"[That] 'Work [making] coats of mail,'" which are the suits of armor. "'And calculate [precisely] the links'"—the interpretation of Mujahid is: Do not make the nail too small and the ring too large, for it will become loose; and do not make the nail too large and the ring too small, for the ring will break apart.
Muhammad said: The 'sabigh' (all-encompassing/ample) is that which covers everything beneath it, to the point that it exceeds [in length]. It is mentioned because it points to the object described. The meaning of 'sard' is weaving. 'Sard' is also used for a chain-mail hauberk. It is said for a maker of armor: 'sarrad' and 'zarrad', as the 'za' is substituted for the 'sin'.
﴿أَن اعْمَلْ سابغات﴾ وَهِي الدروع ﴿وَقَدِّرْ فِي السَّرْدِ﴾ تَفْسِير مُجَاهِد: لَا تصغر المسمار وتعظم الْحلقَة؛ فيسلس، وَلَا تعظم المسمار وتصغر الْحلقَة فتنفصم الْحلقَة.
قَالَ محمدٌ: السابغ: الَّذِي يُغطي كل مَا تَحْتَهُ حَتَّى [يفضل وَذكر] (ل ٢٧٦) لِأَنَّهَا تدل عَلَى الْمَوْصُوف وَمعنى السّرد: النّسْجُ، وَيُقَال للحرز أَيْضا: سرْدٌ، وَيُقَال لصانع الدِّرع: سرّاد وزرَّادٌ؛ تبدل من السِّين: الزَّاي.
