Saba, Sheba — Verse 34

How Those Who lived a Life of Luxury disbelieved in the Messengers and were misled by Their pursuit of Wealth and Children Allah is consoling His Prophet and commanding him to follow the example of the Messengers that came before him. He tells him that no Prophet was ever sent to a township but those among its people who lived a life of luxury disbelieved in him, and the weaker people of the town followed him. The people of Nuh, peace be upon him, said to him: أَنُؤْمِنُ لَكَ وَاتَّبَعَكَ الاٌّرْذَلُونَ (Shall we believe in you, when the weakest (of the people) follow you) (26:110) وَمَا نَرَاكَ اتَّبَعَكَ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ هُمْ أَرَاذِلُنَا بَادِىَ الرَّأْى (nor do we see any follow you but the meanest among us and they (too) followed you without thinking) (11:27). The leaders among the people of Salih said: قَالَ الْمَلأ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ مِن قَوْمِهِ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ لِمَنْ ءَامَنَ مِنْهُمْ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ صَـلِحاً مُّرْسَلٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ قَالُواْ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلَ بِهِ مُؤْمِنُونَ - قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ إِنَّا بِالَّذِى ءَامَنتُمْ بِهِ كَـفِرُونَ (to those who were counted weak -- to such of them as believed: "Know you that Salih is one sent from his Lord." They said: "We indeed believe in that with which he has been sent." Those who were arrogant said: "Verily, we disbelieve in that which you believe in.") (7:75-76). And Allah said: وَكَذلِكَ فَتَنَّا بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لِّيَقُولواْ أَهَـؤُلاءِ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّن بَيْنِنَآ أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِالشَّـكِرِينَ (Thus We have tried some of them with others, that they might say: "Is it these (poor believers) that Allah has favored from among us" Does not Allah know best those who are grateful) (6:53), وَكَذلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَـبِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا لِيَمْكُرُواْ فِيهَا (And thus We have set up in every town great ones of its wicked people to plot therein) (6:123), and وَإِذَآ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نُّهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُواْ فِيهَا فَحَقَّ عَلَيْهَا الْقَوْلُ فَدَمَّرْنَاهَا تَدْمِيرًا (And when We decide to destroy a town (population), We (first) send a definite order to those among them who lead a life of luxury. Then, they transgress therein, and thus the Word (of torment) is justified against it (them). Then We destroy it with complete destruction) (17:16). And Allah says here: وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا فِى قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ And We did not send a warner to a township meaning a Prophet or a Messenger, إِلاَّ قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَآ (but those who were given the worldly wealth and luxuries among them) means, those who enjoyed a life of riches and luxury, and positions of leadership. Qatadah said, "They are their tyrants, chiefs and leaders in evil." إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ كَـفِرُونَ (We believe not in the (Message) with which you have been sent.) means, `we do not believe in it and we will not follow it.' Allah tells us that those who enjoyed a life of luxury and who disbelieved the Messengers said: وَقَالُواْ نَحْنُ أَكْثَـرُ أَمْوَلاً وَأَوْلَـداً وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ (And they say: "We are more in wealth and in children, and we are not going to be punished.") meaning, they were proud of their great wealth and great numbers of children, and they believed that this was a sign that Allah loved them and cared for them, and that if He gave them this in this world, He would not punish them in the Hereafter. This was too far-fetched. Allah says: أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُمْ بِهِ مِن مَّالٍ وَبَنِينَ - نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِى الْخَيْرَتِ بَل لاَّ يَشْعُرُونَ (Do they think that in wealth and children with which We enlarge them We hasten unto them with good things. Nay, but they perceive not.) (23:55-56) فَلاَ تُعْجِبْكَ أَمْوَلُهُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلَـدُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ بِهَا فِي الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَتَزْهَقَ أَنفُسُهُمْ وَهُمْ كَـفِرُونَ (So, let not their wealth nor their children amaze you; in reality Allah's plan is to punish them with these things in the life of this world, and that their souls shall depart while they are disbelievers.) (9:55), and ذَرْنِى وَمَنْ خَلَقْتُ وَحِيداً - وَجَعَلْتُ لَهُ مَالاً مَّمْدُوداً - وَبَنِينَ شُهُوداً - وَمَهَّدتُّ لَهُ تَمْهِيداً - ثُمَّ يَطْمَعُ أَنْ أَزِيدَ - كَلاَّ إِنَّهُ كان لاٌّيَـتِنَا عَنِيداً - سَأُرْهِقُهُ صَعُوداً (Leave Me Alone (to deal) with whom I created lonely. And then granted him resources in abundance. And children to be by his side. And made life smooth and comfortable for him. After all that he desires that I should give more. Nay! Verily, he has been opposing Our Ayat. I shall oblige him to face a severe torment!) (74:11-17) And Allah has told us about the story of the owner of those two gardens, that he had wealth and crops and children, but that could not help him at all when all of that was taken from him in this world, before he reached the Hereafter. Allah says here: قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّى يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ (Say: "Verily, my Lord expands the provision to whom He wills and restricts...") meaning, He gives wealth to those whom He loves and those whom He does not love, and He makes poor whom He wills and makes rich whom He wills. He has complete wisdom and clear proof, وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ (but most men know not.) Then Allah says: وَمَآ أَمْوَلُكُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلَـدُكُمْ بِالَّتِى تُقَرِّبُكُمْ عِندَنَا زُلْفَى (And it is not your wealth, nor your children that bring you nearer to Us,) meaning, `these things are not a sign that We love you or care for you.' Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى لَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَأَمْوَالِكُمْ، وَلَكِنْ إِنَّمَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَأَعْمَالِكُم» (Allah does not look at your outward appearance or your wealth, rather He looks at your hearts and your deeds.) Muslim and Ibn Majah also recorded this. Allah says: إِلاَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـلِحاً (but only he who believes, and does righteous deeds;) meaning, `only faith and righteous deeds will bring you closer to Us.' فَأُوْلَـئِكَ لَهُمْ جَزَآءُ الضِّعْفِ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ (as for such, there will be multiple rewards for what they did,) means, the reward will be multiplied for them between ten and seven hundred times. وَهُمْ فِى الْغُرُفَـتِ ءَامِنُونَ (and they will reside in the high dwellings in peace and security.) means, in the lofty dwellings of Paradise, safe from all misery, fear and harm, and from any evil they could fear. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «إِنَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ لَغُرَفًا تُرَى ظُهُورُهَا مِنْ بُطُونِهَا، وَبُطُونُهَا مِنْ ظُهُورِهَا» (In Paradise there are lofty rooms whose outside can be seen from the inside and whose inside can be seen from the outside.) A bedouin asked, "Who are they for" He said: «لِمَنْ طَيَّبَ الْكَلَامَ، وَأَطْعَمَ الطَّعَامَ، وَأَدَامَ الصِّيَامَ، وَصَلَّى بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَام» (For those who speak well, feed the hungry, persist in fasting and pray at night while people are asleep.) وَالَّذِينَ يَسْعَوْنَ فِى ءَايَـتِنَا مُعَـجِزِينَ (And those who strive against Our Ayat, to frustrate them,) means, those who try to block people from the path of Allah and from following His Messengers and believing in His signs, فَأُوْلَـئِكَ فِى الْعَذَابِ مُحْضَرُونَ they will be brought to the torment. means, they will all be punished for their deeds, each one accordingly.

