Surah Sad Tafseer

فَغَفَرْنَا لَهُ ذَلِكَ

So, We forgave him that,

and verily, for him is a near access to Us, and a good place of return.

The Sajdah in Surah Saad

The performance of Sajdah in Surah Saad is not one of the obligatory locations; it is a prostration of thanks (Sajdah Shukr).

The evidence for it is the report recorded by Imam Ahmad from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said;

"The prostration in Surah Saad is not one of the obligatory prostrations; I saw the Messenger of Allah prostrating in this Surah."

This was also recorded by Al-Bukhari, Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, and An-Nasa'i in his Tafsir.

At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih."

In his Tafsir of this Ayah, An-Nasa'i also recorded that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

"The Prophet prostrated in Saad, and he said:

سَجَدَهَا دَاوُدُ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَةُ وَالسَّلَمُ تَوْبَةً وَنَسْجُدُهَا شُكْرًا

Dawud prostrated as an act of repentance and we prostrate as an act of thanks."

This was recorded only by An-Nasa'i. The men of its chain of narration are all reliable.

In his Tafsir of this Ayah, Al-Bukhari recorded that Al-Awwam said that he asked Mujahid about the prostration in Surah Saad. He said,

`I asked Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, `Why do you prostrate?'

He said, `Have you not read:

وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِ دَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ

(and among his (Nuh's) progeny Dawud, Suleiman), (6:84),

أُوْلَـيِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللّهُ فَبِهُدَاهُمُ اقْتَدِهْ

(They are those whom Allah had guided. So follow their guidance), (6:90). Dawud, peace be upon him, was one of those whom your Prophet was commanded to follow. Dawud prostrated here so the Messenger of Allah also prostrated here."'

Abu Dawud recorded that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

"The Messenger of Allah recited Saad while he was on the Minbar. When he reached the prostration, he came down from the Minbar and prostrated, and the people prostrated with him.

On another occasion when he recited it, he reached the prostration and the people prepared to prostrate. He said:

إِنَّمَا هِيَ تَوْبَةُ نَبِيَ وَلَكِنِّي رَأَيْتُكُمْ تَشَزَّنْتُم

This is repentance for a Prophet, but I see that you are preparing to prostrate.

Then he came down (from the Minbar) and prostrated."

This was recorded only by Abu Dawud and its chain of narration meets the conditions of the Two Sahihs.

Then Allah says,

وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِندَنَا لَزُلْفَى وَحُسْنَ مَأبٍ

and verily, for him is a near access to Us, and a good place of (final) return.

means, on the Day of Resurrection, he will have good deeds by virtue of which he will be brought close to Allah, and he will have a good place of (final) return, which means the lofty levels of Paradise, because of his repentance and his perfect justice in his kingdom.

As it says in the Sahih:

الْمُقْسِطُونَ عَلَى مَنَابِرَ مِنْ نُورٍ عَنْ يَمِينِ الرَّحْمنِ وَكِلْتَا يَدَيْهِ يَمِينٌ الَّذِينَ يُقْسِطُونَ فِي أَهْلِيهِمْ وَمَا وَلُوا

Those who are fair and just with their families and those who are under their authority will be on Minbars of light on the right hand of Ar-Rahman, and both His Hands are right Hands.