Saba’

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْحَكِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ ١

All praise be to Allah alone to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, and to Him belongs praise in the Hereafter (as well). And He is All-Wise, Well Aware.

يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَنزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا ۚ وَهُوَ الرَّحِيمُ الْغَفُورُ ٢

He knows (all) the things that go into the earth and that come out from it and those that descend from heaven and that ascend to it. And He is Ever-Merciful, Most Forgiving.

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَأْتِينَا السَّاعَةُ ۖ قُلْ بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّي لَتَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ ۖ لَا يَعْزُبُ عَنْهُ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا أَصْغَرُ مِن ذَٰلِكَ وَلَا أَكْبَرُ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ ٣

And the disbelievers say: ‘The Last Hour will not come upon us.’ Say: ‘Why not? By my Lord, Who is the Knower of the unseen, that is bound to come upon you. Nothing can be out of His sight, not even a dust particle in the heavens or in the earth. Nor is there anything smaller or bigger than an atom but is (recorded) in the light-giving Book (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz),

لِّيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ ٤

In order that Allah may recompense in full those who believe and continue doing good deeds. It is they for whom there is forgiveness and an honourable sustenance (for the Last Day).

وَالَّذِينَ سَعَوْا فِي آيَاتِنَا مُعَاجِزِينَ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مِّن رِّجْزٍ أَلِيمٌ ٥

And those who strived in (opposition to) Our Revelations presuming to frustrate (Us), it is they for whom there is punishment of a highly agonizing torment.

وَيَرَى الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ هُوَ الْحَقَّ وَيَهْدِي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ ٦

And those who have been given knowledge know that (the Book) which has been revealed to you from your Lord is alone the truth. And that (Book) guides to the path of the Most Exalted in Might, All-Praiseworthy (Lord).

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هَلْ نَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ رَجُلٍ يُنَبِّئُكُمْ إِذَا مُزِّقْتُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ إِنَّكُمْ لَفِي خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ ٧

And the disbelievers say (with the intention to wonder and mock): ‘Shall we tell you of a person who informs you that when you have decomposed completely into dust particles (after death), you will certainly be composed into a new creation?

أَفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَم بِهِ جِنَّةٌ ۗ بَلِ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ فِي الْعَذَابِ وَالضَّلَالِ الْبَعِيدِ ٨

(Either) he has invented a lie against Allah or he is insane.’ (Nothing of the sort!) The truth is that those who do not believe in the Hereafter are undergoing a torment and are in farthest error.

أَفَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَىٰ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُم مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ إِن نَّشَأْ نَخْسِفْ بِهِمُ الْأَرْضَ أَوْ نُسْقِطْ عَلَيْهِمْ كِسَفًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِّكُلِّ عَبْدٍ مُّنِيبٍ ٩

So have they not seen those (signs) in the heaven and the earth (which have beset them) from their front and from their rear? If We so intended, We would sink them into the earth or let a part of the sky fall upon them. Verily, there is in it a sign for every servant of Allah who turns to Him.

۞ وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ مِنَّا فَضْلًا ۖ يَا جِبَالُ أَوِّبِي مَعَهُ وَالطَّيْرَ ۖ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ الْحَدِيدَ ١٠

And indeed We bestowed on Dawud (David) a tremendous favour from Our presence (and ordained:) ‘O mountains, join him in chanting melodious tunes (of Our glory and praise).’ And (We gave the same command) to the birds as well (making them subservient). And We made iron soft for him.

أَنِ اعْمَلْ سَابِغَاتٍ وَقَدِّرْ فِي السَّرْدِ ۖ وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا ۖ إِنِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ ١١

(And We commanded:) ‘Make wide and full-length coats of mail and care for the measure while joining (their) links (i.e., rings). And, (O family of Dawud [David],) continue doing pious deeds. I am minutely watching the works that you do.’

وَلِسُلَيْمَانَ الرِّيحَ غُدُوُّهَا شَهْرٌ وَرَوَاحُهَا شَهْرٌ ۖ وَأَسَلْنَا لَهُ عَيْنَ الْقِطْرِ ۖ وَمِنَ الْجِنِّ مَن يَعْمَلُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِ ۖ وَمَن يَزِغْ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ أَمْرِنَا نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ ١٢

And to Sulayman ([Solomon] We made subservient) the wind whose morning course was a month’s journey and the evening course (too) was a month’s journey. And We caused a spring of molten copper to flow for him, and (made subservient to him) some jinn who worked in front of him by the command of his Lord. And (We had warned that) whoever of them turned away from Our command, We would make him taste the Blazing Fire of Hell.

يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُ مَا يَشَاءُ مِن مَّحَارِيبَ وَتَمَاثِيلَ وَجِفَانٍ كَالْجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٍ رَّاسِيَاتٍ ۚ اعْمَلُوا آلَ دَاوُودَ شُكْرًا ۚ وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ ١٣

They (the jinn) used to make for him whatever he desired of lofty and strong fortresses and statues and basins large as reservoirs looking like huge cauldrons fixed in their places. O family of Dawud (David)! Keep giving thanks (to Allah). And very few of My servants have been grateful!

فَلَمَّا قَضَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَوْتَ مَا دَلَّهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَوْتِهِ إِلَّا دَابَّةُ الْأَرْضِ تَأْكُلُ مِنسَأَتَهُ ۖ فَلَمَّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ الْجِنُّ أَن لَّوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ الْغَيْبَ مَا لَبِثُوا فِي الْعَذَابِ الْمُهِينِ ١٤

And when We decreed Sulayman’s (Solomon’s) death, nothing made them (the jinn) aware of his death except a termite of the earth which kept eating his staff. Then, when his body came to the ground, it became known to the jinn that if they had known the unseen, they would not have been in that humiliating torment.

لَقَدْ كَانَ لِسَبَإٍ فِي مَسْكَنِهِمْ آيَةٌ ۖ جَنَّتَانِ عَن يَمِينٍ وَشِمَالٍ ۖ كُلُوا مِن رِّزْقِ رَبِّكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لَهُ ۚ بَلْدَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ وَرَبٌّ غَفُورٌ ١٥

In fact, for (the people of) Saba (Sheba), a sign did exist in their homeland itself. (They) were two gardens, one on the right hand and the other on the left. (They were commanded:) ‘Eat of the provision from your Lord and keep giving Him thanks. (How) pure is (your) city and a Lord Most Forgiving!’

فَأَعْرَضُوا فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَيْلَ الْعَرِمِ وَبَدَّلْنَاهُم بِجَنَّتَيْهِمْ جَنَّتَيْنِ ذَوَاتَيْ أُكُلٍ خَمْطٍ وَأَثْلٍ وَشَيْءٍ مِّن سِدْرٍ قَلِيلٍ ١٦

Then they turned away (from obedience). So We let loose against them a devastating flood, and We converted both their gardens into (such) gardens as bearing sour and bitter fruit and tamarisks and a few lote-trees.

ذَٰلِكَ جَزَيْنَاهُم بِمَا كَفَرُوا ۖ وَهَلْ نُجَازِي إِلَّا الْكَفُورَ ١٧

So We paid them back for their disbelief and ingratitude. And We award (such) punishment to none except the highly ungrateful.

وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ الْقُرَى الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا قُرًى ظَاهِرَةً وَقَدَّرْنَا فِيهَا السَّيْرَ ۖ سِيرُوا فِيهَا لَيَالِيَ وَأَيَّامًا آمِنِينَ ١٨

And We set up prominent (and) adjacent settlements between the dwellers, and those towns that We had blessed (on the Yemen-Syria highway), and We had placed between them stopover areas (for rest), whilst travelling up and down, that you may move between them by night and by day in peace and security.

فَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا بَاعِدْ بَيْنَ أَسْفَارِنَا وَظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ فَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ وَمَزَّقْنَاهُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ ١٩

Then they said: ‘O our Lord, place between our break-journey points longer distances.’ And they wronged their souls. So We made them tales (for a lesson of warning). And We disintegrated them into pieces and scattered them. Surely, there are signs in it for every extremely patient and highly thankful person.

وَلَقَدْ صَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِبْلِيسُ ظَنَّهُ فَاتَّبَعُوهُ إِلَّا فَرِيقًا مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٢٠

And no doubt Iblis (Satan) translated his idea about them into reality. So they followed him except a group comprising (the true) believers.