In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. Aqil Ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah Saba'.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“Say: Who giveth you provision from the sky and the earth? Say: Allah, Lo! we or you assuredly are rightly guided or in error manifest.” (34:24)
"And indeed, we or you are either upon guidance or in clear error."
Say, O Muhammad, to these polytheists:
“Say: Who giveth you provision from the sky and the earth? Say: Allah, Lo! we or you assuredly are rightly guided or in error manifest.” (34:24)
By His sending down rain, He brings life to your crops.
By His subjecting the sun, the moon, and the stars for your benefit.
And by the earth, through His bringing forth from it your sustenance and the sustenance of your livestock.
If they say, "We do not know,"
Then say, "The One who provides you with all that is Allah."
Say to them, "We are either upon guidance or in error."
Or, "You are either in error or upon guidance."
“Say: Ye will not be asked of what we committed, nor shall we be asked of what ye do.” (34:25)
“Say: Our Lord will bring us all together, then He will judge between us with truth. He is the All-knowing Judge.” (34:26)
Say to these polytheists:
"One of our two parties is upon guidance, and the other is in clear error."
"You will not be asked about what we have committed of crimes."
"Nor will we be asked about what you do of deeds."
Say to them, "Our Lord will bring us together on the Day of Resurrection in His presence."
"Then He will judge between us with justice."
"At that time, it will become clear who among us is guided and who is astray."
And Allah is the Judge, All-Knowing in His judgment between His creation.
“Say: Show me those whom ye have joined unto Him as partners. Nay (ye dare not)! For He is Allah, the Mighty, the Wise.” (34:27)
“Say: Show me those whom ye have joined unto Him as partners. Nay (ye dare not)! For He is Allah, the Mighty, the Wise.” (34:27)
Say, O Muhammad, to these polytheists:
"Show me those whom you have associated with Allah,"
"And whom you have made partners to Him in your worship."
"What have they created from the earth?"
"Or do they have a share in the heavens?"
They have lied; the matter is not as they described.
Rather, He is the only One worthy of worship, who has no partner.
And He is the Almighty in His retribution against those who associate partners with Him.
The All-Wise in His management of His creation.
“And We have not sent thee (O Muhammad) save as a bringer of good tidings and a warner unto all mankind; but most of mankind know not.” (34:28)
“And We have not sent thee (O Muhammad) save as a bringer of good tidings and a warner unto all mankind; but most of mankind know not.” (34:28)
And We have not sent you, O Muhammad, only to your own people,
But We have sent you to all of mankind.
A bringer of glad tidings to those who obey you, and a warner to those who deny you.
But most people do not know that Allah has sent you likewise to all of humanity.
And they say, "When will this promise come to pass, if you are truthful?"
“Say (O Muhammad): Yours is the promise of a Day which ye cannot postpone nor hasten by an hour.” (34:30)
These polytheists say, "At what time will this promise occur?"
"If you are truthful in what you promise us, that it will indeed happen."
Say to them, O Muhammad, "You have an appointment for a day which you cannot delay,"
"By even an hour when it comes to you, so that you might repent and turn back."
"Nor can you hasten it, for Allah has set a fixed term for you."
“And those who disbelieve say: We believe not in this Qur'an nor in that which was before it; but oh, if thou couldst see, when the wrong-doers are brought up before their Lord, how they cast the blame one to another; how those who were despised (in the earth) say unto those who were proud: But for you, we should have been believers.” (34:31)
“And those who disbelieve say: We believe not in this Qur'an nor in that which was before it; but oh, if thou couldst see, when the wrong-doers are brought up before their Lord, how they cast the blame one to another; how those who were despised (in the earth) say unto those who were proud: But for you, we should have been believers.” (34:31)
“And those who disbelieve say: We believe not in this Qur'an nor in that which was before it; but oh, if thou couldst see, when the wrong-doers are brought up before their Lord, how they cast the blame one to another; how those who were despised (in the earth) say unto those who were proud: But for you, we should have been believers.” (34:31)
“And those who disbelieve say: We believe not in this Qur'an nor in that which was before it; but oh, if thou couldst see, when the wrong-doers are brought up before their Lord, how they cast the blame one to another; how those who were despised (in the earth) say unto those who were proud: But for you, we should have been believers.” (34:31)
“And those who disbelieve say: We believe not in this Qur'an nor in that which was before it; but oh, if thou couldst see, when the wrong-doers are brought up before their Lord, how they cast the blame one to another; how those who were despised (in the earth) say unto those who were proud: But for you, we should have been believers.” (34:31)
Nor by the Book that came before it.
