Surah Saba Ayat 24 (34:24 Quran) With Tafsir

Ala-Maududi

(34:24) Ask them, (O Prophet): “Who provides you sustenance from the heavens and the earth?” Say: “Allah.^[42] Now, inevitably only one of us is rightly guided, either we or you; and the other is in manifest error.”^[43]

42. There is a subtle gap between the question and the answer. The addressees were the mushriks who not only did not disbelieve in the existence of Allah but also knew and believed that the keys of the provisions are in His hand. But in spite of this they also held others as Allah’s associates in His work. Now when they were confronted with the question: Who gives you sustenance from the heavens and the earth, they were put in a tight corner. If they mentioned another besides Allah, they would say a thing contrary to their own and their people’s creed. If they showed stubbornness and said such a thing, they feared that their own people would immediately refute them. And if they acknowledged that Allah alone is their Sustainer, they would immediately be confronted with the next question: Then, why and what for have you made these others as your gods? When Allah is the Sustainer, why should these others be served and worshipped? Thus they stand confused and bewildered. Neither can they say that Allah alone is the Sustainer nor that another god is the sustainer. When the questioner sees that they do not make any answer, he himself answers his question and says, Allah.

43. This sentence contains an important point of the wisdom of preaching. The logical conclusion of the question and answer cited above would be that the one who serves and worships Allah should be on right guidance and the one who worships others beside Him should be misguided. Therefore, apparently, the conclusion should have been: “Then, we are rightly guided and you are misguided.” But such a plain and straight reply, although correct and true, would not have been a wise thing from the point of view of preaching. For when a person is addressed and told plainly that he is misguided and the speaker claims to be rightlyguided himself, he will become obdurate and will never be inclined to accept and acknowledge the truth. As the Messengers of Allah are not sent only for the sake of speaking the plain truth, but are also entrusted with the duty of reforming the wrongdoers as tactfully as possible. Allah has not asked His Prophet (peace be upon him) to tell them plainly, after the question and answer, that they are all misguided and that he alone is rightly-guided. Instead of this, it was said: Tell them: it has become clear that we regard as our Deity only Him Who is the Sustainer, and you have taken as deities those who are not sustainers. Now, it is not possible that both you and we should be on right guidance simultaneously. Only one of us can be rightly-guided, and the other inevitably will be misguided. Now it is for you to consider and judge who is being proved by reason to be in the right and who in the wrong.

Ibn-Kathir

24. Say: “Who gives you provision from the heavens and the earth” Say: “Allah. And verily, (either) we or you are rightly guided or in plain error.” 25. Say: “You will not be asked about our sins, nor shall we be asked of what you do.” 26. Say: “Our Lord will assemble us all together, then He will judge between us with truth. And He is the Just Judge, the All-Knower of the true state of affairs.” 27. Say: “Show me those whom you have joined with Him as partners. Nay! But He is Allah, the Almighty, the All-Wise.”

Allah tells us that He is unique in His power of creation and His giving of provision, and that He is unique in His divinity also. As they used to admit that no one in heaven or on earth except Allah gave them provision, i.e., by sending down water and causing crops to grow, so they should also realize that there is no god worthy of worship besides Him.

(And verily, (either) we or you are rightly guided or in plain error.) `One of the two sides must be speaking falsehood, and one must be telling the truth. There is no way that you and we could both be following true guidance, or could both be misguided. Only one of us can be correct, and we have produced the proof of Tawhid which indicates that your Shirk must be false.’ Allah says:

(And verily, (either) we or you are rightly guided or in plain error.) Qatadah said, “The Companions of Muhammad said this to the idolators: `By Allah, we and you cannot be following the same thing, only one of us can be truly guided.”’ `Ikrimah and Ziyad bin Abi Maryam said, “It means: we are rightly guided and you are in plain error.”

(Say: “You will not be asked about our sins, nor shall we be asked of what you do.”) This indicates disowning them, saying, `you do not belong to us and we do not belong to you, because we call people to Allah, to believe that He is the Only God and to worship Him alone. If you respond, then you will belong to us and we to you, but if you reject our call, then we have nothing to do with you and you have nothing to do with us.’ This is like the Ayat:

(And if they deny you, say: “For me are my deeds and for you are your deeds! You are innocent of what I do, and I am innocent of what you do!”) (10:41)

(Say: “O disbelievers! I worship not that which you worship, Nor will you worship that which I worship. And I shall not worship that which you are worshipping. Nor will you worship that which I worship. To you be your religion, and to me my religion.”) (104:1-6).

(Say: “Our Lord will assemble us all together…”) means, `on the Day of Resurrection, He will bring all of creation together in one arena, then He will judge between us with truth, i.e., with justice.’ Each person will be rewarded or punished according to his deeds; if they are good, then his end will be good, and if they are bad, then his end will be bad. On that Day they will know who has attained victory, glory and eternal happiness, as Allah says: U

(And on the Day when the Hour will be established — that Day shall (all men) be separated. Then as for those who believed and did righteous good deeds, such shall be honored and made to enjoy luxurious life (forever) in a Garden of Delight. And as for those who disbelieved and denied Our Ayat, and the meeting of the Hereafter, such shall be brought forth to the torment.) (30:14-16). Allah says:

(And He is the Just Judge, the All-Knower of the true state of affairs.)

(Say: “Show me those whom you have joined with Him as partners…”) means, `show me those gods whom you made as rivals and equals to Allah.’

Nay means, He has no peer, rival, partner or equal. Alla0h says:

But He is Alla0h, meaning, the One and Only God Who has no partner.

the Almighty, the All-Wise. means, the Owner of might with which He subjugates and controls all things, the One Who is Wise in all His Words and deeds, Laws and decrees. Blessed and exalted and sanctified be He far above all that they say. And Alla0h knows best.