The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 497
PT. 19 R. 4. AN-NAML CH. 27 their brother Ṣāliḥ, who said, they became two parties contending with each other. 2845 وَلَقَدْ اَرْسَلْنَا إِلَى ثَمُودَ أَخَ And We sent to Thamid. 46 أَخَاهُمْ أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللهَ فَإِذَا هُمْ فَرِيقُنِ ,Worship Allah. And behold يَخْتَصِمُونَ قَالَ يُقَوْمِ لِمَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوْنَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ الْحَسَنَةِ لَوْلَا تَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ ?evil rather than the good تُرْحَمُونَ 47. He said, 'O, my people, why do you wish to hasten on the "Wherefore do you not ask forgiveness of Allah that you may be shown mercy?' 2846 a7:74; 11:62; 26:142; 54:24. 27:47. the real source of light. They only emitted light but were lifeless things. It was God Almighty Who had bestowed upon them the light which they emitted. In this way Solomon succeeded in the object he had in view. The noble lady made a confession of her error and from a worshipper of idols of wood and stone she became a devoted votary of the One True God. It is regrettable that superstition and gross credulity have caused men of weak faith to give the homage, which is due to the Great Invisible God, to helpless creatures and lifeless material objects. It is one of the characteristics of the Quran that whereas the Bible has maligned and defamed the Prophets of God, it (the Quran) has exonerated and cleared them of all sins, filthy accusations and aspersions cast upon them by the Bible. Solomon is one of those Israelite Prophets whom the Bible has perhaps calumniated and slandered most. The Quran has taken special care to 2411 exculpate him of all slanders and calumnies. The Bible says of Solomon that his wives had "turned away his heart after other gods" (1 Kings 11:4) and that "the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord, God of Israel" (1 Kings 11:9). The Quran contradicts these blasphemous charges and says in the present verse that the Queen of Sheba gave up idolatry and came over to the true faith through the noble efforts of Solomon and that he himself was "a most excellent servant of God and turned to Him again and again" (38:31). 2845. Commentary: This and the following several and Lot. The relevancy of discussion verses deal with the Prophets Ṣāliḥ about them here is that their peoples lived on the trade route from Hijaz to Syria and the Arabs were well conversant with them. 2846. Commentary: Such has always been the way of