34:3
“Not absent from Him is an atom's weight within the heavens or within the earth.”
A declaration of absolute divine omniscience used here to refute those who denied that Allah would bother to resurrect and account for individuals.
All Surahs
Surah 34Makki
سبأ
Sheba
Saba
Verses
54
Revelation
Makki
Period
Middle Makkan
Surah No.
34 / 114
Overview
Named after the ancient South Arabian kingdom of Sheba (Saba'), this surah addresses the core Meccan objections to the Prophet's message: the denial of resurrection, the mockery of the Prophet's warnings, and the arrogance of wealth. It recounts the blessings granted to Dawud and Sulayman as evidence of divine favour, and contrasts them with the people of Saba', who rejected gratitude and were destroyed. The surah warns that worldly prosperity is a trial, not a sign of divine approval.
أسباب النزول
Occasion of Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul)
Revealed in the middle Makkan period in response to the Quraysh's continuous ridicule of the Prophet and their denial of resurrection. The story of Saba' – a people given every blessing yet ungrateful – was a direct warning to the prosperous Quraysh. References to the power given to Dawud and Sulayman reinforced the argument that Allah rewards the faithful and holds the arrogant to account.
Key Themes
Divine knowledge encompassing all creationGratitude and the fate of ungrateful nationsThe story of Dawud and SulaymanThe collapse of the kingdom of Saba'Refutation of intercession for idols
Notable Verses
34:15
“There was for [the tribe of] Sheba in their dwelling place a sign: two gardens on the right and on the left.”
The opening of the story of Saba', illustrating how divine blessing can be squandered through ingratitude and how civilisations fall when they turn away from Allah.