ENTITLED, SABA;n REVEALED AT MECCA.
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.
PRAISE be unto GOD, unto whom belongeth whatever is in the heavens and on
earth: and unto him be praise in the world to come; for he is wise and
intelligent.
He knoweth whatsoever entereth into the earth,o and whatsoever cometh out
of the same,p and whatsoever descendeth from heaven,q and whatsoever ascendeth
thereto:r and he is merciful and ready to forgive.
The unbelievers say, The hour of judgment will not come unto us. Answer,
Yea, by my LORD, it will surely come unto you; it is he who knoweth the hidden
secret: the weight of an ant, either in heaven or in earth, is not absent from
him, nor anything lesser than this or greater, but the same is written in the
perspicuous book of his decrees;
l By faith is here understood entire obedience to the law of GOD, which
is represented to be of so high concern (no less than eternal happiness or
misery depending on the observance or neglect thereof), and so difficult in
the performance, that if GOD should propose the same on the conditions
annexed, to the vaster parts of the creation, and they had understanding to
comprehend the offer, they would decline it, and not dare to take on them a
duty, the failing wherein must be attended with so terrible a consequence; and
yet man is said to have undertaken it, notwithstanding his weakness and the
infirmities of his nature. Some imagine this proposal is not hypothetical,
but was actually made to the heavens, earth, and mountains, which at their
first creation were endued with reason, and that GOD told them he had made a
law, and had created paradise for the recompense of such as were obedient to
it, and hell for the punishment of the disobedient; to which they answered
they were content to be obliged to perform the services for which they were
created, but would not undertake to fulfil the divine law on those conditions,
and therefore desired neither reward nor punishment; they add that when Adam
was created, the same offer was made to him, and he accepted it.4 The
commentators have other explications of this passage, which it would be too
prolix to transcribe.
m Unjust to himself in not fulfilling his engagements and obeying the
law he had accepted; and foolish in not considering the consequence of his
disobedience and neglect.
n Mention is made of the people of Saba in the fifteenth verse.
o As the rain, hidden treasures, the dead, &c.
p As animals, plants, metals, spring-water, &c.
q As the angels, scriptures, decrees of GOD, rain, thunder and
lightning, &c.
r As the angels, men's works, vapours, smoke, &c.5
4 Jallalo'ddin, al Beidâwi. 5 Al Beidâwi.
that he may recompense those who shall have believed, and wrought
righteousness: they shall receive pardon, and an honourable provision.
But they who endeavor to render our signs of none effect shall receive a
punishment of painful torment.
Those unto whom knowledge hath been given, see that the book which hath
been revealed unto thee from thy LORD is the truth, and directeth into the
glorious and laudable way.
The unbelievers say to one another, Shall we show you a man who shall
prophesy unto you, that when ye shall have been dispersed with a total
dispersion, ye shall be raised a new creature?
He hath forged a lie concerning GOD, or rather he is distracted. But
they who believe not in the life to come shall fall into punishment and a wide
error.
Have they not therefore considered what is before them, and what is
behind them, of the heaven and the earth? If we please, we will cause the
earth to open and swallow them up, or will cause a piece of the heaven to fall
upon them: verily herein is a sign unto every servant, who turneth unto God.
10 We heretofore bestowed on David excellence from us: and we said, O
mountains, sing alternate praises with him; and we obliged the birds also to
join therein.s And we softened the iron for him, saying, Make thereof
complete coats of mail,t and rightly dispose the small plates which compose
the same: and work ye righteousness, O family of David; for I see that which
ye do.
And we made the wind subject unto Solomon:u it blew in the morning for a
month, and in the evening for a month. And we made a fountain of molten brass
to flow for him.x And some of the genii were obliged to work in his presence,
by the will of his LORD; and whoever of them turned aside from our command, we
will cause him to taste the pain of hell fire.y
They made for him whatever he pleased of palaces, and statues,z and large
dishes like fishponds,a and caldrons standing firm on their trevets;b and we
said, Work righteousness, O family of David, with thanksgiving; for few of my
servants are thankful.
s See chapter 21, p. 247
t See ibid.
u See ibid. and chapter 27, p. 284.
x This fountain they say was in Yaman, and flowed three days in a
month.1
y Or, as some expound the words, We caused him to taste the pain of
burning; by which they understand the correction the disobedient genii
received at the hands of the angel set over them, who whipped them with a whip
of fire.
