Allah affirms that Satan has no power or authority over people to force them to do anything; Imaam Al-Hasan Al-Basri,
said: "I swear by Allah! Satan has no stick with him with which he hits people to (force them to) follow his way; this is nothing but whispers and self-delusion on the part of people – he simply calls people, and they respond." End of quote.
The wisdom behind allowing Satan to do what he does and whisper to people is to test them and make evident those amongst them who are truthful, and those who are liars.
There are many lessons one can derive from this great story, the following are but some of them:· The people of Saba' are a real life example to anyone who even contemplates being rebellious to the commands of Allah, or ungrateful regarding His favours. Allah warns people, especially the rich amongst them, to not follow in the footsteps of the people of Saba' or imitate them, lest the same punishment befalls them.· It is mentioned in many places in the Qur'aan that certain disbelievers enjoyed gardens and fruits, but these gardens were squandered and eventually faced destruction; this story is one such example. Another example concerns Pharaoh and his people, about whom Allah Says(what means): "So We removed them from gardens and springs. And treasures and honourable station – Thus. And We caused to inherit it the Children of Israel." [Quran 26: 57-59]· Allah is the only Provider and Sustainer.· The punishment of Allah follows very quickly when people are rebellious and shun His commands. It is the way of Allah that whenever people shun His commandments He sends punishment down upon them, and there are numerous verses in the Qur'aan addressing this issue, such as the saying of Allah which means: "And Allah presents an example: a city [i.e., Makkah] which was safe and secure, its provision coming to it in abundance from every location, but it denied the favours of Allah. So Allah made it taste the envelopment of hunger and fear for what they had been doing." [Quran 16: 112]· If the slave does not thank Allah for a favour, his punishment could be through that very favour. Water was one of the favours that the people of Saba' had been bestowed with, and they were punished with it when they were ungrateful for it and shunned the commands of Allah.· Allah never punishes people without them being deserving of it due to their sinning and disobedience, as Allah Says what means: "...And We would not destroy the cities except while their people were wrongdoers." [Quran 28: 59]· Only those who persevere and are grateful would benefit from the lessons of the Qur'aan and the signs of Allah, despite the fact that all people observe these signs, yet the heedless never benefit from them, as Allah Says what means: "And how many a sign within the heavens and the earth do they pass over while they, therefrom, are turning away." [Quran 12: 105]
There are three types of perseverance:· In performing acts of obedience· In refraining from prohibitions· During decrees of Allah that are painful
There are three ways of expressing gratitude to Allah:· By the heart: through having it devoted to the One bestowing the favours, and acknowledging that He is the source of all favours.· By the limbs: through continuously being obedient to Him and using His favours in ways that please Him.· By the tongue: through the repeated mentioning, praising and glorification of Him.
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Story of Saba
All perfect praise is due to Allah; I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger; may Allah exalt his mention, as well as his family and all his companions.
Allah Says (what means): "There was for [the tribe of] Saba' in their dwelling place a sign: two [fields of] gardens on the right and on the left. [They were told]: 'Eat from the provisions of your Lord and be grateful to Him. A good land [you have], and a forgiving Lord.' But they turned away [refusing], so We sent upon them the flood of the dam [i.e. the overwhelming flood that caused a break in their dam], and We replaced their two [fields of] gardens with gardens of bitter fruit, tamarisks and something of sparse lote trees. [By] that We repaid them because they disbelieved. And do We [thus] repay except the ungrateful?And We placed between them and the cities which We had blessed [In the lands of what is now southern Syria and Palestine] [many] visible cities. And We determined between them the [distances of] journey [i.e., We placed the intermediate settlements at calculated distances for the convenience of travellers.], [saying]: 'Travel between them by night or by day in safety.' But [insolently] they said: 'Our Lord! Lengthen the distance between our journeys,' and wronged themselves, so We made them narrations [i.e., their story became a tale related amongst people to take an example from] and dispersed them in total dispersion. Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful. And Satan had already confirmed through them [i.e. the people of Saba'] his assumption [i.e., that mankind could readily be misled by him.], so they followed him, except for a party of believers. And he had over them no authority except [it was decreed] that We might make evident who believes in the Hereafter from who is thereof in doubt. And your Lord, over all things, is Guardian." [Quran 34: 15-21]
The people of Saba' were the kings of Yemen and Balqees, the wife of Sulaymaan, may Allah exalt his mention, was from them. The people of Saba' lived happy and joyful lives that were full of blessings; their sustenance was abundant and their trees and plants very fruitful. Allah sent messengers to them, instructing them to eat from what He had provided for them and show gratitude towards Him, as well as to worship Him alone and believe in His oneness. They adhered to these instructions for a while, but then shunned His commandments, and were thus punished by a flood on their land.
