Surah 34. Saba

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'Surely 'it is' my Lord 'Who' gives abundant or limited provisions to whoever He wills. But most people do not know.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say: "Verily my Lord enlarges and restricts the provision to whom He pleases but most men understand not." ³⁸⁴³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Provision (or Sustenance): good things of all kinds in this life, material goods as well as power, opportunities, influence, mental gifts, etc. These do not necessarily all go to the good, nor is their denial to be interpreted to mean that it is a withdrawal of Allah's favour. Very often the contrary is the case. Their distribution is in accordance with the Universal Plan and Purpose, which is all-wise and all-good. But ignorant people cannot understand this.

It is not your wealth or children that bring you closer to Us. But those who believe and do good- it is they who will have a multiplied reward for what they did, and they will be secure in 'elevated' mansions.

  - Mustafa Khattab

It is not your wealth nor your sons that will bring you nearer to Us in degree: but only those who believe and work Righteousness these are the ones for whom there is a multiplied Reward for their deeds while secure they (reside) in the dwellings on high! ^{3844 3845 3846}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The true test of progress in spiritual life is to be measured by other things than material wealth and influence. What we have to ask ourselves is: are we the least bit nearer to Allah?

Cf. xxx. 39. All worldly good is but a shadow that will pass away. Its intrinsic and eternal value is small. But those who work righteousness in Faith are on the true path of self-development. The reward they will get will be infinitely more than their merits entitle them to. For they will partake of the boundless Bounties of Allah.

Their happiness will not only be great in quantity ("multiplied"), but it will be of a specially sublime quality ("dwellings on high"), and it will endure without any chance of its loss or diminution ("secure they reside").

As for those who strive to discredit Our revelations, it is they who will be confined in punishment.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Those who strive against Our Signs to frustrate them will be given over into Punishment. ³⁸⁴⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xxxiv. 5, where the argument was urged that human efforts to defeat Allah's Plan will only bring humiliation to those who indulge in them. Here the argument is rounded off by the statement that such efforts, besides their failure, will land them in an abyss of punishment contrasted with the "dwellings on high" of the blessed ones.

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'Surely 'it is' my Lord 'Who' gives abundant or limited provisions to whoever He wills of His servants. And whatever you spend in charity, He will compensate 'you' for it. For He is the Best Provider.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say: "Verily my Lord enlarges and restricts the Sustenance to such of His servants as He pleases: and nothing do ye spend in the least (in his cause) but He replaces it: for He is the Best of those Who grant Sustenance. ^{3848 3849}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. xxxiv. 36 above, and n. 3843.

Even in the seeming inequality of distribution of the good things of life, Allah has a wise and merciful purpose; for nothing arises by chance. He is the best to give us, now and evermore, just those things which subserve our real needs and advance our inner development.

And 'consider' the Day He will gather them all together, and then ask the angels, 'Was it you that these 'polytheists' used to worship?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

One day He will gather them all together and say to the angels "Was it you that these men used to worship?" ³⁸⁵⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Here we have the case of the worship of angels or supposed Powers of Allah, or supposed beneficent spirits that men turn to instead of worshipping the true God. In fact these are mere names to the false worshippers. It is not the Good that they worship but the Evil, which leads them astray.

They will say, 'Glory be to You! Our loyalty is to You, not them. In fact, they 'only' followed the 'temptations of evil' jinn,¹ in whom most of them had faith.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., the devils.

They will say "Glory to thee! Our (tie) is with thee as Protector not with them. Nay but they worshipped the Jinns: most of them believed in them." ^{3851 3852}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Wali in Arabic may mean Friend either in the sense of Protector and Benefactor or in the sense of the Beloved. The tie of benevolence, confidence, and friendship is implied, either active or passive. The angels first proclaim their dependence on Allah and their need of His protection, and then disclaim any idea of their having protected or encouraged the false worshippers to worship beings other than Allah. They go further, and suggest that when men pretended to worship angels, they worshipped, not angels, but Jinns. See next note.

Jinns: see vi. 100 and n. 929. The false worshippers pretended to worship the bright and radiant angels of good, but in reality worshipped the dark and hidden forces of evil,-in the life around them. They trusted and believed in such forces of evil, although such forces of evil had really no power.

So Today neither of you can benefit or protect each other. And We will say to the wrongdoers, 'Taste the torment of the Fire, which you used to deny.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

So on that day no power shall they have over each other for profit or harm: and We shall say to the wrong-doers "Taste ye the penalty of the Fire the which ye were wont to deny!" ³⁸⁵³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The supposed "rivals" of Allah-the false things whereon men set their hopes and fears-will have no power whatever when true values are restored; and the Fire-the Penalty-which they doubted or derided, will become the dominating real thing in their experience.

When Our clear revelations are recited to them, they say, 'This is only a man who wishes to hinder you from what your forefathers used to worship.' They also say, 'This 'Quran' is no more than a fabricated lie.' And the disbelievers say of the truth when it has come to them, 'This is nothing but pure magic.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

When Our Clear Signs are rehearsed to them they say "This is only a man who wishes to hinder you from the (worship) which your fathers practiced." And they say "This is only a falsehood invented!" And the Unbelievers say of the Truth when it comes to them "This is nothing but evident magic!" ³⁸⁵⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Apart from the worship of Evil in the guise of the Powers of Light, there is another form of false worship, which depends on ancestral tradition. "Why" it is said "should we not do as our fathers did?" They reject a new prophet of Truth simply because his teaching does not agree with the ways of their ancestors. The answer to this is given in verse 44 below. But meanwhile the rejectors' objection to new Truth is stated in three forms: (1) our ancestors knew nothing of this; (2) the story of inspiration is false; it is merely an invention; we do not believe in inspiration; (3) when in some particular points, the new Truth does work wonders in men's hearts, they account for it by saying it is magic. The third objection is merely traditional. What is magic? If it was merely deception, surely the Truth has proved itself to be above deception. The second objection is answered by the fact that the Messenger who comes with new spiritual Truth is acknowledged to be truthful in other relations of life: why should he be false where his preaching brings him no gain but much sorrow and persecution? For the ancestral objection see next note.

