سُوْرَةُ سَبَاٍ
Surah Saba (34) — Ayah 16
فَأَعْرَضُوا۟ فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَيْلَ ٱلْعَرِمِ وَبَدَّلْنَـٰهُم بِجَنَّتَيْهِمْ جَنَّتَيْنِ ذَوَاتَىْ أُكُلٍ خَمْطٍ وَأَثْلٍ وَشَىْءٍ مِّن سِدْرٍ قَلِيلٍ ﴿16﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
But they turned away (from the obedience of Allâh), so We sent against them Sail Al-‘Arim (flood released from the dam), and We converted their two gardens into gardens producing bitter bad fruit, and tamarisks, and some few lote-trees.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَأَعْرَضُوا۟
fa-aʿraḍū
But they turned away
فَأَرْسَلْنَا
fa-arsalnā
so We sent
عَلَيْهِمْ
ʿalayhim
upon them
سَيْلَ
sayla
(the) flood
ٱلْعَرِمِ
l-ʿarimi
(of) the dam
وَبَدَّلْنَـٰهُم
wabaddalnāhum
and We changed for them
بِجَنَّتَيْهِمْ
bijannatayhim
their two gardens
جَنَّتَيْنِ
jannatayni
(with) two gardens
ذَوَاتَىْ
dhawātay
producing fruit
أُكُلٍ
ukulin
producing fruit
خَمْطٍۢ
khamṭin
bitter
وَأَثْلٍۢ
wa-athlin
and tamarisks
وَشَىْءٍۢ
washayin
and (some)thing
مِّن
min
of
سِدْرٍۢ
sid'rin
lote trees
قَلِيلٍۢ
qalīlin
few
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.
1. 6.1 That is, they constructed embankments and dams between the mountains to block water and used it for agriculture and gardening. We broke these dams and embankments through a fierce and violent flood, and the lush and fruitful gardens were replaced with such gardens in which there were only natural thickets and bushes, in which, firstly, no fruit grew at all, and if any did, it was extremely bitter, astringent, and tasteless, which no one could eat. However, there were some lote trees in which there were more thorns and fewer fruits. "عرم" is the plural of "عرمة," meaning embankment or dam—that is, such a powerful flood was sent that it breached this dam, and the water entered the city, causing their houses to be submerged and their gardens to be ruined and deserted. This dam is famous by the name "Sadd Marib."
