| | Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar rendition of Surah Saba, Sheba(Saba`)
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| 34:1 | | The Praise belongs to God. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in and on the earth. And His is The Praise in the world to come. And He is The Wise, The Aware. |
| 34:2 | | He knows whatever penetrates into the earth and what goes forth out of it and what comes down from the heaven and what goes up to it. And He is The Compassionate, The Forgiving. |
| 34:3 | | And those who were ungrateful said: The Hour will not approach us. Say: Yea! By my Lord, it will, certainly, approach you. He is One Who Knows of the unseen. Not an atom’s weight escapes from Him in the heavens or in and on the earth, be it smaller than that or greater, but that it had been in a clear Book |
| 34:4 | | that He may give recompense to those who believed and did as the ones in accord with morality. Those, for them there is forgiveness and a generous provision. |
| 34:5 | | But those who endeavored against Our signs as ones who strive to thwart, those, for them there is a punishment of painful wrath. |
| 34:6 | | And consider those who were given the knowledge that what was caused to descend to thee from thy Lord. It is The Truth and it guides to a path of The Almighty, The Worthy of Praise. |
| 34:7 | | Those who were ungrateful said: Shall we point you to a man who will tell you when you were torn to pieces, ones who are totally torn to pieces? Then, you will be, truly, in a new creation. |
| 34:8 | | Devised he a lie against God or is there a madness in him? Nay! Those who believe not in the world to come there is a punishment and a going far astray. |
| 34:9 | | Consider they not what is in advance of them and what is behind them of the heaven and the earth? If We will, We could cause the earth to swallow them, or cause to drop on them pieces of heaven. Truly, in this is a sign for every servant, one who turns in repentance. |
| 34:10 | | And, certainly, We gave David grace from Us. O mountains! Echo psalms of praise with him and the birds. And We softened iron for him, |
| 34:11 | | saying that: Work on full coats of mail and calculate the links. And do as one in accord with morality. Truly, I am Seeing of what you do. |
| 34:12 | | And to Solomon We subjected the wind. The first part of the day was a month’s journey and the evening course was a month’s journey. We caused a spring of molten brass to flow for him. And We gave him of the jinn who work in advance of him with the permission of his Lord. Whoever of them swerved from Our command We caused him to experience the punishment of the blaze. |
| 34:13 | | They worked for him whatever of sanctuaries he wills—images and basin-like cisterns like water-troughs and cooking pots—ones firmly fixed. People of David! Act with thankfulness. But few of My servants are grateful. |
| 34:14 | | Then, when We decreed death for Solomon, nothing pointed out his death to the jinn, but a moving creature of the earth that consumes his scepter. So when he fell down, it became clear to the jinn that if they had been knowing the unseen, they would not have lingered in expectation in the despised punishment. |
| 34:15 | | There had, certainly, been for Sheba a sign in their dwelling place. Two gardens on the right and on the left. Eat of the provision of your Lord and give thanks to Him: A good land and a forgiving Lord. |
| 34:16 | | But they turned aside, so We sent against them the overwhelming flood, and We substituted for their two gardens, two gardens yielding a sour harvest, and tamarisks, and something of lote-trees here and there. |
| 34:17 | | That is how We gave recompense to them because they were ungrateful. And we recompense, but the ungrateful. |
| 34:18 | | And We made between them and between the towns which We blessed, that which are manifest towns and We ordained journeying in them. Journey through them as ones who are safe night and day. |
| 34:19 | | But they said: Our Lord! Cause a distance between our journeys and they did wrong to themselves. So We made them as tales and We tore them to pieces, a total tearing to pieces. Truly, in that are signs for every enduring grateful one. |
| 34:20 | | And, certainly, established as true about them was the opinion of Iblis and they followed him, but a group of people among the ones who believe. |
| 34:21 | | There had not been for him any authority over them, but that We know who believe in the world to come from who is in uncertainty of it. And thy Lord is Guardian over everything. |
| 34:22 | | Say: Call on those whom you claimed other than God. They possess not the weight of an atom in the heavens nor on the earth, nor have they in either any association, nor among them is there any sustainer of Him. |
| 34:23 | | No intercession profits with Him, but for him to whom He gave permission. Until when their hearts were freed from terror, they said: What is it that your Lord said. They said: The Truth. And He is the Lofty, the Great. |
| 34:24 | | Say: Who provides for you from the heavens and the earth? Say: God. And, truly, we or you are either on guidance or clearly going astray. |
