Tafsir of Saba' 34:22

Say, O Muhammad, to the polytheists for whom the story of Saba'—known to them through the transmission of their reports and poetry—was cited as an example, as a warning of the falsehood of their ways and a rebuke to them:

"Call upon those you have claimed [to be gods]." The majority of scholars estimate the omitted words to be "as gods," treating the pronoun as the first object and "gods" as the second. The first was omitted for brevity because the relative pronoun and its connector are equivalent to a single noun, creating a length that necessitates simplification. The second was omitted because its descriptor—His saying, "besides Allah"—stands in its place, so no deficiency results from omitting both. It is not permissible for "besides Allah" to be the second object, for the speech would not be complete, nor the structure coherent with the pronoun. The meaning is "those you considered for yourselves besides Allah." There is a difference of opinion regarding the permissibility of omitting one of the two objects of this verb for the sake of brevity. Those who allow it say it is rare in their speech. Likewise, it is not permissible for the clause "they do not possess" to be the second object, because what they claimed was not that they were "non-possessors," but the opposite; and that is not a claim in the common sense, even if it were conceded to have originated from them—it would be the truth. Ibn Hisham said: It is better to estimate "you claimed that they are gods," because the common usage of "z'am" (to claim) does not typically take two explicit objects, but rather that which takes their place, namely "an" (that) and its connection; it has not occurred otherwise in the Revelation, so it is more appropriate for the estimated to correspond to what is explicitly stated in the Revelation.

The preference for the majority’s estimation lies in it being further from implying any deficiency. The command is for rebuke and incapacitation; that is: Call upon them for whatever concerns you regarding repelling harm or attracting benefit, perhaps they will respond to you if your claim is true. It is narrated that this was revealed during the famine that afflicted the Quraysh.

His saying: "They do not possess the weight of a particle" is an initiating statement serving as a reply; He did not wait for them to respond, signaling that the answer is self-evident, for the matter does not admit stubborn denial. It is also permissible to estimate: "Then He answered on their behalf, saying: 'They do not possess...'" This contains an explanation of the state of the idols in reality. If they do not possess the weight of a particle—that is, of good or evil, benefit or harm—how can they be gods worthy of worship?

"In the heavens nor in the earth"—that is, in any matter at all. The mention of the heavens and the earth is for generalization according to common usage, intended to denote all existing things. This is like saying "the Emigrants and the Helpers" while intending all the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them; thus, one should not imagine that they possess anything outside of them. It is also permissible to say that their mention is because some of the gods of the addressees were celestial, such as angels and stars, and some were terrestrial, such as idols. The intent is to negate the power of the celestial ones over any celestial matter and the terrestrial ones over any terrestrial matter, and it is known by the priority of argument that their power over anything else is negated as well. Or, it is because the proximate causes of good and evil are celestial and terrestrial; thus, the intent is to negate their power over any of the proximate causes, so how then over anything else?

"And they have no share in them"—that is, in the heavens and the earth—"of partnership," neither in creation, nor ownership, nor disposal.

"And He has," meaning Allah—Mighty and Majestic is He—"no assistant from among them," that is, from among their gods, meaning no helper to aid Him, Glorified be He, in the management of their affairs.