z Some suppose these were images of the angels and prophets, and that
the making of them was not then forbidden; or else that they were not such
images as were forbidden by the law. Some say these spirits made him two
lions, which were placed at the foot of his throne, and two eagles, which were
set above it; and that when he mounted it the lions stretched out their paws,
and when he sat down the eagles shaded him with their wings.2
a Being so monstrously large that a thousand men might eat out of each
of them at once.
b These cauldrons, they say, were cut out of the mountains of Yaman,
and were so vastly big that they could not be moved; and people went up to
them by steps.3
1 Idem, Jallalo'ddin. 2 Idem. 3 Jallalo'ddin.
And when we had decreed that Solomon should die, nothing discovered his
death unto them, except the creeping thing of the earth, which gnawed his
staff.c And when his body fell down, the genii plainly perceived that if they
had known that which is secret, they had not continued in a vile punishment.d
The descendants of Sabae had heretofore a sign in their dwelling; namely,
two gardens on the right hand and on the left,f and it was said unto them, Eat
ye of the provision of your LORD, and give thanks unto him; ye have a good
country, and a gracious LORD.
But they turned aside from what we had commanded them; wherefore we sent
against them the inundation of al Arem,g and we changed their two gardens for
them into two gardens producing bitter fruit, and tamarisks,h and some little
fruit of the lote-tree.
This we gave them in reward, because they were ungrateful: is any thus
rewarded except the ungrateful?
And we placed between them and the cities which we have blessed,i cities
situated near each other; and we made the journey easy between them,k saying,
Travel through the same by night and by day, in security.
But they said, O LORD, put a greater distance between our journeys:l and
they were unjust unto themselves; and we made them the subject of discourse,
and dispersed them with a total dispersion.m Verily, herein are signs unto
every patient, grateful person.
c The commentators, to explain this passage, tell us that David, having
laid the foundations of the temple of Jerusalem, which was to be in lieu of
the tabernacle of Moses, when he died, left it to be finished by his son
Solomon, who employed the genii in the work: that Solomon, before the edifice
was quite completed, perceiving his end drew nigh, begged of GOD that his
death might be concealed from the genii till they had entirely finished it;
that GOD therefore so ordered it, that Solomon died as he stood at his
prayers, leaning on his staff, which supported the body in that posture a full
year; and the genii, supposing him to be alive, continued their work during
that term, at the expiration whereof the temple being perfectly completed, a
worm, which had gotten into the staff, ate it through, and the corpse fell to
the ground and discovered the king's death.4
Possibly this fable of the temple's being built by genii, and not by
men, might take its rise from what is mentioned in scripture, that the house
was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither; so that there was
neither hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was
building;5 the Rabbins indeed, tell us of a worm, which might assist the
workmen, its virtue being such as to cause the rocks and stones to fly in
sunder.6 Whether the worm which gnawed Solomon's staff were of the same breed
with this other, I know not; but the story has perfectly the air of a Jewish
invention.
d i.e., They had not continued in servile subjection to the command of
Solomon, nor had gone on with the work of the temple.
e Saba was the son of Yashhab, the son of Yárab, the son of Kahtân,
whose posterity dwelt in Yaman, in the city of Mâreb, called also Saba, about
three days' journey from Sanaa.
f That is, two tracts of land, one on this side of their city, and the
other on that, planted with trees, and made into gardens, which lay so thick
and close together, that each tract seemed to be one continued garden: or, it
may be, every house had a garden on each hand of it.1
g The commentators set down several significations of the word al Arem,
which are scarce worth mentioning: it most properly signifies mounds or dams
for the stopping or containing of water, and is here used for that stupendous
mound or building which formed the vast reservoir above the city of Saba,
described in another place,2 and which, for the great impiety, pride, and
insolence of the inhabitants, was broken down in the night by a mighty flood,
and occasioned a terrible destruction.3 Al Beidâwi supposes this mound was
the work of queen Balkîs, and that the above-mentioned catastrophe happened
after the time of Jesus Christ; wherein he seems to be mistaken.
h A low shrub bearing no fruit, and delighting in saltish and barren
ground.
i viz., The cities of Syria.
