Qurani app iconQuraniQuran, hadith, fiqh, prayer, and audio in one place
Browse

Tafsir of Saba' 34:32

Surah Saba' 34:32

ﱁ ﱂ ﱃ ﱄ ﱅ ﱆ ﱇ ﱈ ﱉ ﱊ ﱋ ﱌ ﱍ ﱎ ﱏ ﱐ

Those who were arrogant will say to those who were oppressed, "Did we avert you from guidance after it had come to you? Rather, you were criminals."

Tafsir

Mafatih al-Ghayb

Verse range: 34:32

Open in Qurani

Surah Saba' (34): Verse 32

Then, the Almighty said:

{And those who were arrogant will say to those who were oppressed, "Was it we who barred you from guidance after it had come to you? Rather, you yourselves were criminals."}

This is a rebuttal to their previous statement, where they claimed their disbelief was due to an impediment (a barrier).

Analysis of the Rebuttal:

The arrogant ones are essentially saying: "Was it we who prevented you from accepting guidance after it reached you? No, rather, you yourselves were criminals."

The meaning here is that an impediment (the alleged barrier) must outweigh the motivating factor (the call to guidance) for it to be effective. What was brought to them was guidance, and what originated from the arrogant ones was not something that necessitated abstaining from accepting what was brought. Therefore, their justification based on an impediment is invalid.

Furthermore, their disbelief is clarified as being an act of crime/sin in itself, because someone who has an excuse is only excused if there is an absence of the motivating factor or the presence of a barrier. Neither of these conditions was met.

{And those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, "Nay, [it was] the plot of the night and day when you used to order us to disbelieve in Allah and assign to Him equals." And they will conceal their remorse when they see the punishment, and We will place shackles around the necks of those who disbelieved. Are they recompensed except for what they used to do?}

Analysis of the Response of the Oppressed:

The oppressed respond by denying the claim of being barred:

  1. "Nay, [it was] the plot of the night and day...": Meaning, the true barrier was not an external force, but rather the continuous, persistent deception and scheming carried out by the arrogant ones, both openly and secretly.
  2. "...when you used to order us to disbelieve in Allah and assign to Him equals.": This specifies the nature of their "plot"—the constant command to commit Shirk (associating partners with God).
  3. "And they will conceal their remorse when they see the punishment...": When the arrogant ones witness the torment, they will hide their regret because they cannot express it openly or benefit from it.
  4. "...and We will place shackles around the necks of those who disbelieved.": This is the consequence and the fitting recompense.
  5. "Are they recompensed except for what they used to do?": This confirms that the punishment is precisely the just reward for their actions.