Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
النمل
An-Naml
The Ant · Meccan · 93 ayahs
27:1–6Page 377
طسٓۚ تِلۡكَ ءَايَٰتُ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ وَكِتَابٖ مُّبِينٍ ١
Ṭā, Seen.1 These are the verses of the Qur’ān [i.e., recitation] and a clear Book
هُدٗى وَبُشۡرَىٰ لِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٢
As guidance and good tidings for the believers
ٱلَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤۡتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَهُم بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ هُمۡ يُوقِنُونَ ٣
Who establish prayer and give zakāh, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith].
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ زَيَّنَّا لَهُمۡ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡ فَهُمۡ يَعۡمَهُونَ ٤
Indeed, for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made pleasing to them their deeds, so they wander blindly.
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَهُمۡ سُوٓءُ ٱلۡعَذَابِ وَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ هُمُ ٱلۡأَخۡسَرُونَ ٥
Those are the ones for whom there will be the worst of punishment, and in the Hereafter they are the greatest losers.
وَإِنَّكَ لَتُلَقَّى ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ مِن لَّدُنۡ حَكِيمٍ عَلِيمٍ ٦
And indeed, [O Muḥammad], you receive the Qur’ān from one Wise and Knowing.
When Truth appears before a man and he accepts it without any reservation, he immediately finds himself on the right path. His life becomes righteous in every respect. But, one who is not prepared to mould himself in accordance with the Truth, is forced to twist reality to suit himself. From this develops an attitude of perverseness which is expressed here as ‘their actions appear beautiful to them’ (zayyanna lahum a‘malahum). One with such an attitude seeks self-made arguments to justify his behaviour. These so-called arguments gradually take hold of his mind in such a way that he believes them to be perfectly correct. In the light of his false reasoning, his misdeeds appear virtuous to him. Those to whom God has made their misdeeds appear beautiful are those who are not serious about the call to accept the Truth. As a result of this thinking, they become completely unmindful of self-reformation. They have to pay a heavy price for this tendency of theirs to consider their wrong as right: the path they tread leads straight to hell.
27:7–8Page 377
إِذۡ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِأَهۡلِهِۦٓ إِنِّيٓ ءَانَسۡتُ نَارٗا سَـَٔاتِيكُم مِّنۡهَا بِخَبَرٍ أَوۡ ءَاتِيكُم بِشِهَابٖ قَبَسٖ لَّعَلَّكُمۡ تَصۡطَلُونَ ٧
[Mention] when Moses said to his family, "Indeed, I have perceived a fire. I will bring you from there information or will bring you a burning torch that you may warm yourselves."
فَلَمَّا جَآءَهَا نُودِيَ أَنۢ بُورِكَ مَن فِي ٱلنَّارِ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَهَا وَسُبۡحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٨
But when he came to it, he was called, "Blessed is whoever is at the fire and whoever is around it. And exalted is Allāh, Lord of the worlds.
Moses left Egypt and went to Midian (or Madyan), which was situated on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Aqaba. He spent eight years there. Then he left along with his wife for Egypt. During this journey, he reached the foot of a mountain which was situated on a peninsula projecting into the Red Sea. This mountain was called Tur in ancient days and is now known as Gebel Moses. It was probably a winter night. Moses saw something, which to him looked like a fire far away on the mountain side. He went towards it. But on drawing near, he found that it was God’s light and not a fire lit by human beings. There is an ancient tree at the place on the mountain where Moses saw the light. It is said that this is the very same tree from which God’s voice was heard by Moses. The Christians subsequently constructed a church and a monastery at this place which till today is a place of pilgrimage.
27:9–14Page 377
يَٰمُوسَىٰٓ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَنَا ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٩
O Moses, indeed it is I - Allāh, the Exalted in Might, the Wise."
