Saad (The letter Saad)

30. “And We gave to David Solomon, an excellent servant (he was)! Verily he was a penitent.”

31. “When there were brought before him in the evening light-footed courses,”

32. “Then he said: ‘Verily I love the love of good things, (these horses), for the sake of the remembrance of my Lord, (the watching of parade continued) until they (the horses) got hidden in the veil.”

33. “(Then he ordered:) ‘Bring them (horses) back to me’. And he began to rub (their) legs and necks.”

Holding review of an army and its possibilities and strivers is a praise-worthy action. A leader must personally review of the troops and to be aware of the quality and quantity of the troops and possibilities is the condition of leadership.

In the continuation of the discussion about David, the first verse of this group of verses informs of giving a noble child, Solomon, to him who was the one who continued his Divine government and prophecy. It says:

“And We gave to David Solomon, an excellent servant (he was)! Verily he was a penitent.”

What a good servant he was! because he always used to return to Allah and to the bosom of the truth.

The application of the Qur’anic term /wahabna/ (we gave), from one side, and the application of the Qur’anic phrase /ni‘mal ‘abd/ (an excellent servant), on the other side, and saying its reason /’innahu ’awwab/ (he who constantly returns to the obedience and command of Allah and repents from the slightest negligence and errs.), and from the third side all of these are the signs of the greatness of the rank of this great prophet.

The application of the Qur’anic phrase: /’innahu ’awwab/ is just the same meaning which was recited about his father David in verse 17 from this very Surah.

Regarding to the fact that the word /’awwab/ which is an Arabic amplification form and its meaning is ‘a very returning one’ and there is no condition in it, can be in the sense of the one who returns to the obedience from the commandment of Allah, returning to the truth and justice, returning from negligence and leaving the betters.

Through the next verse, the Qur’an says:

“When there were brought before him in the evening light-footed courses,”

The Arabic term /safinat/ is the plural form of /safinah/, as many commentators and philologists have recorded, it is used for the horses which stand on three legs at the time of standing and slightly raise only one hand and they put only the front top of the hoof on the ground, and this state is mostly particular to the swift horses which, if necessary, every moment are ready to move.

The Arabic word /jiyad/ is the plural form of /jawad/ which here is in the sense of swift horses and originally it has been taken from /jud/ (remittal), but remittal in human beings is done through the way of granting wealth and in horses through speed in running.

Thus, the above mentioned horses both at the state of standing showed their readiness for moving, and at the time of moving by quick action.

It is understood from this verse entirely, and with different contexts which exist around it, that one day in the evening Solomon was parading his quick ‘horses’ that he had prepared for the battle-field of Holy Struggle and the officers, riding their horses, were passing by in front of him.

And since a just and influential king must have a powerful army, and one of the important means of an army had been quick horses, this quality has been mentioned in the Qur’an, after pointing to the rank of Solomon, as one of the samples of his deeds.

In the third verse, in order that none thinks that his interest to these quick powerful horses is for worldly affairs, Solomon said that he loved them for the remembrance of his Lord and His command.

He said he wanted to use them in war and the battlefield of Holy Struggle against His enemies.

The Holy Qur’an says:

“Then he said: ‘Verily I love the love of good things, (these horses), for the sake of the remembrance of my Lord, (the watching of parade continued) until they (the horses) got hidden in the veil.”

It is a custom among Arabs that they render the Arabic word /xayl/ (horse) into /xayr/ (goodness).

And an Islamic tradition indicates that the Holy Prophet of Islam (S) said:

“Goodness has been tied on the forehead of the horse until the Day of Hereafter.”1

In the fourth holy verse, it indicates that the scene was so interesting and beautiful for a great commander such as Solomon that he ordered that those horses would be returned again for him.

When his officers obeyed this command and returned the horses, Solomon personally soothed them and touched their legs and necks.

The verse says:

“(Then he ordered:) ‘Bring them (horses) back to me’. And he began to rub (their) legs and necks.”

And by this way he both encouraged their coaches, and appreciated them, because it is customary that when they want to appreciate a horse, they touch the head, face, neck and legs of the horse; and such an action for a useful means which helps man in his excellent aims done by a great prophet like Solomon, is not surprising.

The Arabic term /tafiq/ means to start something. The Arabic word /suq/ is the plural form of /saq/, and the Arabic word /’a‘naq/ is the plural form of /‘unuq/ (neck). So the whole sentence means: ‘Solomon began touching and soothing their necks and legs’.