34. Saba/Sheba

I/We begin by the Blessed Name of Allah

The Immensely Merciful to all, The Infinitely Compassionate to everyone.

34:01
a. The Praise and Gratitude is for Allah – the One and Only God of everyone and everything,
b. The One to WHOM belongs whatever is within the celestial realm and whatever is within the terrestrial world, and
c. the Praise be to HIM in the realm of the Hereafter.
d. And HE is All-Wise, All-Aware.

34:02
a. HE Knows whatever goes into the earth and whatever comes out of it, and
b. whatever comes down from the heaven, and whatever goes up into it.
c. HE is The Compassionate, The Forgiving.

34:03
a. And yet those who disbelieve say:
b. ‘The Last Hour will never come upon us.’
c. Say:
d. ‘Yes, indeed, it will!
e. By my Rabb - The Lord - The Knower of all that is beyond the reach of our senses and
perception,
f. it will certainly come upon you.
g. There is nothing even the weight of a speck in the celestial realm and the terrestrial world that escapes HIS Knowledge.
h. As also there is nothing even smaller than that or bigger but it is in a Clear Book.’

34:04
a. Thus HE keeps track of everything so that HE may reward those who believe and practice righteousness.
b. It is they for whom will be forgiveness and a generous provision in the Paradise.

34:05
a. As for those who challenge and strive against OUR Messages in the Qur’an,
b. seeking to undermine them and thwart their purpose,
c. those - for them will be a painful punishment of suffering.

34:06
a. And on the other hand, those who have been given the knowledge are well aware that what has been revealed on to you - O The Prophet - from your Rabb - The Lord is the truth, and
b. that it guides people on to the Path leading to The Almighty, The All-Praised.

34:07
a. While those who disbelieve say scornfully:
b. ‘Should we show you a person – Muhammad ibn Abdallah - who will tell you that once you are dismembered and rotted away in graves you will be resurrected in a new dimension of existence?’

34:08
a. ‘Has he forged a lie against Allah or is he possessed?’
b. No way!
c. Rather, it is they - who do not believe in the realm of the Hereafter - will receive punishment and are lost in gross misguidance.

34:09
a. Do they, then, not see what is known to them and what is not known to them of the celestial realm and the terrestrial world?
b. If WE wished, WE could either make the earth cave in on them or make fragments from the cosmos to fall down upon them.
c. Indeed, in this is a message for every servant of Allah turning to HIM in repentance and guidance.

34:10
a. And, indeed, WE conferred upon David great favors from US saying:
b. ‘O The Mountains!
c. Glorify ME with him, and, likewise,
d. O The Birds!
e. Glorify US too.’
f. And WE taught him how to make the iron malleable for him.

34:11
a. Guiding him to make from it perfect armor coats,
b. and design the rings of chain mail to the right measure,
c. and practice goodness,
d. for sure, I am Observant of whatever you do.

34:12
a. And to Solomon WE subjected the wind to his command -
b. its morning course was a month’s journey and its evening course was a month’s journey.
c. And WE made a spring of molten brass to flow for him like a fountain.
d. And some from among the jinn worked for him with the Permission of his Rabb - The Lord,
e. and whoever of them deviated from OUR Command, WE would make him taste the punishment of a fiery blaze.

34:13
a. They worked for him whatever he desired of them, such as:
b. prayer niches, and high edifices, and basin like cisterns, and fixed cooking pots.
c. And WE said:

d. O ‘Family of David!
e. Work in gratitude’ to ME for what I have favored you with.
f. In fact, only a few of MY servants are grateful for MY Favors.

34:14
a. Later, when WE decreed death for him - Solomon, nothing made his death evident to them
– the jinn,
b. except when an earthworm, termite, which slowly ate away of his staff from within on which his body was leaning and it broke.
c. Thus it was when he – his body - fell down to the ground, the jinn only then realized that he had passed away.
d. But if they had known the unknown, they would have also known Solomon’s passing away, and, thus not continued their demeaning punishment/labor.

34:15
a. Indeed, there was a wonder for the People of Sheba in their own homeland,
b. surrounded by two expanding tracks of orchards and agricultural farmlands, one on the right side and the other on the left side of the canal or valley.
c. Calling out to them:
d. ‘Eat from the plentiful provision of your Rabb - The Lord, and
e. be grateful to HIM for the prosperity and abundance.
f. You have a land, most wholesome.
g. And you have a Rabb - The Lord, Most Forgiving.’

34:16
a. But, in due course, they turned away from US to self-indulgence.
b. So WE unleashed upon them a devastating flash flood of ‘Arim.
c. Thus, WE transformed their two expanding tracks of orchards and agricultural farmlands into lands of ruin yielding bitter produce and tamaracks and a few wild cedar trees and a meager harvest.

