Tafsir Ibn Abbas: Saba, Ayah 16
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Tafsir
But they were disregardful of giving thanks to Him and became disbelievers so We unleashed upon them the flood of the Dam al-‘arim is the plural of ‘arima which is a structure or something similar that holds water back to be stored for when it is needed in other words We unleashed upon them the flood-waters of their valley which had been held back by the mentioned structure so that they engulfed their two gardens together with all their property. And We gave them in place of their two gardens two gardens bearing dhawātay a dual form of feminine plural dhawāt; usually the form dhātay from the singular would have been used bitter fruit bitter and vile ukul may be read as a genitive annexation ukulin khamtin in the sense of ‘that which is eaten thereof being bitter; or it may be read without as ukuli khamtin; and this phrase is supplemented by the following wa-athlin wa-shay’in min sidrin qalīl and tamarisk and sparse lote trees.
Ibn Abbas Commentary
(But they were froward) they turned away from faith and acceptance of the messengers and failed to give thanks, (so We sent on them the flood of 'Iram) the flood of a river which destroyed their gardens, houses and all their bounties. 'Iram was the name of a river in Yemen within which they built a dam. This dam had three superimposed openings, Allah destroyed the dam and destroyed them by means of its water, (and in exchange for their two gardens) which were destroyed (gave them two gardens bearing bitter fruit, the tamarisk and here and there a lote tree.