Episode 3
Episode 3: Scattered until They Became Mere Tales
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Before the punishment, Allah reminded them how great the blessing they once had was: neighbouring towns and safe travel. Allah said, "And We placed between them and the cities which We had blessed [many] visible cities. And We determined between them the [distances of] journey, [saying], โTravel between them by night or day in safetyโ" (Qur'an 34:18). Yet they did not value that ease; rather they grew weary and asked that their journeys be made long and hard, while wronging themselves through disbelief. Allah said, "But they said, โOur Lord, lengthen the distance between our journeys,โ and wronged themselves, so We made them narrations and dispersed them in total dispersion. Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful" (Qur'an 34:19). So the nation that was once prosperous and united was scattered to every direction, until their story remained only as a byword and a lesson for later generations. The verse closes with the key to safety: these signs are grasped only by "everyone patient and grateful." Reflection: arrogance and ingratitude destroy unity and prosperity. The two traits that save a servant from a fate like that of Sheba are patience in obedience and gratitude for blessings. Source & Note: evidence from the Qur'an, 34:18-19. Every element of the account โ the safe travel, the plea to lengthen the journeys, and their dispersal into mere "tales" โ is the Qur'an's own text.