34:17
a. This is how WE rewarded them for their ingratitude.
b. And would WE ever reward anyone like this except the ungrateful?
c. No. Never!

34:18
a. And before the downfall of the People of Sheba WE placed between them and the other cities that WE had blessed with prosperity and abundance - many cities that were visible on the way,
b. and, thus, WE had made traveling and trading easy for them, saying:
c. ‘Travel along the caravan routes by night and/or by day in security!’

34:19
a. But this access and safety spoiled them and they said:
b. O ‘Our Rabb - The Lord!
c. Lengthen the distance between our journeys.’
d. In so doing they were being unfair to themselves.
e. So WE made their fate a tale of old for all.
f. And WE scattered them in small groups throughout the region.
g. Surely, in this are lessons for every person who is steadfast in refraining from being ungrateful, and being grateful for Allah’s Favors.

34:20
a. And, indeed, what Iblees/Satan thought of them - the People of Sheba - was proved right
that he could corrupt humankind.
b. He called them and they followed him -
c. all except for a small group of the believers among them.

34:21
a. But he – Iblees/Satan - did not have any authority over them - the People of Sheba -
to compel them to follow him.
b. WE had allowed him to do so in order for US to distinguish those who believed in the realm of the Hereafter from those who were doubtful about it.
c. And your Rabb - The Lord is always Watchful over everything.

34:22
a. Tell them:
b. ‘Call upon those entities which you ascribe to Allah as HIS partners.
c. They do not possess even the weight of a speck in the celestial realm and/or the terrestrial world.
d. And they have no share in the creation of either of them nor has HE a helper among them.’

34:23
a. The intercession will be of no benefit with HIM, except for whom HE gives permission -
b. So much so that when panic of the Time of Resurrection has subsided from their hearts, they will ask one another:
c. ‘What did your Rabb - The Lord say?’
d. The others will answer:
e. ‘The Truth!
f. And HE is The Exalted, The Supreme.’

34:24
a. So ask them:
b. ‘Who provides for you the sources of life sustenance from the celestial realm and the terrestrial world?’
c. Say:
d. ‘Allah!
e. Surely, then, one of us, either we or you are guided aright, or are clearly lost.’
34:25
a. Then tell them:
b. If you consider that we are not rightly guided and are in clear error, then
c. ‘you will not be questioned about our lapses,
d. and, likewise we will not be questioned about what you do.’

34:26
a. Then say:
b. ‘Our Rabb - The Lord will gather us all together during the Time of Final Judgment, and
c. then HE is going to decide this matter between us in all fairness;
d. for HE alone is The Decider, The All-Knowing.’

34:27
a. Ask them:
b. ‘Show me those entities which you ascribe to HIM as partners.

c. No. It can never be so!
d. In fact, HE is the only Allah - The Almighty, The All-Wise.’

34:28
a. O The Prophet!
b. And WE have not assigned you to the humankind but as
- a Herald of good news for those who follow you, and
- a Warner for those who ignore your teachings.
c. But most people do not understand this.

34:29
a. And they ask you:
b. ‘When is this promise of the Resurrection and Final Judgment to be fulfilled?
c. Tell us if you are truthful’ in your repeated assertions.

34:30
a. Tell them:
b. ‘For you is the promise of a Time -
c. which you can neither delay by a single hour nor can you bring it closer by a single hour.’

34:31
a. And yet those who disbelieve say:
b. ‘We are never going to believe in this Qur’an nor in what was revealed before it - The Torah and The Injeel/Bible.
c. But only if you could perceive these wrongdoers made to stand before their Rabb - The Lord - some of them blaming and accusing one another, back and forth.
d. Those who had been weak and oppressed in their worldly life will say to those who were powerful and influential:
e. ‘If it were not for you, we would certainly have been believers.’

34:32
a. Those who were powerful and influential will retort back at those who had been weak and oppressed:
b. ‘Was it really us who prevented you from following The Guidance after it became obvious
to you that it was the truth?
c. No!
d. Instead, you rejected it’ by your own choice.

34:33
a. And those who had been weak and oppressed will say to those who were powerful and
influential:
b. The reality instead is …
c. what kept us away from following the truth was your false arguments and plotting, by night and by day, against Allah’s Message, when you were constantly asking us to disbelieve in Allah and to ascribe entities to HIM.’
d. And when they – both sides - see the awaiting punishment, they will be unable to express their remorse.
e. WE will, then, put iron collars around the necks of those who disbelieved and let them be in the Fire.
f. Are they not being rewarded judiciously for what they used to do?
g. Yes indeed! They will be living the consequences of their disbelief and deeds based on a
flawed faith.

