سورة An-Naml (The Ants )

TaSeen. Those are the verses of the Koran, a clear Book,

a guidance and glad tidings to believers,

who establish their prayers, and pay the obligatory charity, and are certain of the Everlasting Life.

As for those who do not believe in the Everlasting Life, We have decorated for them their works, and they wander blindly.

Such are those for whom there is an evil punishment, and in the Everlasting Life are the greatest losers.

You have received the Koran from the Wise, the Knower.

When Moses said to his household: 'Indeed, I can see a fire far away. I will go and bring you news of it or I will bring you a lighted flame so that you can warm yourselves'

And when he came near it he was called: 'Blessed be who is (Moses) in the fire and (the angels) who are around it! Exaltations to Allah, Lord of the Worlds!

Moses, it is I, Allah, the Almighty, the Wise.

Cast down your staff' And when he saw it writhing like a serpent, he turned about retreating, and did not turn back. 'Moses, do not fear, indeed theMessengers do not fear (when they are) with Me,

except he who has done evil, then, after evil, has changed into good. I am the Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Put your hand inside your collar and it will come out luminous without evil? among the nine signs to Pharaoh and his nation, indeed they were an impious nation'

But when Our signs came to them visibly, they said: 'This is plain sorcery.'

They denied them unjustly out of pride, though their souls acknowledged them. See, how was the end of the corrupt workers!

We gave knowledge to David and Solomon. They said: 'Praise be to Allah who has preferred us above many of His believing worshipers'

Solomon inherited David. He said: 'Know, my people, we have been taught the speech of birds and given everything. Surely, this is a clear bounty'

We gathered to Solomon his army of jinn, humans and birds; gathered and dispersed,

and when they came to the Valley of the Ants, an ant said: 'Ants, go into your dwellings lest Solomon and his army should, unknowingly, crush you'

He smiled, and laughed at its words, and said: 'My Lord, inspire me that I should be thankful for Your blessing with which You have blessed me and my parents, and that I may do good works that will please You. Admit me, by Your Mercy, among Your righteous worshipers'

He reviewed the birds and said: 'Why is it that I do not see the hoopoe here? Or is he among the absent?

Surely, I will punish him with a terrible punishment, or I will slaughter him or he gives me a good reason'

He was not long in coming, and said: 'I know what you do not know. I come to you from Sheba with certain news.

There I found a woman ruling over them. She possess everything and has a great throne.

But she and her people prostrate to the sun instead of Allah. And satan has made their deeds seem pleasing to them and barred them from the Path, and therefore they are not guided.

Do they not prostrate themselves to Allah who brings forth all that is concealed in the heavens and earth and He knows what they hide and what they reveal?

Allah, there is no god except He, the Lord of the Mighty Throne'

He replied: 'We shall see if what you have said is true or whether you are among those who lie.

Take my letter, and drop it to them. Then turn aside and see what they shall return'

She (the Queen of Sheba) said: 'O Council, look, an honorable letter has been dropped to me.

It is from Solomon and it is \"In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful.

Do not rise up against me, but come to me in surrender (Muslims).\"

She said: 'O Council, let me hear your counsel, concerning my affairs, for I am not used to deciding an affair until you bear me witness'

They replied: 'We are possessors of force and great might. It is for you to command, so consider what you will'

She said: 'When kings enter a village, they ruin it and humiliate its nobles. And this they will do.

But I shall send them a gift and see what the messengers bring back'

But when he came to Solomon, he said: 'Is it wealth that you would give me, when Allah has given me that which is better than He has given to you? No, but instead you rejoice in your gift!

Go back then, we shall surely come against them with soldiers of which they have no power to oppose, and we shall drive them from there abased and humiliated'

And he said: 'O Council, which of you will bring me her throne, before they come to me, Muslims (submissive to Allah)'

An efreet (an extremely strong jinn) among the jinn replied: 'I will bring it to you before you rise from your place; I have the strength and am trustworthy'

But he who had knowledge of the Book, said: 'I will bring it to you before your glance comes back to you' And when he saw it set before him, he (Solomon) said: 'This is a favor from my Lord that He might test me whether I am thankful or ungrateful. Whosoever gives thanks gives thanks only for his (own soul's) good, but he who is ungrateful, truly my Lord is Rich and Generous'

(Then) he said: 'Let her throne be disguised, so that we can see whether she is guided or if she is among those who are not guided'

And when she came she was asked: 'Is your throne like this' And she replied: 'It looks like it' And we were given the knowledge before her, and wereMuslims.

That which she worshipped, other than Allah, had prevented her, for she came from an unbelieving nation.

It was said to her: 'Enter the pavilion' And when she saw it, she thought it was a pool of water, and bared her legs. But he said: 'It is a pavilion smoothed with crystal' She said: 'My Lord, I have wronged myself, and I become a Muslim (submissive) with Solomon to Allah, Lord of the Worlds'

To Thamood We sent their brother Salih saying: 'Worship Allah' But they were two parties in dispute with one another.