وَأَلۡقِ عَصَاكَۚ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهَا تَهۡتَزُّ كَأَنَّهَا جَآنّٞ وَلَّىٰ مُدۡبِرٗا وَلَمۡ يُعَقِّبۡۚ يَٰمُوسَىٰ لَا تَخَفۡ إِنِّي لَا يَخَافُ لَدَيَّ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلُونَ ١٠
And [he was told], "Throw down your staff." But when he saw it writhing as if it were a snake, he turned in flight and did not return.1 [Allāh said], "O Moses, fear not. Indeed, in My presence the messengers do not fear.
إِلَّا مَن ظَلَمَ ثُمَّ بَدَّلَ حُسۡنَۢا بَعۡدَ سُوٓءٖ فَإِنِّي غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ ١١
Otherwise, he who wrongs, then substitutes good after evil - indeed, I am Forgiving and Merciful.
وَأَدۡخِلۡ يَدَكَ فِي جَيۡبِكَ تَخۡرُجۡ بَيۡضَآءَ مِنۡ غَيۡرِ سُوٓءٖۖ فِي تِسۡعِ ءَايَٰتٍ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَقَوۡمِهِۦٓۚ إِنَّهُمۡ كَانُواْ قَوۡمٗا فَٰسِقِينَ ١٢
And put your hand into the opening of your garment [at the breast]; it will come out white without disease. [These are] among the nine signs [you will take] to Pharaoh and his people. Indeed, they have been a people defiantly disobedient."
فَلَمَّا جَآءَتۡهُمۡ ءَايَٰتُنَا مُبۡصِرَةٗ قَالُواْ هَٰذَا سِحۡرٞ مُّبِينٞ ١٣
But when there came to them Our visible signs, they said, "This is obvious magic."
وَجَحَدُواْ بِهَا وَٱسۡتَيۡقَنَتۡهَآ أَنفُسُهُمۡ ظُلۡمٗا وَعُلُوّٗاۚ فَٱنظُرۡ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ ١٤
And they rejected them, while their [inner] selves were convinced thereof, out of injustice and haughtiness. So see how was the end of the corrupters.
Moses had gone to the mountain to obtain a burning brand. But after reaching it, he came to know that he had been called there to have prophethood bestowed upon him. When Almighty God blesses any subject of His with a special gift, He gives it suddenly and unexpectedly, so that the recipient may attribute it directly to God and develop in himself the most profound feelings of gratitude towards Him. On the one hand, the community of Moses (the Children of Israel), though a believing community, had degenerated. On the other, Moses had to proclaim the message of God to a tyrant king like Pharaoh. Therefore, Almighty God blessed him with the miracle of the stick at the very beginning of his mission. This stick was an enduring divine power for Moses, by means of which nine miracles were performed to awe the Pharaoh, apart from the miracles which were meant for the Children of Israel. The miracles of Moses finally established his truthfulness. In spite of this, Pharaoh and his companions did not accept him. The reasons for this were their proneness to transgression, their false pride, and their unwillingness to curtail their freedom. Moreover, they knew that accepting Moses’s preaching would amount to negating their own greatness. And who accepts Truth at the expense of his own greatness?
27:15–16Page 378
وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا دَاوُۥدَ وَسُلَيۡمَٰنَ عِلۡمٗاۖ وَقَالَا ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي فَضَّلَنَا عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٖ مِّنۡ عِبَادِهِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ١٥
And We had certainly given to David and Solomon knowledge, and they said, "Praise [is due] to Allāh, who has favored us over many of His believing servants."
وَوَرِثَ سُلَيۡمَٰنُ دَاوُۥدَۖ وَقَالَ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ عُلِّمۡنَا مَنطِقَ ٱلطَّيۡرِ وَأُوتِينَا مِن كُلِّ شَيۡءٍۖ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلۡفَضۡلُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ ١٦
And Solomon inherited David. He said, "O people, we have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given from all things. Indeed, this is evident bounty."
