1. ALI 138: Tafseer of Sura Saba Session Five __________________________________________ Questions for Tadabbur : Verses 15 - 21 1) Compare the story of the people of Saba to the stories of Prophets Dawood (a) and Sulayman (a). What are some similarities/differences? 2) How do these stories apply to our lives? What lessons do we get from them? 3) Read verse 19. What do you understand from this request of the people? 4) What is the assumption of Shaytan regarding the human being?

2. Points to ponder over A combination of worldly and spiritual favors A combination of worldly and spiritual favors Bitterness – a consequence of wrongdoing. This is true in this world and in the next Bitterness – a consequence of wrongdoing. This is true in this world and in the next Benefits of traveling ; beauty, peace, security, social relations, learning from history Benefits of traveling ; beauty, peace, security, social relations, learning from history Ingratitude can turn into weariness and boredom with favors Ingratitude can turn into weariness and boredom with favors Patience and Gratitude Patience and Gratitude

3. The People of Saba A people who were greatly blessed. They lived about 600 BC, in Southern Arabia. They built a dam (the Ma’rib dam) and used water behind the dam, channeling it into fields. They grew crops and had abundant harvests. A people who were greatly blessed. They lived about 600 BC, in Southern Arabia. They built a dam (the Ma’rib dam) and used water behind the dam, channeling it into fields. They grew crops and had abundant harvests. The people were ungrateful and transgressed. The dam was destroyed and water flooded the fields. This was the flood of Arim. The fields were destroyed, and as a result, the civilization of the people of Saba perished. The people were ungrateful and transgressed. The dam was destroyed and water flooded the fields. This was the flood of Arim. The fields were destroyed, and as a result, the civilization of the people of Saba perished. The people of Saba migrated to different parts of Saudi Arabia The people of Saba migrated to different parts of Saudi Arabia

4. People of Saba The Ma’rib Dam The Ma’rib Dam map of the country where map of the country where the people of Saba lived the people of Saba lived

5. The Punishment of a People Why does God punish a people? Why does God punish a people? - disbelief - disbelief - ingratitude - ingratitude - excessive sinning - excessive sinning Types of punishment Types of punishment - natural disasters - natural disasters - removal of favors - removal of favors - emotional pain - emotional pain - spiritual discontentment - spiritual discontentment

6. Result of Ingratitude lack of appreciation of benefits. Results in discontent and unhappiness. lack of appreciation of benefits. Results in discontent and unhappiness. weariness and boredom with the favors given to them. weariness and boredom with the favors given to them. e xample of the Bani Israel. and when you said: O Musa, we will not put up with one type of food. So invoke your Lord for us that He may bring forth for us of that which the earth grows – its greens and its cucumbers, its garlics, its lentils, and its onions. He said: “Do you seek to replace that which is superior with that which is inferior?” (2: 61) e xample of the Bani Israel. and when you said: O Musa, we will not put up with one type of food. So invoke your Lord for us that He may bring forth for us of that which the earth grows – its greens and its cucumbers, its garlics, its lentils, and its onions. He said: “Do you seek to replace that which is superior with that which is inferior?” (2: 61) removal of favors by Allah removal of favors by Allah and when your Lord proclaimed: If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in blessings] but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is indeed severe (14: 7) and when your Lord proclaimed: If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in blessings] but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is indeed severe (14: 7) bitterness and regret bitterness and regret

7. Traveling in Islam ■ Traveling is recommended for: - good health - good health - increase in rizq - increase in rizq - becoming self-sufficient - becoming self-sufficient ■ Etiquette of traveling - choose your companions with care and be pleasant with them. - choose your companions with care and be pleasant with them. - say a two raka’at prayer on arrival and departure. Imam Ja’far as- Sadiq (a) says: Luqman the wise advised his son:.. And say 2 rakaat salaat when you arrive on a land, and 2 raka’at when you leave, then say farewell to the earth on that part of the earth, and send greetings to it and its people, for every piece of land has a group of angels on it. - say a two raka’at prayer on arrival and departure. Imam Ja’far as- Sadiq (a) says: Luqman the wise advised his son:.. And say 2 rakaat salaat when you arrive on a land, and 2 raka’at when you leave, then say farewell to the earth on that part of the earth, and send greetings to it and its people, for every piece of land has a group of angels on it.

