سُوْرَةُ سَبَاٍ
Surah Saba (34) — Ayah 9
أَفَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ إِن نَّشَأْ نَخْسِفْ بِهِمُ ٱلْأَرْضَ أَوْ نُسْقِطْ عَلَيْهِمْ كِسَفًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةً لِّكُلِّ عَبْدٍ مُّنِيبٍ ﴿9﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
See they not what is before them and what is behind them, of the heaven and the earth? If We will, We shall sink the earth with them, or cause a piece of the heaven to fall upon them. Verily, in this is a sign for every slave who turns to Allâh in repentance (i.e. the one who believes in the Oneness of Allâh and performs deeds of His obedience and always begs His Pardon).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أَفَلَمْ
afalam
Then, do not
يَرَوْا۟
yaraw
they see
إِلَىٰ
ilā
towards
مَا
mā
what
بَيْنَ
bayna
(is) before them
أَيْدِيهِمْ
aydīhim
(is) before them
وَمَا
wamā
and what
خَلْفَهُم
khalfahum
(is) behind them
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلسَّمَآءِ
l-samāi
the heaven
وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ
wal-arḍi
and the earth
إِن
in
If
نَّشَأْ
nasha
We will
نَخْسِفْ
nakhsif
We (could) cause to swallow them
بِهِمُ
bihimu
We (could) cause to swallow them
ٱلْأَرْضَ
l-arḍa
the earth
أَوْ
aw
or
نُسْقِطْ
nus'qiṭ
cause to fall
عَلَيْهِمْ
ʿalayhim
upon them
كِسَفًۭا
kisafan
fragments
مِّنَ
mina
from
ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۚ
l-samāi
the sky
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
فِى
fī
in
ذَٰلِكَ
dhālika
that
لَـَٔايَةًۭ
laāyatan
surely, is a Sign
لِّكُلِّ
likulli
for every
عَبْدٍۢ
ʿabdin
slave
مُّنِيبٍۢ
munībin
who turns (to Allah)
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 9) ➊ { اَفَلَمْ يَرَوْا اِلٰى مَا بَيْنَ اَيْدِيْهِمْ وَ مَا خَلْفَهُمْ … :} He said, denial of the Hereafter is the result of not reflecting on the creation of the heavens and the earth. Otherwise, if they pondered over the creation of the heavens and the earth spread out all around them, in front and behind, whose vastness is beyond their imagination, then they would neither be surprised at nor deny the resurrection of mankind by the Creator of the heavens and the earth, because compared to the creation of the heavens and the earth, their own creation holds no significance at all. As He said: «ءَاَنْتُمْ اَشَدُّ خَلْقًا اَمِ السَّمَآءُ بَنٰىهَا » [ النازعات : ۲۷ ] "Are you more difficult to create or the heaven? He constructed it." And He said: «لَخَلْقُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الْاَرْضِ اَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ وَ لٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ » [ المؤمن : ۵۷ ] "Surely the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most people do not know."
➋ { اِنْ نَّشَاْ نَخْسِفْ بِهِمُ الْاَرْضَ … : ’’ كِسَفًا ‘‘ ’’كِسْفَةٌ‘‘} is the plural of 'كِسْفَةٌ', meaning pieces. In this, the disbelievers are warned that these very heavens and earth, which you consider beneficial for yourselves and the cause of your life, Allah Almighty, if He wills, can make these things the cause of your destruction. Then, if He wills, He can cause you to sink into this earth, as He caused Qarun to sink, or He can drop some pieces of punishment from the sky, as He did with the people of the thicket.
➌ { اِنَّ فِيْ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰيَةً لِّكُلِّ عَبْدٍ مُّنِيْبٍ :} That is, the person who has no kind of prejudice or stubbornness, but sincerely seeks guidance from his Lord and turns to Him, for him there is a great lesson in this magnificent system of the heavens and the earth: that the One who created such a vast and wisdom-filled system can also resurrect, and it is also a lesson that it is only by His grace and favor that we are saved, otherwise He can destroy us in a single moment. This earth belongs to Him, and the heavens are also His, so where can we escape? But for the one who, instead of turning to his Lord, has chosen rebellion against Him, for him, even after seeing all this, there is no lesson in it.
➋ { اِنْ نَّشَاْ نَخْسِفْ بِهِمُ الْاَرْضَ … : ’’ كِسَفًا ‘‘ ’’كِسْفَةٌ‘‘} is the plural of 'كِسْفَةٌ', meaning pieces. In this, the disbelievers are warned that these very heavens and earth, which you consider beneficial for yourselves and the cause of your life, Allah Almighty, if He wills, can make these things the cause of your destruction. Then, if He wills, He can cause you to sink into this earth, as He caused Qarun to sink, or He can drop some pieces of punishment from the sky, as He did with the people of the thicket.
➌ { اِنَّ فِيْ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰيَةً لِّكُلِّ عَبْدٍ مُّنِيْبٍ :} That is, the person who has no kind of prejudice or stubbornness, but sincerely seeks guidance from his Lord and turns to Him, for him there is a great lesson in this magnificent system of the heavens and the earth: that the One who created such a vast and wisdom-filled system can also resurrect, and it is also a lesson that it is only by His grace and favor that we are saved, otherwise He can destroy us in a single moment. This earth belongs to Him, and the heavens are also His, so where can we escape? But for the one who, instead of turning to his Lord, has chosen rebellion against Him, for him, even after seeing all this, there is no lesson in it.