k By reason of their near distance, so that during the whole journey a
traveller might rest in one town during the heat of the day, and in another at
night; nor was he obliged to carry provisions with him.4
l This petition they made out of covetousness, that the poor being
obliged to be longer on the road, they might make greater advantages in
letting out their cattle, and furnishing the travellers with provision: and
GOD was pleased to punish them by granting them their wish, and permitting
most of the cities, which were between Saba and Syria, to be ruined and
abandoned.5
m For the neighbouring nations justly wondered at so sudden and
unforeseen a revolution in the affairs of this once flourishing people: whence
it became a proverbial saying, to express a total dispersion, that they were
gone and scattered like Saba.6
Of the descendants of Saba, who quitted their country and sought new
settlements on this inundation, the tribe of Ghassân went into Syria, the
tribe of Anmâr to Yathreb, the tribe of Jodhâm to Tehâmah, the tribe of al Azd
to Omân,1 the tribe of Tay to Najd, the tribe of Khozaah to Batan Marr near
Mecca, Banu Amela to a mountain, thence called the Mountain of Amela, near
Damascus, and others went to Hira in Irâk,2 &c.
4 Al Beidâwi, Jallalo'ddin. 5 I Kings vi. 7. 6 Vide
Kimhi, in loc. Buxt. Lex. Talm. p. 2456, et Schickardi Tarich reg. Pers. p.
62. 1 Al Beidâwi. 2 See the Prelim. Disc. Sect. I. p. 8.
3 See ibid. 4 Jallal., al Beidâwi. 5 Idem.
6 Al Beidâwi. Vide Gol. not. in Alfrag. p. 87
And Eblis found his opinion of them to be true:n and they followed him,
except a party of the true believers:o
20 and he had no power over them, unless to tempt them, that we might know
him who believed in the life to come, from him who doubted thereof. Thy LORD
observeth all things.
Say unto the idolaters, Call upon those whom ye imagine to be gods,
besides GOD: they are not masters of the weight of an ant in heaven or on
earth, neither have they any share in the creation or government of the same;
nor is any of them assistant to him therein.
No intercession will be of service in his presence, except the
intercession of him to whom he shall grant permission to intercede for
others:p and they shall wait in suspense until, when the terror shall be taken
off from their hearts,q they shall say to one another: What doth your LORD
say? They shall answer, That which is just: and he is the high, the great
God.
Say, Who provideth food for you from heaven and earth? Answer, GOD: and
either we, or ye, follow the true direction, or are in a manifest error.
Say, Ye shall not be examined concerning what we shall have committed:
neither shall we be examined concerning what ye shall have done.
Say, Our LORD will assemble us together at the last day: then he will
judge between us with truth; and he is the judge, the knowing.
Say, Show me those whom ye have joined as partners with him? Nay; rather
he is the mighty, the wise GOD.
We have not sent thee otherwise than unto mankind in general, a bearer of
good tidings, and a denouncer of threats; but the greater part of men do not
understand.
And they say, When will this threat be fulfilled, if ye speak truth?
Answer, A threat is denounced unto you of a day which ye shall not retard
one hour, neither shall ye hasten.
30 The unbelievers say, We will by no means believe in this Koran, nor in
that which hath been revealed before it.r But if thou couldest see when the
unjust doers shall be set before their LORD! They will iterate discourse with
one another: those who were esteemed weak shall say unto those who behaved
themselves arrogantly,s Had it not been for you, verily we had been true
believers.
They who behaved themselves arrogantly shall say unto those who were
esteemed weak, Did we turn you aside from the true direction, after it had
come unto you? On the contrary, ye acted wickedly of your own free choice.
n Either his opinion of the Sabeans, when he saw them addicted to pride
and ingratitude, and the satisfying their lusts; or else the opinion he
entertained of all mankind at the fall of Adam, or at his creation, when he
heard the angels say, Wilt thou place in the earth one who will do evil
therein, and shed blood?3
o Who were saved from the common destruction.
p See chapter 19, p. 232.
q i.e., From the hearts of the intercessors, and of those for whom GOD
shall allow them to intercede, by the permission which he shall then grant
them; for no angel or prophet shall dare to speak at the last day without the
divine leave.
