Surah Saba' ([The People of] Saba) 34 : 13

Explanatory Note

They were placed under Solomon’s command. All these articles are examples of what the jinn used to make, by God’s leave, whenever Solomon bid them. Again all these are miraculous things, and we cannot imagine them to be anything but. This is the only interpretation we can give to this statement. The verse concludes with an address to David’s household: “We said: ‘Work thankfully, family of David.’“All this was given you by God’s grace, through David and Solomon. You must not take false pride in it, but instead give proper thanks. Good action is an important form of thanksgiving.

However, “few of My servants are truly thankful.” This comment also serves as a directive. It tells us on the one hand that the grace and favours God bestows on His servants are so great that few of them are able to express due thanks for them, and on the other that people often neglect their thanksgiving duty. In fact, however much people try to express their gratitude, they cannot give due thanks for what God bestows on them. What is their status, then, if they slacken and overlook this duty?