And We did not send a warner to any town without its affluent ones its leaders those enjoying life’s comforts saying ‘Indeed we disbelieve in that Message with which you have been sent’.

وما أرسلنا في قرية من رسول يدعو الى توحيد الله وإفراده بالعبادة، إلا قال المنغمسون في اللذات والشهوات من أهلها: إنَّا بالذي جئتم به -أيها الرسل- جاحدون.

يقول تعالى مسليا لنبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم وآمرا له بالتأسي بمن قبله من الرسل ومخبره بأنه ما بعث نبيا فى قرية إلا كذبه مترفوها واتبعه ضعفاؤهم كما قال قوم نوح عليه الصلاة والسلام " أنؤمن لك واتبعك الأرذلون " " وما نراك اتبعك إلا الذين هم أراذلنا بادي الرأي " وقال الكبراء من قوم صالح " للذين استضعفوا لمن آمن منهم أتعلمون أن صالحا مرسل من ربه قالوا إنا بما أرسل به مؤمنون قال الذين استكبروا إنا بالذي آمنتم به كافرون " وقال عز وجل " وكذلك فتنا بعضهم ببعض ليقولوا أهؤلاء من الله عليهم من بيننا أليس الله بأعلم بالشاكرين " وقال تعالى: " وكذلك جعلنا في كل قرية أكابر مجرميها ليمكروا فيها " وقال جل وعلا " وإذا أردنا أن نهلك قرية أمرنا مترفيها ففسقوا فيها فحق عليها القول فدمرناها تدميرا " وقال جل وعلا ههنا " وما أرسلنا في قرية من نذير " أي نبي أو رسول " إلا قال مترفوها " وهم أولوا النعمة والحشمة والثروة والرياسة قال قتادة هم جبابرتهم وقادتهم ورؤوسهم في الشر " إنا بما أرسلتم به كافرون " أي لا نؤمن به ولا نتبعه.قال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا علي بن الحسين حدثنا هارون بن إسحاق حدثنا محمد بن عبد الوهاب عن سفيان عن عاصم عن أبي رزين قال كان رجلان شريكان خرج أحدهما إلى الساحل وبقي الآخر فلما بعث النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كتب إلى صاحبه يسأله ما فعل.فكتب إليه أنه لم يتبعه أحد من قريش إنما اتبعه أراذل الناس ومساكينهم قال فترك تجارته ثم أتى صاحبه فقال دلني عليه قال وكان يقرأ الكتب أو بعض الكتب قال فأتى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال إلام تدعو؟ قال: " أدعو إلى كذا وكذا " قال أشهد أنك رسول الله قال صلى الله عليه وسلم " وما علمك بذلك ؟ " قال إنه لم يبعث نبي إلا اتبعه أراذل الناس ومساكينهم قال فنزلت هذه الآية " وما أرسلنا في قرية من نذير إلا قال مترفوها إنا بما أرسلتم به كافرون " الآية قال فأرسل إليه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إن الله عز وجل قد أنزل تصديق ما قلت وهكذا قال هرقل لأبي سفيان حين سأله عن تلك المسائل قال فيها وسألتك أضعفاء الناس اتبعه أم أشرافهم فزعمت بل ضعفاؤهم وهم أتباع الرسل.وقوله تبارك وتعالى إخبارا عن المترفين المكذبين.

