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Saba (Sheba)

Verse 16of 54

فَأَعْرَضُوا۟ فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَيْلَ ٱلْعَرِمِ وَبَدَّلْنَٰهُم بِجَنَّتَيْهِمْ جَنَّتَيْنِ ذَوَاتَىْ أُكُلٍ خَمْطٍۢ وَأَثْلٍۢ وَشَىْءٍۢ مِّن سِدْرٍۢ قَلِيلٍۢ﴿١٦﴾

Translation (Sahih International)

But they turned away [refusing], so We sent upon them the flood of the dam, and We replaced their two [fields of] gardens with gardens of bitter fruit, tamarisks and something of sparse lote trees.

Word-by-word meaning

فَأَعْرَضُوا۟fa-aʿraḍūBut they turned away
فَأَرْسَلْنَاfa-arsalnāso We sent
عَلَيْهِمْʿalayhimupon them
سَيْلَsayla(the) flood
ٱلْعَرِمِl-ʿarimi(of) the dam
وَبَدَّلْنَـٰهُمwabaddalnāhumand We changed for them
بِجَنَّتَيْهِمْbijannatayhimtheir two gardens
جَنَّتَيْنِjannatayni(with) two gardens
ذَوَاتَىْdhawātayproducing fruit
أُكُلٍukulinproducing fruit
خَمْطٍۢkhamṭinbitter
وَأَثْلٍۢwa-athlinand tamarisks
وَشَىْءٍۢwashayinand (some)thing
مِّنminof
سِدْرٍۢsid'rinlote trees
قَلِيلٍۢqalīlinfew

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Disbelief of Saba' (Sheba) and Their PunishmentSaba' refers to the kings and people of the Yemen. At-Tababa`ah (Tubba`) surname of the ancient kings of Yemen were part of them, and Bilqis, the queen who met Sulayman, peace be upon him, was also one of them. They lived a life of enviable luxury in their land with plentiful provision, crops and fruits.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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