سورة An-Naml (The Ants )

Ta. Sin. These are the verses of the Qur'an and a Book luminous.

A guidance and glad tidings unto the believers.

Who establish the prayer and give the poor-rate, and of the Hereafter they are convinced.

Verily those who believe not in the Hereafter - fairseeming unto them We have made their works, so that they wander perplexed.

Those are they for whom shall be an evil torment. And in the Hereafter they shall be the greatest losers.

And verily thou art receiving the Qur'an) from before the Wise, the Knowing.

Recall what time Musa said unto his household: verily I perceive a fire afar; I shall forthwith bring you tidings thereof, or bring unto you a brand lighted therefrom, haply ye may warm yourselves.

Then when he came unto it, he was cried unto Thus; Blest is whosoever is in the fire and whosoever is around it; and hallowed be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

O Musa! verily it is I, Allah, the Mighty the Wise!

And cast thou down thy staff. Then when he saw it wriggling as though it were a serpent, he turned in flight and looked not back. O Musa! fear thou not; verily in My presence the sent ones fear not.

Excepting any who may have done wrong and thereafter changeth evil for good then verily I am Forgiving, Merciful.

And put thy hand into thy bosom, it Shall come forth white, with out hurt: amongst nine signs unto Fir'awn and his people. Verily they have been a people transgressing.

Then when Our signs came unto them illuminating, they said: this is a magic manifest.

And they gainsaid them, out of spite and arrogance, although their souls were convinced thereof. So behold! what hath been the end of the corruptors.

And assuredly We vouchsafed unto Daud and Sulaiman a knowledge, and the twain said: praise unto Allah Who hath preferred us above many of His believing bondmen!

And Sulaiman inherited from Daud. And he said: O mankind! verily have been taught the diction of we birds, and we have been vcuchsafed of every thing; and verily this is grace manifest.

And there were gathered unto Sulaiman his hosts of jinns and mankind and birds, and they were set in bands.

Until when they came unto the valley of the ants, an ant said: O ants! enter Your habitations lest Sulaiman and his hosts crush you while they perceive not.

So he smiled, amused at her speech, and said: my Lord! arouse me that I should be thankful for Thy favour wherewith Thou hast favoured me and my parents, and that I should work righteously pleasing Thee, and out of Thy mercy enter me among Thine righteous bondmen.

And he sought after the birds and said: what aileth me that I see not the hoopoe; is he among the absentees?

Surely I shall torment him with a severe torment, or I shall slaughter him, unless he bringeth unto me a warranty manifest.

Buthe tarried not far, and he said: I have encompassed that which thou hast- not encompassed, and I come unto thee from Saba with a tidings sure.

Verily have found a woman ruling over them and she hath been vouchsafed somewhat of everything, and hers is a mighty throne.

I have found her and her people adoring the sun instead of Allah, and the Satan hath made their works fairseeming unto them, and hath barred them from the way, so they are not guided.

So that they adore not Allah who bringeth forth the hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knoweth that which conceal and that which ye make known.

Allah! there is no God but he, the Lord of the Magnificent Throne.

Sulaiman said: we shall see now whether thou hast spoken the truth or whether thou art of the liars.

Go thou with this epistle of mine, and cast it down unto them, and turn aside from them, and see how they return.

She said: O chiefs! verily there hath been cast unto me an honourable epistle.

Verily it is from Sulaiman, and verily it is: in the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Saying: exalt not yourselves against me, and come unto me submissive.

She said: O chiefs! counsel me in my affair. I am wont not to resolve on any affair until ye are present with me.

They said: we are owners of power and owners of great violence, but the command is with thee; see then whatsoever thou shalt command.

She said: verily the kings, when they enter a City, despoil it, and make the most powerful inhabitants thereof the most abased; so will they do.

So verily I am going to send a present unto them, and see with what answer the envoys come back.

Then when he came unto Sulaiman, he said: are ye going to add riches to me. Then that which Allah hath vouchsafed unto me is better than that which He hath vouchsafed unto you. Aye! it is ye who exult in your present.

Go back unto them. Then surely we shall come unto them with hosts which they cannot withstand, and we shall drive them forth therefrom abased and they shall be humbled.

He said: O chiefs! which of you will bring unto me her throne, ere they come unto me submitting themselves?

A giant from the jinns said: I shall bring it unto thee ere thou arisest from thy place; verily I am strong for it and trusty.

The one who had some knowledge of the Book said: I shall bring it unto thee ere thy eye twinkleth. Then when he saw it placed before him, he said: this is of the grace of my Lord that he may prove me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for his own soul; and whosoever is ungrateful then verily my Lord is Self-sufficient, Munificent.

He said: disguise for her her throne, that we may see whether she be guided or be of those who are not guided.

Then when she arrived, it was said: is thy throne like unto? She said: it is as though it were it; and we have been vouchsafed the knowledge before this, and we have been Muslims.

And that which she was wont to worship instead of Allah hindered her; verily she was of an infidel people.

It was said unto her: enter the palace. Then when she saw it,, he deemed it a pool and bared her shanks. He said: verily it is a palace evenly floored with glass. She said: my Lord! verily I wronged my soul, and now submit myself together with Sulaiman unto Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

And assuredly We sent unto the Thamud their brother Saleh saying: worship Allah. Then lo! they became two parties contending.

