428 Page Notes

34 Surah Saba

Page 428 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 428 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 428 of the Quran marks the very beginning of Surah Saba (Sheba), covering verses 1 through 7.

This opening section is strongly theological. It establishes Allah’s absolute praise, His total omniscience over the cosmos (everything that enters, leaves, descends, or ascends from the earth), the certainty of the Day of Judgment, and the mockery of the Meccan polytheists regarding the bodily resurrection.

Classical Islamic scholarship connects several authentic Hadiths and Sunnah concepts to the themes and specific historical contexts (Asbab al-Nuzul) of these verses.

1. Absolute Omniscience and the Weight of an Atom (Verses 1–3)

"He knows what penetrates into the earth and what emerges from it and what descends from the heaven and what ascends therein... Not absent from Him is an atom's weight within the heavens or within the earth or [anything] smaller than that or greater but that it is in a clear register."

Sunnah and Hadith Link

These opening verses lay the foundation for the Islamic concept of Al-Qadar (Divine Decree) and Allah's absolute knowledge of all creation. The Prophet taught that this divine accounting spans all of time.

• The Writing of the Decrees: In Sahih Muslim (Hadith 2653), Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-Aas narrated that the Prophet said: "Allah ordained the measures of the creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth." This master record is the "clear register" (Kitabin Mubeen) mentioned at the end of verse 3.

• The Descent and Ascent of Deeds: Verse 2 highlights what descends from and ascends to the heavens. In Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 7429) and Sahih Muslim, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari narrated that the Prophet stood up among them and stated: "The deeds of the night are taken up to Him before the deeds of the day, and the deeds of the day before the deeds of the night." Furthermore, the Prophet noted that angels of the night and day rotate shifts at Fajr and Asr prayers, ascending to report on humanity's state.

2. The Certainty of the Day of Judgment (Verse 3)

"But those who disbelieve say, 'The Hour will not come to us.' Say, 'Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you...'"

Historical Context & The Prophet's Oaths

The Meccan elite routinely rejected the concept of accountability, claiming that time (Al-Dahr) simply passes and destroys them without a final reckoning. Allah commands the Prophet to swear an explicit oath by His Lord to emphasize its reality.

• Swearing by the Lord: The Sunnah records that the Prophet only swore oaths when anchoring the absolute core tenets of faith. Whenever he wanted to emphasize a definitive truth to his companions or opponents, he would utilize formulas like "By Him in Whose Hand is my soul!" as documented throughout Sahih al-Bukhari. The Quran instructs him to use this specific verbal weight here to shock the deniers out of complacency.

3. The Ultimate Reward for Faithful Action (Verses 4–6)

"That He may reward those who believe and do righteous deeds. Those will have forgiveness and a noble provision."

Prophetic Definition of Righteous Deeds

Verses 4 and 5 draw a stark contrast between those who strive to fulfill the divine law and those who actively strive to undermine or defeat (Mu'ajizeen) Allah's signs.

• The Nature of Noble Provision: In Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 4712), when the Prophet was asked about what constitutes the ultimate success for a believer, he tied it back to a clean slate and divine entry into Paradise. The Prophet consistently reminded his companions that entry into this "noble provision" requires pure intentions, stating: "Actions are judged by intentions, and every person will have only what they intended."

4. The Mockery of Bodily Resurrection (Verse 7)

"Those who disbelieve say, 'Shall we direct you to a man who will inform you that when you have been disintegrated in total disintegration, you will [then] be [recreated] in a new creation?'"

Historical Context & Sunnah Application

This verse captures the sarcastic, public propaganda campaign deployed by the Quraysh against Prophet Muhammad. They would sarcastically point him out to pilgrims visiting Mecca, calling him a "madman" because he preached that bones turned to dust would rise again.

• The Story of Ubayy ibn Khalaf: Classical exegetes like Ibn Kathir connect the theme of this verse to a specific historical incident in the Sunnah. A Meccan elite named Ubayy ibn Khalaf brought a crumbling, decayed human bone to the Prophet, crushed it into dust with his hands, blew it into the air, and mockingly asked: "O Muhammad! Do you claim that Allah will resurrect this after it has rotted?" The Prophet responded with firm, unshakeable prophetic authority: "Yes, Allah will resurrect it, then He will cause you to die, bring you back to life, and enter you into the Hellfire." (Recorded in Tafsir Ibn Kathir and verified via historical biographies/Seerah of the Prophet).

References

• Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of the Oneness of Allah, Book of Prophetic Commentary on the Quran).

• Sahih Muslim (Book of Divine Decree, Book of Virtue and Joining Hearts).

• Ibn Kathir, H. Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azeem [Exegesis of Surah Saba, Verses 1–7].

• Al-Mubarakpuri, S. The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum) [For Seerah details regarding Meccan mockery and Ubayy ibn Khalaf].