'My nation' he said, 'why do you wish to hasten evil rather than good? Why do you not ask the forgiveness of Allah, in order that you find mercy'

They said: 'We predict an evil omen from you and those who are with you' He replied: 'Your prediction is with Allah, you are a nation being tested'

In the city there were nine people who were corrupting the land and did not reform.

They said: 'Let us swear by Allah to attack him and his family at night, then we will tell his guardian we were not witnesses of the destruction of his family; and surely we are truthful'

And they devised a scheme and, without their knowledge, We devised a scheme.

And behold the consequences of their devising! We destroyed them, and their nation altogether.

Those are their houses, all are in ruins because of the evil they committed; surely in this there is a sign for nation who know.

And We saved those who believed and were cautious.

And Lot, he said to his nation: 'Do you commit indecencies with your eyes open!

Do you approach men lustfully instead of women! No, you are an ignorant nation'

Yet the only answer of his nation was that they said: 'Expel the family of Lot from your village, they are people who purified themselves'

So We saved him and his family, except his wife, whom We decreed should stay behind.

And we rained on them a rain (of stones); indeed it is an evil rain that rains on those that are warned.

Say: 'Praise belongs to Allah and peace be upon His worshipers whom He has chosen' Who is more worthier, Allah or that which they associate!

Is He who created the heavens and the earth, and sent water from the sky for you and caused gardens to grow full of beauty of which its tree you could never grow, is there a god with Allah? No, but they are a nation who set up equals with Him!

Who has established the earth a fixed place and set therein rivers; and set for it firm mountains and placed a barrier between the two seas, is there a god with Allah? No, most of them are without knowledge.

Who answers the oppressed when he supplicates to Him and removes evil and appoints you as inheritors of the earth, is there a god with Allah? How little you remember!

Who guides you in the darkness of the land and sea, and sends the winds bearing glad tidings of His Mercy, is there a god with Allah? Exalted is Allah above what they associate.

Who originates creation, then brings it back again, who gives you sustenance from the heaven and the earth, is there a god with Allah? Say: 'Bring us your proof if you are among the truthful'

Say: 'None in the heavens or the earth knows the Unseen except Allah, and they are not aware when they shall be resurrected'

No, their knowledge fails them as to the Everlasting Life; no, they are in doubt about it, no, they are blind to it.

The unbelievers say: 'When we and our fathers are turned to dust, shall we be brought forth?

We were promised this before, and so were our fathers. It is but the fictitious story of the ancients'

Say: 'Journey in the land and see what was the end of the sinners'

Do not be sorry for them, nor be distressed for what they devise.

And they ask: 'When will this promise come, if what you say is true'

Say: 'It may be that part of what you seek to hasten on is already riding behind you'

Surely, your Lord is bountiful to the people; yet most of them do not give thanks.

Surely, your Lord knows what they hide in their hearts and what they reveal.

There is not a thing hidden in the heaven and earth except that it is in a Clear Book.

Surely, this Koran relates to the Children of Israel most of that which they are at variance.

It is a guidance and a mercy to believers.

Surely, by His Judgement, your Lord will decide between them. He is the Mighty, the Knower.

Therefore put your trust in Allah, for you are upon a clear truth.

You do not make the dead hear, nor do you make the deaf hear you call when they turn about, retreating.

Nor do you guide the blind out of their error, nor do you make any to hear, except those who believe in Our verses and are Muslims.

And when the Word falls on them, We will bring out from the earth a beast that shall speak to them: 'Indeed the people were not certain of Our verses.'

On that Day We shall gather a crowd from every nation of those who belied Our verses, so they are gathered.

When they have come, He will say: 'Did you belie My verses, although you knew nothing, or what was it you were doing'

And the Word shall fall upon them because of the evil they committed, and they shall be speechless.

Have they not seen how We have made the night for them to rest in and the day to see? Surely, there are signs in this for the nation who believe.

On the Day the Horn shall be blown all who live in the heavens and earth will be terrified, except those whom Allah wills. All shall come to Him humbled.

And you will see the mountains which you think to be firm pass by like clouds. (Such is the) making of Allah, who has created everything well. He is Aware of the things you do.

Whosoever comes with a good deed shall have better than it, and shall be secure from the terrors of that Day.

But those who come with an evil deed shall have their faces thrust into the Fire: 'Are you recompensed except for your deeds'

(Say Prophet Muhammad): 'I am only ordered to worship the Lord of this country, which He has made sacred, everything belongs to Him. And I am ordered to be of the Muslims,

and to recite the Koran. Whosoever is guided is only guided for himself, and to whosoever goes astray, say: 'I am only a warner'

And say: 'Praise belongs to Allah! He will show you His signs and you will recognize them. Your Lord is not inattentive of what you do'