ثم تحكى السورة الكريمة بعد ذلك جانبا من الأقوال الزائفة ، التى كان المترفون يتذرعون بها للبقاء على كفرهم ، ومن الإِجابات التى لقنها - سبحانه - لنبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم لكى يخرس بها ألسنتهم ، ويزيل بها شبهاتهم قال - تعالى - ( وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ . . . وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرازقين ) .قال صاحب الكشاف عند تفسيره لقوله - تعالى - : ( وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلاَّ قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ كَافِرُونَ . . . ) : هذه تسلية لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مما منى به من قومه من التكذيب والكفر بما جاء به ، والمنافسة بكثرة الأموال والأولاد ، والتكبر بذلك على المؤمنين . . وأنه - سبحانه - لم يرسل قط إلى أهل قرية من نذير ، إلا قالوا له مثل ما قال أهل مكة لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم .والمعنى : ما أرسلنا فى قرية ، من القرى ( مِّن نَّذِيرٍ ) ينذر أهلها بسوء العاقبة إذا ما استمروا على كفرهم وضلالهم . ( إِلاَّ قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَآ ) أى : إلا قال أغنياؤها ورؤساؤها وجبابرتها المتسعون فى النعم فيها ، لمن جاءوا لإِنذارهم وهدايتهم إلى الحق .( إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ ) من الدعوة إلى عبادة الله - تعالى - ( كَافِرُونَ ) بما نحن عليه من شرك وتقليد للآباء مؤمنون .فالآية الكريمة تحكى موقف المترفين فى كل أمة ، من الرسل الذين جاءوا لهدايتهم ، وأن هؤلاء المترفين فى كل زمان ومكان ، كانوا أعداء وللمصلحين ، لأن التفرق من شأنه أن يفسد الفطرة ، ويبعث على الغرور والتطاول ، ويحول بين الإِنسان وبين التمسك بالفضائل والقيم العليا ، ويهدى إلى الانغماس فى الرذائل والشهوات الدنيا .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ إِلا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَا إِنَّا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ كَافِرُونَ (34)يقول تعالى ذكره: وما بعثنا إلى أهل قرية نذيرًا ينذرهم بأسنا أن ينـزل بهم على معصيتهم إيانا، إلا قال كبراؤها ورؤساؤها في الضلالة كما قال قوم فرعون من المشركين له: إنَّا بما أرسلتم به من النذارة، وبعثتم به من توحيد الله، والبراءة من الآلهة والأنداد، كافرون.وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا بشر، قال: ثنا يزيد، قال: ثنا سعيد، عن قتادة قوله ( وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ إِلا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَا إِنَّا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ كَافِرُونَ ) قال: هم رءوسهم وقادتهم في الشر.

( وما أرسلنا في قرية من نذير إلا قال مترفوها ) رؤساؤها وأغنياؤها ( إنا بما أرسلتم به كافرون )

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَا إِنَّا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ كَافِرُونَ (34)اعتراض للانتقال إلى تسلية النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم مما مُنيَ به من المشركين من أهل مكة وبخاصة مَا قابله به سادتهم وكبراؤهم من التأليب عليْه بتذكيره أن تلك سنة الرسل من قبله فليس في ذلك غضاضة عليه ، ولذلك قال في الآية في الزخرف { وكذلك ما أرسلنا من قبلك في قرية من نذير إلا قال مترفوها إنا وجدنا آباءنا على أمة ( 23 ) الخ ، أي وكذلك التكذيب الذي كذبك أهل هذه القرية . والتعريض بقومه الذين عادَوه بتذكيرهم عاقبة أمثالهم من أهل القرى التي كذَّب أهلها برسلهم وأغراهم بذلك زعماؤهم .والمترَفون : الذين أُعطُوا التَرَف ، والترف : النعيم وسعة العيش ، وهو مبني للمفعول بتقدير : إن الله أترفهم كما في قوله تعالى : { وقال الملأ من قومه الذين كفروا وكذبوا بلقاء الآخرة وأترفناهم في الحياة الدنيا } في سورة المؤمنون ( 33 ) .وفي بنائه للمفعول تعريض بالتذكير بنعمة الله عليهم لعلّهم يشكرونها ويقلعون عن الإِشراك به ، وبعض أهل اللغة يقول تقديره : أترفتهم النعمة ، أي أبطرتهم .وإنا بما أرسلتم } حكاية للقول بالمعنى : أي قال مترفو كل قرية لرسولهم : إنا بما أرسلتَ به كافرون . وهذا من مقابلة الجمع بالجمع التي يراد منها التوزيع على آحاد الجمع .وقولهم : { أرسلتم به } تهكم بقرينة قولهم : { كافرون } وهو كقوله تعالى : { وقالوا يا أيها الذي نزل عليه الذكر إنك لمجنون } [ الحجر : 6 ] ؛ أو المعنى : إنّا بما ادّعيتم أنكم أرسلتم به .

يخبر تعالى عن حالة الأمم الماضية المكذبة للرسل, أنها كحال هؤلاء الحاضرين المكذبين لرسولهم محمد صلى اللّه عليه وسلم, وأن اللّه إذا أرسل رسولا في قرية من القرى, كفر به مترفوها, وأبطرتهم نعمتهم وفخروا بها.

