Key Verses

1. 2:166Al-BaqarahWarning
   إِذۡ تَبَرَّأَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتُّبِعُواْ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُواْ وَرَأَوُاْ ٱلۡعَذَابَ وَتَقَطَّعَتۡ بِهِمُ ٱلۡأَسۡبَابُ
   (On the day) when those who were followed disown those who followed (them), and they behold the doom, and all their aims collapse with them.
   In context

   Then the leaders who were followed in disbelief will reject the weak people who followed them because of seeing the terrors and hardships of the Day of Judgement; so, all ties and means of escape will be cut off from them.

2. 7:163Al-ArafWarning
   وَسۡـَٔلۡهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡقَرۡيَةِ ٱلَّتِي كَانَتۡ حَاضِرَةَ ٱلۡبَحۡرِ إِذۡ يَعۡدُونَ فِي ٱلسَّبۡتِ إِذۡ تَأۡتِيهِمۡ حِيتَانُهُمۡ يَوۡمَ سَبۡتِهِمۡ شُرَّعٗا وَيَوۡمَ لَا يَسۡبِتُونَ لَا تَأۡتِيهِمۡۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَبۡلُوهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفۡسُقُونَ
   Ask them (O Muhammad) of the township that was by the sea, how they did break the Sabbath, how their big fish came unto them visibly upon their Sabbath day and on a day when they did not keep Sabbath came they not unto them. Thus did We try them for that they were evil-livers.
   In context

   Ask the Jews about how Allah punished some of the Israelites. Remind them of the story of the town which was near to the sea where they used to overstep the limits of Allah: fishing on the Sabbath after they had been forbidden from doing so.

3. 18:84Al-Kahf
   إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُۥ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ سَبَبٗا
   Lo! We made him strong in the land and gave him unto every thing a road.
   In context

   I gave him position on earth and granted him of everything which is of relevance to his goals, a path by which he can reach his objective.

4. 18:85Al-KahfCommand
   فَأَتۡبَعَ سَبَبًا
   And he followed a road
   In context

   So he took the means and paths leading to his objective that I had granted him, and then headed West.

5. 18:89Al-KahfCommand
   ثُمَّ أَتۡبَعَ سَبَبًا
   Then he followed a road
   In context

   Then he took a path different to his first route, heading towards the direction of the sunrise.

6. 18:92Al-KahfCommand
   ثُمَّ أَتۡبَعَ سَبَبًا
   Then he followed a road
   In context

   Then he followed a path different to the first two, spreading between the East and West.

7. 22:15Al-Hajj
   مَن كَانَ يَظُنُّ أَن لَّن يَنصُرَهُ ٱللَّهُ فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ فَلۡيَمۡدُدۡ بِسَبَبٍ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ثُمَّ لۡيَقۡطَعۡ فَلۡيَنظُرۡ هَلۡ يُذۡهِبَنَّ كَيۡدُهُۥ مَا يَغِيظُ
   Whoso is wont to think (through envy) that Allah will not give him (Muhammad) victory in the world and the Hereafter (and is enraged at the thought of his victory), let him stretch a rope up to the roof (of his dwelling), and let him hang himself. Then let him see whether his strategy dispelleth that whereat he rageth!.
   In context

   Whoever thinks Allah will not help His Prophet (peace be upon him) in this world and the afterlife should extend a rope to the ceiling of his house and then hang himself by cutting himself off the ground. Then he should see if that removes the anger he feels in his heart. Allah is the Helper of His Prophet, whether his opponents like it or not.

8. 27:22An-Naml
   فَمَكَثَ غَيۡرَ بَعِيدٖ فَقَالَ أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمۡ تُحِطۡ بِهِۦ وَجِئۡتُكَ مِن سَبَإِۭ بِنَبَإٖ يَقِينٍ
   But he was not long in coming, and he said: I have found out (a thing) that thou apprehendest not, and I come unto thee from Sheba with sure tidings.
   In context

   The hoopoe remained absent for a short while. Then when it came, it said to Solomon (peace be upon him): “I discovered what you did not discover, and I have brought to you from Sheba true news in which there is no doubt.

9. 34:15Saba
   لَقَدۡ كَانَ لِسَبَإٖ فِي مَسۡكَنِهِمۡ ءَايَةٞۖ جَنَّتَانِ عَن يَمِينٖ وَشِمَالٖۖ كُلُواْ مِن رِّزۡقِ رَبِّكُمۡ وَٱشۡكُرُواْ لَهُۥۚ بَلۡدَةٞ طَيِّبَةٞ وَرَبٌّ غَفُورٞ
   There was indeed a sign for Sheba in their dwelling-place: Two gardens on the right hand and the left (as who should say): Eat of the provision of your Lord and render thanks to Him. A fair land and an indulgent Lord!
   In context

   There was for the tribe of Sheba, in the dwelling they lived in, a clear sign of Allah’s power and His favour on them, and the clear sign was two gardens: one on the right and the second on the left. And I said to them: “Eat of the provision of your Lord and thank Him for His favours. This is a pleasant city and you Lord, Allah is a forgiving Lord, who absolves the sins of those who repent to Him.

10. 38:10SadCommand
    أَمۡ لَهُم مُّلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَاۖ فَلۡيَرۡتَقُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَسۡبَٰبِ
    Or is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them theirs? Then let them ascend by ropes!
    In context

    Or do they have the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and possession of everything therein so they may chose who to give it to? If this is what claim they are making then let them adopt the means to go up to the heavens so they can then rule how they wish from above the heavens in who should be given and who should be held back from.

11. 40:36Ghafir
    وَقَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ يَٰهَٰمَٰنُ ٱبۡنِ لِي صَرۡحٗا لَّعَلِّيٓ أَبۡلُغُ ٱلۡأَسۡبَٰبَ
    And Pharaoh said: O Haman! Build for me a tower that haply I may reach the roads,
    In context

    Pharaoh said to his minister Haman: “O Haman, build for me a high building, in the hope I can reach the paths.

12. 40:37GhafirWarning
    أَسۡبَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ فَأَطَّلِعَ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّهُۥ كَٰذِبٗاۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِفِرۡعَوۡنَ سُوٓءُ عَمَلِهِۦ وَصُدَّ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِۚ وَمَا كَيۡدُ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِلَّا فِي تَبَابٖ
    The roads of the heavens, and may look upon the god of Moses, though verily I think him a liar. Thus was the evil that he did made fairseeming unto Pharaoh, and he was debarred from the (right) way. The plot of Pharaoh ended but in ruin.
    In context

    In the hope I can reach the paths which lead to the skies, so I can see the god of Moses that he claims is the true god. And I believe Moses is lying in what he claims”. And in this way, Pharoah's bad deeds were adorned for him when he made his request to Haman, and he was turned from the true path to the path of misguidance.