سورة An-Naml (The Ants )

Ta, Seen. These are the signs of the Quran and a manifest Book,

a guidance and good news for the faithful

—those who maintain the prayer and pay the zakat, and who are certain of the Hereafter.

As for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds seem decorous to them, and so they are bewildered.

They are the ones for whom there is a terrible punishment, and they are the ones who will be the biggest losers in the Hereafter.

Indeed you receive the Quran from One who is all-wise, all-knowing.

When Moses said to his family, ‘Indeed I descry a fire! I will bring you some news from it, or bring you a firebrand so that you may warm yourselves.’

When he came to it, he was called: ‘Blessed is He who is in the fire and who is [as well] around it, and immaculate is Allah, the Lord of all the worlds!’

‘O Moses! Indeed I am Allah, the All-mighty, the All-wise.’

‘Throw down your staff!’ When he saw it wriggling, as if it were a snake, he turned his back [to flee], without looking back. ‘O Moses! ‘Do not be afraid. Indeed the apostles are not afraid before Me,

nor those who do wrong and then make up for [their] fault with goodness, for indeed I am all-forgiving, all-merciful.’

‘Insert your hand into your shirt. It will emerge white and bright, without any fault—among nine signs meant for Pharaoh and his people. Indeed they are a transgressing lot.’

But when Our signs came to them, as eye-openers, they said, ‘This is plain magic.’

They impugned them, wrongfully and out of arrogance, though they were convinced in their hearts [of their veracity]. So observe how the fate of the agents of corruption was!

Certainly, We gave knowledge to David and Solomon, and they said, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, who granted us an advantage over many of His faithful servants.’

Solomon inherited from David, and he said, ‘O people! We have been taught the speech of the birds, and we have been given out of everything. Indeed this is a manifest advantage.’

[Once] Solomon’s hosts were marched out for him, comprising jinn, humans and birds, and they were held in check.

When they came to the Valley of Ants, an ant said, ‘O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Solomon and his hosts should trample on you while they are unaware.’

Whereat he smiled, amused at its words, and he said, ‘My Lord! Inspire me to give thanks for Your blessing with which You have blessed me and my parents, and that I may do righteous deeds which please You, and admit me, by Your mercy, among Your righteous servants.’

[One day] he reviewed the birds, and said, ‘Why do I not see the hoopoe? Or is he absent?’

‘I will punish him with a severe punishment, or I will behead him, unless he brings me a credible excuse.’

He did not stay for long [before he turned up] and said, ‘I have alighted on something which you have not alighted on, and I have brought you from Sheba a definite report.

I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given everything, and she has a great throne.

I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds seem decorous to them—thus he has barred them from the way [of Allah], so they are not guided—

so that they do not prostrate themselves to Allah, who brings forth the hidden in the heavens and the earth, and He knows whatever you hide and whatever you disclose.

Allah—there is no god except Him—is the Lord of the Great Throne.’

He said, ‘We shall see whether you are truthful, or if you are one of the liars.

Take this letter of mine and deliver it to them. Then draw away from them and observe what [response] they return.’

She said, ‘O [members of the] elite! Indeed a noble letter has been delivered to me.

It is from Solomon, and it begins in the name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful.

[It states,] ‘‘Do not defy me, and come to me in submission.’’ ’

She said, ‘O [members of the] elite! Give me your opinion concerning my matter. I do not decide any matter until you are present.’

They said, ‘We are powerful and possess a great might. But it is up to you to command. So consider what orders you will give.’

She said, ‘Indeed when kings enter a town, they devastate it, and make the mightiest of its people the weakest. That is how they act.

I will send them a gift, and see what the envoys bring back.’

So when he came to Solomon, he said, ‘Are you aiding me with wealth? What Allah has given me is better than what He has given you. Indeed, you are proud of your gift!

Go back to them, for we will come at them with hosts which they cannot face, and we will expel them from it, abased and degraded.’

He said, ‘O [members of the] elite! Which of you will bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?’

An afreet from among the jinn said, ‘I will bring it to you before you rise from your place. I have the power to do it and am trustworthy.’

The one who had knowledge of the Book said, ‘I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye.’ So when he saw it set near him, he said, ‘This is by the grace of my Lord, to test me if I will give thanks or be ungrateful. Whoever gives thanks, gives thanks only for his own sake. And whoever is ungrateful [should know that] my Lord is indeed all-sufficient, all-generous.’

He said, ‘Disguise her throne for her, so that we may see whether she is discerning or if she is one of the undiscerning ones.’

So when she came, it was said [to her], ‘Is your throne like this one?’ She said, ‘It seems to be the same, and we were informed before it, and we had submitted.’

She had been barred [from the way of Allah] by what she used to worship besides Allah, for she belonged to a faithless people.

It was said to her, ‘Enter the palace.’ So when she saw it, she supposed it to be a pool of water, and she bared her shanks. He said, ‘It is a palace paved with crystal.’ She said, ‘My Lord! Indeed I have wronged myself, and I submit with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.’

