فَلَمَّا جَآءَتۡ قِيلَ أَهَٰكَذَا عَرۡشُكِۖ قَالَتۡ كَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَۚ وَأُوتِينَا ٱلۡعِلۡمَ مِن قَبۡلِهَا وَكُنَّا مُسۡلِمِينَ 42

42        So when she came, it was said (to her): “Does your throne look like this?” She said: “It looks as if it is the same throne.” (Sulaiman ( peace be upon him )  said:) “We were already given this knowledge before she came that she will surrender to us in obedience” – Tafseer Ibn-Kathir.

وَصَدَّهَا مَا كَانَت تَّعۡبُدُ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّهَا كَانَتۡ مِن قَوۡمٖ كَٰفِرِينَ 43

43        And the habit of worshipping others besides Allah had prevented her to be a believer, (she had this habit) since she lived among the disbelieving people.

قِيلَ لَهَا ٱدۡخُلِي ٱلصَّرۡحَۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَتۡهُ حَسِبَتۡهُ لُجَّةٗ وَكَشَفَتۡ عَن سَاقَيۡهَاۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ صَرۡحٞ مُّمَرَّدٞ مِّن قَوَارِيرَۗ قَالَتۡ رَبِّ إِنِّي ظَلَمۡتُ نَفۡسِي وَأَسۡلَمۡتُ مَعَ سُلَيۡمَٰنَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ 44

44        (Here is a proof of Sulaiman’s ( peace be upon him )  superiority over Saba as far as this worldly life is concerned). It was said to Saba: “Enter this palace. When she saw it, she thought it was a pool or lake of water (in its courtyard). Hence, she exposed her shanks (lower parts of legs by pulling up her dress). Sulaiman ( peace be upon him )  said: “It is merely a glass surface of this palace (with water underneath it).” Saba said: “My Creator! Indeed, I have wronged myself, and I submit myself along with Sulaiman ( peace be upon him ) , to Allah, the Creator of the universe.”

وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَآ إِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمۡ صَٰلِحًا أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ فَإِذَا هُمۡ فَرِيقَانِ يَخۡتَصِمُونَ 45

45        And, indeed, We sent to Thamud (people) their brother Salih ( peace be upon him ) , saying: “Worship Allah (Alone). But they became two groups (believers and disbelievers) quarrelling with one another.”

قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ لِمَ تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَ بِٱلسَّيِّئَةِ قَبۡلَ ٱلۡحَسَنَةِۖ لَوۡلَا تَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ 46

46        Salih ( peace be upon him )  said: “O my people! Why are you hurrying for the evil (torment) before the goodness (from Allah’s Mercy)? Why don’t you seek forgiveness of Allah so that His Mercy be showered upon you?”

قَالُواْ ٱطَّيَّرۡنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَۚ قَالَ طَٰٓئِرُكُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِۖ بَلۡ أَنتُمۡ قَوۡمٞ تُفۡتَنُونَ 47

47        They said: “We consider you and those with you an ill omen for us.” Salih ( peace be upon him )  said: “Your ill omen is with Allah. In fact, you are a people who are being tested.”

وَكَانَ فِي ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ تِسۡعَةُ رَهۡطٖ يُفۡسِدُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا يُصۡلِحُونَ 48

48        And there were nine leaders in the city, who used to spread mischief in the land and would not reform.

قَالُواْ تَقَاسَمُواْ بِٱللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُۥ وَأَهۡلَهُۥ ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهِۦ مَا شَهِدۡنَا مَهۡلِكَ أَهۡلِهِۦ وَإِنَّا لَصَٰدِقُونَ 49

49        (One time they plotted the following mischief) They said: “Swear by Allah that we shall attack Salih ( peace be upon him )  and his family during the night and, then, we shall surely say to his near relatives: ‘We did not witness the destruction of his family, and we are telling the truth.”’

وَمَكَرُواْ مَكۡرٗا وَمَكَرۡنَا مَكۡرٗا وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ 50

50        So they hatched a plot and We made a plan too, while they were not aware of it (i.e. a big rock fell on them and they were completely destroyed – Ad-dur-al-Manthur).

