Surah Saba' ([The People of] Saba) 34 : 40

Overview (Verses 40 - 42)

Who Benefits Whom

The passage concludes with a scene from the Day of Judgement, where we see them gathered, and God confronts them with the angels they used to worship instead of Him. It ends with them suffering the torment they used to hasten, as the sūrah has already mentioned: On the day He gathers them all together, He will say to the angels: ‘Was it you that these people worshipped?’ They will answer: Limitless are You in Your glory! You alone are our patron, not they. In fact they worshipped the jinn and most of them believed in them.’ Today none of you has any power to benefit or harm another. We will say to the wrongdoers: ‘Taste now the suffering through fire which you persistently denied.’ (Verses 40-42) These are the angels they used to worship, or hope would intercede for them with God: they are brought face to face with them, but the angels glorify God, stating that He is exalted above all that these people allege. They disassociate themselves from such false worship, as though it had not taken place. They are indeed in Satan’s service, either worshipping him and appealing to him for help, or obeying him by associating partners with God. In fact, when they worshipped angels, they were actually worshipping Satan. Indeed worship of the jinn was practised by some Arabs. Some of them actually addressed their worship to the jinn, while others sought their help. Hence, the sūrah says: “They worshipped the jinn and most of them believed in them.” (Verse 41) This explains the relevance of Solomon’s story with the jinn to the major issues discussed in this sūrah.

As this scene concludes, the mode of expression changes from narrative to address. The blame is squarely put on them, and they are severely reproached: “Today none of you has any power to benefit or harm another.” (Verse 42) Neither can the angels benefit people, nor can those unbelievers benefit one another. The fire the wrongdoers used to deny is now in front of them. It is an undoubted reality: “We will say to the wrongdoers: ‘Taste now the suffering through fire which you persistently denied.’ (Verse 42)

Like all previous passages, this one concludes with further emphasis on the question of resurrection, accountability, reckoning and reward.