And if you could see when the wrongdoers are detained before their Lord, blaming one another and arguing.
The oppressed will say to those who were arrogant among them,
"Had it not been for you, O leaders and elites of the world, we would have been believers in Allah and His signs."
“Those who were proud say unto those who were despised: Did we drive you away from the guidance after it had come unto you? Nay, but ye were guilty.” (34:32)
“Those who were proud say unto those who were despised: Did we drive you away from the guidance after it had come unto you? Nay, but ye were guilty.” (34:32)
Those who were arrogant in the world will say to those who were oppressed and followed the people of error:
"Did we divert you from guidance and prevent you from following the truth after it had come to you from Allah, making it clear to you?"
"Rather, you were criminals; your preference for disbelief in Allah over faith prevented you from following guidance and believing in Allah and His Messenger."
“Those who were despised say unto those who were proud: Nay but (it was your) scheming night and day, when ye commanded us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals unto Him. And they are filled with remorse when they behold the doom; and We place carcans on the necks of those who disbelieved. Are they requited aught save what they used to do?” (34:33)
“Those who were despised say unto those who were proud: Nay but (it was your) scheming night and day, when ye commanded us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals unto Him. And they are filled with remorse when they behold the doom; and We place carcans on the necks of those who disbelieved. Are they requited aught save what they used to do?” (34:33)
And they will conceal their regret when they see the punishment.
“Those who were despised say unto those who were proud: Nay but (it was your) scheming night and day, when ye commanded us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals unto Him. And they are filled with remorse when they behold the doom; and We place carcans on the necks of those who disbelieved. Are they requited aught save what they used to do?” (34:33)
And those who were oppressed and followed their leaders will say to those who were arrogant:
"Rather, your plotting by night and day diverted us from guidance, as you commanded us to disbelieve in Allah and set up equals and rivals to Him in worship and divinity."
And they will regret their failure to obey Allah in the world when they witness the punishment Allah has prepared for them.
And the hands of those who disbelieved in Allah will be shackled to their necks in the chains of Hellfire.
As a recompense for what they used to disbelieve in Allah in the world.
“And We sent not unto any township a warner, but its pampered ones declared: Lo! we are disbelievers in that wherewith ye have been sent.” (34:34)
And We did not send a warner to any city to warn them of Our punishment,
But its wealthy and arrogant leaders said, "We are disbelievers in the message of the oneness of Allah with which you have been sent."
“And they say: We are more (than you) in wealth and children. We are not the punished!” (34:35)
And the arrogant ones from every city said, "We are greater in wealth and children, and we will not be punished in the Hereafter."
"For if Allah were not pleased with our religion and deeds, He would not have granted us wealth and children."
“Say (O Muhammad): Lo! my Lord enlargeth the provision for whom He will and narroweth it (for whom He will). But most of mankind know not.” (34:36)
Say to them, O Muhammad, "Indeed, my Lord extends provision in the world to whom He wills of His creation and restricts it for whom He wills."
It is not out of love for those to whom He extends it, nor out of hatred for those to whom He restricts it, but He does so to test and try His servants.
And most people do not know that Allah does this to test His servants.