قال قتادة : أي أغنياؤها ورؤساؤها وجبابرتها وقادة الشر للرسل إنا بما أرسلتم به كافرون

Those who acquire wealth and power, rise to places of prominence in this world. This creates a sort of false confidence in them. Such people do not give due importance to the Hereafter, even when they are warned of it. They cannot believe that God, Who has given them honour in this world, will dishonour them in the Hereafter. This false confidence in every age has been the greatest cause of the rejection of the call for Truth by the influential members of a society; and when they look down upon something, men of lesser stature also hold it in contempt. In this way the common people as well as the elite are prevented from accepting the Truth. The wealth and other material things of this world are for the purpose of putting human beings to the test and are not meant as rewards. A surfeit of worldly effects is not a sign of nearness to God; nor does their shortage indicate being at a distance from Him. Only those who always remembered God and kept themselves within the limits laid down by Him, while availing of His divine bounty, are really close to God. These are the people who will be treated as deserving of God’s eternal blessings and rewards in the Hereafter.

Commentary The age-old shaitanic illusion of taking worldly riches and honours as a proof of being loved by Allah All along the lanes of time since the very beginning, people intoxicated with material wealth and luxury have always opposed the voice of truth and taken a stance of hostility against the prophets and the pious people, except those whom Allah willed otherwise. On top of this, they also used to argue in favor of their satisfaction with the existing stance against the people of truth by saying: Had Allah disliked our doings and ways, why would He give us wealth, recognition and power in this world? The noble Qur'an has answered it in several verses taking different approaches. The revelation of the cited verses is also related to an event of this nature which provides an answer to this absurd argument. It appears in Hadith that, during the period of Jahiliyah, two persons ran a business in partnership. Then, one of them left the place and went to some coastal area. When the Holy Prophet ﷺ was ordained as prophet, and people in Arabia started talking about it, the former business partner then living in a coastal area wrote a letter to his former business partner in Makkah and asked him about his reaction and the reaction of other people against this person claiming to be a prophet. The former partner in Makkah wrote back telling him that no one from among the Quraish had followed him, except that a few people of no consequence, mostly poor and needy, were going for him. The man of the coast left his business behind, came to Makkah and asked his former partner there to tell him the address of the person who claimed to be a prophet. This coastal friend who used to study old scriptures, such as the Torah and the Evangel, presented himself before the Holy Prophet ﷺ " and asked him: 'What is it to which you invite people to come?' He told him about the main elements of his da'wah of Islam. Immediately after having heard the da'wah (call) to Islam in his blessed words, he said: اَشھَدُ اَنَّکَ رَّسُولُ اَلله (Ashhadu annaka rasulAllah: (i.e. ‘I bear witness that you are, without any doubt, the messenger of Allah' ). He asked him: "How did you know this?" He submitted: '[ As for your call being true, I understood it through my reason, and then the sign of it was that:] Adherents of all noble prophets who have come earlier have, in the beginning, always been the weak and the meek, the poor and needy, people who did not matter much among those they were sent to.' Revealed thereupon was the verse under study: وَمَا أَرْ‌سَلْنَا فِي قَرْ‌يَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ‌ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَ‌فُوهَا (And We did not send a warner to a township, but said those who lived a luxurious life therein," We reject what you have been sent with." - 34:34) (Ibn Kathir and Mazhari) In this verse, the word: مُترَف (mutraf, translated above as 'those who lived a luxurious life) has been derived from: تَرَف (taraf) which carries the sense of a life abounding in material assets, ease and comfort. Hence, مُترَفِین (mutrafin) denotes rich people of a community (who are arrogant and careless about what is right or wrong) .The Holy Qur'an is saying in the verse cited above that whenever Allah has sent a messenger, these people intoxicated with their riches and pampered by a life of luxury have always confronted him with a flat denial of his mission.

(And We sent not unto any township) to the inhabitants of any township (a warner) a warning Messenger, (but its pampered ones) its tyrants and despots (declared: Lo! we are disbelievers in that which ye bring unto us) we deny what you brought us.