Surah Saba Tafseer

The Trade of Saba' and Their Destruction

Allah tells us about the blessings which the people of Saba' enjoyed, and the luxuries and plentiful provision which was theirs in their land, with its secure dwellings and towns which were joined to one another, with many trees, crops and fruits. When they traveled, they had no need to carry provisions or water with them; wherever they stopped, they would find water and fruits, so they could take their noontime rest in one town, and stay overnight in another, according to their needs on their journey.

Allah says:

وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ الْقُرَى الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا

And We placed, between them and the towns which We had blessed,

Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Malik, who narrated it from Zayd bin Aslam, and Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi, Ibn Zayd and others -- all said that;

this means the towns of Syria.

It means they used to travel from Yemen to Syria via towns easy to be seen and connected to one another.

Al-Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said,

"`The towns which We had blessed by putting Jerusalem among them."

قُرًى ظَاهِرَةً

towns easy to be seen,

meaning, clear and visible, known to travelers, so they could take their noontime rest in one town and stay overnight in another.

Allah says:

وَقَدَّرْنَا فِيهَا السَّيْرَ

and We made the stages (of journey) between them easy.

meaning, `We made it in a way that met the needs of the travelers.'

سِيرُوا فِيهَا لَيَالِيَ وَأَيَّامًا امِنِينَ

Travel in them safely both by night and day.

means, those who travel in them will be safe both by night and by day