The story of Saba' and the Flood of 'Arim

 Saba' was a kingdom located in South Arabia. They were a predecessor to the Himyarites. The Sabaeans were known for being a very wealthy and prosperous kingdom, with their capital at the edge of the Arabian desert in Ma'arib. The city of Ma'arib was located between two large mountains. Rainwater used to come from the two mountains, which often caused floods in the city. One of the rulers of Saba' built a strong and fortified dam between these two mountains. The dam would remain unaffected by the flow of water and it stopped the serial surges of flooded water that entered from the two mountains. This created a place where fresh and pure, uncontaminated water was stored. Inside the dam, there were levels. The storage of water could be released systematically for the Sabaeans to irrigate their farms and gardens. Underneath the dam, a huge big tank was built. The tank supplied water to various parts of Saba' and surrounding agricultural territories. The mountains eventually became beautiful and prosperous gardens, with many species of plants growing there. A lot of fruits grew there, and the supply of fruit seemed endless.

This was some of what Allah had blessed them with; there are a lot more in fact. However, the people of Saba' became very ungrateful over time. They began to forget that Allah had blessed them with all this prosperity. In fact, some of them became idolators. The people had went astray. So, Allah sent down a Prophet to teach them the right things. More Prophets were sent down, until there were a total of thirteen Prophets advising these people, teaching them, and warning them of Allah's punishments. However, the Sabaeans rejected what the Prophets had said, and they accused them of lying. Very few people believed in the message that was sent to them.

Allah sent down His divine wrath on the Sabaeans after they had disbelieved for a long time. Several mice, or rodents, were sent down into the damn. These rodents would weaken the structure of the dam. One day, some of the people saw the rodents when entering the dam, so they reported it to their ruler. A large force of cats was sent to combat the rodents. But then, Allah sent down even more rodents into the well, which killed and injured the cats. Some people knew that if the dam was destroyed by the animals, the city would be flooded. So they migrated to a far town. It was said that ‘the people had a book which decreed that their city would be destroyed by a flood, when rodents entered the dam due to their disbelief.’ Either way, the fate of the city had already been decided by Allah. 

Eventually, the rats weakened the structure of the dam by chewing through the wood. The walls gave way, and the water blasted out. The entire city was flooded, and many people perished in it. The whole city of Saba' was completely destroyed! The farms, gardens, architectural masterpieces (et cetera) that they once had on their island were all gone. Indeed, they were one of the most ungrateful people, and Allah had punished them with the flood. Now everything they had once earned had gone to waste. 

The few survivors of the flood migrated to a part of Arabia which later would be known as Madinah. They became the ancestors of the people of Madinah. Some of them left for Syria as well. The remaining part of Saba' became a jungle, where tamarisks grew. As for the mountains, Allah replaced their two prosperous gardens on top of them with two gardens having fruits of bitter and evil taste. These fruits grew on stumpy trees with sharp thorns, and none of the fruits from such trees were worth consuming. It is said, by most mufassireen, that these trees were the Arak trees, also known as Salvadora Persica in modern scientific language. Allah knows best.

Saba' would eventually be conquered the Himyarites. The Himyarites in later years would be known for having a believing king, Tubba' Abu Karib Asad, and a disbelieving king, Yusuf Dhu-Nuwas. It is said that the Flood of 'Arim occurred in a period of Fatrah after Prophet Isa, peace be upon Him, had ascended to Heaven alive, and that the thirteen Prophets sent to Saba' were from a period prior to the Fatrah. Again, Allah knows best.

Source:

Tafsir Ibn Kathir, his tafsir on Surah Saba' verses 16 to 19 (the entire story)

Ruh al-Ma'ani by Imam Mahmud al-Alusi (about the story)

Agroforestree Database: a tree reference and selection guide (about the Salvadora Persica plant)

The Oxford History of the Ancient Near East: The Age of Persia. Vol. 5. Oxford University Press, pages 299 to 375 (more information about the ancient kingdom of Saba' and its origin)