And when We decreed for him [i.e., Solomon] death, nothing indicated to them [i.e., the jinn] his death except a creature of the earth eating his staff.1222 But when he fell, it became clear to the jinn that if they had known the unseen, they would not have remained in humiliating punishment.1223
Notes
[1222] Upon which he was leaning at the time of his death. A termite continued to gnaw into the stick until it collapsed under his weight.
[1223] i.e., hard labor. This verse is evidence that the jinn do not possess knowledge of the unseen, which belongs exclusively to Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā).
Verse 14 of Surah Saba (34:14), a Meccan surah, is in juz 22, on page 429 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.
Listen to verse 14 of Surah Saba
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Tafsir of verse 14
Al-Mukhtasar
When we decreed for Solomon to die, the Jinn did not realise he had passed away until the woodworms had eroded away the staff he was leaning on. When he fell it became clear to the Jinn that they do not know the unseen/ghayb, as if they did, they would have not remained subdued, continuing to carry out the difficult tasks imposed upon them.
Then when We decreed Solomon’s death, nothing showed them that he was dead except a creature of the earth8 eating away his staff9. When he fell down, the jinn realized that if they had truly known the unseen, they would not have remained in the debasing servitude10.
Notes
[8] i.e., a termite was gnawing his staff. [9] Upon which he was leaning.
[10] It is proof that the jinn do not have knowledge of the unseen.
Then when We decreed death for him [Sulaimân (Solomon)], nothing informed them (jinn) of his death except a little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his stick. So when he fell down, the jinn saw clearly that if they had known the Unseen, they would not have stayed in the humiliating torment.
And when We decreed death for him, nothing showed his death to them save a creeping creature of the earth which gnawed away his staff. And when he fell the jinn saw clearly how, if they had known the Unseen, they would not have continued in despised toil.
Then, when We decreed (Solomon's) death, nothing showed them his death except a little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his staff: so when he fell down, the Jinns saw plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in the humiliating Penalty (of their Task).
But when We decreed death for him, naught showed them his death but a creature of the earth that ate away his staff; and when it fell down, the jinn came to know plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in abasing torment.
So, as soon as We decreed death for him, in no way did anything indicate to them his death except the beast of the earth eating his rod. Then, as soon as he collapsed, the jinn evidently (saw) that; if they had known the Unseen, in no way would they have lingered in the degrading torment.
