Critical Analysisof the Story of Prophet Sulayman (p.b.u.h) and the Horses of Jihad

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor of Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 PhD graduates of private law and jurisprudence, University of martyr Motahari, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Verses 31 to 33 of sure 38 of the Quran narrate the story of Prophet Solomon and the jihad horses. Those verses are interpreted by various exegetes so differently some of which are in direct contradiction to the innocence of Prophet Solomon. Such disagreement on the interpretation of verses is basically caused by exegetes' opinions on to what the pronouns in the verses refer. Having gathered opinions of the exegetes on the verses, surveyed them all in detail, and used an analogical method, this essay comes to the conclusion that no wrongdoing can be attributed to Solomon in that event. On the other hand, the traditions narrated in this connection suffer direct contradiction to the intellect, the basic teachings of the Quran, and the grounded, sound hadiths in addition to suffering lack of sound chain of transmission. They are, in fact, rooted in unacceptable stories penetrated from Jewish sources to Muslim books.

Keywords

Main Subjects


The Holy Quran.
Holy Bible: The Old and New Testaments (1982), Cairo: Dar Al-Kitab.
Alusi, Mahmoud Ibn Abdullah (1415AH), T Al-Rouh Al-Ma'ani Fi Tafsir Al-Quran Al-Azeem, Research: Ali Abdul Bari Atiyah, Beirut: Dar Al-Kitab Al-Almiya, First Edition.
 Baghwi, Hussein Ibn Mas'ud (1420AH), Tafsir Al-Baghwi, researched by Abdul Razzaq Mahdi, Beirut: Dar Al-Ihyaa Al-Tarath Al-Arabi, first edition.
 Bahrani, Sayyid Hashim (1374AH), Al-Burhan Fi Tafsir Al-Qur'an, by researching the section of Islamic Studies, Al-Ba'ath Foundation, Qom: Ba'ath Institute, first edition.
 Boroumand, Mohammad Hussein (2009), "Study of the story of seeing Hazrat Suleiman (PBUH) as a horse in the Holy Quran", Quarterly Journal of Quranic and Hadith Sciences, Vol.
 Fakhruddin Razi, Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Umar (1420AH), Mafatih Al-Ghayb, Beirut: Dar Ihyaa Al-Tarath al-Arabi, third edition.
 Fayumi, Ahmad Ibn Muhammad (1414AH), Al-Misbah Al-Munir Fi Gharib Al-Sharh Al-Kabir, Qom: Dar Al-Hijra Institute, second edition.
 Feyz Kashani, Mohsen (1406AH), Al-Wafi, Isfahan: Library of Imam Amir Al-Mo'menin Ali, first edition.
 Feyz Kashani, Mohsen (1415AH), Tafsir Al-Safi, researched by Hossein Aalami, Tehran: Al-Sadr Publications, second edition.
 Ghorashi, Sayyed Ali Akbar (1998), Tafsir Ahsan Al-Hadith, Tehran: Ba'ath Foundation, third edition.
 Hoveyzi, Abd Ali Ibn Juma (1415AH), Tafsir Noor Al-Thaqalayn, researched by Hashem Rasooli Mahallati, Qom: Ismailian, fourth edition.
 Ibn Arabi, Muhammad ibn Abdullah (1408AH), Ahkam Al-Quran, Beirut: Dar al-Jil.
 Ibn Babawiyyah, Mohammad Ibn Ali (2006), Elal Al-Sharae, Qom: Davari Bookstore, first edition.
 Ibn Babawiyyah, Muhammad Ibn Ali (1413AH), Man lā Yaḥḍuruhu Al-Faqīh, edited by Ali Akbar Ghaffari, Qom: Islamic Publications Office affiliated with the Society of Teachers of the Seminary of Qom, second edition.
 Ibn Hanbal, Ahmad Ibn Muhammad (1416AH), Musnad Al-Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Beirut: Al-Risalah Foundation, first edition.
 Ibn Hisham, Abdullah bin Yusuf (1410 AH), Mughni Al-Labib an Kutub Al-A'arib, with the research of Mohammad Mohi al-Din Abdul Hamid, Qom: Public Library of the Grand Ayatollah Marashi Najafi (RA), fourth edition.
 Ibn Kathir Damascus, Ismail Ibn Amr (1419AH), Tafsir Al-Quran Al-Azeem, research: Mohammad Hussein Shamsuddin, Beirut: Dar Al-Kitab Al-Alamiya, first edition.
 Ibn Manzoor, Muhammad Ibn Makram (1414AH), Lesan Al-Arab, with research by Jamal Al-Din Mirdamadi, Beirut: Dar Al-Fikr for printing, publishing and distribution, third edition.
 Ismail, Muhammad Bakr (1424AH), Qasas Al-Qur'an, Cairo: Dar Al-Manar, first edition.
