Surah 34. Saba

---

Verses [Section]: 1-11[1], 12-21 [2], 22-30 [3], 31-36 [4], 37-45 [5], 46-54 [6]

---

Quran Text of Verse 12-21وَ لِسُلَیْمٰنَAnd to Sulaimanالرِّیْحَthe windغُدُوُّهَاits morning courseشَهْرٌ(was) a monthوَّ رَوَاحُهَاand its afternoon courseشَهْرٌ ۚ(was) a monthوَ اَسَلْنَاand We caused to flowلَهٗfor himعَیْنَa springالْقِطْرِ ؕ(of) molten copperوَ مِنَAnd [of]الْجِنِّthe jinnمَنْwhoیَّعْمَلُworkedبَیْنَbefore himیَدَیْهِbefore himبِاِذْنِby the permissionرَبِّهٖ ؕ(of) his Lordوَ مَنْAnd whoeverیَّزِغْdeviatedمِنْهُمْamong themعَنْfromاَمْرِنَاOur CommandنُذِقْهُWe will make him tasteمِنْofعَذَابِ(the) punishmentالسَّعِیْرِ (of) the Blaze یَعْمَلُوْنَThey workedلَهٗfor himمَاwhatیَشَآءُhe willedمِنْofمَّحَارِیْبَelevated chambersوَ تَمَاثِیْلَand statuesوَ جِفَانٍand bowlsكَالْجَوَابِlike reservoirsوَ قُدُوْرٍand cooking-potsرّٰسِیٰتٍ ؕfixedاِعْمَلُوْۤاWorkاٰلَO familyدَاوٗدَ(of) Dawood!شُكْرًا ؕ(in) gratitudeوَ قَلِیْلٌBut fewمِّنْofعِبَادِیَMy slavesالشَّكُوْرُ (are) grateful فَلَمَّاThen whenقَضَیْنَاWe decreedعَلَیْهِfor himالْمَوْتَthe deathمَاnotدَلَّهُمْindicated to themعَلٰی[on]مَوْتِهٖۤhis deathاِلَّاexceptدَآبَّةُa creatureالْاَرْضِ(of) the earthتَاْكُلُeatingمِنْسَاَتَهٗ ۚhis staffفَلَمَّاBut whenخَرَّhe fell downتَبَیَّنَتِbecame clearالْجِنُّ(to) the jinnاَنْthatلَّوْifكَانُوْاthey hadیَعْلَمُوْنَknownالْغَیْبَthe unseenمَاnotلَبِثُوْاthey (would have) remainedفِیinالْعَذَابِthe punishmentالْمُهِیْنِؕhumiliating 34. Saba Page 430لَقَدْCertainlyكَانَ(there) wasلِسَبَاٍfor Sabaفِیْinمَسْكَنِهِمْtheir dwelling placeاٰیَةٌ ۚa sign:جَنَّتٰنِTwo gardensعَنْonیَّمِیْنٍ(the) rightوَّ شِمَالٍ ؕ۬and (on the) leftكُلُوْاEatمِنْfromرِّزْقِ(the) provisionرَبِّكُمْ(of) your Lordوَ اشْكُرُوْاand be gratefulلَهٗ ؕto HimبَلْدَةٌA landطَیِّبَةٌgoodوَّ رَبٌّand a Lordغَفُوْرٌ Oft-Forgiving فَاَعْرَضُوْاBut they turned awayفَاَرْسَلْنَاso We sentعَلَیْهِمْupon themسَیْلَ(the) floodالْعَرِمِ(of) the damوَ بَدَّلْنٰهُمْand We changed for themبِجَنَّتَیْهِمْtheir two gardensجَنَّتَیْنِ(with) two gardensذَوَاتَیْproducing fruitاُكُلٍproducing fruitخَمْطٍbitterوَّ اَثْلٍand tamarisksوَّ شَیْءٍand (some)thingمِّنْofسِدْرٍlote treesقَلِیْلٍ few ذٰلِكَThatجَزَیْنٰهُمْWe recompensed themبِمَاbecauseكَفَرُوْا ؕthey disbelievedوَ هَلْAnd notنُجٰزِیْۤWe recompenseاِلَّاexceptالْكَفُوْرَ the ungrateful وَ جَعَلْنَاAnd We madeبَیْنَهُمْbetween themوَ بَیْنَand betweenالْقُرَیthe townsالَّتِیْwhichبٰرَكْنَاWe had blessedفِیْهَاin itقُرًیtownsظَاهِرَةًvisibleوَّ قَدَّرْنَاAnd We determinedفِیْهَاbetween themالسَّیْرَ ؕthe journeyسِیْرُوْاTravelفِیْهَاbetween themلَیَالِیَ(by) nightوَ اَیَّامًاand (by) dayاٰمِنِیْنَ safely فَقَالُوْاBut they saidرَبَّنَاOur Lordبٰعِدْlengthen (the distance)بَیْنَbetweenاَسْفَارِنَاour journeysوَ ظَلَمُوْۤاAnd they wrongedاَنْفُسَهُمْthemselvesفَجَعَلْنٰهُمْso We made themاَحَادِیْثَnarrationsوَ مَزَّقْنٰهُمْand We dispersed themكُلَّ(in) a totalمُمَزَّقٍ ؕdispersionاِنَّIndeedفِیْinذٰلِكَthatلَاٰیٰتٍsurely (are) Signsلِّكُلِّfor everyoneصَبَّارٍpatientشَكُوْرٍ (and) grateful وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyصَدَّقَfound trueعَلَیْهِمْabout themاِبْلِیْسُIblisظَنَّهٗhis assumptionفَاتَّبَعُوْهُso they followed himاِلَّاexceptفَرِیْقًاa groupمِّنَofالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ the believers وَ مَاAnd notكَانَwasلَهٗfor himعَلَیْهِمْover themمِّنْanyسُلْطٰنٍauthorityاِلَّاexceptلِنَعْلَمَthat We (might) make evidentمَنْwhoیُّؤْمِنُbelievesبِالْاٰخِرَةِin the Hereafterمِمَّنْfrom (one) whoهُوَ[he]مِنْهَاabout itفِیْ(is) inشَكٍّ ؕdoubtوَ رَبُّكَAnd your Lordعَلٰیoverكُلِّallشَیْءٍthingsحَفِیْظٌ۠(is) a Guardian