David was the prophet and king of the Children of Israel. His son, Solomon, succeeded him as prophet and king. Solomon’s empire extended from Palestine to Transjordan. God had given him different kinds of useful knowledge. Also, he was blessed with many things by way of miracles, for example, his ability to understand the language of birds, train them and use them to transmit messages, etc. Solomon enjoyed extraordinary superiority over his contemporaries. But this superiority only created a feeling of humility in him. Whatever he had he considered a direct gift from God. The period of Solomon’s empire extended from 965 B.C. to 926 B.C.
27:17–19Page 378
وَحُشِرَ لِسُلَيۡمَٰنَ جُنُودُهُۥ مِنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلۡإِنسِ وَٱلطَّيۡرِ فَهُمۡ يُوزَعُونَ ١٧
And gathered for Solomon were his soldiers of the jinn and men and birds, and they were [marching] in rows
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَتَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ وَادِ ٱلنَّمۡلِ قَالَتۡ نَمۡلَةٞ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّمۡلُ ٱدۡخُلُواْ مَسَٰكِنَكُمۡ لَا يَحۡطِمَنَّكُمۡ سُلَيۡمَٰنُ وَجُنُودُهُۥ وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ ١٨
Until, when they came upon the valley of the ants, an ant said, "O ants, enter your dwellings that you not be crushed by Solomon and his soldiers while they perceive not."
فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكٗا مِّن قَوۡلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوۡزِعۡنِيٓ أَنۡ أَشۡكُرَ نِعۡمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَيَّ وَأَنۡ أَعۡمَلَ صَٰلِحٗا تَرۡضَىٰهُ وَأَدۡخِلۡنِي بِرَحۡمَتِكَ فِي عِبَادِكَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ ١٩
So [Solomon] smiled, amused at her speech, and said, "My Lord, enable me1 to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to do righteousness of which You approve. And admit me by Your mercy into [the ranks of] Your righteous servants."2
In Solomon’s army there were not only human beings but also genies and birds. Once Solomon’s army passed through a valley where there was a large number of ants. On this occasion Solomon understood what the ants were saying to each other. Such an incident would be enough to give rise to conceit and pride in an ordinary man. But, Solomon became the embodiment of gratitude on this account. He fully attributed to God whatever appeared to be his—and this is the way of a pious and righteous man.
27:20–26Page 378
وَتَفَقَّدَ ٱلطَّيۡرَ فَقَالَ مَالِيَ لَآ أَرَى ٱلۡهُدۡهُدَ أَمۡ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡغَآئِبِينَ ٢٠
And he took attendance of the birds and said, "Why do I not see the hoopoe - or is he among the absent?
لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُۥ عَذَابٗا شَدِيدًا أَوۡ لَأَاْذۡبَحَنَّهُۥٓ أَوۡ لَيَأۡتِيَنِّي بِسُلۡطَٰنٖ مُّبِينٖ ٢١
I will surely punish him with a severe punishment or slaughter him unless he brings me clear authorization."1
فَمَكَثَ غَيۡرَ بَعِيدٖ فَقَالَ أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمۡ تُحِطۡ بِهِۦ وَجِئۡتُكَ مِن سَبَإِۭ بِنَبَإٖ يَقِينٍ ٢٢
But he [i.e., the hoopoe] stayed not long and said, "I have encompassed [in knowledge] that which you have not encompassed, and I have come to you from Sheba with certain news.
إِنِّي وَجَدتُّ ٱمۡرَأَةٗ تَمۡلِكُهُمۡ وَأُوتِيَتۡ مِن كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ وَلَهَا عَرۡشٌ عَظِيمٞ ٢٣
Indeed, I found [there] a woman ruling them, and she has been given of all things, and she has a great throne.
وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوۡمَهَا يَسۡجُدُونَ لِلشَّمۡسِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡ فَصَدَّهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ فَهُمۡ لَا يَهۡتَدُونَ ٢٤
I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allāh, and Satan has made their deeds pleasing to them and averted them from [His] way, so they are not guided,
أَلَّاۤ يَسۡجُدُواْۤ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي يُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡخَبۡءَ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا تُخۡفُونَ وَمَا تُعۡلِنُونَ ٢٥
[And] so they do not prostrate to Allāh, who brings forth what is hidden within the heavens and the earth and knows what you conceal and what you declare -
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَرۡشِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ۩ ٢٦
Allāh - there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Great Throne."
The Sabeans were a wealthy community of ancient times (1100 B.C. to 115B.C.). Their country was located in Ma‘arib (Yemen), where its grand ruins are still in existence. During Solomon’s period, this area was under the rule of a queen called Sheba (Bilqis). The people of this place used to worship the sun, Satan having taught them that the only thing worth worshipping was whatever was most prominent. As the sun was the most prominent of all visible things, only the sun, therefore, deserved to be considered a god and worshipped. Solomon received detailed information about the Sabeans through the hoopoe bird. This hoopoe perhaps belonged to Solomon’s army of birds and possibly received regular training.
27:27–35Page 379
۞ قَالَ سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقۡتَ أَمۡ كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلۡكَٰذِبِينَ ٢٧
[Solomon] said, "We will see whether you were truthful or were of the liars.
ٱذۡهَب بِّكِتَٰبِي هَٰذَا فَأَلۡقِهۡ إِلَيۡهِمۡ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنۡهُمۡ فَٱنظُرۡ مَاذَا يَرۡجِعُونَ ٢٨
Take this letter of mine and deliver it to them. Then leave them and see what [answer] they will return."
قَالَتۡ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمَلَؤُاْ إِنِّيٓ أُلۡقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَٰبٞ كَرِيمٌ ٢٩
She said, "O eminent ones, indeed, to me has been delivered a noble letter.
إِنَّهُۥ مِن سُلَيۡمَٰنَ وَإِنَّهُۥ بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٣٠
Indeed, it is from Solomon, and indeed, it is [i.e., reads]: 'In the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,
أَلَّا تَعۡلُواْ عَلَيَّ وَأۡتُونِي مُسۡلِمِينَ ٣١
Be not haughty with me but come to me in submission [as Muslims].'"
قَالَتۡ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمَلَؤُاْ أَفۡتُونِي فِيٓ أَمۡرِي مَا كُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمۡرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشۡهَدُونِ ٣٢
She said, "O eminent ones, advise me in my affair. I would not decide a matter until you witness [for] me."1
قَالُواْ نَحۡنُ أُوْلُواْ قُوَّةٖ وَأُوْلُواْ بَأۡسٖ شَدِيدٖ وَٱلۡأَمۡرُ إِلَيۡكِ فَٱنظُرِي مَاذَا تَأۡمُرِينَ ٣٣
They said, "We are men of strength and of great military might, but the command is yours, so see what you will command."
قَالَتۡ إِنَّ ٱلۡمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُواْ قَرۡيَةً أَفۡسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوٓاْ أَعِزَّةَ أَهۡلِهَآ أَذِلَّةٗۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَفۡعَلُونَ ٣٤
She said, "Indeed kings - when they enter a city, they ruin it and render the honored of its people humbled. And thus do they do.
وَإِنِّي مُرۡسِلَةٌ إِلَيۡهِم بِهَدِيَّةٖ فَنَاظِرَةُۢ بِمَ يَرۡجِعُ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلُونَ ٣٥
But indeed, I will send to them a gift and see with what [reply] the messengers will return."
The Queen of Sheba viewed the matter quite realistically. She realised that if she resisted the might of Solomon, there was a strong possibility of her being defeated and then her nation would be treated as every vanquished nation is treated by a victorious nation. On the contrary, she thought, she would be saved if she surrendered. However, the queen pursued the course of sending gifts to him by way of initial feelers, so that she might know whether Soloman desired wealth, or if not, whether he had any other demands based on some other principle.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences