Walaqad saddaqa AAalayhim ibleesu thannahu fattabaAAoohu illa fareeqan mina almu'mineen (surah Saba: 20)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(34:20) Iblis found his estimate of them to be true, and they followed him, except a party of the believers. *35

Wa laqad saddaq `alaihim Ibleesu zannnabhoo fattaba`oohu illaa fareeqam minal mu`mineen

*35) History shows that in ancient times there lived among the Sabaeans a small group of the people, who believed in one God, apart from all other gods. The inscriptions that have been discovered in the ruins of Yaman as a result of modern archaeological research point to the existence of this small element. Some inscriptions of the period about 650 B.C. indicate that at several places in the kingdom of Saba there existed such houses of worship as were exclusively meant for the worship of dhu-samavi or dhu-samavi (i.e. Rabb as-Sama': Lord of the heavens). In some places this Deity has been mentioned as Makkan dhu-samavi (the King who is the Owner of the heavens). This remnant of the Sabaeans continued to live in Yaman for centuries afterwards. Thus, in an inscription of 378 A.D. also there is found the mention of a house of worship built in the name of Ilah dhu-semevi'. Then, in an inscription dated 465 A.D. the words are; Bi-nasr wa rida ilah-in ba'l samin wa ardin (i.e. with the help and support of that God Who is the Owner of the heavens and the earth). In another inscription of the period dated 458 A.D., the word Rahman has been used for the same God, the actual words being bi-rida Rahmanan (i. e. with the help of Rehman).