Tafseer of Sheba · Saba · 34:5
But those who strive against Our verses [seeking] to cause failure - for them will be a painful punishment of foul nature.
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 discourse on the explanation of His statement, the Exalted: En zij die zich inspanden tegen Onze tekenen, menend [Ons] te kunnen ontkomen — zij zijn het voor wie er een bestraffing is van pijnlijke kwelling (34:5).
The Exalted, whose mention is lofty, says: He has recorded that in the Book so that He may reward the believers with what He described, and so that He may requite those who strove against Our signs, supposing [they could] escape [Us]. He says: and so that He may requite those who worked at nullifying Our proofs and Our arguments, while they assisted one another in that (2), and they supposed that they would escape Us by their own strength, so that We would have no power over them. Zij zijn het voor wie er een bestraffing is — He says: these, for them there is a punishment of the grievous, painful torment. And by "painful" (al-alīm) He means: the agonizing.
And in accordance with what we have said about this, the people of interpretation (ahl al-taʾwīl) have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement En zij die zich inspanden tegen Onze tekenen, menend [Ons] te kunnen ontkomen, that is to say: they do not escape. Zij zijn het voor wie er een bestraffing is van pijnlijke kwelling. He said: al-rijz is the evil punishment; al-alīm is the agonizing.
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said concerning the statement of Allah En zij die zich inspanden tegen Onze tekenen, menend [Ons] te kunnen ontkomen, he said: striving to overthrow or nullify them [the signs]. He said: and they are the polytheists (mushrikīn). And he recited: Luistert niet naar deze Koran en maakt er een geraas tijdens, opdat gij de overhand zoudt krijgen.
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The footnotes:
(2) (in al-Lisān: ʿajz): muʿājizīn means: that they oppose the prophets and the protected friends of Allah, that is to say: they fight them and obstruct them, in order to bring them to become powerless with regard to Allah's command. And one says: so-and-so deviates from the truth toward falsehood, that is to say: he inclines toward it and takes refuge in it.