| 34:25 | | Say: You will not be asked of what we sinned, nor will we be asked about what you do. |
| 34:26 | | Say: Our Lord will gather us. Again, He will explain The Truth among us and He is The Opener, The Knowing. |
| 34:27 | | Say: Cause me to see those whom you caused to join with Him as ascribed associates. No indeed! Nay! He is God, The Almighty, The Wise. |
| 34:28 | | And We sent thee not, but collectively for humanity as a bearer of good tidings and a warner, but most of humanity knows not. |
| 34:29 | | And they say: When is this promise if you had been ones who are sincere? |
| 34:30 | | Say: Yours is the solemn declaration of a Day which you delay not for an hour nor press forward. |
| 34:31 | | And those who were ungrateful said: We will never believe in this, the Quran, nor in what was in advance of it, but if thou hast considered when the ones who are unjust who are stationed before their Lord, returning the saying, some of them to some others. Say to those who were taken advantage of due to their weakness to those who grew arrogant: If it were not for you, we would have been ones who believe. |
| 34:32 | | Those who grew arrogant would say to those who were taken advantage due to their weakness: Barred we you from guidance after it drew near you? Nay! You had been ones who sin. |
| 34:33 | | And would say those who were taken advantage due to their weakness to those who grew arrogant: Nay! It was your planning by nighttime and daytime when you commanded us to be ungrateful to God and to assign rivals to Him. And they will keep their self-reproach secret when they will see the punishment and We assigned yokes around the necks of those who were ungrateful. Are they given recompense but for what they had been doing? |
| 34:34 | | We sent not any warner to a town, but that the ones who are given ease said: Truly, in what you were sent, we are ones who disbelieve it. |
| 34:35 | | And they said: We are more than you in wealth and in children and we are not ones who are punished! |
| 34:36 | | Say: Truly, my Lord extends the provision for whomever He wills and confines it for whom He wills, but most of humanity knows not. |
| 34:37 | | And it is not your wealth nor your children that will bring you near to Us, but whoever believed and did as one in accord with morality. As for those, for them, the recompense is doubled for what they did and they will live in the highest chambers as one who is safe. |
| 34:38 | | And those who endeavor against Our signs, as ones who strive to thwart them, those are ones who are charged with the punishment. |
| 34:39 | | Say: Truly, my Lord extends the provision for whomever He wills of His servants and confines for him what He wills. And whatever you spent of anything, He will replace it. And He is Best of the ones who provide. |
| 34:40 | | And on a Day He will assemble them altogether. Again, He will say to the angels: Was it these who had been worshiping you? |
| 34:41 | | They would say: Glory be to Thee! Thou art our Protector and not they. Nay! They had been worshiping the jinn. Most of them were ones who believe in them. |
| 34:42 | | Then, today none of you will possess the power over some others to profit nor hurt and We will say to those who did wrong: Experience the punishment of the fire which you had been denying. |
| 34:43 | | When are recounted to them Our signs, clear portents, they said: This is not but a man who wants to bar you from what your fathers had been worshipping. And they said: This is not but a forged calumny. And those who were ungrateful for The Truth said when it drew near them: Truly, this is but clear sorcery. |
| 34:44 | | And We gave them not any Books that they study them nor sent We to them any warner before thee. |
| 34:45 | | Those that were before them denied and they reached not one-tenth of what We gave them. Yet they denied My Messengers. So how had My disapproval of them been! |
| 34:46 | | Say: I admonish you in but one thing: That you stand up for God by twos and one by one. Again, reflect. There is not in your companion any madness. He is only a warner to you of a severe punishment in advance of you. |
| 34:47 | | Say: Whatever compensation I asked of you, that is for you. My compensation is only from God. And He is a Witness over everything. |
| 34:48 | | Say: Truly, my Lord hurls The Truth. He is The Knower of the unseen. |
| 34:49 | | Say: The Truth drew near and falsehood neither causes to begin nor causes to return. |
| 34:50 | | Say: If I went astray, truly, I will only go astray with loss for myself. And if I was truly guided, it is because of what my Lord reveals to me. Truly, He is Hearing, Ever Near. |
| 34:51 | | And if thou wouldst see when they would be terrified, when there is no escape and they would be taken from a near place, |
| 34:52 | | they would say: We believed in it! But how could they reach it from a place so far away? |
| 34:53 | | And, surely, they were ungrateful for it before. And they hurl at the unseen from a far place. |
| 34:54 | | And a barrier was set up between them and between that for which they lust just as was accomplished with partisans before. Truly, they had been uncertain, in grave doubt. |
