Surah Saba' (34): Verses 18-19
[34:18] And We placed between them and the towns We blessed, visible towns, and We measured the journey between them. Travel therein night and day, secure.
- "Between them and the towns We blessed": Meaning between their land (Saba') and the Levant (Ash-Sham), for that region is the blessed land.
- "Visible towns": Meaning some towns were visible to others; one could see the blackness (settlement) of one village from another.
- Objection: If this was a blessing, why does God mention changing their blessings with His saying: "And We changed their two gardens for them into two gardens of bitter trees..."? How can He return to mentioning the blessing after mentioning the punishment?
- Response: He first mentioned the state of their own land and its replacement with bitter trees (alkhamt and al-athl). Then, He mentioned the state outside their land and its cultivation with numerous villages. Finally, He mentioned the replacement of that with desolate tracts, wastelands, and deserts, through their saying: "Our Lord, make the distances between our journeys long." And indeed, He did that.
- This is supported by the reading of those who read "Our Lord, make [it] far" (ba'id) as a nominal sentence (subject and predicate).
- "And We measured the journey therein": Populated places have known, fixed stages that one does not exceed. Since the journey between every village was half a day's travel, and they would go to one village in the morning and another in the evening, exceeding these limits was not customary. This is what is meant by "measured" (qaddarna). As for wastelands (al-mafāwiz), the journey therein is not fixed; the traveler exerts himself according to his capacity until he crosses it.
- "Travel therein night and day": Meaning there were known nights and days for their travel.
- "Secure": This indicates the abundance of settlement, as the fear of robbers or being cut off from supplies does not occur in such well-populated areas.
- It is also said that the meaning of "night and day" is: You may travel in them if you wish by night or if you wish by day, due to the absence of fear. This contrasts with fearful places, some of which are traversed by night so the enemy does not know of their movement, and some by day so the enemy does not target them if the enmity is not openly declared.
[34:19] But they said, "Our Lord, make the distances between our journeys long," and they wronged themselves, so We made them tales, and We scattered them in every direction. Indeed, in that are signs for every patient, grateful [person].
- "They said, 'Our Lord, make the distances between our journeys long'": It is said they requested this out of arrogance, similar to how the Jews requested garlic and onions.
- Alternatively, this request stemmed from the corruption of their belief and their strong reliance on the idea that such distances cannot be fixed, similar to when someone says to another, "Strike me," indicating that it cannot be controlled.
- It can also be interpreted that they said this through their state (the language of their actions): When they disbelieved, they effectively requested that the distances between their journeys be made long and their inhabited dwellings ruined.
- "And they wronged themselves": This serves as an explanation for that (their request/action).
- "So We made them tales": Meaning We did to them what made them an example. It is said, "They scattered like the tribes of Saba'."
- "And We scattered them in every direction": This is an elaboration of making them tales.
- "Indeed, in that are signs for every patient, grateful [person]": Meaning in what We have mentioned regarding the state of the thankful and the consequence of the disbelievers.
[34:20] And Iblīs had confirmed his assumption about them, so they followed him, except for a group of the believers.
- "And Iblīs had confirmed his assumption about them": Iblīs found his suspicion about them to be true.
- "So they followed him, except for a group of the believers": They followed him, except for a small group of the faithful.
