١١

instructing: “Make full-length armour, ˹perfectly˺ balancing the links. And work righteousness ˹O family of David!˺. Indeed, I am All-Seeing of what you do.”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

١٢
And to Solomon ˹We subjected˺ the wind: its morning stride was a month’s journey and so was its evening stride. And We caused a stream of molten copper to flow for him, and ˹We subjected˺ some of the jinn to work under him by his Lord’s Will. And whoever of them deviated from Our command, We made them taste the torment of the blaze.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

١٣
They made for him whatever he desired of sanctuaries, statues,1 basins as large as reservoirs, and cooking pots fixed ˹into the ground˺. ˹We ordered:˺ “Work gratefully, O  family of David!” ˹Only˺ a few of My servants are ˹truly˺ grateful.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

١٤
When We decreed Solomon’s death, nothing indicated to the ˹subjected˺ jinn that he was dead except the termites eating away his staff.1 So when he collapsed, the jinn realized that if they had ˹really˺ known the unseen, they would not have remained in ˹such˺ humiliating servitude.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

١٥
Indeed, there was a sign for ˹the tribe of˺ Sheba in their homeland: two orchards—one to the right and the other to the left. ˹They were told:˺ “Eat from the provision of your Lord, and be grateful to Him. ˹Yours is˺ a good land and a forgiving Lord.”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

١٦
But they turned away. So We sent against them a devastating flood, and replaced their orchards with two others producing bitter fruit, fruitless bushes,1 and a few ˹sparse˺ thorny trees.2

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

١٧
This is how We rewarded them for their ingratitude. Would We ever punish ˹anyone in such a way˺ except the ungrateful?

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

١٨
We had also placed between them and the cities1 We showered with blessings ˹many small˺ towns within sight of one another. And We set moderate travel distances in between, ˹saying,˺ “Travel between them by day and night safely.”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

١٩
But they said, “Our Lord! Make ˹the distances of˺ our journeys longer,” wronging themselves.1 So We reduced them to ˹cautionary˺ tales, and scattered them utterly. Surely in this are lessons for whoever is steadfast, grateful.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

٢٠
Indeed, Iblîs’ assumption about them has come true,1 so they ˹all˺ follow him, except a group of ˹true˺ believers.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

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