34:34
a. And WE never assigned a Warner to any community without the influential people among
them saying:
b. ‘In fact, we deny what you claim to have been assigned with’ a Divine Message.

34:35
a. And they will also say:
b. ‘We are richer in wealth and have more children/family than you.
c. And so we are never going to be punished’ in the realm of the Hereafter.

34:36
a. Say:
b. ‘Indeed, my Rabb - The Lord expands HIS provisions for whoever HE Wishes,
c. and likewise restricts it for whoever HE wishes, regardless of one’s faith and status,
d. but most people do not realize’ this reality.

34:37
a. And it is neither your riches nor your children/family that will bring you near to US in closeness.
b. Rather, it is only the one who believes and practices righteousness -
c. they are the ones whose reward will be doubled for what they had been doing.
d. And they will be secure in the Celestial Chambers of Paradise: never to leave, never to die.

34:38
a. As for those who challenge OUR Messages - The Qur’an - seeking to defeat their purpose,
b. they will be held and brought forth for constant suffering: never to diminish, never to cease.

34:39
a. Say to them:
b. ‘Indeed, my Rabb - The Lord expands HIS provisions for whoever HE wishes among HIS servants,
c. and likewise restricts it for whoever HE wishes regardless of one’s faith and status.
d. And whatever you spend in the Service of HIS Cause, HE will always replace it with something better;
e. for HE is the Best of all those who provide.

34:40
a. The Time when HE is going to gather them all together and question the Angels whom some worshiped:
b. ‘Were it you these people worshiped?’

34:41
a. They will submit:
b. ‘Glory be to YOU!
c. YOU are our Master, not they.
d. It were not us.
e. Rather, they were worshiping the jinn -
f. as most of them believed in them’ as being deserving of their worship.

34:42
a. The Divine Voice will sound:
b. ‘So this Time none of you has any power to help or harm each other.’

c. And then WE are going to tell those who persistently transgressed – holding the jinn and angels in worship:
d. ‘Taste now the agony of the Fire, the very thing you used to belie and deny.’

34:43
a. And whenever OUR Clear Messages from The Qur’an are recited/conveyed to them, they allege:
b. ‘This - Muhammad - is only a human being who intends to stop you from what your
forefathers worshiped.’
c. And they also allege:
d. ‘This Qur’an is nothing but a fabricated falsehood’ by Muhammad attributed against Allah.
e. And when the Truth - The Qur’an - comes to them, those who disbelieve say of the Truth:
f. ‘This is nothing but plain deception!’

34:44
a. And even though WE had neither given them any Scriptures which they studied,
b. nor had assigned to them any Warner before you.

34:45
a. And many of those before them also denied their Prophets and Divine Messages.
b. And your people have not been given even a tenth of what WE had given them.
c. But despite this they denied MY Messengers -
d. then how awesome was MY Punishment for them!?

34:46
a. Say O The Prophet:
b. ‘I am advising you to do one thing only:
c. Stand up before Allah, whether in pairs or individually: in groups or alone;
d. and then reflect:
e. Your companion Muhammad is not possessed by a jinn.
f. He is only a Warner assigned for you in the face of an extreme impending punishment’- if you disobeyed him and his message.

34:47
a. Say O The Prophet:
b. ‘Whatever reward you may think that I might ask you for - it is all yours.
c. My reward is only with Allah.
d. And HE is the Witness over everything:’ observing all, knowing my truthfulness.

34:48
a. Then tell them:
b. ‘Indeed, my Rabb - The Lord spreads The Truth - The Qur’an - in hearts of the believers.
c. HE is The Knower of all that is beyond human senses and perception.

34:49
a. Say:
b. ‘The Truth has come.
c. And objects of falsehood – entities of their worship - can neither create anything new nor
can resurrect’ anything.

34:50
a. Finally, tell them:
b. Even if ‘I were to abandon the true faith, then my abandoning it will mean it to be my own loss.
c. And if I am guided aright, it is through what my Rabb - The Lord reveals onto me of the Qur’an and its wisdom.
d. Indeed, HE is All-Listening and Ever-Close.’

34:51
a. O The Prophet!
b. And if you could only perceive the time when they will be terrified of death,
c. and there will be no escape,
d. for they will be seized from a very near place.

34:52
a. And they will then cry out in panic:
b. ‘We believe in it now!’
c. But how could they attain to this belief from a place so far away?

34:53
a. And they had already denied and belied it before during their worldly lifetime, and
b. were prone to speculate and make hypothetical value judgments about what was far beyond their perception - reality of the Hereafter.

34:54
a. So a barrier will be cast between them and what they desire, just as was done with those like them before.
b. Indeed, they too had been in grave misgivings about it.