34. Saba-(Sheba) Mecca 58 [54 verses]

The Quranic text and Ali’s version

وَلَقَدْ صَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِبْلِيسُ ظَنَّهُ...

34:20 And on them did Satan prove true his idea,

C3820. Cf. 17:62.

Satan out of arrogance had said, when he asked for respite from the Most High; "I will bring (Adam's) descendants under my sway, all but a few."

This was now proved true on the Saba people. He had no power to force them. It was their own will that went wrong and put them into his power.

... فَاتَّبَعُوهُ إِلَّا فَرِيقًا مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٢٠﴾

and they followed him, all but a Party that believed.

وَمَا كَانَ لَهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّن سُلْطَانٍ...

34: 21. But he had no authority over them --

... إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِالْآخِرَةِ مِمَّنْ هُوَ مِنْهَا فِي شَكٍّ...

except that We might test the man who believes in the Hereafter from him who is in doubt concerning it:

C3821. Might test. - the word in the original is might know.

It is not that Allah does not know all. Why does He want to test?

It is in order to help us subjectively, to train our will, to put us definitely the question, "Will you obey Allah or other than Allah?"

Cf. n. 467 to 3:154.

... وَرَبُّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَفِيظٌ ﴿٢١﴾

and thy Lord doth watch over all things.

Asad’s Version:

34:19 (19) But now they would say, "Long has our Sustainer made the distance between our journey-stages ! " 27 for they had sinned against themselves. And in the end We caused them to become [one of those] tales [of things long past], and scattered them in countless fragments. 28 Herein, behold, there are messages indeed for all who are wholly patient in adversity and deeply grateful [to God].

(34:20) Now, indeed, Iblis did prove that his opinion of them had been right: 29 for [when he called them,] they followed him - all but some of the believers [among them] .

34:21 And yet, he had no power at all over them: 30 [for if We allow him to tempt man,] it is only to the end that We might make a clear distinction between those who [truly] believe in the life to come and those who are in doubt thereof: 31 for thy Sustainer watches over all things.

[[Asad’s notes –

27 In its generally-accepted spelling - based on the reading adopted by most of the early scholars of Medina and Kufah - the above phrase reads in the vocative rabbana and the imperative ba'id ("Our Sustainer! Make long the distances ...", etc.), which, however, cannot be convincingly explained. On the other hand, Tabari, Baghawi and Zamakhshari mention, on the authority of some of the earliest Qur'an-commentators, another legitimate reading of the relevant words, namely, rabbuna (in the nominative) and ba'ada (in the indicative), which gives the meaning adopted by me: "Long has

our Sustainer made the distances ...", etc. To my mind, this reading is much more appropriate since (as pointed out by Zamakhshari) it expresses the belated regrets and the sorrow of the people of Sheba at the devastation of their country, the exodus of large groups of the population, and the resultant abandonment of many towns and villages on the great caravan routes.

28 An allusion to the mass-migration of South- Arabian tribes in all directions - particularly towards central and northern Arabia - subsequent to the destruction of the Dam of Ma'rib.

29 See 17:62, as well as the last sentence of 7:17, in which Iblis (i.e., Satan) says of the human race, "most of them wilt Thou find ungrateful".

30 Cf. a similar phrase placed in the mouth of Iblis in 14:22 ("I had no power at all over you: I but called you - and you responded unto me"), and the corresponding note 31 ; also, see note 30 on 15:39-40. - Although, on the face of it, verses 20-21 of the present surah refer to the people of Sheba, their import is (as the sequence shows) much wider, applying to the human race as such.

31 See 15:41 and the corresponding note 31.]]