Allah, the Exalted, says: "And they said, 'We have believed in it.' But how can they attain [it] from a place far away?" "And they had disbelieved in it before, and they throw accusations of the unseen from a place far away." "And a barrier was placed between them and what they desire, just as was done with their companions before. Indeed, they were in a state of doubt."

The pronoun in "it" refers to Allah, the Exalted, in His saying: "in it." It is said to refer to Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, his Shari'ah, and the Qur'an. Ibn Kathir, Nafi', Asim, Ibn Amir, and most of the reciters read "the attainment" with the waw pronounced without hamzah, while Abu Amr, Hamzah, and Al-Kisai, and also Asim, read it with hamzah. The first meaning is "the taking," from their saying: "nasha yanush" if he takes, and "tanawasha al-qawm" in war if some of them take each other with weapons. From this is the poet's saying:

"So she takes the pond, taking it from above, Taking it by which she cuts through the vastness of the wilderness."

It is as if he said: And how can they attain what they desire when they are far from the place where that is possible? As for the hamzah, it may be that it is from what has preceded, and the waw was pronounced with a necessary dammah, as they say: "uqit" and other than that. It may also be from the request, as you say: "tanawash tu al-shay'a" if you sought it from afar. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The attainment of something is its return," as narrated by Ibn Al-Anbari, and he recited:

"He wished that she would return to you, but there is no way to attain her."

It is as if he said in the verse: And how can they seek what they desire when they are far? Mujahid said: The meaning is from the Hereafter to this world.

The majority read: "And they throw accusations" with a fatha on the ya and a kasra on the dhal, attributing the action to them, meaning: they cast accusations with their conjectures, and they throw them at the Messenger and the Book of Allah, and that is unseen to them, in their saying: "It is magic and fabrication" and other than that, as Mujahid said. Qatadah said: Their casting of the unseen is their saying: "There is no resurrection, nor paradise, nor fire." Mujahid read with a dammah on the ya and a fatha on the dhal, meaning: "And the revelation casts upon them what they dislike from the heavens."

His saying: "And a barrier was placed between them" means: from faith, repentance, returning to trust, and righteous deeds. This is because they desired it at a time when repentance would not benefit them. Qatadah also said this, and Mujahid said: The meaning is: And a barrier was placed between them and the pleasures of this world and its delights. It is said: A barrier was placed between them and paradise and its delights. This is strongly established in the saying that the taking and the fright mentioned is on the Day of Resurrection.

His saying: "Just as was done with their companions" means the groups similar to them from every nation, and it is the plural of "shi'ah." His saying: "before" can be related to some of the previous sayings in its connection to "was done," and it can also be related - according to the saying of those who said that the fright is on the Day of Resurrection - to "their companions," meaning: those who were characterized by their qualities before in the first time, because what is done to all of them is indeed at one time, and it cannot be said: "before."

And "the doubt that is disturbing" is the strongest of doubt and the most intense in darkness. And Allah knows best.

The tafsir of Surah Saba has been completed with the help of Allah and His guidance. And all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.