Classical commentators of the Qur’an on the event of Solomon’s death

 

The Qur’an, Dajjal and the Jasad

 

APPENDIX 2

Summary of views by the classical

commentators of the Qur’an

on the event of Solomon’s death

By Hasbullah Shafi’iy

 

Al-Qurtubi has recorded the following hadith in his tafsir, al-Jami’ li-Ahkam al-Qur’an, without commenting on its authenticity except that it is marfu’:

 

Ibrahim ibn Tuhman reported from ‘Ata ibn as-Sa-ib from Sa’id ibn Jubayr from ibn ‘Abbas that the Prophet pbuh said:

 

The Nabi of Allah, Sulaiman ibn Daud pbuh, used to see young trees appear in front of him after salat. (Whenever he saw a tree in this state,) he would ask, “What is your name?” If it was for planting, he (would command that it) be planted, and if it was to be used as medicine, he (would command that it) be recorded. One day when he had completed his salat there appeared before him a young tree. He asked, “What is your name?” It replied, “al-Kharnubah.” He asked, “For what purpose are you?” It said, “That this house (Bait al-Maqdis) be destroyed and reduced to ruins (likharabi hadhal bait).” He then made a supplication, “O Allah! Blind my death from the Jinn until it becomes clear to the humans that the Jinn do not know the Unseen.” He then made a staff out of the tree and leaned on it (and died remaining thus) for a full cycle (of time). They all did not know. Eventually it fell and the humans (of his dominion) realized that the Jinn do not know the Unseen. They then estimated the matter to determine how long (Nabi Sulaiman pbuh had been in this state) and discovered that it had been a year.”

 

Ibn Kathir has reproduced Tabari’s version of the hadith. They both have “al-Kharrub” instead of “al-Kharnubah” and the following additional phrase: “he remained leaning on the staff for a year as a dead body while the Jinn continued to work”. Ibn Kathir comments that the hadith is marfu’ ghareeb, and that there is a concern regarding its authenticity.

 

Al-Suyuti has recorded a slightly different variant in his tafsir, al-Durr al-Manthur, commenting that it was graded Sahih by ibn Mardawayh:

 

Al-Bazzar, al-Hakim, ibn Jarir, ibn al-Mundhir, ibn Abi Hatim, Tabarani, ibn as-Sunni in at-Tibb an-Nabawiy and ibn Mardawayh have (all) recorded that ibn ‘Abbas narrated that the Prophet pbuh said:

 

Sulaiman  pbuh  used to see young trees appear in front of him after completing his salat. (Whenever he saw a tree in this state) he would ask, “What is your name?” It would reply such and such. If it was for planting, he (would command that it) be planted, and if it was to be used as medicine, he (would command that it) be recorded. One day when he had completed his salat there appeared before him a young tree. He asked, “What is your name?” It replied, “al-Kharnub.” He asked, “For what purpose are you?” It said, “That this house (Bait al-Maqdis) be destroyed and reduced to ruins.” He then made a supplication, “O Allah! Blind my death from the Jinn until a time when it becomes clear to the humans that the Jinn do not know the Unseen.” He then took a staff and leaned on it (in worship as he used to do) and Allah took his soul while he was leaning on it. He remained a dead body in that state while the Jinn continued to work (for him). Then termites consumed the staff and it fell. At that moment they (all his subjects) realized that he had died. It became clear to the humans that if the Jinn had knowledge of the Unseen they would not have continued toiling for a year in such punishing labour (Ibn ‘Abbas used to recite the verse in this way). The Jinn then paid thanks to the termites and wherever they found them (since then) they would bring them water.”

 

Al-Mawardi has recorded the same hadith with a slight difference in the supplication of Nabi Sulaiman pbuh, “O Allah cast a veil over my death and conceal it from the Jinn…” Makki ibn Abi Talib has also recorded the hadith in his tafsir. In his version the young tree, speaking of its purpose, said, “That the people of this house (Bait al-Maqdis) are destroyed and become desolate (kharab)” instead of “the house”. Ibn ‘Atiyyah has a narration leading to Ibn ‘Abbas and Ibn Mas’ud that the tree of al-Kharrub said, “I have emerged for the destruction (kharab) of this kingdom of yours.”

