فَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا بَـٰعِدْ بَيْنَ أَسْفَارِنَا وَظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ وَمَزَّقْنَـٰهُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ 19
Translations
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.
Transliteration
Faqaloo rabbana baAAda bayina asfarina wa thalamoo anfusahum fajaaalnahum ahadeetha wa mazzaqnahum kulla mumazzaq. Inna fee dhalika laayatin likulli sabbarin shakoor.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah describes how the people of Sheba, after being blessed with gardens and prosperity, became divided and distant in their travels due to their arrogance and injustice, whereupon Allah destroyed their kingdom and scattered them completely. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the phrase 'baaad bayina asfarina' (made distant between their journeys) refers to how Allah severed the roads and destroyed the dams that connected their land, turning their blessings into desolation. The ayah concludes by affirming that these signs of divine punishment contain lessons for those who possess patience and gratitude—virtues the people of Sheba lacked.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Saba, which narrates the story of the people of Sheba (Saba) as a historical lesson. The surah describes their initial blessing with gardens and abundance (34:15-16), their subsequent ingratitude and transgression, and finally their destruction as punishment. This ayah marks the culmination of their punishment narrative, illustrating the consequences of abandoning gratitude and unity.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly addresses this ayah, Hadith Qudsi conveys the principle: 'If My servants were to thank Me, I would surely increase them in favor' (Sunan Ibn Majah & At-Tirmidhi). Additionally, the hadith on the destruction of the Dam of Arim (Sadd al-Arim) in Sunan At-Tirmidhi provides historical context for Sheba's downfall.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that blessings are fragile and contingent upon gratitude, humility, and justice—when a community abandons these virtues and becomes divided, Allah's punishment follows swiftly and completely. For modern believers, it underscores the importance of maintaining unity, practicing gratitude, and exercising patience and forbearance to preserve both individual and collective blessings.