Commentary
And when it became evident with this what he had of the greatness of kingship; and the might of sovereignty; and the return was truly great; and the steadfastness was upon the station of witnessing; with his preservation from all directions; it was greater; he alerted to it by his saying - affirming what the souls are inclined to believe, that the one who repents should not be faced with reproach -: ﴿And certainly We tested﴾; meaning: with what We have of greatness; ﴿Sulaiman﴾; meaning: with his hastening to return to Allah; and being aware of what is in it of His pleasure; a type of trial; Allah knows its reality; so that trial revealed his firmness in the station of repentance; so he became aware of what We intended by it of training him on what We established him in; as We did with his father Dawud - blessings and peace be upon them both -; so follow them in being insightful with trials; for indeed We intend for you a great, magnificent, noble, and honorable matter; ﴿And We cast﴾; meaning: with what We have of greatness; ﴿upon his throne﴾; which the elephants' lions feared. And when the lesson is indeed in the meanings; whoever has a deficient meaning is as if he is a body without a soul; having a form without meaning; he said: ﴿a body﴾; so that it dominated that noble place; with what We had honored it with of the awe of prophethood combined with kingship; to the extent that no one thought that anyone could approach him; let alone overpower him; so We enabled this body over him with an enabling; without any burden upon him in it; rather it was such that it was as if it was cast upon him without his choice; so that he may know that kingship is indeed for Us; We do what We will with whom We will; so happiness is for whoever hopes for Us; and woe to whoever feels secure from Our plot and does not fear Us; for in a little while this city will be in your grasp; and its people, along with honor and conflict, will be at your command; and there will be for you in that a matter that will not be for anyone after you; just as it was not for anyone who was before you of the authority of command; and the greatness of honor; and the establishment of the Sacred Sanctuary; as needed; and the vastness of kingship; and the permanence of remembrance; and what you are in now is a trial; and a test; and training on what is to come of great matters.
And when the intent of calling the body upon him is to indicate that it has no meaning; not that it has no soul; he called it; and did not follow it with what clarifies that it is inanimate; as he did with the calf; where he said: "It has a lowing"; thus clarifying that it has no soul; even if it is correct that this body is the stone of the jinn; and that its cause is the prostration of the grasshopper - the wife of Sulaiman - blessings and peace be upon him - to the image of her father; without the knowledge of the Prophet of Allah Sulaiman - blessings and peace be upon him - or his will; so the indication with that in consolation is that We stripped the kingship from Our chosen one; for an image that was raised the prostration of some who are attributed to him; which has in his house; without his command; or will; or knowledge; so how about those who prostrate to these idols in the Sacred House?! For in a little while, We will bring down their affair; and extinguish their evil; and erase their remembrance.
And when repentance is a return to what was; it is a retrieval of what has passed. He said: ﴿Then he repented﴾.
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