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Surah Sad, Ayah 26 (38:26)

ص

يَٰدَاوُۥدُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَٰكَ خَلِيفَةً فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱحْكُم بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَلَا …

Quran 38:26 is ayah 26 of Surah Sad (“The Letter "Saad"”), a Meccan surah of 88 ayahs. It is in Juz 23, on page 454 of the Madani Mushaf.

38:26
يَٰدَاوُۥدُإِنَّاجَعَلْنَٰكَخَلِيفَةًفِىٱلْأَرْضِفَٱحْكُمبَيْنَٱلنَّاسِبِٱلْحَقِّوَلَاتَتَّبِعِٱلْهَوَىٰفَيُضِلَّكَعَنسَبِيلِٱللَّهِ ۚإِنَّٱلَّذِينَيَضِلُّونَعَنسَبِيلِٱللَّهِلَهُمْعَذَابٌشَدِيدٌۢبِمَانَسُوا۟يَوْمَٱلْحِسَابِ٢٦
yādāwūdu innā jaʿalnāka khalīfatan fī l-arḍi fa-uḥ'kum bayna l-nāsi bil-ḥaqi walā tattabiʿi l-hawā fayuḍillaka ʿan sabīli l-lahi inna alladhīna yaḍillūna ʿan sabīli l-lahi lahum ʿadhābun shadīdun bimā nasū yawma l-ḥisābi

[We said], "O David, indeed We have made you a successor upon the earth, so judge between the people in truth and do not follow [your own] desire, as it will lead you astray from the way of Allāh." Indeed, those who go astray from the way of Allāh will have a severe punishment for having forgotten the Day of Account.(26)

Word by word

  1. يَٰدَاوُۥدُyādāwūduO Dawood
  2. إِنَّاinnāIndeed, We
  3. جَعَلْنَٰكَjaʿalnāka[We] have made you
  4. خَلِيفَةًkhalīfatana vicegerent
  5. فِىfīin
  6. ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe earth
  7. فَٱحْكُمfa-uḥ'kumso judge
  8. بَيْنَbaynabetween
  9. ٱلنَّاسِl-nāsi[the] men
  10. بِٱلْحَقِّbil-ḥaqiin truth
  11. وَلَاwalāand (do) not
  12. تَتَّبِعِtattabiʿifollow
  13. ٱلْهَوَىٰl-hawāthe desire
  14. فَيُضِلَّكَfayuḍillakafor it will lead you astray
  15. عَنʿanfrom
  16. سَبِيلِsabīli(the) way
  17. ٱللَّهِ ۚl-lahi(of) Allah
  18. إِنَّinnaIndeed
  19. ٱلَّذِينَalladhīnathose who
  20. يَضِلُّونَyaḍillūnago astray
  21. عَنʿanfrom
  22. سَبِيلِsabīli(the) way
  23. ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
  24. لَهُمْlahumfor them
  25. عَذَابٌʿadhābun(is) a punishment
  26. شَدِيدٌۢshadīdunsevere
  27. بِمَاbimābecause
  28. نَسُوا۟nasūthey forgot
  29. يَوْمَyawma(the) Day
  30. ٱلْحِسَابِl-ḥisābi(of) Account

Tafsir (commentary) of 38:26

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Advice to Rulers and Leaders

This is advice from Allah, may He be exalted, to those who are in positions of authority. They should rule according to the truth and justice revealed from Him, they should not turn away from it and be led astray from the path of Allah. Allah has issued a stern warning of a severe punishment to those who go astray from His path and forget the Day of Resurrection. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibrahim Abu Zur`ah, who read the Scripture, reported that Al-Walid bin `Abd Al-Malik said to him: "Does anyone have the right to question the Khalifah You have read the first Scripture and the Qur'an, and you have understood them." He replied, "May I speak, O Commander of the faithful" He said, "Speak, for you are under the protection of Allah." I said, "O Commander of the faithful, are you more dear to Allah, or Dawud, peace be upon him For Allah gave him both prophethood and rulership, then He warned him in His Book:

يدَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَـكَ خَلِيفَةً فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَى فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ

(O Dawud ! Verily, We have placed you as a successor on the earth; so judge you between men in truth (and justice) and follow not your desire -- for it will mislead you from the path of Allah)." `Ikrimah said:

لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدُ بِمَا نَسُواْ يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ

((Those shall) have a severe torment, because they forgot the Day of Reckoning.) "They will have a severe punishment on the Day of Reckoning because of what they forgot. " As-Suddi said, "They will have a severe punishment because of what they neglected to do for the sake of the Day of Reckoning." This interpretation is more in accordance with the apparent meaning of the Ayah. And Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, is the Guide to the Truth.

Read the full Surah Sad