8. The Aim of Shaytan Surely, by Your might, I will make them all go astray, except Your servants form among them, the sincere ones (38:82-83) Surely, by Your might, I will make them all go astray, except Your servants form among them, the sincere ones (38:82-83) I will surely lie in wait for them on Your straight path. Then I will come at them from their front and from their rear, from their right and their left, and You will not find most of them to be grateful. (7:16-17) I will surely lie in wait for them on Your straight path. Then I will come at them from their front and from their rear, from their right and their left, and You will not find most of them to be grateful. (7:16-17) He said: My Lord, as You have made life evil for me, I will surely glamorize [evil] for them on earth, and I will surely cause them all to deviate. Except Your servants from among them, the sincere ones. He said: My Lord, as You have made life evil for me, I will surely glamorize [evil] for them on earth, and I will surely cause them all to deviate. Except Your servants from among them, the sincere ones. (15:39-40) (15:39-40)

9. The Assumption of Shaytan According to Hadith of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a), when verse 20 of Sura Saba was reveled, Shaytan let out a scream. He raised his head towards the sky and said: By Your majesty and Glory, I will join the part to the whole. Allah replied him by saying: As for My servants, you have no authority over them (15: 42) According to Hadith of Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a), when verse 20 of Sura Saba was reveled, Shaytan let out a scream. He raised his head towards the sky and said: By Your majesty and Glory, I will join the part to the whole. Allah replied him by saying: As for My servants, you have no authority over them (15: 42) He misleads them through: He misleads them through: - ingratitude - ingratitude - vanity - vanity - false hopes - false hopes

10. Imam Ali (a) on Shaytan Therefore, you should fear lest Satan infects you with his disease, or leads you astray through his call, or marches on you with his horsemen and footmen, because, by my life, he has put the arrow in the bow for you, has stretched the bow strongly, and has aimed at you from a nearby position, and: Therefore, you should fear lest Satan infects you with his disease, or leads you astray through his call, or marches on you with his horsemen and footmen, because, by my life, he has put the arrow in the bow for you, has stretched the bow strongly, and has aimed at you from a nearby position, and: He (Satan) said: "My Lord! because Thou hast left me to stray, certainly will I adorn unto them the path of error, and certainly will I cause them all to go astray." (Qur'an, 15:39) He (Satan) said: "My Lord! because Thou hast left me to stray, certainly will I adorn unto them the path of error, and certainly will I cause them all to go astray." (Qur'an, 15:39) Although he (Satan) had said so only by guessing about the unknown future and by wrong conjecturing, yet the sons of vanity, the brothers of haughtiness and the horsemen of pride and intolerance proved him to be true, so much so that when disobedient persons from among you bowed before him, and his greed about you gained strength; and what was a hidden secret turned into a clear fact, he spread his full control over you and marched with his forces towards you. Although he (Satan) had said so only by guessing about the unknown future and by wrong conjecturing, yet the sons of vanity, the brothers of haughtiness and the horsemen of pride and intolerance proved him to be true, so much so that when disobedient persons from among you bowed before him, and his greed about you gained strength; and what was a hidden secret turned into a clear fact, he spread his full control over you and marched with his forces towards you. Nahjul Balagha, Khutba 191 Nahjul Balagha, Khutba 191

11. Resources on the People of Saba http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfXQe7iTCb4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfXQe7iTCb4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfXQe7iTCb4 http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/historical_09.html http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/historical_09.html http://www.miraclesofthequran.com/historical_09.html http://www.arabia-felix.com/arabia-felix-20.html http://www.arabia-felix.com/arabia-felix-20.html http://www.arabia-felix.com/arabia-felix-20.html