Mid Makkan surah named after Saba, a city in Yemen. This was a great extravagant civilisation at the time of Prophet Sulaiman AS. Ruled by Queen Bilqis, its people were idol worshippers. The civilisation was the first to construct a huge dam which Allah SWT cause to burst, resulting in a devastating flood.

Themes

• Power of Allah SWT via resurrection.
• Prophets Dawud AS and Sulaiman AS.
• Warning against false idols and reminders of the Day of Judgement.

Selected Verses

1-2: Starts with Alhamdulillah, all praise of for Allah SWT. He is the All Wise, All Aware, Most Merciful and All Forgiving.

3-8: Belief in Day of Judgement and Akhira. Not even an atoms weight is hidden from Allah SWT and everything is written in a perfect Record. Those who disbelieve in the Akhira have strayed far from the truth and will suffer torment.

10-13: Dawud AS could fashion iron for armour. The mountains and the birds echoed his hymns. Sulaiman AS controlled the wind and the jinn and was provided a stream of molten copper.

14: The death of Sulaiman AS. He was standing on his staff looking at the jinn working for him and passed away. The jinn did not even know he was dead until he fell because of termites eating his staff. Thus, the jinn are not knowledgeable or powerful

17-19: The people of Sheba were given two orchards producing plentiful provisions. They were ungrateful and boastful, desiring more. Thus, they were destroyed by a flood for their ingratitude. They were reduced to “cautionary tales.”

28: The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ sent as a warner to all of humanity.

30: A Day has been appointed for us which can neither be delayed or advanced.

31-33: The disbelievers and their leaders will blame each other for their misguidance on the Day of Judgement. They will be shackled around their necks.

34-39: The elite of any society who were sent messengers rejected their message, claiming they are far superior to those who believed and will never be punished. It is Allah SWT who gives provisions. Wealth does not bring one close to Allah SWT, rather belief and good deeds, for which people will be multiply rewarded. Whatever is spent in charity will be recompensed.

43-45: The polytheists describe the Quran as a fabricated lie, nothing but magic. Previous generations much more powerful and wealthy than them were destroyed for their disbelief.

46: A challenge to the disbelievers to stand up for the sake of Allah SWT, think about the message of the Prophet ﷺ and decide.

51-52: The disbelievers will be horrified on the Day of Judgement. There will be no escape and no chance to rectify their wrong deeds.