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Sura 34
Aya 12
12
وَلِسُلَيمانَ الرّيحَ غُدُوُّها شَهرٌ وَرَواحُها شَهرٌ ۖ وَأَسَلنا لَهُ عَينَ القِطرِ ۖ وَمِنَ الجِنِّ مَن يَعمَلُ بَينَ يَدَيهِ بِإِذنِ رَبِّهِ ۖ وَمَن يَزِغ مِنهُم عَن أَمرِنا نُذِقهُ مِن عَذابِ السَّعيرِ

Ali Unal

And to Solomon, We (subjugated) the wind: its morning course covered the distance of a month’s journey (at normal pace), and its evening course, a month’s journey.1 And We caused molten copper to flow for him (like a fountain).2 Among the jinn were some who, by the leave of his Lord, worked under him. Whoever of them swerved away from Our command (by disobeying him), We would make him taste the punishment of a fiery blaze.3
  • See 21: 81, note 11. Despite the fact that conditions usually change, the wind kept its speed every day both in the morning and in the evening for Solomon, upon him be peace.
  • The verses, We also made iron supple for him (10), and We caused molten copper to flow for him (like a fountain) (12), indicate that softening iron and melting copper to use in making different tools are two of God’s greatest bounties for humankind, revealed through two of His Messengers. It also points to the virtues of those two Messengers. Softening iron, melting copper, and extracting minerals is the origin, source, and basis of all material industries. These favors were granted to two great Prophets, who ruled according to God’s commandments, and these have become the basis of most industries that serve our needs today.
    By endowing two of His Prophets, who were both spiritual and temporal leaders, with craftsmanship and industry, God urges people toward craftsmanship and industry. In these verses, God Almighty suggests the following, as Said Nursi explains:
    I endowed two servants of Mine who obeyed My religious commandments with such skill that one could cast iron into any mold and then use it as an important source of strength for his rule, and the other could make many things out of molten copper. Since these are possible and since iron and copper have great significance for your social life, such wisdom and skill will be bestowed on you if you obey My commands of creation, My laws of nature. Eventually you will attain it. (The Words, “The 20th Word,” 269)
    By softening iron and smelting copper, people have achieved great industrial progress and material power. These verses direct our attention toward this truth. These verses not only warned earlier peoples, who did not appreciate its importance, but they also warn the idle people of today.
  • Since the jinn are created from fire, it is understood that they are punished with something from fire.