place

Sheba

سَبَأ

Sheba (Saba' in Arabic) refers to an ancient and once-prosperous kingdom in present-day Yemen, holding a significant place in Islamic tradition through its narratives in the Quran. It is perhaps most famously known for the story of its powerful queen who ruled over a people described as worshipping the sun. The Quran recounts how the hoopoe bird brought news to Prophet Solomon (Sulayman) about [Sheba, and its queen who possessed a great throne], leading to a remarkable interaction where the queen ultimately embraced monotheism. Beyond this encounter, the Quran also describes the people of Sheba as having been blessed with [two fields of gardens on the right and on the left], a beautiful land, and abundant provisions from Allah, encouraging them to be grateful. However, they [turned away in ingratitude], leading to divine consequence where a destructive flood replaced their lush gardens with bitter fruit and sparse trees. The story of Sheba serves as a profound reminder for believers about the importance of appreciating Allah's blessings and the dire outcomes of disbelief and ungratefulness.

Quran 6 verses

فَمَكَثَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ فَقَالَ أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِۦ وَجِئْتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍۭ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ

Famakasa ghaira ba'eedin faqaala ahattu bimaa lam tuhit bihee wa ji'tuka min Sabaim binaba iny-yaqeen

But the hoopoe stayed not long and said, "I have encompassed [in knowledge] that which you have not encompassed, and I have come to you from Sheba with certain news.

ابھی تھوڑی ہی دیر ہوئی تھی کہ ہُدہُد آ موجود ہوا اور کہنے لگا کہ مجھے ایک ایسی چیز معلوم ہوئی ہے جس کی آپ کو خبر نہیں اور میں آپ کے پاس (شہر) سبا سے ایک سچی خبر لے کر آیا ہوں

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ (I have discovered what you did not - 27:22). That is, the hoopoe. said while offering its excuse that it knew something which he did not know. What it meant was that it had brought information, which he (Sulaiman علیہ السلام) did not know before. The prophets do not h...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: But he did not remain read fa-makutha or fa-makatha long in absence in other words he was away only for a short while and came to Solomon humbly with his head up and his wings and tail lowered. Solomon pardoned him and asked him about what he had encountered during his absence and he said ‘I have di...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): How the Hoopoe came before Sulayman and told Him about Saba' Allah says: فَمَكَثَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ (But (the hoopoe) stayed not long,) meaning, he was absent for only a short time. Then he came and said to Sulayman: أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ (I have grasped which you have not grasped) meaning, `I...

لَقَدْ كَانَ لِسَبَإٍ فِى مَسْكَنِهِمْ ءَايَةٌ جَنَّتَانِ عَن يَمِينٍ وَشِمَالٍ كُلُوا۟ مِن رِّزْقِ رَبِّكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لَهُۥ بَلْدَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ وَرَبٌّ غَفُورٌ

Laqad kaana li Saba-in fee maskanihim Aayatun jannataani 'ai yameeninw wa shimaalin kuloo mir rizq Rabbikum washkuroolah; baldatun taiyibatunw wa Rabbun Ghafoor

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."

(اہل) سبا کے لئے ان کے مقام بودوباش میں ایک نشانی تھی (یعنی) دو باغ (ایک) داہنی طرف اور (ایک) بائیں طرف۔ اپنے پروردگار کا رزق کھاؤ اور اس کا شکر کرو۔ (یہاں تمہارے رہنے کو یہ) پاکیزہ شہر ہے اور (وہاں بخشنے کو) خدائے غفار

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary In previous verses, warning was given to those who denied prophethood and the Day of Judgment and failed to realize that the power of Allah Ta’ ala was most perfect. Reference was then made to miracles shown at the hands of past prophets and mention was made of the events relating to Sayy...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: Verily there was for Sheba Saba’ declined as li-Saba’in or left as indeclinable li-Saba’a is the name of a tribe that took its name from one of their Arab ancestors in their dwelling-place in Yemen a sign indicating God’s power exalted be He two gardens jannatān a substitution for āyatun ‘a sign’ to...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Disbelief of Saba' (Sheba) and Their Punishment Saba' refers to the kings and people of the Yemen. At-Tababa`ah (Tubba`) surname of the ancient kings of Yemen were part of them, and Bilqis, the queen who met Sulayman, peace be upon him, was also one of them. They lived a life of enviable luxury ...

