People of Saba'
The people of Sabaʾ were an Arab community residing in Yemen who, according to Qur’anic exegetes, were subjected to divine punishment due to ingratitude for God's blessings and rejection of the prophets. They had been granted abundant favors, including prosperous agriculture, fruitful orchards, secure travel routes, and even an environment free of harmful insects. However, as a consequence of their ingratitude, the Ma'rib Dam collapsed, destroying their fertile lands and flourishing gardens. Following this catastrophe, the population of Saba' dispersed across various regions of the Arabian Peninsula.
The Qur'an 34, recounts the history of the people of Saba'. Tafsir and historical sources describe this community as possessing military strength, a deep interest in construction and urban development, and a tradition of worshipping idols and the sun. With notable expertise in geometry and astronomy, they built remarkable structures such as the temples of Ṣirwah and Ma'rib, as well as the Ma'rib Dam.
The story of the people of Saba' and the Queen of Sheba is mentioned in verses 15–19 of Qur'an 34 and in verses 22–44 of Qur'an 27.
Introduction and Status
The people of Saba' were an ancient Arab community descended from Saba' b. Yashjub (or Yasjub),[1] who lived in Yemen before the Common Era. According to researchers, they initially dwelled in the northern regions of the Arabian Peninsula and later migrated southward, settling in areas such as Ma'rib, which subsequently came to be known as the land of Saba'.
In the Qur'an, there is a chapter titled Sura Saba', which recounts the history of the people of Saba'. Verses 15–19 of this sura describe the blessings God had bestowed upon them in their land, including their lush gardens, and explain that after they showed ingratitude, they were destroyed by the great flood known as Sayl al-'Arim. Likewise, in verses 22–44 of Qur'an 27, the account of the hoopoe's report concerning the people of Saba', the powerful rule of the Queen of Sheba (Bilqis), her meeting with Prophet Solomon (a), and ultimately her acceptance of faith is also mentioned.
Some exegetes have regarded the fact that the great civilization of the people of Saba' remained unknown for many centuries and was only discovered in the nineteenth century CE as one of the Qur'an’s unseen reports and as an instance of its scientific miraculousness. According to some researchers, the Qur'anic accounts of the people of Saba' in Qur'an 27 and Qur'an 34 refer to two different historical periods in the life of this community. Therefore, the destruction of the Sabaean people by the Flood of Arim occurred centuries after the time of Prophet Solomon (a) and does not pertain to the community of the Queen of Sheba during Solomon's era.
According to some researchers, the name "Saba'" is also mentioned repeatedly in the Torah as a historical people.
Characteristics
Historical and exegetical sources mention several characteristics of the people of Saba', including their military strength, their efforts in construction and land development, and their practice of idolatry.
A Community Composed of Monotheists and Non-Monotheists
The Qur'an refers to a group among the people of Saba' who believed in the Resurrection and in life after death and acknowledged God's lordship. According to historical and exegetical sources, other groups within Saba' either did not believe in God or turned to the worship of the sun, moon, stars, and animals such as deer and calves, through the construction of great temples. They also worshipped the idol Yaghuth. According to Bi-Azār Shirazi, a scholar of religious studies, the Sabaeans believed that the two horns of a bull, forming the shape of a crescent, symbolized the goddess of the planet Venus. Some researchers also maintain that in certain periods, Judaism was practiced among segments of the Sabaean population.
Possession of Military Superiority
Numerous sources report that the kingdom of Saba' was one of the largest and most powerful governments in Yemen, well-known among the Arabs, and likewise renowned among the Romans and Greeks. It is also stated that they possessed a large and highly disciplined army, giving them significant military and defensive strength.
Attention to Development and Knowledge
The people of Saba' devoted particular attention to construction and urban development, a point clearly reflected in the surviving Sabaean inscriptions, which frequently contain terms such as rebuilding, construction, and restoration, indicating their concern for progress and advancement. Some researchers have identified among the major achievements of Sabaean civilization the famous temple of the city of Ṣirwāḥ, the well-known temple of Ma'rib (associated with idolatry), and the construction of the Ma'rib Dam, all of which demonstrate the Sabaeans' skill in geometry, astronomy, and engineering.
Ingratitude for Blessings as the Cause of Punishment
The land of Saba' has been described as being abundantly endowed with both material and spiritual blessings, and, through the construction of their dam, they enjoyed prosperous agriculture and numerous fruit-bearing orchards. Describing this region, sources state that its inhabitants possessed two large adjoining gardens, whose combined expanse stretched to the distance of ten days' travel.
It is also reported that in summer and winter neither heat nor cold caused them discomfort, that during travel they were safe from thieves and predatory animals, and that due to the abundance of blessings, they had no need to carry provisions for the road. According to the exegetes, the people of Saba' showed ingratitude toward all the divine favors granted to them and forgot God. They rejected the messengers of God and failed to show gratitude for His blessings. They engaged in arrogance and encouraged social stratification. Such ingratitude ultimately led to the descent of divine punishment—the Flood of Arim.
Destruction by the Flood of Arim
According to the exegetes, at the time of the divine punishment, desert rats weakened the internal structure of the Ma'rib Dam, causing it to collapse. This event unleashed a massive flood that destroyed their livestock and turned their once lush gardens into trees bearing bitter and unusable fruit.
After this calamity, the people of Saba' dispersed from their homeland and migrated to various regions of the Arabian Peninsula. The Ghassan tribe migrated to Levant, the Quḍa'ah tribe to Mecca, the Asad tribe to Bahrain, the Anmar tribe to Yathrib, the Khuza'ah (Judham) tribe to Tihamah| in Mecca, and the Azd tribe to Oman. Their dispersion became so widespread that it gave rise to an Arab proverb: "tafarraqū ayādī Sabaʾ," meaning “the hands of Saba' were scattered."
Notes
- ↑ Some consider “Saba'” to be the name of the forefather of the Arabs of Yemen, while others regard it as the name of a region in Yemen. Exegetes have suggested that this name originally referred to an individual and was later applied to his people and their land (Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1431 AH, vol. 8, p. 604; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1992, vol. 18, pp. 56–57).
References
- Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. al-Ḥasan al-. Majmaʿ al-bayān fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān. Edited by Hāshim Rasūlī & Yazdī Ṭabāṭabāʾī. Third edition. Tehran: Intishārāt-i Nāṣir Khusru, 1372 Sh.