Surah Saba (34): Read Online and Download - English Translation

Allah has no partner in anything whatsoever

Allah tells us that He is unique in His power of creation and His giving of provision, and that He is unique in His divinity also. As they used to admit that no one in heaven or on earth except Allah gave them provision, i.e., by sending down water and causing crops to grow, so they should also realize that there is no god worthy of worship besides Him.

(And verily, (either) we or you are rightly guided or in plain error.) `One of the two sides must be speaking falsehood, and one must be telling the truth. There is no way that you and we could both be following true guidance, or could both be misguided. Only one of us can be correct, and we have produced the proof of Tawhid which indicates that your Shirk must be false.' Allah says:

(And verily, (either) we or you are rightly guided or in plain error.) Qatadah said, "The Companions of Muhammad said this to the idolators: `By Allah, we and you cannot be following the same thing, only one of us can be truly guided."' `Ikrimah and Ziyad bin Abi Maryam said, "It means: we are rightly guided and you are in plain error."

(Say: "You will not be asked about our sins, nor shall we be asked of what you do.") This indicates disowning them, saying, `you do not belong to us and we do not belong to you, because we call people to Allah, to believe that He is the Only God and to worship Him alone. If you respond, then you will belong to us and we to you, but if you reject our call, then we have nothing to do with you and you have nothing to do with us.' This is like the Ayat:

(And if they deny you, say: "For me are my deeds and for you are your deeds! You are innocent of what I do, and I am innocent of what you do!") (10:41)

(Say: "O disbelievers! I worship not that which you worship, Nor will you worship that which I worship. And I shall not worship that which you are worshipping. Nor will you worship that which I worship. To you be your religion, and to me my religion.") (104:1-6).

(Say: "Our Lord will assemble us all together...") means, `on the Day of Resurrection, He will bring all of creation together in one arena, then He will judge between us with truth, i.e., with justice.' Each person will be rewarded or punished according to his deeds; if they are good, then his end will be good, and if they are bad, then his end will be bad. On that Day they will know who has attained victory, glory and eternal happiness, as Allah says: U

(And on the Day when the Hour will be established -- that Day shall (all men) be separated. Then as for those who believed and did righteous good deeds, such shall be honored and made to enjoy luxurious life (forever) in a Garden of Delight. And as for those who disbelieved and denied Our Ayat, and the meeting of the Hereafter, such shall be brought forth to the torment.) (30:14-16). Allah says:

(And He is the Just Judge, the All-Knower of the true state of affairs.)

(Say: "Show me those whom you have joined with Him as partners...") means, `show me those gods whom you made as rivals and equals to Allah.'

Nay means, He has no peer, rival, partner or equal. Allah says:

But He is Allah, meaning, the One and Only God Who has no partner.

the Almighty, the All-Wise. means, the Owner of might with which He subjugates and controls all things, the One Who is Wise in all His Words and deeds, Laws and decrees. Blessed and exalted and sanctified be He far above all that they say. And Allah knows best.

The Prophet was sent to all of Mankind Allah says to His servant and Messenger Muhammad :

(And We have not sent you except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind,) i.e., to all of creation among those who are accountable for their deeds. This is like the Ayah:

(Say: "O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah.") (7:158)

(Blessed be He Who sent down the Criterion to His servant that he may be a warner to the all creatures.) (25:1)

a giver of glad tidings and a warner means, to bring the glad tidings of Paradise to those who obey you and to warn of the fire of Hell to those who disobey you. This is like the A0ya0t:

(and most of men know not.)

(And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly. ) (12:103)

(And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's path) (6:116). Muhammad bin Ka`b said concerning the Ayah:

(And We have not sent you except to all mankind) meaning, to all the people. Qatadah said concerning this Ayah, "Allah, may He be exalted, sent Muhammad to both the Arabs and the non-Arabs, so the most honored of them with Allah is the one who is most obedient to Allah." In the Two Sahihs it was reported that Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him said, "The Messenger of Allah said:

(I have been given five things which were not given to any of the Prophets before me. I have been aided by fear (the distance of ) a month's journey. The entire earth has been made a Masjid and a means of purification for me, so that when the time for prayer comes, any man of my Ummah should pray. The spoils of war have been made permissible for me, whereas they were not permitted for any before me. I have been given the power of intercession; and the Prophets before me were sent to their own people, but I have been sent to all of mankind.)" It was also recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said:

(I have been sent to the black and the red.) Mujahid said, "This means to the Jinn and to mankind." Others said that it meant the Arabs and the non-Arabs. Both meanings are correct.

How the Disbelievers asked about when the Resurrection wouldhappen, and the Response to Them Allah tells us how thedisbelievers believed it unlikely that the Hour would ever come to pass:

(And they say: "When is this promise if you are truthful") This is like the Ayah:

(Those who believe not therein seek to hasten it, while those who believe are fearful of it, and know that it is the very truth...) (42:18) Then Allah says:

(Say: "The appointment to you is for a Day, which you cannot for an hour move back nor forward.") meaning, `you have an appointed time which is fixed and cannot be changed or altered. When it comes, you will not be able to put it back or bring it forward,' as Allah says:

(Verily, the term of Allah when it comes, cannot be delayed) (71:4).

(And We delay it only for a term (already) fixed. On the Day when it comes, no person shall speak except by His leave. Some among them will be wretched and (others) blessed.) (11:104-105).

How the Disbelievers have agreed in this World to deny the Truth,and how They will dispute with One Another on the Day ofResurrection

Allah tells us about the excessive wrongdoing and stubbornness of the disbelievers, and their insistence on not believing in the Holy Qur'an and what it tells them about the Resurrection. Allah says:

(And those who disbelieve say: "We believe not in this Qur'an nor in that which was before it.") Allah threatens them and warns them of the humiliating position they will be in before Him, arguing and disputing with one another:

(how they will cast the (blaming) word one to another! Those who were deemed weak) this refers to the followers --

to those who were arrogant -- this refers to the leaders and masters --

(Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers!) meaning, `if you had not stopped us, we would have followed the Messengers and believed in what they brought.' Their leaders and masters, those who were arrogant, will say to them:

(Did we keep you back from guidance after it had come to you) meaning, `we did nothing more to you than to call you, and you followed us without any evidence or proof, and you went against the evidence and proof which the Messengers brought because of your own desires; it was your own choice.' They will say:

("...Nay, but you were criminals." Those who were deemed weak will say to those who were arrogant: "Nay, but it was your plotting by night and day...") meaning, `you used to plot against us night and day, tempting us with promises and false hopes, and telling us that we were truly guided and that we were following something, but all of that was falsehood and manifest lies.' Qatadah and Ibn Zayd said:

(Nay, but it was your plotting by night and day,) means, "You plotted by night and day." Malik narrated something similar from Zayd bin Aslam.

(when you ordered us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals to Him!) means, `to set up gods as equal to Him, and you created doubts and confusion in our minds, and you fabricated far-fetched ideas with which to lead us astray.'

(And each of them (parties) will conceal their own regrets, when they behold the torment.) means, both the leaders and the followers will feel regret for what they did previously.

(And We shall put iron collars round the necks of those who disbelieved.) This is a chain which will tie their hands to their necks.

(Are they requited aught except what they used to do) means, they will be punished according to their deeds: the leaders will be punished according to what they did, and the followers will be punished according to what they did.

(He will say: "For each one there is double (torment), but you know not.") (7:38). Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah said:

(When the people of Hell are driven towards it, it will meet them with its flames, then the Fire will burn their faces and the flesh will all fall to their hamstrings.)"