34. SABA - (a city)

CHAPTER: 34

SABA (A CITY)

Total Verses: 54

This chapter is named 'Saba' because in the verses 15 to17 of this chapter there is a narration about the place 'Saba', which had been enjoying affluence earlier, lost its affluence when the people of the place became ungrateful.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficient and the Most Merciful.

1. All praises be only to Allah. Whatever is in the heavens⁵⁰⁷ and on the earth belongs only to Him. He is the Wise and the Well-knowing.

2. Allah knows whatever enters into the earth, whatever comes forth from it, whatever descends from the heaven⁵⁰⁷ and whatever ascends towards it. He is the most Merciful and the Forgiving.

3. The disbelievers (of only one God) say, "That time will not come to us". Say, "It is not so. By the promise on my God that will come to you. He is the knower of the hidden. Whatever is in the heavens⁵⁰⁷ or in the earth, either it is in the size of an atom or smaller than that or bigger than that cannot be unknown to Him. They are but in the clear Register¹⁵⁷".

4. (It is registered thus) in order to give reward to those who believed and did good deeds. For them, there is forgiveness and grand feast.

5. For those who tried to win Us in Our verses there is painful suffering as punishment.

6. (O Muhammad),those who have been given knowledge consider, "What is revealed to you from your God truth". And, it shows the way of the Almighty who is Praiseworthy.

7. The disbelievers (of only one God) ask, "Shall we inform you about a man who says that who will be created again after you have been completely dis-figured?"

8. Has he invented on Allah? Or is he mad?⁴⁶⁸ It is not like that. Those who disbelieve the hereafter are in suffering and extreme misguidance.

9. Have they not seen in the heavens⁵⁰⁷ and in the earth what is before them and what is behind them? If We had wanted then We would have made them burried into the earth or We would have droped a part(piece) from the heaven. Indeed, there is sign in it for every repenting servant.

10,11. Indeed, We gave our Mercy to Dawood. We said, "O mountains, O birds, pray along with him". We said, "Make armours of war and properly arrange their rings" and made the iron soft. And also said, "Do good deeds. Indeed, I am seeing of what you do"²⁶.

12. And We subjected the wind to Sulaiman. Its departure is one month. Its return is one month³²⁵. We made copper spring to flow for him. There where jinns working for him, with the permission of his God. We will make, whoever turned away from Our order; taste the suffering of the Hell.

13. They made for him palaces, statues³²⁶, bowls like water tanks and stationery vessels as wanted by him. We said, " O the family of Dawud, behave gretefully. Grateful are few in number among My servants".

14. When he decreed death for him, only a creature (termite) which moves on the land indicated to his death. It ate his staff. When he fell, the Jinns understood³²⁷. "If we had known the hidden we would not have remained in this humiliating suffering."

15. For the people of `Saba` there is a sign in their settlements.(There were) two gardens on the right side and on the left side of them.(It was said), "Eat your God`s food.Be thankful to Him." The place is also good.Allah is also Forgiving.

16. But they turned away. So, We sent a big flood to them. We changed their gardens into different gardens which had grass with a mixed taste of sour and bitter and a few lote-trees.

17. Thus We punish them as they disbelieved (Us). Will We punish others except the disbelievers?

18. We made places, easy to be seen, between them and the places which We have blessed. We also arranged for travel in them. (We said),"Travel in the day and in the night without fear."

19. They caused harm to themselves by saying, "Our God, "You arrange for a long distance travel for us". We made them tales of the past. We disfigured them. For the patient and the grateful there are many signs in it.

20. As for as they are concerned 'Iblis' became successful in his intention. Except a section of the believers (others) followed him.

21. For him (Iblis) there is no power over them. (This has happened) only to differentiate the believers from the one who is in doubt, in the hereafter. Your God is thhe Protector of everything.

22. Say, "You call those who have imagined besides Allah. You will not have even an atom of power in the heavens⁵⁰⁷ and in the earth. They do not have any share in both. There is no helper for him among them."

23. Recommendation will not be beneficial with Him except to whom He has given permission¹⁷. Finally, when the shivering is removed from their minds, they will ask (themselves), "What did your God say?" And will say, "(Spoke) only the truth. He is the most High and the Great".

