Surah Sad Verse 1

4146 Sad is a letter of the Arabic alphabet. It is used here as an Abbreviated Letter, for which see Appendix I (at the end of Surah 2:). See also the second para, of n. 989 to 7:1 for this particular letter. No dogmatism is permissible in trying to interpret Abbreviated Letters. But it is suggested that it may stand for Qisas ("Stories"), in which the dominant consonant is s. For this Surah is concerned mainly with the stones of David and Solomon as illustrative of the relative positions of spiritual and worldly power. Sale 's note: "It may stand for Solomon": is a real howler: for in Arabic the letter Sad does not occur at all in the name of Solomon. 4147 Full of admonition: the word dhikr is far more comprehensive than any single word or phrase that lean think of in English: it implies (1) remembrance in a spirit of reverence; (2) recital, celebrating the praises of Allah; (3) teaching, admonition, warning; (4) Message, Revelation, as in Ahl at dhikr, "those who possess the Message" 16:43, and n. 2069). In Sufi phraseology it implies mystical enlightenment, both the aspiration and the attainment, for in the highest spiritual atmosphere, the two are one. Devotional exercises are also called dhikr, with reference to meaning (2) above.