Which Surah and Juz is Quran 38:21 from?

This ayah is from Surah Saad (The letter Saad), the 38th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 23.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 38:21?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Sunan Abu Dawud, Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Sahih al-Bukhari.

What tafsir is available for Quran 38:21?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Al-Jalalayn — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 38:21 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Prayer, Spiritual Seclusion, Divine Revelation, Truthfulness, Prophets.

Ayah 20

وَشَدَدْنَا مُلْكَهُۥ وَءَاتَيْنَٰهُ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ و...

38:21Saad

Q: What does Quran 38:21 mean?

Quran 38:21 (Surah Saad, Ayah 21) translates to: "And has there come to you the news of the adversaries, when they climbed over the wall of [his] prayer chamber -"

Ayah 22

إِذْ دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ دَاوُۥدَ فَفَزِعَ مِنْهُمْ ۖ...

۞ وَهَلْ أَتَىٰكَ نَبَؤُا۟ ٱلْخَصْمِ إِذْ تَسَوَّرُوا۟ ٱلْمِحْرَابَ

Wa hal ataaka naba'ul khasm; iz tasawwarul mihraab

And has there come to you the news of the adversaries, when they climbed over the wall of [his] prayer chamber -

Themes in this ayah

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Lessons from past peoples85

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Lessons from past peoples

38:21Ayah 188

24 ayahs in Saad are strongly about lessons from past peoples. This is one of them.

← Previous on Lessons from past peoples38:20And We strengthened his kingdom and gave him wisdom and discernment in speech.Next on Lessons from past peoples →38:22When they entered upon David and he was alarmed by them? They said, "Fear not. [We are] two adversaries, one of whom has wronged the other,

Tafsir

Scholars offer complementary perspectives

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 38:21→

And has there come to you O Muhammad (s) the purpose of the interrogative indicated by hal here is to provoke curiosity and a desire to listen to what will follow the tale of the disputants when they scaled the sanctuary? David’s sanctuary that is his place of prayer for they had been prohibited from entering by the front gates because of his being engaged in worship in other words has it come to you their tale and their account?

Has it been reported to you that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would pray in this place. He would reply: Yes. He then used to stand (there) and pray.

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #601Urwah narrated that Aishah said:Sahih

"I came while the Messenger of Allah was praying in the house and the door was closed. So he walked until he opened the door for me, then he returned to his place." And she described the door to be in the direction of the Qiblah.

Sunan Abu Dawud #1448Zaid b. Thabit said:Da'if

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) built a chamber in the mosque. He used to come out at night and pray there. They (the people) also prayed along with him. They would come (to prayer) every night. If on any night the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not come out, they would cough, raise their voices and throw pebbles and sand on his door. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to time in anger and said: O People, you kept on doing this till I thought that it will be prescribed for you. Offer your prayers in your houses, for a man's prayer is better in his house except obligatory prayer.

Sahih al-Bukhari #711Narrated `Aisha:Sahih

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to pray in his room at night. As the wall of the room was LOW, the people saw him and some of them stood up to follow him in the prayer. In the morning they spread the news. The following night the Prophet (ﷺ) stood for the prayer and the people followed him. This went on for two or three nights. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not stand for the prayer the following night, and did not come out. In the morning, the people asked him about it. He replied, that he way afraid that the night prayer might become compulsory.

Sahih Muslim #3127'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported:Sahih

I asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about the wall, circumpassing the House (i. e. whether the wall on the side of Hijr was included in the Ka'ba). He said, Yes. I said: Then why did they not include it in the House? He said: 'Your people ran short of the means (to do so). I said: Why is it that the level of its door is raised high? He said: Your people did it so that they should admit one whom they liked, and forbid him whom they disliked, and if your people were not new converts to faith, and I did not apprehend that their hearts would feel agitated at this. I would have definitely included (the area of) this wall-in the House and would have brought the door to the level of the ground.