لَقَدۡ كَانَ لِسَبَإٖ فِي مَسۡكَنِهِمۡ ءَايَةٞۖ جَنَّتَانِ عَن يَمِينٖ وَشِمَالٖۖ كُلُواْ مِن رِّزۡقِ رَبِّكُمۡ وَٱشۡكُرُواْ لَهُۥۚ بَلۡدَةٞ طَيِّبَةٞ وَرَبٌّ غَفُورٞ 15

15        Indeed, there was a sign (of the Power) of Allah for the people of Saba in their place of residence. There were two (rows of) gardens (on each road), one on the right and the other on the left. (These gardens provided shade, plenty of food and income). (And it was said to them through Prophets): “Eat of the provision of your Creator and thank Him (for it). (Here is a reminder of two Favours of Allah for them) a nice city (as a worldly Favour) and Very-Forgiving Creator (a Favour for the Hereafter).

فَأَعۡرَضُواْ فَأَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ سَيۡلَ ٱلۡعَرِمِ وَبَدَّلۡنَٰهُم بِجَنَّتَيۡهِمۡ جَنَّتَيۡنِ ذَوَاتَيۡ أُكُلٍ خَمۡطٖ وَأَثۡلٖ وَشَيۡءٖ مِّن سِدۡرٖ قَلِيلٖ 16

16        So they turned away (from the obedience of Allah). Hence, We released against them water flood from a dam, and We changed their two-rows of gardens into two gardens having only bitter fruits, (plenty of) tamarisks and a few lote-trees.

ذَٰلِكَ جَزَيۡنَٰهُم بِمَا كَفَرُواْۖ وَهَلۡ نُجَٰزِيٓ إِلَّا ٱلۡكَفُورَ 17

17        Thus We repaid them for their ungratefulness (i.e. disbelieving). We punish like this none except those who are (highly) ungrateful (disbelievers).

وَجَعَلۡنَا بَيۡنَهُمۡ وَبَيۡنَ ٱلۡقُرَى ٱلَّتِي بَٰرَكۡنَا فِيهَا قُرٗى ظَٰهِرَةٗ وَقَدَّرۡنَا فِيهَا ٱلسَّيۡرَۖ سِيرُواْ فِيهَا لَيَالِيَ وَأَيَّامًا ءَامِنِينَ 18

18        And (another sign of Allah’s Power is) We placed, between them and the towns which We had blessed, additional towns which were easily visible (and accessible during the journey). We fixed (easy) stages of their journey (from town to town). (Saying): “Travel in them with safety (and comfort), by night or day.”

فَقَالُواْ رَبَّنَا بَٰعِدۡ بَيۡنَ أَسۡفَارِنَا وَظَلَمُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمۡ أَحَادِيثَ وَمَزَّقۡنَٰهُمۡ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٖ شَكُورٖ 19

19        But they said: “Our Creator! Make the stages of our journey longer.” And since they wronged themselves (by disobeying Allah), thus We made them as tales (of the past), and We broke them into groups and dispersed them all over (the world). Indeed, there are signs in it for every patient and grateful person.

وَلَقَدۡ صَدَّقَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ إِبۡلِيسُ ظَنَّهُۥ فَٱتَّبَعُوهُ إِلَّا فَرِيقٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ 20

20        And Satan did prove his thinking about them true since all of them obeyed Satan except a group of (true) believers.

وَمَا كَانَ لَهُۥ عَلَيۡهِم مِّن سُلۡطَٰنٍ إِلَّا لِنَعۡلَمَ مَن يُؤۡمِنُ بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ مِمَّنۡ هُوَ مِنۡهَا فِي شَكّٖۗ وَرَبُّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ حَفِيظٞ 21

21        And Satan had no authority over them except that We intended to let those be known who believed in the Hereafter and those who were in doubt about it. And your Creator is watchful over everything.

قُلِ ٱدۡعُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ زَعَمۡتُم مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَا يَمۡلِكُونَ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٖ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَلَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا لَهُمۡ فِيهِمَا مِن شِرۡكٖ وَمَا لَهُۥ مِنۡهُم مِّن ظَهِيرٖ 22

22        [O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] Say: “Call (all) those whom you consider gods besides Allah. They don’t have even a tiny bit of authority in the heavens or in the earth, nor have they any share in them, nor is any of them a helper (of Allah).” 

وَلَا تَنفَعُ ٱلشَّفَٰعَةُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا لِمَنۡ أَذِنَ لَهُۥۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا فُزِّعَ عَن قُلُوبِهِمۡ قَالُواْ مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمۡۖ قَالُواْ ٱلۡحَقَّۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيُّ ٱلۡكَبِيرُ 23

23        And no intercession with Allah will be useful except for him whom He permits. (When Allah commands about something in heavens, the angels tremble with fear – Ibn-Kathir) when fear is removed from their hearts (i.e. from the nearest angels to Allah), they ask other angels: “What is it that your Creator has said?” They say: “The truth. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.” (Also see Surah Al-Baqarah:255).

