It is the name of a man who had ten children

All perfect praise is due to Allaah; I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger; as well as his family and all his companions.

Allaah Says (what means):  

“There was for [the tribe of] Saba’ in their dwelling place a sign: two [fields of] gardens on the right and on the left. [They were told]: 'Eat from the provisions of your Lord and be grateful to Him. A good land [you have], and a forgiving Lord.' But they turned away [refusing], so We sent upon them the flood of the dam [i.e. the overwhelming flood that caused a break in their dam], and We replaced their two [fields of] gardens with gardens of bitter fruit, tamarisks and something of sparse lote trees. [By] that We repaid them because they disbelieved. And do We [thus] repay except the ungrateful?And We placed between them and the cities which We had blessed [In the lands of what is now southern Syria and Palestine] [many] visible cities. And We determined between them the [distances of] journey [i.e., We placed the intermediate settlements at calculated distances for the convenience of travellers.], [saying]: 'Travel between them by night or by day in safety.' But [insolently] they said: 'Our Lord! Lengthen the distance between our journeys,' and wronged themselves, so We made them narrations [i.e., their story became a tale related amongst people to take an example from] and dispersed them in total dispersion. Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful. And Satan had already confirmed through them [i.e. the people of Saba’] his assumption [i.e., that mankind could readily be misled by him.], so they followed him, except for a party of believers. And he had over them no authority except [it was decreed] that We might make evident who believes in the Hereafter from who is thereof in doubt. And your Lord, over all things, is Guardian.” 

[Quran 34: 15-21]

The people of Saba’ were the kings of Yemen and Balqees, the wife of Sulaymaan was from them. The people of Saba’ lived happy and joyful lives that were full of blessings; their sustenance was abundant and their trees and plants very fruitful. Allaah sent messengers to them, instructing them to eat from what He had provided for them and show gratitude towards Him, as well as to worship Him alone and believe in His oneness. They adhered to these instructions for a while, but then shunned His commandments, and were thus punished by a flood on their land.

Ibn ‘Abbaas, narrated that a man came to the Prophet and asked him whether Saba’ was a name of a man, a woman or a land; the Prophet answered by saying:  

“It is the name of a man who had ten children from his progeny, all of whom were Arab; six of them later lived in Yemen and four in Shaam (i.e., ancient Syria). The ones in Yemen were later known as the tribes of Mathhij, Kindah, Al-Azd, Al-Ashaa’iriyyoon, Anmaar and Himyar. As for the ones who lived in Shaam, they were to be the known tribes of Lakhm, Juthaam, ‘Aamilah and Ghassaan.”[Ahmad]

Imaam Ibn Katheer, said: “The meaning of the saying of the Prophet : “…who had ten children from his progeny, all of whom were Arab”is that these ten descended from his offspring, to whom all the Arab tribes originate. It does not mean that they were his direct children, because between him and some of them were two or three generations, and more in some cases. After the flood of the dam hit their area, some remained in their land, while others left to other locations.” End of quote.

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