The Holy Quran 34:19 — Surah Saba

Arabic text

فَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَا بَـٰعِدْ بَيْنَ أَسْفَارِنَا وَظَلَمُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ فَجَعَلْنَـٰهُمْ أَحَادِيثَ وَمَزَّقْنَـٰهُمْ كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ

Translation

However, (instead of appreciating these favours) they (foolishly) said, "O our Rabb! Make our journeys (make the distance) longer (more difficult)." (In asking this) They oppressed (wronged) themselves, so We (destroyed them and) made them (non-existent so that all that remained of them were) mere narratives and shattered them into fragments (without any traces to be found). There are definitely Aayaat in this for every person who is extremely patient and extremely grateful.

Tafsir (excerpt) — Tafsir Usmani

The foolish request of the people of Saba: they must have said it with the tongue of their state, and possibly they even began to say it aloud: “O Allah! There is no enjoyment in travelling like this. Let the stages be far apart, let there be no settlements nearby, let hunger and thirst torment us — that is when travel is a pleasure.

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