Saba (Sheba)

33. “And those who were despised as weak shall say unto those who had prided: ‘Nay! It was a plot (of yours) by day and by night when you bade us that we should disbelieve in Allah and set up equals with Him. And they declare (their) remorse when they see the Penalty; and We will put shackles on the necks of those who disbelieved. Are they requited anything but what they used to do?”

The mental cultural deviation of the people in a society is the consequence of the constant effort of the arrogant enemies.

In this holy verse, the Qur’an says:

“And those who were despised as weak shall say unto those who had prided: ‘Nay! It was a plot (of yours) by day and by night when you bade us that we should disbelieve in Allah and set up equals with Him…”

Yes, it was you who did not desist your evil propagation and did not lose any opportunity during day and night to gain your wrong aims.

It is true that we were free in accepting you, and thus we are sinful, but you, as a factor of corruption, are responsible and guilty, too. Or, in other words, it was you who set the first base with your polluted hands, in particular that you always talked to us from the position of power.

(The application of the Qur’anic sentence /ta’murunana/ (you bade us) is the evidence for this matter.)

It is evident that the proud cannot have any answer to this statement and do not deny their participation in this great crime.

Therefore, both groups will be regretful of their deeds: the proud will be regretful for making others astray, and the oppressed ones for their unconditionally accepting these evil temptations.

The verse continues saying:

“…And they declare (their) remorse when they see the Penalty; and We will put shackles on the necks of those who disbelieved…”

Some commentators have said that this regret is probably because of the intensity of the terror they get from seeing the Divine punishment and the chains and shackles on their necks.

This will cause their tongue not to be able to speak though the same ones, in other halts of the Hereafter will cry:

“…‘Oh woe to us! Verily we were unjust’.”1

Some philologists have meant the Arabic phrase /’asarru/ in this verse in the sense of ‘declare’, in spite of those who have meant it ‘hide’, and said that this term has been used with two opposite meanings in the Arabic language, and its like is not few, but regarding to the usages of this term in the Qur’an, and other than it, this meaning is not probable, because the Arabic word /sirr/ usually comes as opposite to /‘alan/, and Raqib has also stipulated that this meaning is weak. Yet, some of the lexicologists have referred to both of them.

However, this is the consequence of their own deeds that they have provided from before.

The verse says:

“…Are they requited anything but what they used to do?”

Yes, these are the very deeds and behaviour of pagans and evil-doers that will be shown in the form of shackles of captivity put on their necks, hands and feet. In this world, too, they were captives of their low desires, money, power, and position, and, in Hereafter when the deeds will incarnate, the same captivities will appear in another form.

The above mentioned holy verse once more makes clear the incarnation of deeds, which has repeatedly been pointed out, because it implicitly says that their recompense is, in fact, the incarnation of their own deeds.

And what a meaning is more lively and clearer than this for incarnation of deeds?

The application of the Qur’anic sentence /’allaŏina kafaru/ (those who disbelieved) is an evidence that both those who tempted others proudly will be involved in this fact, and those oppressed who were tempted, and all pagans. And, basically, mentioning this quality is a hint to this fact that the cause of their punishment is their paganism.