 

Apart from the above narrations of what the Prophet pbuh is reported to have said regarding the death of Nabi Sulaiman pbuh, the rest are either narrations of the event leading back to the Companions of the Prophet pbuh and the Tabi’in, or just a compilation of all that have been said or reported about the event without any specific source being stated. The following is a summary.

 

It is said that there were seven chiefs amongst the Jinn because of whom all of the Jinn used to despise and criticize Nabi Sulaiman pbuh for being subjected to him. Because Nabi Sulaiman pbuh knew that they hated the fact of being subjected to his control, and because he did not want any hindrances to the construction of the mosque of Bait al-Maqdis that his father Nabi Daud pbuh had already begun and had entrusted to him before his death to continue and complete, when he realized that his death was near, he commanded his people that it be concealed from the Jinn so that they would continue to work in fear of him and complete the construction of the mosque. At that time one year still remained for its completion. [alQurtubi]

 

In another report, it is mentioned that the Angel of Death used to be his companion. Once, Nabi Sulaiman pbuh asked the Angel for a sign of his death. The Angel replied that a tree called al-Kharnubah would appear in front of him and when he sees that tree, he should know that his death had come. As mentioned in the hadith above, when the tree eventually appeared before him informing him of the destruction of Bait al-Maqdis, he knew that it was time for him to leave the world. He then prepared for his own burial, wrapped himself with the burial shroud, entered the mihrab, performed salat and then sat on his throne leaning on his staff. He passed away in that state and the Jinn did not know that he had died until the construction of the mosque was completed after a year. Abu Ja’far an-Nahhas said that this is the best of what has been said about the verse regarding his death. Al-Qurtubi says the hadith (quoted above) confirms the soundness of this version of his death.

 

Al-Mawardi has recorded the following in his tafsir: It has been narrated that Nabi Sulaiman pbuh celebrated Eid after the construction of the mosque of Bait al-Maqdis on the eleventh year of his rule. He then stood on a rock with his hands raised to the heavens and made the following du’a: “O Allah! It is You who granted me this kingdom, it is You who gave me the strength to build this mosque so inspire me to show thanks to You for the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and cause me to die in Your religion and make not my heart swerve after having guided me. O Allah! I ask of You to grant (five matters) to five types of people who enter this mosque: No one who has committed a wrong deed and has repented from it enters this mosque except that You forgive him and turn to him, no one who fears for safety enters it except that You grant him safety, and the one who is ill except that You cure him, and the poor except that You enrich him, and the fifth that Your sight does not turn away from the one who enters it until he exits, except O Lord all those who disbelief in You and commit oppression.”

 

Al-Qurtubi comments after citing the above narration from al-Mawardi that this is the most correct opinion—that the Masjid was completed before his death—because of a Sahih hadith recorded in an-Nasa-i with an authentic chain leading to Abdullah ibn ‘Amr that the Prophet pbuh said:

 

“When Sulaiman ibn Dawud completed building Bait alMaqdis, he asked Allah for three things: (1) a rule/judgment that agrees with Allah’s rule/judgment, and he was granted it, (2) a kingdom that none will inherit after him, which was granted to him, and … that whoever comes to the Masjid (sincerely) to perform salat in it, all his wrong deeds leave him and he becomes as he was the day his mother gave birth to him, and I hope that He had granted him that (as well).” 

 

Based on this hadith, it is confirmed that the Masjid was completed before the death of Nabi Sulaiman and that the Jinn were toiling on a different matter under the command of Nabi Sulaiman pbuh.

