Part of The Gentle Commentary (series completed)
· Lesson 81 of 117
The nice comment on the book of cards identifying the surahs of the Holy Qur’an | D. Muhammad Nassif | Surah Sheba
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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A brief commentary
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on the book *Identification Cards*
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*for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an*,
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by Dr. Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn 'Umar Nasif,
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may Allah preserve him.
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Surah Saba'.
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings
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be upon the Messenger of Allah,
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and upon his family, his Companions, and all who follow him perpetually.
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A brief commentary
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on the identification cards,
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focusing on Surah Saba'.
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Here we observe that Saba' is the name of a tribe,
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and this tribe
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was ungrateful for Allah's favors, as depicted in this surah.
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Although the surah mentions Dawud
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and Sulayman,
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it was not named after either of them;
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rather, it was named Saba'.
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This indicates the primary objective of the surah,
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as it addresses the disbelievers
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first and foremost,
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rather than the righteous servants of Allah, even though it mentions them.
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Therefore, regarding the surah's central theme,
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the author wrote that it is recognized by pondering its distinct sections.
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However, it is more accurate to say
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that it is recognized by reflecting upon its name
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and the opening verses of its sections.
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For its name
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signifies its theme;
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as soon as you hear "Saba',"
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you recall that it addresses the disbelievers,
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while also speaking of others,
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because the Qur'an pairs intimidation with encouraging hope.
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The second point
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concerns the opening verses of its sections,
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which I suggested adding the word "openings" to describe,
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as they also help
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in discerning the surah's central theme:
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namely, refuting the disbelievers.
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Thus, these openings begin
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with mentioning the disbelievers:
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"And those who disbelieve say..."
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There are multiple verses containing the phrase:
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"And those who disbelieve say."
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The first is:
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"And those who disbelieve say,
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'The Hour will not come to us,'"
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in the third verse;
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and in the seventh verse,
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which marks the second section of the first part:
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"And those who disbelieve say,
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'Shall we direct you to a man...?'"
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Whenever such an assertion is repeated,
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you will find between one assertion and the next
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a refutation or guidance.
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Then comes
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the second part, which also begins:
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"And those who disbelieve say..."
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“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)
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“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)
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These verses
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demonstrate that the surah
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primarily addresses the disbelievers.
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At its conclusion, there is a dreadful warning
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directed at the disbelievers,
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right at the end of the surah.
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Hence, the author wrote: "Concluding with a threat
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depicting their state amidst terror
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in a manner..."
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He wrote here: "wondrous and terrifying" (badi'an mari'an),
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but this is an error;
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it should be "appalling or terrifying."
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It is wondrous in terms of language and rhetoric,
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yet profoundly terrifying.
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“Couldst thou but see when they are terrified with no escape, and are seized from near at hand,” (34:51)
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“Couldst thou but see when they are terrified with no escape, and are seized from near at hand,” (34:51)
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Returning briefly to the third point:
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within this surah,
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alongside these statements
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of the disbelievers—and you will find
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this in the sections of the surah
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on the second line
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from the bottom—the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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is directly instructed
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on how to refute them:
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"Say," "Say," "Say."
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This recurs across many surahs,
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but I wished to emphasize here
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that a Muslim must base
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his refutations of the disbelievers,
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his answers to
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their misconceptions,
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and his dealings with them
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in general, upon
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divine revelation.
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If one desires to follow
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the way of the Prophet, peace be upon him—
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adhering to his Sunnah and his methodology—
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“Say: This is my Way: I call on Allah with sure knowledge. I and whosoever followeth me - Glory be to Allah! - and I am not of the idolaters.” (12:108)
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“Say: This is my Way: I call on Allah with sure knowledge. I and whosoever followeth me - Glory be to Allah! - and I am not of the idolaters.” (12:108)
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there is no need to search
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for alternative solutions.
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The Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Chosen Prophet
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from 'Adnan—which is the practical implementation of that Qur'an—
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are the sole means
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by which our da'wah,
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our answers, our rebuttals,
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and our interactions with the disbelievers
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can be sound and upright.
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This will serve as a path to their guidance,
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should Allah decree guidance for them,
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and ensure that we have fulfilled
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our duty toward them.
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This is what I wished to note regarding this surah,
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and I ask Allah to grant success to all.
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May Allah send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad,
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and upon his family and all his Companions. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.