فَأَعْرَضُوا۟ فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَيْلَ ٱلْعَرِمِ وَبَدَّلْنَـٰهُم بِجَنَّتَيْهِمْ جَنَّتَيْنِ ذَوَاتَىْ أُكُلٍ خَمْطٍ وَأَثْلٍ وَشَىْءٍ مِّن سِدْرٍ قَلِيلٍ 16
Translations
But they turned away [refusing], so We sent upon them the flood of the dam, and We replaced their two [fields of] gardens with gardens of bitter fruit, tamarisks and something of sparse lote trees.
Transliteration
Fa-a'radoo fa-arsalnā 'alayhim sayla al-'arimi wa-baddalnāhum bi-jannatayihim jannatayni dhawātā uklin khamtin wa-athl wa-shay'in min sidrin qalīl
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes the punishment that befell the people of Saba (ancient Yemen) when they turned away from Allah's signs and neglected the dam (al-'arim) that protected their gardens. Allah sent a devastating flood that destroyed their prosperous two gardens, replacing them with two gardens bearing only bitter fruit (khamt - lote trees with thorns), acacia trees (athl), and sparse lote trees (sidr). Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as a clear manifestation of divine justice—the people's arrogance and ingratitude led to the loss of their worldly blessings, serving as a lesson about the consequences of rejecting divine guidance.
Revelation Context
Surah Saba is a Meccan surah that recounts the story of the people of Saba and their magnificent dam as a cautionary tale for the Quraysh. This ayah falls within the broader narrative that illustrates how even those blessed with tremendous wealth and engineering prowess can lose everything through heedlessness and rejection of Allah's message. The context highlights the transience of worldly possessions without faith and obedience.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly addresses this ayah, the principle is reflected in various hadiths about gratitude and the consequences of ingratitude. A related theme appears in hadiths emphasizing that blessings are preserved through gratitude and lost through ingratitude, as found in various collections including Sunan Ibn Majah and Jami' at-Tirmidhi.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that material abundance and technological achievement offer no protection against divine punishment when coupled with spiritual heedlessness and ingratitude. True security lies in faith, obedience, and gratitude to Allah, not in earthly possessions or capabilities.
Related Ayahs
يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَنزِلُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٱلْغَفُورُ
He knows what penetrates into the earth and what emerges from it and what descends from the heaven and what ascends therein. And He is the Merciful, the Forgiving.
وَكَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَمَا بَلَغُوا۟ مِعْشَارَ مَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمْ فَكَذَّبُوا۟ رُسُلِى ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ
And those before them denied, and they [i.e., the people of Makkah] have not attained a tenth of what We had given them. But they [i.e., the former peoples] denied My messengers, so how [terrible] was My reproach.
لَقَدْ كَانَ لِسَبَإٍ فِى مَسْكَنِهِمْ ءَايَةٌ ۖ جَنَّتَانِ عَن يَمِينٍ وَشِمَالٍ ۖ كُلُوا۟ مِن رِّزْقِ رَبِّكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لَهُۥ ۚ بَلْدَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ وَرَبٌّ غَفُورٌ
There was for [the tribe of] Saba’ in their dwelling place a sign: two [fields of] gardens on the right and on the left. [They were told], "Eat from the provisions of your Lord and be grateful to Him. A good land [have you], and a forgiving Lord."
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ بِهَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانِ وَلَا بِٱلَّذِى بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ۗ وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ مَوْقُوفُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يَرْجِعُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ٱلْقَوْلَ يَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسْتُضْعِفُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ لَوْلَآ أَنتُمْ لَكُنَّا مُؤْمِنِينَ
And those who disbelieve say, "We will never believe in this Qur’ān nor in that before it." But if you could see when the wrongdoers are made to stand before their Lord, refuting each others' words... Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, "If not for you, we would have been believers."