand by’ is from the same root, ṣ-b-r, as the word for patience, endurance, forbearance.} for which God has reprimanded the disbelievers.

Indeed, I heard him [Sahl] say:

Forbearance (ṣabr) is on four levels: forbearance in obedience (ṭāʿa), forbearance with suffering (alam), forbearance with pain (taʾallum), and lastly, the reprehensible kind of forbearance, which is that of persistence (iqāma) in opposing [the truth] (mukhālafa).^{3See also the discussion of forbearance in Tustarī’s commentary on 29:1, 2.}

His words:

And We strengthened his kingdom, and gave him wisdom and decisive speech (faṣl al-khiṭāb).^{1Verses 17–26 of this sūra relate a story of the prophet David, and are said to allude to his acquisition of another man’s wife to add to the numerous wives he already had. David realised that this had been a test from God and repented (v. 24). God then forgave him (v. 25), but with an admonition (v. 26). See above p. 49, n. 47 for a brief account of this story.}

He said:

God only gave him [David] this when he asked Him to raise his rank to the rank enjoyed by Ishmael and Isaac. He said, ‘You are not on that level, O David. However, I am giving you a high rank for your wisdom, and articulation in speech (fāṣila)’^{2We have used the word ‘articulation’ here for fāṣila, because it has the dual meaning in English of something which both links two things while keeping them separate, as in a joint — the same meaning attaches to the Arabic root faṣala, from which is derived mafṣal, meaning both a joint, and something which is clearly enunciated in terms of language.} — this being the saying: ammā baʿd (to proceed), which he was the first to say. Quss b. Sāʿida was the one who followed the precedent of saying this [ammā baʿd].^{3The expression ammā baʿd, which is given as an example of fāṣila, serves the purpose of maintaining continuity of discourse, while also making a clear division of one topic from another.} It has also been said decisive speech (faṣl al-khiṭāb) is lucidity (bayān) and faith (īmān).^{4That is translating faṣl al-khiṭāb al-bayān wa’l-īmān, according to all three MSS, Z515, f. 91b, F638, f. 41b and F3488, f. 267a, instead of faṣl al-īmān li-khiṭāb al-bayān.}

His words:

We strengthened his kingdom…

He said:

That is, with justice (ʿadl) and with virtuous ministers to rule over it with goodness, just as the Messenger ﷺ said, ‘Truly, if God, Exalted is He, wills good for a ruler, He grants him a truthful minister (wazīr ṣadūq) who reminds him when he forgets, and assists him when he remembers.’

His words:

…He fell down on his knees and repented.

He said:

Turning often to God in contrition (ināba) is returning from heedlessness to remembrance with a broken heart (inkisār al-qalb) and the anticipation of [His] loathing (intiẓār al-maqt).

His words:

…and do not follow [your] desire, lest it then lead you astray from the way of God…

He said:

That is, the darkness of desire which obscures the lights of the intuition of the self (dhihn al-nafs), the spirit (rūḥ), the understanding of the intellect (fahm al-ʿaql), and the discernment of the heart (fiṭnat al-qalb).^{1For a discussion of these terms used by Tustarī to explain the inner make-up of the human being see IT, pp. xxxviiiff.} Similarly, the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Truly, [when followed], desire (hawā) and lust (shahwa) overwhelm the intellect, knowledge,’^{2The first part of this ḥadīth was quoted earlier in Tustarī’s commentary on 2:30, and is cited as being among the sayings of al-Ḥārith b. Asad in Iṣfahānī, Ḥilyat al-awliyāʾ, vol. 10, p. 88.} and lucidity (bayān), due to the pre-eternal ordainment of God, Exalted is He.^{3This is according to MS F638, f. 41b, which has li-sābiq al-taqdīr, while Z515, f. 91b, F3488, f. 267a and the published edition have li-sābiq al-qudra min Allāh taʿālā. However in a later citation of this same tradition in the commentary on 91:4 Z515 has li-sābiq al-qadar.}

His words:

(He [Solomon] said) ‘Lo! I have preferred the love of the good things [of this world] over the remembrance of my Lord…’

He said:

[Over] the afternoon prayer and its [prescribed] time.^{1This is also the reason given by various authorities in Ṭabarī’s commentary on this verse in the Jāmiʿ al-bayān.}

His words:

…‘O my Lord! Forgive me, and grant me a kingdom which shall not belong to anyone after me...’

He said:

God, Exalted is He, inspired Solomon to ask for a kingdom which would not be attainable by anyone after him, that He might shatter thereby the tyrants, the unbelievers, those who transgress against their Lord, and those among jinn and men who claim to possess power by themselves.^{1Solomon was granted dominion over jinn, men, birds and the wind. For the story of Solomon see Ṭabarī’s History, vol. 3, Children of Israel, trans. Brinner, pp. 152ff.; Thaʿlabī, ʿArāʾis al-majālis, trans. Brinner, pp. 490ff.} Thus, the question was posed by Solomon عليه السلام, in accordance with God’s choice for him, and not following his own choice for himself.^{2Because he was inspired by God to request it.}

His words:

Assuredly We purified them with a pure [thought]: the remembrance of the Abode.^{1i.e. the Hereafter. This verse refers to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who are mentioned in the previous verse.}

He said:

He purified Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac from the remembrance (dhikr) of this world through a remembrance of Him, purely for [His sake] (khāliṣatan), not for the attainment of recompense (jazāʾ). Neither did they witness themselves in it [their remembrance]; rather, they remembered Him through Him and for Him. Furthermore, the one who remembers God through God (bi’Llāh) is not like the one who remembers God through the remembrance of God (bi-dhikri’Llāh). But God, Glorified and Exalted is He, knows best.