“And it is not your wealth nor your children that will bring you near unto Us, but he who believeth and doeth good (he draweth near). As for such, theirs will be twofold reward for what they did and they will dwell secure in lofty halls.” (34:37)
And it is not your wealth, which you boast about to people, nor your children, through whom you act arrogantly, that will bring you closer to Us, except for those who believe and do righteous deeds.
For their wealth and children will bring them closer through their obedience to Allah in that regard.
These will have a double reward from Allah for what they did—tenfold—and they will be secure in the high chambers of Paradise from the punishment of Allah.
“And as for those who strive against Our revelations, challenging, they will be brought to the doom.” (34:38)
And those who strive against Our signs and the verses of Our Book, seeking to invalidate them and wanting to extinguish His light,
Thinking they can escape Us and render Us helpless, those will be brought into the punishment of Hell on the Day of Resurrection.
“Say: Lo! my Lord enlargeth the provision for whom He will of His bondmen, and narroweth (it) for him. And whatsoever ye spend (for good) He replaceth it. And He is the Best of Providers.” (34:39)
Say, O Muhammad, "Indeed, my Lord extends provision to whom He wills of His creation, expanding it for him as an honor or otherwise."
"And He restricts it for whom He wills, narrowing it as a humiliation or otherwise, but rather as a trial and a test."
And whatever you spend, O people, in the obedience of Allah, He will replace it for you.
And He is the best of those who are said to provide, and He is described as such.
“And on the day when He will gather them all together, He will say unto the angels: Did these worship you?” (34:40)
“They will say: Be Thou Glorified. Thou (alone) art our Guardian, not them! Nay, but they worshipped the jinn; most of them were believers in them.” (34:41)
And on the Day We gather these disbelievers all together, then say to the angels, "Did these people use to worship you instead of Us?"
The angels will disassociate themselves from them and say, "Exalted are You, our Lord! We are free from the partners and rivals these people have attributed to You."
"You are our Protector, not them; we do not take any protector besides You. Rather, they used to worship the jinn, and most of them were believers in the jinn, claiming they were the daughters of Allah."
“That day ye will possess no use nor hurt one for another. And We shall say unto those who did wrong: Taste the doom of the Fire which ye used to deny.” (34:42)
So today, you angels have no power to benefit or harm those who used to worship you in the world.
And We will say to those who worshipped other than Allah, placing worship in the wrong place, "Taste the punishment of the Fire which you used to deny in the world, for you have now entered it."
“And if Our revelations are recited unto them in plain terms, they say: This is naught else than a man who would turn you away from what your fathers used to worship; and they say: This is naught else than an invented lie. Those who disbelieve say of the truth when it reacheth them: This is naught else than mere magic.” (34:43)
“And if Our revelations are recited unto them in plain terms, they say: This is naught else than a man who would turn you away from what your fathers used to worship; and they say: This is naught else than an invented lie. Those who disbelieve say of the truth when it reacheth them: This is naught else than mere magic.” (34:43)
And when the clear verses of Our Book are recited to these polytheists, proving they are the truth from Us, they say, "Do not follow Muhammad, for he is only a man who wants to divert you from the idols your fathers used to worship."
And these polytheists said, "This which you recite to us, O Muhammad, is nothing but a fabricated lie."
And the disbelievers said to Muhammad, peace be upon him, when Allah sent him as a Prophet, "This is clear magic, which is obvious to anyone who sees and contemplates it."
“And We have given them no scriptures which they study, nor sent We unto them, before thee, any warner.” (34:44)
And We did not give the polytheists any books to read, nor did We send to these polytheists of your people, O Muhammad, any warner before you to warn them of Our punishment.
“Those before them denied, and these have not attained a tithe of that which We bestowed on them (of old); yet they denied My messengers. How intense then was My abhorrence (of them)!” (34:45)
And those before them from the nations denied Our messengers and Our revelation.
And your people, O Muhammad, have not attained even a tenth of what We gave those before them from the nations in terms of strength, power, might, and other blessings.
So they denied My messengers when they brought them My message, so I punished them. See, O Muhammad, how My change of state and My punishment were.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.