سورة ص

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abu Jahl ibn Hisham together with a group of Quraysh came to Abu Talib and said, "This nephew of yours harms us and harms our gods. Call him and command him to leave our gods alone, so that we too may leave his god alone." Abu Talib sent someone to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and summoned him. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) entered the house, he saw no one in it but polytheists, so he said, "And peace be upon whoever follows the guidance!" (Ta-Ha/47). Then he sat down, and Abu Talib informed him of what the polytheists had said. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said, "Instead of this proposal, do they not want a word by which they may rule over the Arabs and bring them under their command?" Abu Jahl said, "Yes! What is that word?" He said, "Say: there is no god but Allah." They placed their fingers in their ears and rushed out fleeing, saying, "We have never heard such a thing in any other religion; this is nothing but a fabricated creed!" Then Allah the Exalted revealed concerning their words: ص وَ الْقُرْآنِ ذِی الذِّکْرِ [Sad, by the Quran full of admonition].

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Ishaq ibn Ammar said: I asked Imam Kazim (peace be upon him), "Why does the prayer have one rak'ah and two prostrations? And how is it that when it becomes two prostrations, it does not become two rak'ahs?" He said, "Since you have asked about a matter, pay close attention so that you may understand the answer well. The first prayer that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) performed was in the heavens, in the presence of Allah the Blessed and Exalted, before the divine Throne. When Allah took the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) on the mi'raj (ascension), and when he (peace be upon him and his family) reached the Throne of Allah, Allah said: 'O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Draw near to Sad and wash the places and limbs of your prostration, purify them, and pray to your Lord.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) went to where Allah had commanded and performed ablution, and when his ablution was complete..." [Ishaq said:] I asked, "May I be your ransom! What is Sad, from which Allah commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to wash himself and perform ablution?" He said, "Sad is a spring that gushes forth from one of the pillars of the Throne; it is called the Water of Life, and that spring is the very one about which Allah said: ص وَ الْقُرْآنِ ذِی الذِّکْرِ [Sad, by the Quran full of admonition]. And Allah commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to perform ablution and pray."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) that he said: ... Then Allah revealed to me: 'O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Draw near to Sad and wash the parts of your body used in prostration and purify them, and pray to your Lord.' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) drew near to Sad — Sad is the name of a water that flows from the right side of the Throne.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Husayn ibn Abi al-Ala said: ... Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: ... The first prayer the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) performed was in the heavens, in the presence of Allah the Blessed and Exalted, and before the divine Throne. When Allah took the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) on the Miraj and when he (peace be upon him and his family) reached the Throne of Allah, Allah said: 'O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Draw near to Sad and wash the places and limbs of your prostration and purify them, and pray to your Lord.' ... I asked: 'May I be your ransom! What is Sad, that Allah commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to wash himself and perform ablution with it?' He said: 'Sad is a spring that gushes from one of the pillars of the Throne — it is called the Water of Life, and it is the same one Allah mentioned: ص وَ الْقُرْآنِ ذِی الذِّکْرِ [Sad, by the Quran full of admonition], and Allah commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to perform ablution and pray.'

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Sufyan al-Thawri said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): 'O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! What is the meaning of the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: الم and المص and الر and المر and کهیعص and طه and طس and طسم and یس and ص and حم and حم عسق and ق and ن?' The Imam (peace be upon him) said: '... Sad is a spring that originates beneath the Throne, and it is the one from which the noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) performed ablution at the time of his ascension. Jibra'il too enters it every day and plunges into it, then comes out and shakes his wings, and from every drop that falls from his wings, Allah the Blessed and Exalted creates an angel who glorifies Allah, declares Him pure and free of imperfection, magnifies Him and praises Him until the Day of Resurrection.'

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It has been narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) regarding the meaning of the word Sad that he said: 'Sad is one of the names of Allah the Exalted, by which He swears [in this Surah].'

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) — the supplication of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) on the day of Eid al-Fitr: ... [O Allah]! This is Your word, in which You singled him (Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)) out with this name and said: طه* مَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَیْکَ الْقُرْآنَ لِتَشْقَی [Ta Ha. We did not send down the Quran upon you that you should be distressed]. (Ta Ha/1-2) And in another place You said: یس وَ الْقُرْآنِ الْحَکِیمِ [Ya Sin. By the wise Quran]. (Ya Sin/1-2) And You, whose names are all pure and untainted, said: ص وَ الْقُرْآنِ ذِی الذِّکْرِ [Sad. By the Quran, full of admonition]. And You, whose bounties are great, said: ق، وَ الْقُرْآنِ الْمَجِیدِ [Qaf. By the glorious Quran, (that the resurrection and rising are true)]. (Qaf/1) And You singled Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) out with these names so that You could swear by his name, and along with the oath by his name You also swore by the Quran. Nowhere in the Quran have You sworn by anything alongside the oath by the Quran except that his name accompanies it, and that thing is his name (the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)) — and this is an honour that You gave to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Sad is a name from the names of Allah, by which He swears.

Ali ibn Ibrahim: بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِیمِ، ص وَ الْقُرْآنِ ذِی الذِّکْرِ [In the name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful. Sad, by the Quran full of admonition] — this is an oath, and its response comes after it: بَلِ الَّذِینَ کَفَرُوا فِی عِزَّةٍ وَ شِقَاقٍ [Nay, those who disbelieve are in self-exaltation and opposition], meaning in disbelief.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ الْقُرْآنِ ذِی الذِّکْرِ [By the Quran full of admonition] means the Quran of honour and nobility.