Certainly We sent to Thamud Salih, their brother, [with the summons:] ‘Worship Allah!’ But thereat they became two groups contending with each other.

He said, ‘O My people! Why do you press for evil sooner than for good? Why do you not plead to Allah for forgiveness so that you may receive His mercy?’

They said, ‘We take you and those who are with you for a bad omen.’ He said, ‘Your bad omens are from Allah. Indeed, you are a people being tested.’

There were nine persons in the city who caused corruption in the land and did not set things right.

They said, ‘Swear by Allah that we will attack him and his family by night. Then we will tell his heir that we were not present at the murder of his family and that we speak the truth.’

They devised a plot, and We [too] devised a plan, but they were not aware.

So observe how was the outcome of their plotting, as We destroyed them and all their people.

So there lay their houses, fallen in ruin because of their wrongdoing. There is indeed a sign in that for a people who have knowledge.

And We delivered those who had faith and were Godwary.

[We also sent] Lot, when he said to his people, ‘What! Do you commit this indecency while you look on?

Do you approach men with [sexual] desire instead of women?! Indeed, you are a senseless lot!’

But the only answer of his people was that they said, ‘Expel Lot’s family from your town! They are indeed a puritanical lot.’

So We delivered him and his family, except his wife. We ordained her to be among those who remained behind.

Then We poured down upon them a rain [of stones]. Evil was that rain for those who had been warned!

Say, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, and Peace be to the servants whom He has chosen.’ Is Allah better, or the partners they ascribe [to Him]?

Is He who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water from the sky, whereby We grow delightful gardens, whose trees you could never cause to grow...? What! Is there a god besides Allah? Indeed, they are a lot who equate [others with Allah].

Is He who made the earth an abode [for you], and made rivers [flowing] through it, and set firm mountains for it [’s stability], and set a barrier between the two seas...? What! Is there a god besides Allah? Indeed, most of them do not know.

Is He who answers the call of the distressed [person] when he invokes Him and removes his distress, and makes you successors on the earth...? What! Is there a god besides Allah? Little is the admonition that you take.

Is He who guides you in the darkness of land and sea and who sends the winds as harbingers of His mercy...? What! Is there a god besides Allah? Exalted is Allah above [having] any partners that they ascribe [to Him].

Is He who originates the creation, then He will bring it back, and who provides for you from the sky and the earth...? What! Is there a god besides Allah? Say, ‘Produce your evidence, if you are truthful.’

Say, ‘No one in the heavens or the earth knows the Unseen except Allah, and they are not aware when they will be resurrected.’

Do they comprehend the knowledge of the Hereafter? No, they are in doubt about it. Indeed, they are blind to it.

The faithless say, ‘What! When we and our fathers have become dust shall we be raised [from the dead]?

We and our fathers were promised this before. [But] these are just myths of the ancients.’

Say, ‘Travel over the land and observe how was the fate of the guilty.’

Do not grieve for them, and do not be upset by their guile.

They say, ‘When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are truthful?’

Say, ‘Perhaps there is right behind you some of what you seek to hasten.’

Indeed your Lord is gracious to mankind, but most of them do not give thanks.

Your Lord knows whatever their breasts conceal, and whatever they disclose.

There is no invisible thing in the heaven and the earth but it is in a manifest Book.

This Quran recounts for the Children of Israel most of what they differ about,

and it is indeed a guidance and mercy for the faithful.

Your Lord will decide between them by His judgement, and He is the All-mighty, the All-knowing.

So put your trust in Allah, for you indeed stand on the manifest truth.

You cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf listen to your call when they turn their backs,

nor can you lead the blind out of their error. You can make only those hear you who believe in Our signs and have submitted.

When the word [of judgement] falls upon them, We shall bring out for them an Animal from the earth who shall tell them that the people had no faith in Our signs.

On that day We shall resurrect from every nation a group of those who denied Our signs, and they will be held in check.

When they come, He will say, ‘Did you deny My signs without comprehending them in knowledge? What was it that you used to do?’

And the word [of judgement] shall fall upon them for their wrongdoing, and they will not speak.

Do they not see that We made the night that they may rest in it, and the day to provide visibility. There are indeed signs in that for a people who have faith.

The day when the trumpet is blown, whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will be terrified, except such as Allah wishes, and all will come to Him in utter humility.

You see the mountains, which you suppose, to be stationary, while they drift like passing clouds—the handiwork of Allah who has made everything faultless. He is indeed well aware of what you do.

Whoever brings virtue shall receive [a reward] better than it; and on that day they will be secure from terror.

But whoever brings vice—they shall be cast on their faces into the Fire [and told:] ‘Shall you not be requited for what you used to do?’

[Say], ‘I have been commanded to worship the Lord of this city who has made it inviolable and to whom all things belong, and I have been commanded to be among those who submit [to Allah],

and to recite the Quran.’ Whoever is guided is guided only for his own good, and as for him who goes astray, say, ‘I am just one of the warners.’

And say, ‘All praise belongs to Allah. Soon He will show you His signs, and you will recognize them.’ Your Lord is not oblivious of what you do.