۞قُلۡ مَن يَرۡزُقُكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ قُلِ ٱللَّهُۖ وَإِنَّآ أَوۡ إِيَّاكُمۡ لَعَلَىٰ هُدًى أَوۡ فِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٖ 24

24        [O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] Say: “Who gives you provision from the heavens and the earth (by rainfall and growing vegetation)?” (Since the answer is obvious, hence you [Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)] Say: “Allah.” (And also say regarding the Oneness of Allah) indeed, either we or you are on the Right Path or in plain error (clearly the believers of the Oneness of Allah are on the Right Path).

قُل لَّا تُسۡ‍َٔلُونَ عَمَّآ أَجۡرَمۡنَا وَلَا نُسۡ‍َٔلُ عَمَّا تَعۡمَلُونَ 25

25        [O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] Say: “You will not be asked about our sins, nor shall we be asked about what you do.”

قُلۡ يَجۡمَعُ بَيۡنَنَا رَبُّنَا ثُمَّ يَفۡتَحُ بَيۡنَنَا بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَهُوَ ٱلۡفَتَّاحُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ 26

26        Say: “Our Creator will gather us all together (on the Day of Resurrection), then He will make a just judgement between us. And He is the (Just) Judge, the All-Knower.” (Ibn-Kathir)

قُلۡ أَرُونِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَلۡحَقۡتُم بِهِۦ شُرَكَآءَۖ كَلَّاۚ بَلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ 27

27        [O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] Say: “Show me those whom you have made partners with Allah. None at all. In fact, Allah (Alone) is, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.”

وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَٰكَ إِلَّا كَآفَّةٗ لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرٗا وَنَذِيرٗا وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ 28

28        And We have not sent you [O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] except as a conveyer of glad tidings and a warner to the whole mankind, but most of the people don’t know. (Also see Surah Al-Araf:158)

وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَٰذَا ٱلۡوَعۡدُ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ 29

29        And they say: “When will this promise (of the Day of Resurrection) be fulfilled, if you are truthful?”

قُل لَّكُم مِّيعَادُ يَوۡمٖ لَّا تَسۡتَ‍ٔۡخِرُونَ عَنۡهُ سَاعَةٗ وَلَا تَسۡتَقۡدِمُونَ 30

30        [O Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him)!] Say: “The promised Day is fixed for you and you cannot move it an hour forward or backward (i.e. It will definitely occur at an appointed time. In fact you are asking about it simply to deny it).” (Also see Surah Nuh:4)

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَن نُّؤۡمِنَ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ وَلَا بِٱلَّذِي بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهِۗ وَلَوۡ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ مَوۡقُوفُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ يَرۡجِعُ بَعۡضُهُمۡ إِلَىٰ بَعۡضٍ ٱلۡقَوۡلَ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتُضۡعِفُواْ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ لَوۡلَآ أَنتُمۡ لَكُنَّا مُؤۡمِنِينَ 31

31        And the disbelievers say: “We don’t believe in this Quran nor the Scriptures before it.” But if you could see when the wrong-doers will be made to stand before their Creator blaming each other. The weaker people will say to the arrogant people: “If you were not there, we would have been believers.”

قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتُضۡعِفُوٓاْ أَنَحۡنُ صَدَدۡنَٰكُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ بَعۡدَ إِذۡ جَآءَكُمۖ بَلۡ كُنتُم مُّجۡرِمِينَ 32

32        The arrogant people will say to the weak people: “Did we stop you from seeking the guidance when it had reached you? In fact, you were criminals.”

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتُضۡعِفُواْ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ بَلۡ مَكۡرُ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ إِذۡ تَأۡمُرُونَنَآ أَن نَّكۡفُرَ بِٱللَّهِ وَنَجۡعَلَ لَهُۥٓ أَندَادٗاۚ وَأَسَرُّواْ ٱلنَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُاْ ٱلۡعَذَابَۚ وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلۡأَغۡلَٰلَ فِيٓ أَعۡنَاقِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْۖ هَلۡ يُجۡزَوۡنَ إِلَّا مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ 33

33        And the weak people will say to the arrogant people: “In fact, it was by your hatching plots day and night and commanding us to disbelieve in Allah and make partners in worship with Him, that resulted in our disbelief.” And they will conceal their regrets when they view the torment. And We shall put iron collars around the necks of the disbelievers (and throw them in Hell-Fire). Are they not repaid except according to what they used to do?

وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا فِي قَرۡيَةٖ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتۡرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرۡسِلۡتُم بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ 34

34        And whenever We sent a war-ner to a community, the affluent people among them always said: “We do not believe in (the revela-tions) with which you have been sent.”