Surah Saba
Contents
All praise is due to God, to whom belongs what is in the heavens and what is on earth; and to whom is due all praise in the hereafter, and who is perfectly wise and completely aware, [34:1]
knowing what goes into the earth and what conies out of it, and what descends from the sky and what ascends to it; and being the epitome of mercy and forgiveness. [34:2]
Yet those who scoff say, “The end of time will never come upon us.” Say, “Oh, yes, by my Lord, it will surely come upon you, by the Knower of the unseen, from whom not so much as a particle escapes note, in the heavens or on earth; and there is nothing smaller than that, or anything larger, but is in a clear record, [34:3]
“that God may reward those who have been faithful and done good works; for them there is forgiveness and a generous provision.” [34:4]
As for those who have striven to thwart Our signs, they will suffer punishment from a painful plague. [34:5]
But those to whom knowledge has been given see that what has been sent down to you from your Lord is the truth, guiding to the path of the Almighty, the One worthy of all praise. [34:6]
Yet those who scoff say, “Shall we show you a man who tells you that when you have been dissolved in total disintegration you will be in a new creation? [34:7]
“He has made up a lie about God; or has a demon possessed him?” But those who don’t believe in the hereafter are in torment, and very far astray: [34:8]
Haven’t they seen what is in front of them, and what is behind them, of the sky and the earth? If We wished, We could cause the earth to cave in with them, or make the sky fall on them in pieces. Surely there is a sign in that for every repentant mortal. [34:9]
We did indeed bestow on David favor from Us: “O mountains, and birds, sing the praises of God along with him.” And We softened iron for him: [34:10]
“Make coats of mail, arranging the linking rings; and act with integrity, for We see whatever you do.” [34:11]
And to Solomon was subordinated the wind, its morning a month and its evening a month. And We made a spring of molten brass flow for him; and there were sprites that worked in front of him, by permission of his Lord: and any of them who deviated from Our order, We had taste of the torment of the inferno. [34:12]
They made for him what he wanted— pavilions, statues, bowls like pools, and stable cauldrons: “Work, clan of David, gratefully.” But few are the thankful among My servants. [34:13]
And when We ordained death for him, nothing indicated his death but an earthworm eating his staff. Then when he fell, the sprites saw that if they had known the unseen they would not have remained in the degrading torment. [34:14]
There was certainly a sign for Sheba in their homeland, two gardens, to the right and the left: “Partake of the provision of your Lord, and give thanks for it; a pleasant region and a forgiving Lord.” [34:15]
But they turned away, and We sent the flood of the dam against them, and We changed their two gardens into two fields of bitter fruits, with tamarisk and a little lotus tree. [34:16]
That was Our repaying them for their ingratitude. And do We punish any but the ungrateful? [34:17]
We placed towns in sight of one another between them and the cities We blessed, and measured the journey between them: “Travel safely therein by night and by day.” [34:18]
But they said, “Our Lord, lengthen the distances between the stages of our journeys,” and they wronged themselves, so We made stories of them, and scattered them all over. Surely there are signs in that for everyone who’s constant and grateful. [34:19]
The devil confirmed his opinion of them, and they followed him, except a segment of the faithful. [34:20]
Yet he had no authority over them, except for Us to discern who believes in the hereafter from those who are in doubt about it. And your Lord watches over all things. [34:21]
Say, “Pray to those you believe besides God: they haven’t a particle of power, in the heavens or on earth; they have no share of either, and God has no backer among them.” [34:22]
So no intercession avails with God, except for someone God has permitted: then when fear is gone from their hearts, they will say, “What was that your Lord said?” They will say, “The truth; and it is most lofty and most comprehensive.” [34:23]
Say, “Who provides for you from the skies and the earth?” Say, “God. And either you or we are surely following direction or are in evident error.” [34:24]
Say, “You will not be called to answer for our sins, nor will we be called to answer for what you do.” [34:25]
Say, “Our Lord will gather us together and judge among us by truth, as the most knowing judge.” [34:26]
Say, “Show me those you associate with God. Certainly not—God is the almighty, the supremely wise. ” [34:27]
And We have only sent you universally to all people, as a herald and a Warner; but most people do not know: [34:28]
They still say, “When is this promise to be, if you are telling the truth?” [34:29]
Say, “There is an appointment for you, on a day you cannot delay for even an hour, and cannot bring about either.” [34:30]
Those who scoff say, “We will never believe in this Recital, or in that before it.” But if you could only see the wrongdoers when they are stood before their Lord, throwing back allegations at one another: those who had been despised will say to the self-aggrandized, “But for you, we would have been believers.” [34:31]
The self-aggrandized will say to those who were despised, “Did we hold you back from the guidance after it came to you? No, you were the guilty ones.” [34:32]
And the despised will say to those puffed up with pride, “No, it was a scheme of the night and the day: you instructed us to deny God and set up idols as equivalents to God.” And they will confide their regret when they see the penalty, as We will put yokes on the necks of the scoffers. Will they be repaid for aught but what they have done? [34:33]
Whenever We sent a warner to a community, its affluent members said, “We reject what you were sent with.” [34:34]
And they said, “We have more property and children, and we are not to be chastised.” [34:35]
Say, “My Lord expands or restricts the provision of anyone, at will, though most of humanity does not realize.” [34:36]
It is not your property or your children that will bring you closer to Our presence: only those who have faith and act with integrity are those who will have a compounded reward for what they have done; and they will be secure in the chambers on high. [34:37]
As for those who strive to thwart Our signs, they will be brought to punishment. [34:38]
Say, “My Lord expands the provision of any servant at will, and regulates it; and whatever you disburse, God will replace it, being the best of providers.” [34:39]
And one day God will gather them all together, and then say to the angels, “Did these people worship you?” [34:40]
They will say, “Glory to You! You are our patron, not they. But they used to worship the sprites, in which most of them believed.” [34:41]
So on that day none of you will be capable of helping or hurting anyone else. And We will say to those who went wrong, “Taste the agony of the fire that you used to deny.” [34:42]
Yet when Our enlightening signs are recited to them, they say, “This is nothing but a man who wants to alienate you from what your ancestors worshipped.” And they say, “This is nothing but a fabricated lie.” And those who repudiate truth when it comes to them say, “This is but obvious enchantment.” [34:43]
But We have not given them Books to study, and We haven’t sent a warner to them before you. [34:44]
Those before them also denied the truth —and these have not gotten a tenth of what We gave to those— so they rejected My messengers. And how intense My disapproval! [34:45]
Say, “I only make a single appeal to you, that you stand before God, in pairs or alone, and reflect: your companion is not possessed; he is but a warner to you, before a severe torment.” [34:46]
Say, “I ask you for no reward; it is for you. My reward is up to God alone, who is witness to all things.” [34:47]
Say, “My Lord hurls the truth, knowing all mysteries.” [34:48]
Say, “Truth has arrived; and the false neither creates nor restores.” [34:49]
Say, “If I am mistaken, I just err on my own; while if I am guided, it is by what my Lord reveals to me by inspiration, as God is listening, nearby.” [34:50]
If only you could see when they are smitten with fear but have no escape, and are very shortly seized: [34:51]
Then they will say, “Now we believe in it!” But how could they be receptive from afar, [34:52]
having scoffed at it before, discarding the unseen from far away? [34:53]
And there is a barrier between them and what they want, like what affected their kind before, as they were in disquieting doubt. [34:54]