 

Ibn ‘Ajibah has recorded a few other versions of his death in a concise manner. The same is also found in other classical commentaries in longer versions. For brevity I translate from Ibn ‘Ajibah the following:

 

It is said that Nabi Sulaiman pbuh once said to his companions, “Allah had granted me all of this that you see, but as for me, not a day has passed me during my kingdom in which I was free from distress and worry and I hope for the day that would come and free me from all this distress. The following day he entered his palace and commanded that the doors be locked and no one be given permission to enter and no news be brought to him. He then leaned on his staff looking over the vast dominion in his control. He then saw a handsome young man who greeted him. (Having returned the greeting soon finds out in a short exchange that it is the Angel of Death.) He then said, “O Angel of Death, this is the day I had wanted to come and free me from all my distress.” The Angel replied, “O Sulaiman such a day has not been created amongst the days of this world,” and then took his soul while he was leaning on his staff.

 

In another report it is mentioned that he called the Shayatin to build surrounding him a palace of glass without a door. He stood in prayer therein and then remained inside (in seclusion) leaning on his staff when the Angel of Death entered the palace and captured his soul. Ibn ‘Ajibah comments, “And Allah Most High knows best which of these happened.” Sulaiman pbuh remained thus dead leaning on his staff for a year until termites gnawed through the staff.

 

It is noteworthy to mention here that Abu Hayyan has recorded a small note that relates a slightly different version though he does not agree with it. Nabi Sulaiman pbuh was found dead lying prostrate in worship. In this version, he was in a house that had been built over him.

 

Termites consumed the door lintel of the house until the door collapsed and his death became known to everyone. Abu Hayyan has it that Ibn ‘Abbas said, “He died while he was worshipping Allah on his carpet and he had locked the door so that he was alone. Termites consumed the Minsa-ah, i.e. the door lintel, and the word “kharra (it/he fell)” refers to the door that fell. This is the only instance in which the word Minsa-ah has been interpreted by a Companion of the Prophet pbuh to be a door lintel instead of a staff. Ibn ‘Atiyyah has recorded a similar version while not agreeing with it as well.

 

There are some other versions with more details of the event about the palace that was built for Nabi Sulaiman’s seclusion in his last days and about some of the Jinn who tried to enter the palace and were burnt every time they attempted to enter through a window until one day they realized that nothing could be heard from inside the palace and that no fire was preventing them from entering. It was then that they discovered he had died.

 

Despite all the different versions and details of the event, the summary of the matter is that all of the classical commentators of the Qur’an are of the consensus that Nabi Sulaiman pbuh had died and his death was concealed from the Jinn for a long time, most of them of the opinion that it was a year because of what the Prophet pbuh is reported to have said as quoted above. In most of these commentaries, the different words mentioned in the verse such as Minsa-ah, Dabbat al-Ard, and Kharra are discussed.

 

It is also interesting to take note that no classical commentator has directly linked the verse on the Jasad in Surah Sad sitting on Nabi Sulaiman’s throne to this verse in Surah as-Saba on Nabi Sulaiman’s death though the connection between these two verses are striking and seem to tie the two events into close proximity. This is due to the hadith recorded in an-Nasa-i quoted above. After the completion of the mosque in Bait al-Maqdis Nabi Sulaiman pbuh had asked Allah that none would inherit his kingdom after him which must have been around the same time he saw the Jasad sitting on his throne.

 

It is similarly interesting to note the irony that none of the classical commentators considered that Dabbat al-Ard here could refer to the Dabbat al-Ard of Akhir az-Zaman.

 

Final note: al-Qushayri comments on the verse: “Such (will be the state of the) king whose kingdom stands on other than Him (Allah) and its grasp is on a staff (that grants it power). Consequently, when it falls, the kingdom too will fall with it. And whoever stands (relying) on other than Him (Allah) will come to an end when what he relies on comes to an end.”

 

Since this comment does not fit Nabi Sulaiman pbuh, the only other being it would fit as far as this verse of the Qur’an is  concerned, is the Jasad on his throne.

 

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