Saba

Have they not then seen all that surrounds them of the heavens and the earth? If We willed, We could cause the earth to swallow them up, or cause ˹deadly˺ pieces of the sky to fall upon them. Surely in this is a sign for every servant who turns ˹to Allah˺.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Then, do they not look at what is before them and what is behind them of the heaven and earth? If We should will, We could cause the earth to swallow them or [could] let fall upon them fragments from the sky. Indeed in that is a sign for every servant turning back [to Allah].

— Saheeh International

Indeed, We granted David a ˹great˺ privilege from Us, ˹commanding:˺ “O mountains! Echo his hymns! And the birds as well.” We made iron mouldable for him,

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And We certainly gave David from Us bounty. [We said], "O mountains, repeat [Our] praises with him, and the birds [as well]." And We made pliable for him iron,

— Saheeh International

instructing: “Make full-length armour, ˹perfectly˺ balancing the links. And work righteousness ˹O family of David!˺. Indeed, I am All-Seeing of what you do.”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

[Commanding him], "Make full coats of mail and calculate [precisely] the links, and work [all of you] righteousness. Indeed I, of what you do, am Seeing."

— Saheeh International

And to Solomon ˹We subjected˺ the wind: its morning stride was a month’s journey and so was its evening stride. And We caused a stream of molten copper to flow for him, and ˹We subjected˺ some of the jinn to work under him by his Lord’s Will. And whoever of them deviated from Our command, We made them taste the torment of the blaze.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And to Solomon [We subjected] the wind - its morning [journey was that of] a month - and its afternoon [journey was that of] a month, and We made flow for him a spring of [liquid] copper. And among the jinn were those who worked for him by the permission of his Lord. And whoever deviated among them from Our command - We will make him taste of the punishment of the Blaze.

— Saheeh International

They made for him whatever he desired of sanctuaries, statues,¹ basins as large as reservoirs, and cooking pots fixed ˹into the ground˺. ˹We ordered:˺ “Work gratefully, O  family of David!” ˹Only˺ a few of My servants are ˹truly˺ grateful.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

They made for him what he willed of elevated chambers,¹ statues,² bowls like reservoirs, and stationary kettles. [We said], "Work, O family of David, in gratitude." And few of My servants are grateful.

— Saheeh International

When We decreed Solomon’s death, nothing indicated to the ˹subjected˺ jinn that he was dead except the termites eating away his staff.¹ So when he collapsed, the jinn realized that if they had ˹really˺ known the unseen, they would not have remained in ˹such˺ humiliating servitude.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And when We decreed for him [i.e., Solomon] death, nothing indicated to them [i.e., the jinn] his death except a creature of the earth eating his staff.¹ But when he fell, it became clear to the jinn that if they had known the unseen, they would not have remained in humiliating punishment.²

— Saheeh International

Indeed, there was a sign for ˹the tribe of˺ Sheba in their homeland: two orchards—one to the right and the other to the left. ˹They were told:˺ “Eat from the provision of your Lord, and be grateful to Him. ˹Yours is˺ a good land and a forgiving Lord.”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

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."

— Saheeh International

But they turned away. So We sent against them a devastating flood, and replaced their orchards with two others producing bitter fruit, fruitless bushes,¹ and a few ˹sparse˺ thorny trees.²

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

But they turned away [refusing], so We sent upon them the flood of the dam,¹ and We replaced their two [fields of] gardens with gardens of bitter fruit, tamarisks and something of sparse lote trees.

— Saheeh International

This is how We rewarded them for their ingratitude. Would We ever punish ˹anyone in such a way˺ except the ungrateful?

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

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

— Saheeh International

We had also placed between them and the cities¹ We showered with blessings ˹many small˺ towns within sight of one another. And We set moderate travel distances in between, ˹saying,˺ “Travel between them by day and night safely.”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And We placed between them and the cities which We had blessed¹ [many] visible cities. And We determined between them the [distances of] journey,² [saying], "Travel between them by night or by day in safety."

— Saheeh International

But they said, “Our Lord! Make ˹the distances of˺ our journeys longer,” wronging themselves.¹ So We reduced them to ˹cautionary˺ tales, and scattered them utterly. Surely in this are lessons for whoever is steadfast, grateful.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

But [insolently] they said, "Our Lord, lengthen the distance between our journeys," and wronged themselves, so We made them narrations¹ and dispersed them in total dispersion. Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful.

— Saheeh International