فَأَعْرَضُوا۟ فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَيْلَ ٱلْعَرِمِ وَبَدَّلْنَٰهُم بِجَنَّتَيْهِمْ جَنَّتَيْنِ ذَوَاتَىْ أُكُلٍ خَمْطٍ وَأَثْلٍ وَشَىْءٍ مِّن سِدْرٍ قَلِيلٍ

Fa-a''radoo fa-arsalnaa 'alaihim Sailal 'Arimi wa baddalnaahum bijannataihim jannataini azwaatai ukulin khamtinw wa aslinw wa shai'im min sidrin qaleel

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.

تو انہوں نے (شکرگزاری سے) منہ پھیر لیا پس ہم نے ان پر زور کا سیلاب چھوڑ دیا اور انہیں ان کے باغوں کے بدلے دو ایسے باغ دیئے جن کے میوے بدمزہ تھے اور جن میں کچھ تو جھاؤ تھا اور تھوڑی سی بیریاں

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: The 'flood of the dam' (sayl al-'arim) and the Dam of Ma'arib (the sadd of Ma` arib) The word: عرم (` arim) in: فَأَرْ‌سَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَيْلَ الْعَرِ‌مِ (So We sent to them the flood of the dam - 16) carries several recognized meanings in terms of Arabic lexical usage and the scholars of tafsir h...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: But they were disregardful of giving thanks to Him and became disbelievers so We unleashed upon them the flood of the Dam al-‘arim is the plural of ‘arima which is a structure or something similar that holds water back to be stored for when it is needed in other words We unleashed upon them the floo...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Disbelief of Saba' (Sheba) and Their Punishment Saba' refers to the kings and people of the Yemen. At-Tababa`ah (Tubba`) surname of the ancient kings of Yemen were part of them, and Bilqis, the queen who met Sulayman, peace be upon him, was also one of them. They lived a life of enviable luxury ...

ذَٰلِكَ جَزَيْنَٰهُم بِمَا كَفَرُوا۟ وَهَلْ نُجَٰزِىٓ إِلَّا ٱلْكَفُورَ

Zaalika jazainaahum bimaa kafaroo wa hal nujaazeee illal kafoor

[By] that We repaid them because they disbelieved. And do We [thus] repay except the ungrateful?

یہ ہم نے ان کی ناشکری کی ان کو سزا دی۔ اور ہم سزا ناشکرے ہی کو دیا کرتے ہیں

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: The next verse: ذَٰلِكَ جَزَيْنَاهُم بِمَا كَفَرُ‌وا (Thus We punished them because of their ungratefulness.- 34:17) means that they were punished because they committed kufr. Kufr has two meanings. It could mean ungratefulness and it could mean the denial of the true faith. At this place, both mean...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: That replacement of what they had is what We requited them with for their ingratitude and is anyone but the ingrate ever so requited? read hal yujāzā illā’l-kafūru; or read as hal nujāzī illā’l-kafūra ‘Would We requite anyone but the ingrate?’ in other words it is only the like of such who is called...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Disbelief of Saba' (Sheba) and Their Punishment Saba' refers to the kings and people of the Yemen. At-Tababa`ah (Tubba`) surname of the ancient kings of Yemen were part of them, and Bilqis, the queen who met Sulayman, peace be upon him, was also one of them. They lived a life of enviable luxury ...

وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ ٱلْقُرَى ٱلَّتِى بَٰرَكْنَا فِيهَا قُرًى ظَٰهِرَةً وَقَدَّرْنَا فِيهَا ٱلسَّيْرَ سِيرُوا۟ فِيهَا لَيَالِىَ وَأَيَّامًا ءَامِنِينَ

Wa ja'alnaa bainahum wa bainal qural latee baaraknaa feehaa quran zaahiratanw wa qaddamaa feehas sayr; seeroo feehaa la yaalirya wa aiyaaman aamineen

And We placed between them and the cities which We had blessed [many] visible cities. And We determined between them the [distances of] journey, [saying], "Travel between them by night or day in safety."

اور ہم نے ان کے اور (شام کی) ان بستیوں کے درمیان جن میں ہم نے برکت دی تھی (ایک دوسرے کے متصل) دیہات بنائے تھے جو سامنے نظر آتے تھے اور ان میں آمد ورفت کا اندازہ مقرر کردیا تھا کہ رات دن بےخوف وخطر چلتے رہو

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: In verse 18, it was said: وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ الْقُرَ‌ى الَّتِي بَارَ‌كْنَا فِيهَا قُرً‌ى ظَاهِرَ‌ةً وَقَدَّرْ‌نَا فِيهَا السَّيْرَ‌ سِيرُ‌وا (And We had made towns to be seen between them and between the towns in which We had placed Our blessings, and had measured the journey between th...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: And We set between them between Sheba who were in Yemen and the towns which We had blessed with abundance of water and trees — these being the towns of Syria to which they used to travel for commerce — prominent towns continuous along the route from Yemen to Syria and We facilitated for travellers t...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Trade of Saba' and Their Destruction Allah tells us about the blessings which the people of Saba' enjoyed, and the luxuries and plentiful provision which was theirs in their land, with its secure dwellings and towns which were joined to one another, with many trees, crops and fruits. When they t...

فَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا بَٰعِدْ بَيْنَ أَسْفَارِنَا وَظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ فَجَعَلْنَٰهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ وَمَزَّقْنَٰهُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَٰتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ

Faqaaloo Rabbanaa baa'id baina asfaarinaa wa zalamooo anfusahum faja'alnaahum ahaadeesa wa mazzaq naahum kulla mumazzaq; inna fee zaalika la Aayaatil likulli sabbaarin shakoor

But [insolently] they said, "Our Lord, lengthen the distance between our journeys," and wronged themselves, so We made them narrations and dispersed them in total dispersion. Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful.

تو انہوں نے دعا کی کہ اے پروردگار ہماری مسافتوں میں بُعد (اور طول پیدا) کردے اور (اس سے) انہوں نے اپنے حق میں ظلم کیا تو ہم نے (انہیں نابود کرکے) ان کے افسانے بنادیئے اور انہیں بالکل منتشر کردیا۔ اس میں ہر صابر وشاکر کے لئے نشانیاں ہیں

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Verse 19 opens with the statement: فَقَالُوا رَ‌بَّنَا بَاعِدْ بَيْنَ أَسْفَارِ‌نَا وَظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ فَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ وَمَزَّقْنَاهُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ (Then they said," Our Lord, make (the phases of) our journeys more distant." And they wronged themselves, therefore We turned them in...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: But they said ‘Our Lord make far apart ba‘‘id a variant reading has bā‘id the stages of our travel’ to Syria make these stages through deserts so that they could glory before the poor in riding their camels and bearing their supplies and water and so they behaved wantonly with the graces bestowed on...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Trade of Saba' and Their Destruction Allah tells us about the blessings which the people of Saba' enjoyed, and the luxuries and plentiful provision which was theirs in their land, with its secure dwellings and towns which were joined to one another, with many trees, crops and fruits. When they t...

