Tafseer of Sheba · Saba · 34:33
Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, "Rather, [it was your] conspiracy of night and day when you were ordering us to disbelieve in Allah and attribute to Him equals." But they will [all] confide regret when they see the punishment; and We will put shackles on the necks of those who disbelieved. Will they be recompensed except for what they used to do?
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The statement concerning the explanation of the words of the Exalted: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا بَلْ مَكْرُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَا أَنْ نَكْفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُ أَنْدَادًا وَأَسَرُّوا النَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ وَجَعَلْنَا الأَغْلالَ فِي أَعْنَاقِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا هَلْ يُجْزَوْنَ إِلا مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ("And those who were oppressed say to those who were arrogant: 'Nay, it was the scheming by night and day, when you commanded us to disbelieve in Allah and to set up equals to Him.' And they conceal their regret when they see the punishment; and We place the shackles upon the necks of those who disbelieved. Are they recompensed for anything other than what they used to do?") (34:33).
The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا ("And those who were oppressed say") — among the disbelievers (kuffār) in Allah in the worldly life, who were the followers of their leaders in misguidance — لِلَّذِينّ اسْتَكْبَرُوا ("to those who were arrogant") therein, who were their leaders: بَلْ مَكْرُ ("Nay, it was the scheming") of yours against us اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ ("by night and day") that turned us away from guidance, إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَا أَنْ نَكْفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُ ("when you commanded us to disbelieve in Allah and to set up for Him") equals and likenesses in worship and divinity. The [scheming] was thus ascribed to the night and the day. The meaning is what we have mentioned, namely the scheming of the arrogant against the oppressed by night and day — in accordance with the latitude the Arabs allow themselves, whose meaning is well known from their speech, namely the transferring of the attribute of one thing onto another. Thus you say to a man: "O so-and-so, your day is fasting and your night is standing in prayer", and as the poet said:
"And you slept, while the night of the riding-beasts did not slumber." (1)
And what corresponds to that, the explanation of which we have already given elsewhere in this book of ours.
And in the spirit of what we have said concerning this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Yūnus related to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His statement بَلْ مَكْرُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَا أَنْ نَكْفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُ أَنْدَادًا ("Nay, it was the scheming by night and day, when you commanded us to disbelieve in Allah and to set up equals to Him"), he says: nay, it was your scheming against us by night and day, O you great ones and leaders, until you turned us away from the worship of Allah.
And concerning its explanation it has been transmitted on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr what Abū Kurayb related to us, he said: Ibn Yamān related to us, on the authority of Ashʿath, on the authority of Jaʿfar, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: بَلْ مَكْرُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ ("Nay, it was the scheming by night and day"), he said: the passing of the night and the day.
His statement إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَا أَنْ نَكْفُرَ بِاللَّهِ ("when you commanded us to disbelieve in Allah") — He says: when you commanded us to disbelieve in Allah.
His statement وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُ أَنْدَادًا ("and to set up equals to Him") — He says: partners.
As Bishr related to us, he said: Yazīd related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُ أَنْدَادًا ("and to set up equals to Him"): partners.
His statement وَأَسَرُّوا النَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ ("And they conceal their regret when they see the punishment") — He says: and they felt regret over what they had neglected of obedience to Allah in the worldly life, when they beheld the punishment of Allah which He had prepared for them.
As Bishr related to us, he said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: وَأَسَرُّوا الندَامَةَ ("And they conceal their regret") among one another, لَمَّا رَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ ("when they see the punishment").
His statement وَجَعَلْنَا الأغْلالَ فِي أَعْنَاقِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ("and We place the shackles upon the necks of those who disbelieved") — and the hands of those who disbelieved in Allah are shackled to their necks in hell (jahannam) in collars of the fire of jahannam, as recompense for their having disbelieved in Allah in the worldly life. The Exalted, whose praise is exalted, says: Allah does that to them only as recompense for their corrupt deeds which they used to perform in the worldly life, and as a punishment for that.