---

Translation of Verse 12-21

12. And to Solomon ˹We subjected˺ the wind: its morning stride was a month's journey and so was its evening stride. And We caused a stream of molten copper to flow for him, and ˹We subjected˺ some of the jinn to work under him by his Lord's Will. And whoever of them deviated from Our command, We made them taste the torment of the blaze.

13. They made for him whatever he desired of sanctuaries, statues, ⁸⁷⁸ basins as large as reservoirs, and cooking pots fixed ˹into the ground˺. ˹We ordered:˺ "Work gratefully, O family of David!" ˹Only˺ a few of My servants are ˹truly˺ grateful.

14. When We decreed Solomon's death, nothing indicated to the ˹subjected˺ jinn that he was dead except the termites eating away his staff. ⁸⁷⁹ So when he collapsed, the jinn realized that if they had ˹really˺ known the unseen, they would not have remained in ˹such˺ humiliating servitude.

15. Indeed, there was a sign for ˹the tribe of˺ Sheba in their homeland: two orchards-one to the right and the other to the left. ˹They were told:˺ "Eat from the provision of your Lord, and be grateful to Him. ˹Yours is˺ a good land and a forgiving Lord."

16. But they turned away. So We sent against them a devastating flood, and replaced their orchards with two others producing bitter fruit, fruitless bushes, ⁸⁸⁰ and a few ˹sparse˺ thorny trees. ⁸⁸¹

17. This is how We rewarded them for their ingratitude. Would We ever punish ˹anyone in such a way˺ except the ungrateful?

18. We had also placed between them and the cities ⁸⁸² We showered with blessings ˹many small˺ towns within sight of one another. And We set moderate travel distances in between, ˹saying,˺ "Travel between them by day and night safely."

19. But they said, "Our Lord! Make ˹the distances of˺ our journeys longer," wronging themselves. ⁸⁸³ So We reduced them to ˹cautionary˺ tales, and scattered them utterly. Surely in this are lessons for whoever is steadfast, grateful.

20. Indeed, Iblîs ' assumption about them has come true, ⁸⁸⁴ so they ˹all˺ follow him, except a group of ˹true˺ believers.

21. He does not have any authority over them, but ˹Our Will is˺ only to distinguish those who believe in the Hereafter from those who are in doubt about it. And your Lord is a ˹vigilant˺ Keeper over all things."

---

Commentary

878. Which was permissible at the time of Solomon ( ﷺ ) .

879. Which he died while leaning on.

880. lit., tamarisks.

881. lit., lote trees.

882. i.e., Mecca and Jerusalem.

883. They became bored of living comfortably and traveling easily. A similar example can be found in 2:61, where the Children of Israel became bored with the manna and quails and wanted to eat other things such as onions and garlic.

884. Iblîs was the name of Satan before his fall from grace ( see footnote for 2:34). His assumption (or vow) was that he could easily mislead the majority of people ( see 7:16-17, 15:39-40, and 38:82-83).