سُوْرَةُ سَبَاٍ
Surah Saba (34) — Ayah 14
فَلَمَّا قَضَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ ٱلْمَوْتَ مَا دَلَّهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَوْتِهِۦٓ إِلَّا دَآبَّةُ ٱلْأَرْضِ تَأْكُلُ مِنسَأَتَهُۥ ۖ فَلَمَّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ ٱلْجِنُّ أَن لَّوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ ٱلْغَيْبَ مَا لَبِثُوا۟ فِى ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْمُهِينِ ﴿14﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Then when We decreed death for him [Sulaimân (Solomon)], nothing informed them (jinn) of his death except a little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his stick. So when he fell down, the jinn saw clearly that if they had known the Unseen, they would not have stayed in the humiliating torment.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَلَمَّا
falammā
Then when
قَضَيْنَا
qaḍaynā
We decreed
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
for him
ٱلْمَوْتَ
l-mawta
the death
مَا
mā
not
دَلَّهُمْ
dallahum
indicated to them
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
[on]
مَوْتِهِۦٓ
mawtihi
his death
إِلَّا
illā
except
دَآبَّةُ
dābbatu
a creature
ٱلْأَرْضِ
l-arḍi
(of) the earth
تَأْكُلُ
takulu
eating
مِنسَأَتَهُۥ ۖ
minsa-atahu
his staff
فَلَمَّا
falammā
But when
خَرَّ
kharra
he fell down
تَبَيَّنَتِ
tabayyanati
became clear
ٱلْجِنُّ
l-jinu
(to) the jinn
أَن
an
that
لَّوْ
law
if
كَانُوا۟
kānū
they had
يَعْلَمُونَ
yaʿlamūna
known
ٱلْغَيْبَ
l-ghayba
the unseen
مَا
mā
not
لَبِثُوا۟
labithū
they (would have) remained
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْعَذَابِ
l-ʿadhābi
the punishment
ٱلْمُهِينِ
l-muhīni
humiliating
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
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.
14. 1. In the time of Hazrat Sulaiman ؑ, it had become widespread about the jinn that they know matters of the unseen; Allah Almighty made clear the falsehood of this belief through the death of Hazrat Sulaiman ؑ.
