The city of Marib in Yemen, which was once the thriving capital of the Sabaean Kingdom, is associated with the collapse of the dam that helped sustain its prosperity. For centuries, the Marib Dam was the most sophisticated hydraulic engineering project in the region, allowing the area to thrive in an otherwise arid land. However, by the 5th century CE, the dam began to deteriorate due to neglect and natural factors such as earthquakes or excessive water flow. Some legends attributed the collapse to giant rats, claiming they gnawed at the dam’s foundation. However, modern scholars and archaeologists now refute this story, considering it a myth. Instead, they suggest that heavy rains or an earthquake may have caused the final breach in the dam around 570 AD, leading to the flooding of the region - as archaeological evidence now confirms.

In Surah Saba, we hear about when Prophet Suleyman learnt of a neighbouring kingdom - the Kingdom of Saba, who did not believe in Allah's oneness. The people of Saba were people of Yemen. Their ancient kings and royalty lived a life of extreme luxury. Their stature came from building a great dam which collected water between two mountains and their valleys - today named one of the engineering marvels of the ancient world. They then planted trees alongside it which allowed them to have plentiful provision, crops, and fruits. Ibn Kathir explains there was such an abundance of provision, that they did not have to even harvest fruit, it would fall into their baskets for them! This was one of Allah's mighty blessings to the people of Saba. The people of Saba were sent multiple messengers to guide them to the truth and be grateful for the provisions Allah provided for them - One of these messengers was Prophet Suleyman. He encountered the then Queen of Saba who he began to teach about Islam, warning them to not be arrogant about their blessings but grateful. Events took place and the Quran speaks of these. But she eventually believed, declaring Allah's oneness - in these verses she says 'Now I fully submit myself along with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of all worlds'. Suleyman and Bilquis then got married but Bilquis continued to rule in Yemen. Elsewhere in the Quran in surah Saba, we learn about a time many years later when the people of Saba did not listen to their messenger. Consequently Allah punished them by destroying the dam and their provisions with a flood. You'll see the two orchards on the right and left describe the two mountains beside which the dam they had built. And the very fruit that caused their arrogance, as a result turned bitter and fruitless. Interestingly, historians understand the dam of the kingdom of Sheeba was interlinked to their power. They for a long time, believed the great breach of the dam happened due to rats gnawing at it overtime, as that was what happened according to legend. Modern archaeologists and historians now know it was due to water and/or an earthquake leading to a flood. The Quran already gave us the answers hundreds of years before.

In Quran 34:15-16, the text speaks about the people of Sheba (Saba) and the destruction that befell their lands:

This is a direct reference to a great flood that caused the downfall of their civilization, a theme that modern archaeology also reflects upon.

The Quran, over 1,400 years ago, mentioned the flood as the cause of destruction for the people of Sheba, which aligns with what we now understand about the Marib Dam's collapse. While the myth of rats gnawing at the dam is disproven, the idea of a catastrophic flood fits well with the archaeological evidence. How could an unlettered man from the 7th century have known this without Divine Knowledge?