Tafseer of Sheba · Saba · 34:46
Say, "I only advise you of one [thing] - that you stand for Allah, [seeking truth] in pairs and individually, and then give thought." There is not in your companion any madness. He is only a warner to you before a severe punishment.
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 explanation of the saying of the Exalted: Zeg: Ik vermaan jullie slechts tot één ding: dat jullie voor Allah opstaan, twee aan twee en afzonderlijk, en dan nadenken — er is bij jullie metgezel geen waanzin; hij is voor jullie niets dan een waarschuwer voorafgaand aan een hevige bestraffing (34:46).
The Exalted, whose mention is exalted, says: say, O Muḥammad (the Prophet ﷺ), to these among your people who ascribe associates [to Allah]: I admonish you, O people, to one thing only, and that is obedience to Allah.
As Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word Ik vermaan jullie slechts tot één ding, he said: to obedience to Allah.
And His word dat jullie voor Allah opstaan, twee aan twee en afzonderlijk: He says: and that one thing to which I admonish you is that you stand up before Allah, two by two, en afzonderlijk: one by one. The particle "an" (that) is in the genitive (khafḍ), as a further specification of "the one" (al-wāḥida).
And as we have said, so too have the scholars of exegesis said.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to me, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid dat jullie voor Allah opstaan, twee aan twee en afzonderlijk, he said: one and two.
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word Zeg: Ik vermaan jullie slechts tot één ding: dat jullie voor Allah opstaan, twee aan twee en afzonderlijk: one man and two men.
And it has been said: it was only said: "I admonish you to one thing," and that one thing is that you stand up before Allah with sincere counsel (naṣīḥa) and the abandonment of caprice (hawā). Twee aan twee: he says: the man of you stands up with another, and they sincerely question one another in mutual consultation: have you ever known in Muḥammad (the Prophet ﷺ) any madness? Then each of you secludes himself and reflects and considers, alone: was that ever present in him? Then at that moment you will know that he is a warner for you.
And His word en dan nadenken — er is bij jullie metgezel geen waanzin: He says: for he is not a madman.
And His word hij is voor jullie niets dan een waarschuwer voorafgaand aan een hevige bestraffing: He says: Muḥammad is for you nothing but a warner who warns you, on account of your disbelief in Allah, of His punishment, prior to the punishment of Hell (jahannam), before you reach it. And His word "huwa" (he) is a reference to the name of Muḥammad (the Prophet ﷺ).
------------------------ Footnotes: (1) Perhaps: "individually and individually," that is to say: that you stand up two by two, and one by one.
