Surah Saba 34:14 — translation and meaning

سبأ · Verse 14 / 54 · Page 429

ۖ فَلَمَّا قَضَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَوْتَ مَا دَلَّهُمْ عَلَى مَوْتِهِ إِلَّا دَابَّةُ الْأَرْضِ تَأْكُلُ مِنسَأَتَهُ فَلَمَّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ الْجِنُّ أَن لَّوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ الْغَيْبَ مَا لَبِثُوا فِي الْعَذَابِ الْمُهِينِ

Word by Word

ۖ
فَلَمَّا
falamma
Then when
قَضَيْنَا
qadayna
We decreed
عَلَيْهِ
alayhi
for him
الْمَوْتَ
al-mawta
the death
مَا
ma
not
دَلَّهُمْ
dallahum
indicated to them
عَلَى
ala
[on]
مَوْتِهِ
mawtihi
his death
إِلَّا
illa
except
دَابَّةُ
dabbatu
a creature
الْأَرْضِ
al-ardi
(of) the earth
تَأْكُلُ
takulu
eating
مِنسَأَتَهُ
minsa-atahu
his staff
فَلَمَّا
falamma
But when
خَرَّ
kharra
he fell down
تَبَيَّنَتِ
tabayyanati
became clear
الْجِنُّ
al-jinu
(to) the jinn
أَن
an
that
لَّوْ
law
if
كَانُوا
kanu
they had
يَعْلَمُونَ
ya'lamuna
known
الْغَيْبَ
al-ghayba
the unseen
مَا
ma
not
لَبِثُوا
labithu
they (would have) remained
فِي
fi
in
الْعَذَابِ
al-'adhabi
the punishment
الْمُهِينِ
al-muhini
humiliating

Transliteration

Falammaa qadainaa 'alaihil mawta ma dallahum 'alaa mawtiheee illaa daaabbatul ardi taakulu minsa atahoo falammaa kharra tabaiyanatil jinnu al law kaanoo ya'lamoonal ghaiba maa labisoo fil 'azaabil muheen

Translation

And when We decreed for Solomon death, nothing indicated to the jinn his death except a creature of the earth eating his staff. But when he fell, it became clear to the jinn that if they had known the unseen, they would not have remained in humiliating punishment.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

When we decreed for Solomon to die, the Jinn did not realise he had passed away until the woodworms had eroded away the staff he was leaning on. When he fell it became clear to the Jinn that they do not know the unseen/ghayb, as if they did, they would have not remained subdued, continuing to carry out the difficult tasks imposed upon them.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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