The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 692
CH. 34 SABA' PT. 22 لَقَدْ كَانَ لِسَبَا فِي مَسْكَنِهِمْ آيَةٌ جَنَّتْنِ There was indeed a sign. 16 for Saba' in their home-land: hand and one on the left; and عَنْ يَمِينِ وَشِمَالٍ كُلُوا مِنْ two gardens, one on the right رِزْقِ رَبَّكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لَهُ بَلْدَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ We said to them, Eat of the وَرَبُّ غَفُورٌ provision of your Lord and be grateful to Him. A good land and a Most Forgiving Lord! '3142 a16:113. beast. means, a staff or large stick, so called because a beast is driven with it; a pastor's big staff (Lane & Aqrab). Commentary: The reference in the words "a worm of the earth" is to Solomon's worthless son and successor, Rehoboam, under whose weak rule the great and mighty kingdom of Solomon fell to pieces. Besides leading a life of ease and luxury, he was surrounded by foolish and selfish counsellors whose bad advice led him to pursue a policy which brought about the ruin and downfall of the kingdom which had been reared on firm and sound footing by his great father. The wild mountain tribes realizing that the strong hand which had held them under subjection was no more, rebelled and revolted, with the result that disorder and chaos followed and Solomon's mighty kingdom cracked and crumbled. See 1 Kings, Chaps. 12, 13, 14 & Jew. Enc. Under "Rehoboam. " The expression "that ate away his staff," signifies that the disruption and disintegration of Solomon's kingdom set in Rehoboam's time. 3142. Commentary: The preceding verses having made a mention of the blessings and favours which God had bestowed upon the Israelites and which found their fullest expression in the highly prosperous reigns of David and Solomon, the present verse proceeds to refer to another very prosperous and happy people of their time-the people of Saba'. Saba', as is mentioned under 27:23, was a city of Yemen situated about three days' journey from San'a', also called Ma'ārib. 2606 This town finds frequent reference in the Old Testament and in Greek, Roman and Arabic literature, especially in the South Arabian inscriptions. The Sabaeans were a highly civilized and prosperous people. The finds made in the country itself are in harmony with the various classical literary sources, which agree in showing that the Sabaeans attained the greatest importance of all Arab peoples of the pre-Muhammadan period, in particular of the four leading peoples of South Arabia who