فَٱنظُرۡ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ مَكۡرِهِمۡ أَنَّا دَمَّرۡنَٰهُمۡ وَقَوۡمَهُمۡ أَجۡمَعِينَ 51

51        Then see what the end of their plotting was. Indeed, We destroyed them (as described) and their nation altogether (since the community was the supporter of the mischief makers).

فَتِلۡكَ بُيُوتُهُمۡ خَاوِيَةَۢ بِمَا ظَلَمُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَعۡلَمُونَ 52

52        So, these are their houses absolutely ruined for the wrong they did. Indeed, there is a lesson in it for the people who have (beneficial) knowledge.

وَأَنجَيۡنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَكَانُواْ يَتَّقُونَ 53

53        And We saved those who believed and used to fear (Allah).

وَلُوطًا إِذۡ قَالَ لِقَوۡمِهِۦٓ أَتَأۡتُونَ ٱلۡفَٰحِشَةَ وَأَنتُمۡ تُبۡصِرُونَ 54

54        And (remember) Lut ( peace be upon him ) ! When he said to his people: “Do you engage in obscene activities while you understand (these are obscene activities)?

أَئِنَّكُمۡ لَتَأۡتُونَ ٱلرِّجَالَ شَهۡوَةٗ مِّن دُونِ ٱلنِّسَآءِۚ بَلۡ أَنتُمۡ قَوۡمٞ تَجۡهَلُونَ 55

55        “Do you satisfy your sexual lust with men instead of women? In fact, you are absolutely foolish people.”

۞فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوۡمِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُوٓاْ أَخۡرِجُوٓاْ ءَالَ لُوطٖ مِّن قَرۡيَتِكُمۡۖ إِنَّهُمۡ أُنَاسٞ يَتَطَهَّرُونَ 56

56 So his people had no other answer to give except that they said: “Expel the fami-ly of Lut ( peace be upon him )  from your town since they pretend to be clean and pure people.”

فَأَنجَيۡنَٰهُ وَأَهۡلَهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱمۡرَأَتَهُۥ قَدَّرۡنَٰهَا مِنَ ٱلۡغَٰبِرِينَ 57

57 So We saved him and his family, except his wife. We destined her (due to her disbelief) to be of those who remained behind (in the torment). 

وَأَمۡطَرۡنَا عَلَيۡهِم مَّطَرٗاۖ فَسَآءَ مَطَرُ ٱلۡمُنذَرِينَ 58

58 And We rained down on them a (new kind of) rain (of stones). What an evil rain it was for the people who were warned (before this rain).

قُلِ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ وَسَلَٰمٌ عَلَىٰ عِبَادِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱصۡطَفَىٰٓۗ ءَآللَّهُ خَيۡرٌ أَمَّا يُشۡرِكُونَ 59

59 [O Muham-mad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] Say: “All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace be on His slaves whom He has chosen (as His mes-sengers). Is Allah better or those whom they ascribe as partners in worship with Allah?

أَمَّنۡ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَأَنزَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَأَنۢبَتۡنَا بِهِۦ حَدَآئِقَ ذَاتَ بَهۡجَةٖ مَّا كَانَ لَكُمۡ أَن تُنۢبِتُواْ شَجَرَهَآۗ أَءِلَٰهٞ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِۚ بَلۡ هُمۡ قَوۡمٞ يَعۡدِلُونَ 60

60 Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth and sent down rain water for you from the sky, and made the lovely gardens to grow with this water, it was not possible for you to grow the trees of these gardens (better than your gods)? Does any other deity deserve to be worshipped along with Allah? (Not at all). Yet they make other gods equal to Allah!

أَمَّن جَعَلَ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ قَرَارٗا وَجَعَلَ خِلَٰلَهَآ أَنۡهَٰرٗا وَجَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَٰسِيَ وَجَعَلَ بَيۡنَ ٱلۡبَحۡرَيۡنِ حَاجِزًاۗ أَءِلَٰهٞ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِۚ بَلۡ أَكۡثَرُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ 61

61 Is not He Who has made the earth as a fixed and firm abode and canals to flow in it and placed mountains on it and has made a barrier between the two seas (better than your gods)? Does any other deity deserve to be worshipped along with Allah? (Not at all). Infact, most of them know nothing.