34Saba’Shebaسُورَةُ سبإ

All praise [and appreciation] is due to Allah, to whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and His is the praise [and appreciation] in the life to come: for He is the Most Wise, the Most Experienced.

He knows all that enters earth and all that leaves it and [He knows] what comes down from the sky and what rises into it; and He is the Most Merciful, the Most Forgiving.

And those who are in denial [and protestation against Our power and authority] say, “The Final Hour will not dawn upon us!” Say [O Muhammad], “Most certainly [it will]; I affirm that by asserting my Sustainer [His power and authority] it will come to you, for He knows that which is beyond the reach of human worldly perception.” Not one iota escapes His attention — in the heavens or on earth — not even what is lesser or greater than that: all is recorded in a transparent record [for the Final Judgement],

To the end that He will reward those who committed their lives to Him and did what is right — those are the ones who shall enjoy forgiveness and superb sustenance —

Whereas those who exerted themselves trying to challenge Our illustrations of power and authority [on earth] will have [as their share] a torment spawned from [their worldly] abomination.

Now those who are endowed with knowledge [that does not contradict Allah] will see that revelation coming to you [O Muhammad] from your Sustainer is truth and justice and that it guides to the path [leading] to [He who is] the Grand, the Commendable.

And the kāfirs argue [mockingly], “Shall we point you to a man [Muhammad] who will tell you that once you thoroughly disintegrate [after death], you will certainly emerge into a new creation [of life]?

“Is he contriving? Or is he possessed by a jinnī [gone mad]?” To the contrary, those who are averse to ascertaining the life to come are in [a state of] suffering and a far-flung waywardness.

Have they not taken a closer look at [both] the heavens and the earth, what lies in front of them [the vastness of it] and what lies behind them [the cumulative human knowledge of it]? Should We decide to, We could have the earth swallow them up, or cause fragments from the sky to fall upon them. In such [possibilities] are demonstrations [of Allah’s power and authority] for every reconsidering mortal subject [of Allah].

And We did, indeed, afford Dāwūd a bonus [of talents and endowments] originating from Us, “O you mountains! Resonate with him [as he praises Allah]! And you birds [do resonate with him]!” And We put cutting-edge utility in working order for him,

For [the purpose of directing him], “Expand and perfect industrious output and economize [and rein in] any excesses [thereof]”; and [therefore should you committed muslims] accomplish honorable feats: for, surely, I am ever observant of what you do.

And for Sulaymān [We drove] the winds as a utility one month [in one direction] early [in the day] and one month [in another direction] late [in the day]. And We turned copper into fluid for him; and [even] from among the jinn, there are those who work at his direction as a matter of his Sustainer’s approval, and whoever of these deviates from Our command We will have him experience the torment of the raging blaze.

They manufactured for him [ Sulaymān] what he wanted of sanctuaries, and statues, and basins as [large as] great watering-troughs, and cauldrons firmly anchored. [And so We said], “O patrons of Dāwūd [His establishment]! Do thankful things [to be thanked for], and [remember that] only a few of My subjects are extraordinarily thankful!”

And when We decreed his [Sulaymān’s] death, nothing pointed to his death except an earth creature that munched on his baton [staff]. Then when he fell to the ground, the jinn realized that had they known of what is not in the realm of their perception [that is, the future], they would not have continued to toil awkwardly [after his death].

Indeed, there was [and is] in the dwellings of Saba’ a demonstration [of Allah’s power and authority]: two lush country estates to the right and to the left [of their location — inspiriting them], “Eat of your Sustainer’s provision and be thankful to Him: a salubrious metropolis and a very exonerating Sustainer.”

But then they eschewed [Us] and so We unleashed upon them an overwhelming surge [of running water] and We replaced their two [luxurious] country estates with a couple of gardens bearing bitter fruit, and tamarisks, and a trace of [wild] lote-trees:

Thus We evened the score with them due to their denial [of Our power and authority]. But do We ever retaliate against anyone except a hardcore denier [of Our power and authority]?

Yet [before this deluge of devastation came upon them], We placed between them [Saba’] and other blessed civil societies [many] towns within visible proximity [extending and linking urban areas together]; and We gaged [and facilitated] transportation distances [saying, in effect], “Travel throughout [and within] this urban network safe and sound by nights and by days.”

Then they [in their money-making greed] said, “Our Sustainer! Lengthen our journeys [between and among this cluster of modern urban centers so that we can increase our profits]!” — and [in this regard] they did injustice to themselves. As a result, We caused them to become [just another] anecdote [of history] and to be [socially] shredded in every which way. Indeed, in that there are manifestations [of Allah’s power and authority] accessible to every person who is extremely enduring and extremely thankful.

And, indeed, Iblīs’ hunch about them turned out to be right as all but a bloc of committed muslims followed him [when he instigated them to do the wrong thing].

And yet, he [Iblīs] had no authority over them except [tempting them through the agency of Our granted freedom of choice to all] so that We may know who will affirm a life to come [after worldly life] as opposed to he who is in doubt about it: and your Sustainer is documenting everything [that transpires].

Say [O Muhammad to the mushriks], “Call upon those you claim [to be gods] in addition to Allah: they do not have control over a scintilla in the heavens or on earth, nor do they have a share of divinity/authority within [the dominion and governanace of the heavens and earth], and nor has He [any need of] a backer from among them.”

Mediation [from their deities] is of no value before Him except in whose cases He may have granted leave [therefor]; [and the latter shall wait] until the moment when the terror [of the Judgement] is lifted from their hearts and they ask [among themselves], “What did your Sustainer announce [about your fate]?” [to which] they will respond, “He said what is true and just and He is the Extraordinarily Exalted, the Splendidly Great.”