24. Ask (O Muhammad), "Who gives you food in the heavens⁵⁰⁷ and on the earth⁴⁶³?" And say 'Allah'. "And indeed, either we or you are in the right way or in clear error.

25. Also say, "You will not be enquired about the wrongs we did. We will not be enquired about the wrongs you did".

26. Also say, "Our God will gather us together. Then He will give honest judgement between us. He is the Judge and the Knowing".

27. Also say, "Show me those who have associated others to Him". It is not like that. Rather, He is the Almighty and the Wise.

28. (O Muhammad), We have sent you as an informer of good news and a warner to all thhe people²⁸. Yet, most of the people do not know¹⁸⁷.

29. They ask, "If you are truthful when will this warning (be fulfilled)".

30. Say, "For you, there is an appointed Day¹. you will neither remain (behind) nor preced from that even for a short time."

31. The disbelievers (of only one God) say, "We will never believe this Quran and that went before". If you should see, when the unjust presented before their God , blaming each other. Those who were weak will say to those who were proud, "If not for you we would have believed."

32. Those who were proud will say to those who were weak, "Did we prevent you when the right way came to you? No.Rather you were the criminals."

33. Those who were weak will say to those who were proud, "When you ordered us to disbelieve Allah and imagine associates to Him, only (your) plotting in the night and the day (misled us)."When they see the suffering they will hide their grief in their minds.We will put shackles in the neck of those who have disbelieved (in Us).Will they be punished (for any other thing) except for what they have been doing?

34. To whichever place We send the warner ,those who lived affluently had not but said ,"Indeed we are disbelievers of what you have been sent with."

35. And they also said,"We are possesers of more material wealth and (more number of) children .We will not be punished."

36. Say ,"My God gives wealth to whom He wants.Gives less also.Yet most of the people do not know."

37. Your material wealth and (number of ) children will not cause any nearness to me. Except those who believed and did good deeds. For them, there is reward, many times, for what they did. They will remain in high palaces without grief.

38. Those who try to win against (Us) in our verses will be made to stand before suffering.

39. Say," Indeed, my God, gives wealth generously to his servants to whom He wants. He gives less (wealth) to whom He wants. Whatever thing you spend (in good deeds), He will give you the reward for that. He is the Best in giving".

40. (That) is the Day¹ on which He gathers all together.Then, He will ask the angels,"Were it you that these people used to worship?"

41. (They) will say, "You are Pure10 (from all weaknesses). You are only our Protector. (We have) no (relationship) with them. Rather, they have been worshipping only jinns. Most of them believed only them."

42. So, on this day, none of you has the power to either do good or harm to each other. We will say to the unjust, "Taste the suffering called Hell, which you considered a lie".

43. When Our clear verses are recited to them, they say, "He is a man who intends to prevent you from what your forefathers used to worship". Also say, "This is only an invented lie". When the truth came to them those disbelievers (of only one God) say, "This is nothing but a clear magic".

44. We have not given them any Book which they could read. (O Muhammad), before you, We have not sent any warner to them.

45. Those who went before also considered it a lie. These people have not got even one tenth of what they have been given. They considered My messengers liars. How was my retaliation?

46. After alloting time for Allah either in pairs or in single,you say, "I preach you only one matter that you should think about that there is no madness for your companion⁴⁶⁸. He is nothing but a warner to you before the severe suffering".

47. Say,"I have not asked any reward from you. That only belongs to you. My reward is with (no body) except Allah. He is Observer of everything".

48. Say,"Indeed, my God puts the truth. (He) is well Knowing of the hidden".

49. Say, "The truth has come. The falsehood has not created (anything). Again it will not creat that".

50. (O Muhammad), say, "If I am misled then I am misled, against myself. If I get the right way it is because of the message that my God revealed to me⁸¹. Indeed, He Hears and is Near"⁴⁹.

51. If you see them when they are shocked they cannot escape. They will be seized from near.

52. They will say, "We believed Him". How is it possible to get (a thing) from a far away place?

53. Before this they disbelieved in that. They have been throwing (doubts) from a distant place about the hidden.

54. As it has been done before, indeed, for such people a veil has been placed between them and whatever they liked. They are in grave doubt.