r It is said that the infidels of Mecca, having inquired of the Jews
and Christians concerning the mission of Mohammed, were assured by them that
they found him described as the prophet who should come, both in the
Pentateuch and in the Gospel; at which they were very angry, and broke out
into the words here recorded.4
s See chapter 14, p. 187, note
1 Al Beidâwi. 2 Vide Poc. Spec. p. 42, 45, and 66.
3 See cap. 2, p. 4; cap. 7, p. 106; and cap. 15, p. 192, &c.
4 Al Beidâwi
And they who were esteemed weak shall say unto those who behaved with
arrogance, Nay, but the crafty plot which ye devised by night and by day,
occasioned our ruin: when ye commanded us that we should not believe in GOD,
and that we should set up other gods as equals unto him. And they shall
conceal their repentance,t after they shall have seen the punishment prepared
for them. And we will put yokes on the necks of those who shall have
disbelieved: shall they be rewarded any otherwise than according to what they
shall have wrought?
We have sent no warner unto any city, but the inhabitants thereof who
lived in affluence said, Verily we believe not that with which ye are sent.
And those of Mecca also say, We abound in riches and children, more than
ye; and we shall not be punished hereafter.
Answer, Verily my LORD will bestow provision in abundance unto whom he
pleaseth, and will be sparing unto whom he pleaseth: but the greater part of
men know not this.
Neither your riches nor your children are the things which shall cause
you to draw nigh unto us with a near approach: only whoever believeth, and
worketh righteousness, they shall receive a double reward for that which they
shall have wrought: and they shall dwell in security, in the upper apartments
of paradise.
But they who shall endeavor to render our signs of none effect shall be
delivered up to punishment.
Say, Verily my LORD will bestow provision in abundance unto whom he
pleaseth of his servants, and will be sparing unto whom he pleaseth: and
whatever thing ye shall give in alms, he will return it; and he is the best
provider of food.
On a certain day he shall gather them altogether: then shall he say unto
the angels, Did these worship you?
40 And the angels shall answer, GOD forbid! thou art our friend, and not
these: but they worshipped devils; the greater part of them believed in them.
On this day the one of you shall not be able either to profit or to hurt
the other. And we will say unto those who have acted unjustly, Taste ye the
pain of hell fire, which ye rejected as a falsehood.
When our evident signs are read unto them, they say of thee, O Mohammed,
This is no other than a man who seeketh to turn you aside from the gods which
your fathers worshipped. And they say of the Koran, This is no other than a
lie blasphemously forged. And the unbelievers say of the truth, when it is
come unto them, This is no other than manifest sorcery:
yet we have given them no books of scripture wherein to exercise
themselves, nor have we sent unto them any warner before thee.
They who were before them in like manner accused their prophets of
imposture: but these have not arrived unto the tenth part of the riches and
strength which we had bestowed on the former: and they accused my apostles of
imposture; and how severe was my vengeance!
Say, Verily I advise you unto one thing, namely, that ye stand before GOD
by two and two, and singly;u and then consider seriously and you will find
that there is no madness in your companion Mohammed: he is no other than a
warner unto you, sent before a severe punishment.
t See chapter 10, p. 154, note y.
u i.e., That ye set yourselves to deliberate and judge of me and my
pretensions coolly and sincerely, as in the sight of GOD, without passion or
prejudice. The reason why they are ordered to consider either alone, or by
two and two at most together, is because in larger assembles, where noise,
passion, and prejudice generally prevail, men have not that freedom of
judgment which they have in private.1
1 Al Beidâwi.
Say, I ask not of you any reward for my preaching;x it is your own,
either to give or not:y my reward is to be expected from GOD alone; and he is
witness over all things.
Say, Verily my LORD sendeth down the truth to his prophets: he is the
knower of secrets.
Say, Truth is come, and falsehood is vanished, and shall not return any
more.
Say, If I err, verily I shall err only against my own soul: but if I be
rightly directed, it will be by that which my LORD revealeth unto me; for he
is ready to hear, and nigh unto those who call upon him.
50 If thou couldest see, when the unbelievers shall tremble,z and shall
find no refuge, and shall be taken from a near place,a
and shall say, We believe in him! But how shall they receive the faith
from a distant place:b
since they had before denied him, and reviled the mysteries of faith,
from a distant place?
And a bar shall be placed between them and that which they shall desire;
as it hath been done with those who behaved like them heretofore: because
they have been in a doubt which hath caused scandal.
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