 Khomeini, Ruhollah, lectures on jurisprudence (Kitab Al-Salah), published on the website http://www.eshia.ir.
 Koleini, Mohammad Ibn Ya'qub (1407AH), Al-Kafi, with the research of Ali Akbar Ghaffari, Tehran: Dar al-Kitab al-Islamiyya, fourth edition.
 Mahalli, Muhammad Ibn Ahmad (1416AH), Tafsir al-Jalalayn, researched by Abd al-Rahman Ibn Abi Bakr Al-Suyuti, Beirut: Al-Noor Publishing House.
 Majlisi, Mohammad Taqi Ibn Maghsoud Ali (1406AH), Rawdat Al-muttaqin, with the research of Hussein Mousavi Kermani, Qom: Islamic Cultural Institute of Kushanbour, second edition.
 Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir Ibn Muhammad Taqi (1403AH), Behar Al-Anwar, Beirut: Dar Al-Ihyaa Al-Tarath Al-Arabi, second edition.
 Makarem Shirazi, Nasser (1995), Tafsir Nemooneh, Tehran: Islamic Books House, first Edition.
 Māturidi, Muhammad Ibn Muhammad (1426AH), Tawilat Ahl Al-Sunnah, researched by Majdi Baslum, Beirut: Dar al-Kitab al-Alamiya, first edition.
 Meybodi, Ahmad Ibn Abi Saad (1371AH), Kashf Al-Asrar, with the research of Ali Asghar Hekmat, Tehran: Amirkabir Publications, fifth edition.
 Mohammadi, Abdullah (2015), "The validity of a single news in the interpretation and beliefs from the perspective of Allameh Tabatabai", Quarterly Journal of Modern Religious Thought, vol.43.
 Mufid, Muhammad Ibn Muhammad (1413AH), Al Ershad, with the research of Al-Bayt Foundation, Qom: Sheikh Mufid Congress, first edition.
 Nasir Al-Din Al-Tusi, Muhammad Ibn Muhammad (1407AH), Tajrid Al-Eteghad, by Mohammad Javad Hosseini Jalali, Tehran: Maktab Al-Ilam al-Islami, first edition.
 Qomi Mashhadi, Mohammad Ibn Mohammad Reza (1989), Kanz Al-Daqa'iq, Tehran: Printing and Publishing Organization of the Ministry of Islamic Guidance, First Edition.
 Qomi, Ali Ibn Ibrahim (1404AH), Tafsir Al-Qomi, researched by Tayyib Mousavi Jazayeri, Qom: Dar al-Kitab, third edition.
 Qurtubi, Mohammad Ibn Ahmad (1985), Al-Jami' li Ahkam al-Qur'an, Tehran: Naser Khosrow Publishing, first edition.
 Razi, Hussein Ibn Ali (1408AH), Rawd Al-Jannan and Rouh Al-Jannan Fi Tafsir Al-Qur'an, by Mohammad Ja'far Yahaqi, Mashhad: Astan Quds Razavi Islamic Research Foundation.
 Sayyid Morteza, Alam Al-Huda (1377AH), Tanzih Al-Anbiya (peace be upon him), Qom: Dar al-Sharif al-Radhi, first edition.
 Sharif Lahiji, Mohammad Ibn Ali (1373), Tafsir Sharif Lahiji, with research by Mir Jalaluddin Hosseini Armavi, Tehran: Daftar Nashr Dad, first edition.
 Shazly, Sayyid Ibn Qutb (1412AH), Fi Zilal al-Qur'an, Beirut: Dar al-Shorouq, seventeenth edition.
 Sobhani Tabrizi, Jafar (2004), Manshour Javid, Qom: Imam Sadegh (as) Institute, first edition.
 Suyuti, Jalal Al-Din (1404AH), Al-Dur Al-Manthur Fi Tafsir Al-Mathur, Qom: Library of Ayatollah Marashi Najafi.
 Tabari, Abu Ja'far Muhammad Ibn Jarir (1412AH), Jame 'Al-Bayyan Fi Tafsir Al-Qur'an, Beirut: Dar Al-Ma'rifah, first edition.
 Tabatabai, Sayyed Mohammad Hossein (2009AH-A), Islamic Studies, Qom: Book Garden, Second Edition.
 Tabatabai, Sayyed Mohammad Hussein (1417AH), Al-Mizan Fi Tafsir Al-Qur'an, Qom: Islamic Publications Office of Qom Seminary Teachers Association, fifth edition.
 Tabatabai, Sayyed Mohammad Hussein (2009AH-B), Quran in Islam, Qom: Book Garden, third edition.
 Tabresi, Fazl Ibn Hassan (1993), Majma 'Al-Bayan Fi Tafsir Al-Qur'an, Tehran: Naser Khosrow Publications, third edition.
 Toreihi, Fakhreddin bin Mohammad (1375 AH), Majma 'Al-Bahrain, researched by Ahmad Hosseini Eshkori, Tehran: Mortazavi, third edition.
 Tusi, Muhammad Ibn Hassan (1414AH), Al-Amali, with research by Al-Ba'ath Foundation, Qom: Dar Al-Thaqafa, first edition.
 Tusi, Muhammad Ibn Hassan (Bita), Al-Tibyan Fi Tafsir Al-Qur'an, Beirut: Dar Al-Ihyaa Al-Tarath Al-Arabi.
 Zamakhshari, Mahmoud (1407AH), Al-Kashaf, Beirut: Dar Al-Kitab Al-Arabi, third edition.
 Zargari, Musa (translator) (1985), Lifestyle, Tehran: Bani Torah Publications, first edition.