Hadith 1 tradition

Sahih al-Bukhari 65:440sahih

حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُوسَى، أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، وَقَالَ، عَطَاءٌ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ صَارَتِ الأَوْثَانُ الَّتِي كَانَتْ فِي قَوْمِ نُوحٍ فِي الْعَرَبِ بَعْدُ، أَمَّا وُدٌّ كَانَتْ لِكَلْبٍ بِدَوْمَةِ الْجَنْدَلِ، وَأَمَّا سُوَاعٌ كَانَتْ لِهُذَيْلٍ، وَأَمَّا يَغُوثُ فَكَانَتْ لِمُرَادٍ ثُمَّ لِبَنِي غُطَيْفٍ بِالْجُرُفِ عِنْدَ سَبَا، وَأَمَّا يَعُوقُ فَكَانَتْ لِهَمْدَانَ، وَأَمَّا نَسْرٌ فَكَانَتْ لِحِمْيَرَ، لآلِ ذِي الْكَلاَعِ‏.‏ أَسْمَاءُ رِجَالٍ صَالِحِينَ مِنْ قَوْمِ نُوحٍ، فَلَمَّا هَلَكُوا أَوْحَى الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَى قَوْمِهِمْ أَنِ انْصِبُوا إِلَى مَجَالِسِهِمُ الَّتِي كَانُوا يَجْلِسُونَ أَنْصَابًا، وَسَمُّوهَا بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ فَفَعَلُوا فَلَمْ تُعْبَدْ حَتَّى إِذَا هَلَكَ أُولَئِكَ وَتَنَسَّخَ الْعِلْمُ عُبِدَتْ‏.‏

Narrated Ibn `Abbas:All the idols which were worshiped by the people of Noah were worshiped by the Arabs later on. As for the idol Wadd, it was worshiped by the tribe of Kalb at Daumat-al-Jandal; Suwa` was the idol of (the tribe of) Hudhail; Yaghouth was worshiped by (the tribe of) Murad and then by Bani Ghutaif at Al-Jurf near Saba; Ya`uq was the idol of Hamdan, and Nasr was the idol of Himyar, the branch of Dhi-al-Kala`. The names (of the idols) formerly belonged to some pious men of the people of Noah, and when they died Satan inspired their people to (prepare and place idols at the places where they used to sit, and to call those idols by their names. The people did so, but the idols were not worshiped till those people (who initiated them) had died and the origin of the idols had become obscure, whereupon people began worshiping them

ہم سے ابراہیم بن موسیٰ نے بیان کیا، انہوں نے کہا ہم کو ہشام نے خبر دی، ان سے ابن جریج نے اور عطاء نے بیان کیا اور ان سے عبداللہ بن عباس رضی اللہ عنہما نے بیان کیا کہ جو بت موسیٰ علیہ السلام کی قوم میں پوجے جاتے تھے بعد میں وہی عرب میں پوجے جانے لگے۔ ود دومۃ الجندل میں بنی کلب کا بت تھا۔ سواع بنی ہذیل کا۔ یغوث بنی مراد کا اور مراد کی شاخ بنی غطیف کا جو وادی اجوف میں قوم سبا کے پاس رہتے تھے یعوق بنی ہمدان کا بت تھا۔ نسر حمیر کا بت تھا جو ذوالکلاع کی آل میں سے تھے۔ یہ پانچوں نوح علیہ السلام کی قوم کے نیک لوگوں کے نام تھے جب ان کی موت ہو گئی تو شیطان نے ان کے دل میں ڈالا کہ اپنی مجلسوں میں جہاں وہ بیٹھے تھے ان کے بت قائم کر لیں اور ان بتوں کے نام اپنے نیک لوگوں کے نام پر رکھ لیں چنانچہ ان لوگوں نے ایسا ہی کیا اس وقت ان بتوں کی پوجا نہیں ہوتی تھی لیکن جب وہ لوگ بھی مر گئے جنہوں نے بت قائم کئے تھے اور علم لوگوں میں نہ رہا تو ان کی پوجا ہونے لگی۔

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