[34].Surah Saba [Sheba]: Ayat 19

১৯. অতঃপর তারা বলল, হে আমাদের পালনকর্তা, আমাদের ভ্রমণের পরিসর বাড়িয়ে দাও। তারা নিজেদের প্রতি জুলুম করেছিল। ফলে আমি তাদেরকে উপাখ্যানে পরিণত করলাম এবং সম্পূর্ণরূপে ছিন্ন-বিচ্ছিন্ন করে দিলাম। নিশ্চয় এতে প্রত্যেক ধৈর্যশীল কৃতজ্ঞের জন্যে নিদর্শনাবলী রয়েছে।

Ayat 19. But they said: "Our Lord! Make the stages between our journey longer," and they wronged themselves, so Allah made them as tales (in the land), and Allah dispersed them all, totally. Verily, in this are indeed signs for every steadfast grateful (person).

Tafseer of Surah Saba' (Sheba) Ayat 19. But they said: "Our Lord! Place longer distances between our journey- stages": but they wronged themselves (therein). At length Allah made them as a tale (that is told), and Allah dispersed them all in scattered fragments. Verily in this are Signs for every (soul that is) patiently constant and grateful. Said, in this and other places in the Qur'an, "language" is used for thought or deed. The Commentators call it the "Language of actual facts" (Zaban Hal) as opposed to the "language of words" (Zaban Qal). The covetous Saba ' people, in order to get more profit from travelers’ supplies by concentrating them on a few stations which they could monopolies, tended to choke off traffic and ruin the big trade. Selfishness often runs counter to true self-interest. It is a historical fact that the great Yemen-Syria route in Arabia declined with the decline of Yemen. There were no doubt physical causes, but supreme above all were the moral causes, the grasping nature of the people, and their departure from the highest standards of righteousness. The people of Saba were given every chance. They had prosperity, skill, trade and commerce, and a healthy and beautiful country. They also had, apparently, great virtues, and as long as they remained true to their virtues, i.e., to the Law of Allah, they remained happy and contented. But when they became covetous and selfish, and became jealous of other people's prosperity instead of rejoicing in it, they fell from grace and declined. It may be that the climate changed, the rainfall became scantier, perhaps on account of the cutting down of hill forests: trade routes changed, on account of the people falling off in the virtues that make men popular: behind all the physical causes was the root-cause, that they began to worship mammon, self, greed, or materialism. They fell into the snare of Satan. They gradually passed out of history, and became only a name in a story. Moral: it is only Allah's Mercy that can give true happiness or prosperity, and happiness or prosperity is only a snare unless used for the highest service of Allah and man.

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah  [SAWW](PBUH) said, "There are two blessings in which many people incur loss. (They are) health and free time (for doing good)". [Al-Bukhari Volume 08, Chapter 76, Hadith # 421].

Lesson: as mentioned above in Surah Saba Ayat 19. “Verily, in this are indeed signs for every steadfast grateful (person)”

1. Al-Ghabn in Arabic means loss. What it really signifies is to sell something of one's own on less than its due price, or to buy something on its double or triple price. In both cases one is a loser. When a person comes to know about such a loss, he repents and feels sorry for it. This loss coupled with regret is called Al-Ghabn. In Ahadith, man has been compared with trader, and health and leisure enjoyed by him with merchandise. One who uses his merchandise with care, gains profit while he who wastes it, that is to say, uses it carelessly, will be a loser on the Day of Resurrection.

2. The majority of people do not take proper care of both these things, with the result that one wastes the time in useless activities and spends the physical strength and energy in the disobedience of Allah. One will have to face severe consequences of it on the Day of Resurrection when he will be brought into account for everything.