Once on the eve of Jihad Sayyiduna Sulayman ordered for his horses to be brought from the stables. He possessed full knowledge about horses’ breeds and their intrinsic attributes. When these horses were presented to him and when he found them to be of pure breed and in high spirits, and saw that they were very large in number, jubilation prevailed unto him. ‘My love for these horses is such a material love which is in fact a sort of commemoration of the Rab exclaimed Sayyiduna Sulayman . out of pleasure. During this state of contemplation of Sayyiduna Sulayman all his horses were returned towards the stables. Hence when he raised his gaze, horses were not there. He then ordered for them to be brought back.
When horses were brought back, Sayyiduna Sulayman began kneading and patting their shins and necks. As these horses were to be used for Jihad, he respected and honoured them through expressing his love and taming them like an expert. The Holy Quran has mentioned this incident in the following words:
And We bestowed Dawood with Sulayman; what an excellent bondsman. He is indeed most repenting (to Allah). When there were presented to him in the afternoon, (horses) that when poised, so they stand on three legs and while putting the brink of the hoof of the forth leg on the ground, were very swift when running. Therefore Sulayman said, ‘The love of these horses is dear to me,for the sake of the remembrance of my Lord.’ He then ordered them to be raced until they vanished in a veil out of sight. He then ordered; that, ‘Bring them back to me.’ And he began stroking their shins and necks.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 23, Surah Saad, Ayah 30-33)
When horses were brought back, Sayyiduna Sulayman began kneading and patting their shins and necks. As these horses were to be used for Jihad, he respected and honoured them through expressing his love and taming them like an expert. The Holy Quran has mentioned this incident in the following words:
And We bestowed Dawood with Sulayman; what an excellent bondsman. He is indeed most repenting (to Allah). When there were presented to him in the afternoon, (horses) that when poised, so they stand on three legs and while putting the brink of the hoof of the forth leg on the ground, were very swift when running. Therefore Sulayman said, ‘The love of these horses is dear to me,for the sake of the remembrance of my Lord.’ He then ordered them to be raced until they vanished in a veil out of sight. He then ordered; that, ‘Bring them back to me.’ And he began stroking their shins and necks.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 23, Surah Saad, Ayah 30-33)
Moral:
lbn-e-Jareer, At-Tabari and Imam Raazi have described the same interpretation of these Ayahs, which we have mentioned above. Furthermore, the same interpretation was mentioned by Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah Bin’ Abbas as referred by ‘Ali Bin Abi Talhah . Some commentators have mentioned the cutting of the shins and necks of horses with sword and some other descriptions of this kind which are not authentic and are mere story tales. The interpretation that we have mentioned neither requires any justification nor does any ambiguity arise from it. (Iafseer Khaza’in-ul-‘Irfan, pp. 819; part 23, Surah Saad, Ayah 33)