Say [O Muhammad], “Who is it that provides for you sustenance out of the heavens and the earth?” Say, “It is Allah. And certainly either we are or you are on a course of guidance or in manifest error!”

Say, “You [the mushriks] will not be held responsible for crimes we committed and we will not be held responsible for what you are doing.”

Say, “Our Sustainer will gather us [on the Day of Judgement] and then He will unlock that which we differ on with truth and justice: for He is the One who always advances the truth, the Most Informed!”

Say, “Show me those you adjoined to Him as co-deities! Truly not [the case]! Rather He is Allah, the Grand, the Wise.

And [as for you, O Muhammad], We have not sent you otherwise than to all people as a bearer of good news [for good people] and a bearer of bad news [for bad people] but most people do not understand [this simple fact],

And [so] they ask, “When is this promise [of judgement and final life] to be fulfilled? If you are truthful to what you say!”

Say, “You are due an appointed day [and at the time when the promise will actualize] you will neither be able to delay it by such as an hour, nor will you be able to advance it.”

And [despite these warnings] the kāfirs say, “We will not believe in this Qur’an or in whatever preceded it!” If you could only see [such] people of iniquity as they are detained in the presence of their Sustainer [on that Day] repeating themselves to each other, the oppressed [little guys] saying to the oppressors [the big wigs], “Were it not for you, we would have committed ourselves [back in the world] to Allah’s power and authority!”

The arrogant oppressors will say to the demoralized and oppressed, “Was it we who diverted you from [scriptural] guidance after it had come to you? Rather, you were [plainly and simply] criminals.”

And the demoralized and oppressed of the world will retort to the worldly arrogant high- and-mighty, “Rather it was your night-and- day conspiracies that required [and demanded] us to deny Allah [His power and authority] and to set up competitors [to His power and authority]!” And when they cast their eyes on the suffering [that awaits], they [both the oppressed and their oppressors] will conceal their disappointment [and sorrow]. We will place shackles around the necks of the kāfirs. Shall they be requited for other than what they had been doing [in their worldly lifecycle]?

And We never sent a civil society a warner except that its wealthy class would comment saying, “We reject that which you have been commissioned to relay to us.”

And they [the rich and wealthy] would add, “We have more money and more manpower than you do; and [so] we shall never be made to suffer.”

Say [O Muhammad], “Definitely, my Sustainer expands His provisions to whomever He wills and He reduces [provisions], but most people are not aware [of this fact].”

And it is not your money or your manpower [nationalistic solidarity] that will bring you closer to Us; rather it is only he who [responsibly] commits himself to Us and does what is right and righteous: those are the ones who will be given amplified rewards owing to what they did [in their worldly lifespan] and it is they who will reside safe and sound in the quarters [of Paradise].

Whereas those who labor in defiance of Our power and authority are the ones who will attend to the affliction [that they were warned of during their worldly sojourn].

Say, “Certainly my Sustainer expands His provisions to whomever He wills of His mortal subjects and [likewise] He constricts them; and whatever you spend, He will replace it for He is the best of providers.”

And on the Day when He will assemble all of them [the kāfirs] and then say to the malā’ikah, “Are these the ones who used to worship you?”

They [the malā’ikah] will answer, “Uniquely glorified are You! You are our foremost to the exclusion of them; rather, they venerated the jinn: most of them [the mushriks] had faith in them [the jinn].”

But today [Allah has declared that] none of you can offer a benefit or a detriment to any other among yourselves! And We will say to the administrators of injustice, “Experience the torment of the fire that you [back in the world] disputed.”

And when our illustrations of power are put into clear context for them they say, “This is only a man [Muhammad] who wants to divert you [the general public] from what your ancestors worshiped.” And they say, “This [Qur’an] is a fabricated tall tale.” And [finally], the kāfirs give voice to [how they feel about] truth and justice when [they are] presented to them, “This is but obvious wizardry.”

And [even as they say all this, be it known that] We did not impart to them [the mushriks of Arabia] any scripture that they have studied and We did not send to them a warner before you [O Muhammad].

And those who preceded them [the Arabians of Makkah] similarly contradicted [Our revelation], while they [the Arabians] do not even have a fraction of [the power] of those who perished aforetime: they all contradicted My apostles and see how [terrible] My negation [of them] was.

Say, “I advise you of one thing only: that you take a stand for Allah as teams and as individuals and then think [of this whole affair]. Your colleague [Muhammad] is not possessed by a jinnī. He is not but a warner [sent] to you forecasting severe punishment [for those who are God-defiant].”

Say, “I have not asked you for any [material] compensation — whatever that might have been is yours [to keep]. My compensation comes only from Allah and He is a witness of all and everything!”

Say, “Certainly, my Sustainer launches truth and justice [against falsehood and tyranny]; He is the One who knows very well all that is beyond the capacity of human perception!”

Say, “Truth and justice have arrived; and lies and dishonesty do not produce nor do they reproduce [anything certain and constructive].”

Say, “If I go astray, I do so to my detriment and if I am guided it is because of what my Sustainer has revealed to me: [for] indeed, He hears all and is near all.”

And if you could only see [the kāfirs on the Day of Judgement] — when they are scared stiff, with nowhere to go [from where they are] — as they are drawn into close proximity [to Allah’s judgement],

Saying, “We are committed to it [the Qur’an and Muhammad]!” But obtaining [a lifelong] commitment would no longer be accessible with the ease of a desperate verbal statement [on that Day] — for long gone was their opportunity [back in the world].

And they, in earlier times, rejected it [revelation and prophet], not knowing what they were talking about, [for they had the luxury to think that way] from the remote distance [that separates their worldly life from this Day of Judgement].

And so, they will encounter a barrier between them and their desire [to be counted as committed muslims] as was done to their analogues in the past: for they [too] were, indeed, in a state of dubious doubt.