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Hadiths
Different hadiths are mentioned about the merits of recitation of this sura that anyone suggesting that whoever recites the Qur'an 34, all prophets will be his friends and companions on the day of judgement. Also, it is transmitted from Imam al-sadiq (a) that anyone who recites at night, the Qur'an 34 and quran 35 which begin with the word "hamd", he will be protected by God all that night, and if he recites them during daytime, he will receive no pain on that day and will be given so much blessings in this world and in the hereafter that he had never thought of or wished for.
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1- In a tradition Imam Ali-ibn-Musa-ar-Rida (as) says:
"Worship is not by abundant prayer and fasting. Verily the real worship is contemplation in the work of Allah, Almighty and Glorious."
2- Another tradition indicates that most of the worship of Abuthar was contemplation.
3- In a tradition we read that once someone asked Imam Sadiq (as) about the meaning of the statement of the Prophet (S) who said:
"One hour of contemplation is better than one night of worship."
And how should this contemplation be done?
The Imam (as), in answer to him, said:
"When he passes by a ruin or a (ruined) house (empty of dwellers) he should say to the house:
'Where have your dwellers gone? What happened to your founders? Why do not you speak?"
4- Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (as) says:
"Contemplation invites to goodness and acting to it."
Imam Ali (as) said:
"Before making decision do ponder, consult before that you regret, and think deeply before you attack."
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In a tradition narrated from Imam Sadiq (as) we read that someone asked him whether there is a limit for the thank of Allah that when a person reaches that limit he is counted thankful.
He (as) answered:"Yes."
The man asked:"How?"
The Imam answered:"He must praise Allah for His whole blessings upon his family and his wealth; and if there is any right in the wealth He has given him he should pay it."
Another tradition from the same Imam (as) indicates:
"Thanksgiving of a blessing is avoidance from sins."
Again in another tradition the same Imam (as) said:"Allah, the Almighty and Glorious, revealed to Moses, saying:'O' Moses! Do thank Me which is a due thank.'
Moses said:'How can I thank You a due true thank while every time I do thank You, You give me a new blessing for it?'
He said:'O' Moses! Just now you performed thanksgiving to Me since you know that that (success) is from Me'."
This point is also necessary to be noted that being gratitude unto those who are a means for a bounty for Man is a kind of thanking Him. Imam Sajjad, Ali-ibn-il-Hussayn (as) says:
"When the Hereafter Day comes forth Allah, the Exalted, will say to some of His servants: 'Did you thank so and so?'
The servant answers:'O' Lord! I performed thanksgiving to You'.
Allah says:'Since you did not thank him, you have not performed My Thanksgiving'."
Then, the Imam (as) added:"The one (among you) who thanks Allah the most is the one who thanks people (for their bounties and favours)."
The Messenger of Allah (S) said:"Whoever does not thank for a small (bounty) will not thank for abundant bounties; and whoever does not thank people, will not thank Allah either."
It is narrated from Imam Sajjad, Ali-ibn-il-Hossayn (as) who said:
"The Messenger of Allah (S) said:
'Verily (when) a believer is satiated from eating food, then he praises Allah, the Almighty; so He will give him a reward equal to that which He gives to him who fasts during the day and keeps vigil at night establishing prayer. Verily Allah accepts thanks-giving and loves those who are gratitude'."
Imam Sadiq (as) said:
"Thanksgiving is to avoid the unlawful things, and a complete thanksgiving is that one says: 'The praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds'."
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