سُوْرَةُ سَبَاٍ

Surah Saba (34) — Ayah 20

Sheba · Meccan · Juz 22 · Page 430

وَلَقَدْ صَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِبْلِيسُ ظَنَّهُۥ فَٱتَّبَعُوهُ إِلَّا فَرِيقًا مِّنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿20﴾
And indeed Iblîs (Satan) did prove true his thought about them: and they followed him, all except a group of true believers (in the Oneness of Allâh).
وَلَقَدْ walaqad And certainly
صَدَّقَ ṣaddaqa found true
عَلَيْهِمْ ʿalayhim about them
إِبْلِيسُ ib'līsu Iblis
ظَنَّهُۥ ẓannahu his assumption
فَٱتَّبَعُوهُ fa-ittabaʿūhu so they followed him
إِلَّا illā except
فَرِيقًۭا farīqan a group
مِّنَ mina of
ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ l-mu'minīna the believers

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

(Ayah 20) {وَ لَقَدْ صَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ اِبْلِيْسُ ظَنَّهٗ … :} That is, after refusing to prostrate to Adam (peace be upon him), Iblis expressed the assumption that You will not find most of them to be grateful. (See A'raf: 17) This oppressor led the people of Saba astray and proved his assumption true regarding them; thus, all of them followed him, except for a group of believers who remained safe from him. From this verse, it is understood that even in Saba, there were always some people who remained steadfast in the worship of Allah alone, and Satan could not establish his dominance over them.

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

The exegesis of this verse has been done along with the previous verse.

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

20. Iblis found his assumption about them to be true [33], so all followed him except for a group of the believers.

[33] When Allah created Adam and commanded the angels to prostrate, Iblis refused to prostrate. And when there was a confrontation between Adam and Iblis, Iblis succeeded in deceiving Adam and inciting him to disobey Allah. At that very moment, he expressed this thought and openly said to Allah that he would succeed in leading the majority of Adam's offspring astray. Only a few of Your servants would remain as grateful ones to You. The circumstances of the people of Saba also lead to this conclusion, as do the conditions of other nations, that Iblis was indeed correct in this assumption.