He said: O my people! wherefore seek ye to hasten the evil before the good? Wherefore ask ye not forgiveness of Allah, that haply ye may be shewn mercy.

They said: we augur ill of thee and of those who are with thee. He said: your augury is with Allah. Aye! ye are a people being tested.

And there were nine of a group in the City, who spread corruption in the land and rectified not.

They said: swear one to anot her by God that we shall surely fall upon him and his household by night and thereafter we shall surely say unto his heir; We witnessed not the destruction of his household, and verily we are truthtellers.

And they plotted a plot, and We plotted a plot, while they perceived it not.

So behold thou how was the end of their plotting: verily We annihilated them and their nation all together.

So yonder are their houses overturned, for they did wrong. Verily, herein is a sign unto a people who know.

And We delivered those who believed and were wont to fear.

And Lut! what time he said unto his people: commit ye indecency while ye see?

Would ye go in lustfully unto men instead of women? Aye! ye are a people addicted to ignorant ways.

Then there was no answer of his people save that they said: drive forth the family of Lut from your City, verily they are a people who would be pure!

Then We delivered him and his household save his wife: We destined hers to be of the lingerers.

And We rained upon them a rain; ill was the rain upon the warned.

Say thou: All praise unto Allah, and peace upon His bondmen whom He hath Chosen! Is Allah best, or that which they associate?

Is not he best Who hath created the heavens and the earth, and Who sendeth down water for you from the heaven wherewith We cause beauteous orchards to grow up, whereof it was not possible for you to cause the trees to grow up! Is there any god along with Allah! Nay! but they are a people who equalise.

Is not he best Who hath made the earth a fixed abode and placed rivers in the midst thereof and placed Firm mountains thereon, and hath set a barrier between the two seas? IS there any god along with Allah? Nay! but most of them know not.

Is not he best Who answereth the distressed when he calleth unto Him and removeth the evil, and hath made you the successors in the earth? Is there any god along with Allah? Little ye reflect!

Is not he best Who guideth you in the darknesses of the land and the sea, and Who sendeth the winds as heralds before His mercy Is there any god along with Allah? Exalted be Allah from all that they associate!

Is not he best Who originateth creation, and shall thereafter restoreth it, and Who provideth for you from the heaven and the earth? IS there any godl along with Allah? Say thou: bring your proof, if ye are truth-tellers.

Say thou: none in the heavens and the earth knoweth the Unseen save Allah; nor can they perceive when they will be raised.

Aye! their knowledge attaineth not to the Hereafter, Aye! they are in doubt thereof. Aye! thereunto they are blind.

And those who disbelieve say: when we have become dust, we and our fathers, shall we, for sooth, be brought forth?

Assuredly we have been promised this aforetime, we and our fathers. Naught is this but fables of the ancients.

Say thou: travel in the land and behold what like hath been the end of the culprits.

And grieve thou not over them nor be straitened because of that which they plot.

And they say: when will this Promise be fufilled if ye say sooth?

Say thou: belike close behind you may be some of that which ye would hasten on.

And verily thine Lord is full of grace for mankind, but most of them give not thanks.

And verily thine Lord knoweth whatsoever their breasts conceal and whatsoever they make known.

And naught there is hidden in the heaven or the earth but it is in a Manifest Book.

Verily this Qur'an recounteth with truth unto the Children of Isra'il much of that wherein they differ.

And verily it is a guidance and a mercy unto the believers.

And verily thine Lord shall decide between them with His judgment, and He is the Mighty, the Knowing.

Wherefore put thy trust in Allah; verily thou art on manifest truth.

Verily thou canst not make the dead hear, nor canst thou make the deaf hear the call when they flee turning their backs.

Nor canst thou lead the blind out of their error. Thou canst make none hear save these who believe in Our signs and who have submitted themselves.

And when the word shall come to be fulfilled concerning them, We shall bring forth a beast of the earth speaking unto them, that the people have not of Our signs been convinced.

And remind them of the Day whereon We shall Rather from every community a troop of those who belied Our signs, and they shall be held in order.

Until when they shall have come, He Shall say: belied ye My signs when ye encompassed them not in Your knowledge; nay, what else was it that ye have been working?

And the Word shall be fulfilled concerning them, because they did wrong, and they shall not be able to speak.

Observe they not that We have appointed the night that they may repose therein, and the day sight-giving? Verily herein are signs unto a people who believe.

And remind them of the Day whereon the trumpet shall be blown, and affrighted will be those who are in the heavens and the earth, save him whom Allah willeth. And all shall come unto Him, lowly.

And thou shalt see the mountains thou deemest solid passing away as the passing away of the clouds: the handiwork of Allah Who hath perfected everything. Verily He is Aware of all that ye do.

Whosoever will bring good shall have better than the worth thereof; and they from the terror of that Day will be secure.

And whosoever will bring evil --their faces shall be cast down into the Fire. Are ye being requited aught save that which ye have been working?

I am commanded only to worship the Lord of this city which He hath sanctified, -and His is every thing - and I am commanded to be of the Muslims;

And that I should recite the Qur'an. And whosoever receiveth guidance, receiveth guidance for his own soul, and as for him who strayeth say thou: I am only of the warners.

And say thou: All praise unto Allah! Anon He shall shew you His signs, so that ye will recognize them. And thy Lord is not negligent of that which ye Work.