سُوْرَةُ سَبَاٍ
Surah Saba (34) — Ayah 20
وَلَقَدْ صَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِبْلِيسُ ظَنَّهُۥ فَٱتَّبَعُوهُ إِلَّا فَرِيقًا مِّنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿20﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
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).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
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 — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
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.
