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Chapter 34

ShebaSabaʾ ( سبإ )

54 verses • revealed at Meccan

»The surah that mentions the gracious dwelling place of the blessed people of Sheba in Yemen, whom God whelmed away for their rejection of God’s blessings and then punished them for their ingratitude. It is named after the account of Sheba (Saba) in verse 15 ff. The Prophet is first encouraged through references to David and Solomon and how God favoured them. The disbelievers of Mecca are warned through a description of the punishment that awaits them on the Day of Resurrection. Two references are made to their accusing the Prophet of madness (verse 8 and verse 46) and this charge is thoroughly refuted.«

The surah is also known as The City of Saba

بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ

Yusuf Ali: In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

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الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذي لَهُ ما فِي السَّماواتِ وَما فِي الأَرضِ وَلَهُ الحَمدُ فِي الآخِرَةِ ۚ وَهُوَ الحَكيمُ الخَبيرُ

Yusuf Ali

Praise be to God,1 to Whom belong all things in the heavens and on earth: to Him be Praise in the Hereafter: and He is Full of Wisdom, acquainted with all things.
  • All Creation declares His Praises, i.e., manifests His Mercy and Power, Goodness and Truth?all the sublime attributes summed up in His Most Beautiful Names (7:180 and 17:110 and notes). For man, to contemplate these is in itself a Revelation. This sentiment opens five Sūra of the Qur-ān evenly distributed, viz., 1, 6, 18, 34, and 35. Here the point most emphasised is that His wisdom and mercy comprehend all things, extended in space or in time?here and everywhere, now and evermore. (R).