'They say so even though' We had never given them any scriptures to study, nor did We ever send them a warner before you 'O Prophet'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

But We had not given them Books which they could study nor sent apostles to them before thee as Warners. ³⁸⁵⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The ancestors (as in the case of the Arabs of the Times of Ignorance) had received no revelation of the clear kind which a messenger and a Book bring them. This is a reason for welcoming, not for rejecting new Truth.

Those 'destroyed' before them denied as well- and these 'Meccans' have not attained even one-tenth of what We had given their predecessors.¹ Yet 'when' they denied My messengers, how severe was My response!

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Like the people of Pharaoh, ’Ȃd, and Thamûd.

And their predecessors rejected (the Truth); these have not received a tenth of what We had granted to those: yet when they rejected My apostles how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)! ³⁸⁵⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Passing to Peoples before the immediate ancestors, the People of the Book, or the People of Saba and 'Ad and Thamud, had received favours and gifts, power and wealth, ten times more than were enjoyed by the Pagan Quraish. Yet when they turned away from Allah's Truth, Allah turned away from them, and what terrible consequences descended on them when they lost Allah's Grace! This should make everyone humble, not least the posterity of Muhammad the Messenger if they forsake Allah's Truths! For they have received a higher Teaching!

Say, 'O Prophet,' 'I advise you to do 'only' one thing: stand up for 'the sake of' Allah- individually or in pairs- then reflect. Your fellow man¹ is not insane. He is only a warner to you before 'the coming of' a severe punishment.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

 i.e., Muḥammad (ﷺ).

Say: "I do admonish you on one point: that ye do stand up before Allah--(it may be) in pairs or (it may be) singly and reflect (within yourselves): your Companion is not possessed: he is no less than a Warner to you in face of a terrible Penalty." ^{3857 3858}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

A crowd mentality is not the best for the perception of the final spiritual truths. For these, it is necessary that each soul should commune within itself with earnest sincerity as before Allah: if it requires a Teacher, let it seek out one, or it may be that it wants the strengthening of the inner convictions that dawn on it, by the support of a sympathiser or friend. But careful and heart-felt reflection is necessary to appraise the higher Truths.

Note that in verses 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50, arguments are suggested to the Prophet, by which he can convince any right-thinking man of his sincerity and truth. Here the argument is that he is not possessed or out of his mind. If he is different from ordinary men, it is because he has to give a warning of a terrible spiritual danger to the men whom he loves but who will not understand his Message.

Say, 'If I had ever asked you for a reward, you could keep it. My reward is only from Allah. And He is a Witness over all things.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say: "No reward do I ask of you: it is (all) in your interest: my reward is only due from Allah: and He is Witness to all things." ³⁸⁵⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Cf. x. 72. The second argument is that he has nothing to gain from them. His message is for their own good. He is willing to suffer persecution and insult, because he has to fulfil his mission from Allah.

Say, 'Surely my Lord hurls the truth 'against falsehood'. 'He is' the Knower of all unseen.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say: "Verily my Lord doth cast the (mantle of) Truth (over His servants) He that has full knowledge of (all) that is hidden." ³⁸⁶⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Allah's Truth is so vast that no man in this life can compass the whole of it. But Allah in His mercy selects His servants on whom it is cast like a mantle. They see enough to be able to teach their fellow men. It is through that mantle-that mission received from Allah-that a messenger can speak with authority to men, and this is his third argument.

Say, 'The truth has come, and falsehood will vanish, never to return.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say: "The Truth has arrived and Falsehood neither creates anything new nor restores anything." ³⁸⁶¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The fourth argument is that the Truth is final: it does not come and go: it creates new situations and new developments, and if by chance it seems to be defeated for a time, it comes back and restores the true balance;-unlike Falsehood, which by its very nature is doomed to perish: xvii. 81. The Prophet's credentials are known by the test of Time. This was already becoming apparent to discerning eyes when this Sura was revealed in Makkah, but it became clear to the whole world with the story of Islam's progress in Madinah.

Say, 'If I am astray, the loss is only mine. And if I am guided, it is 'only' because of what my Lord reveals to me. He is indeed All-Hearing, Ever Near.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Say: "If I am astray I only stray to the loss of my own soul: but if I receive guidance it is because of the inspiration of my Lord to me: it is He Who hears all things and is (ever) near." ³⁸⁶²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

If it could possibly be supposed that the Prophet was a self-deceived visionary, it would affect him only, and could not fail to appear in his personality. But in fact he was steady in his constancy and Faith, and he not only went from strength to strength, but won the enduring and whole-hearted love and devotion of his nearest and dearest and of those who most came into contact with him. How was this possible, unless he had the Truth and the inspiration of Allah behind him? This is the fifth and last argument in this passage.