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Sura Xxvii. Naml, Or The Ants

*
"The Holy Quran", tr. by Yusuf Ali, [1934],

p. 978

Sra Xxvii.

\"NAML", Or The Ants.

In the name of God, Most Gracious,

Most Merciful.

1.
\"T". "Sn".

These are verses

Of the Qur-n,--a Book

That makes (things) clear;

2. A
Guide; and Glad Tidings

For the Relievers,--

3.
Those who establish regular prayers

And give in regular charity,

And also have (full) assurance

Of the Hereafter.

4.
As to those who believe not

In the Hereafter, We have

Made their deeds pleasing

In their eyes; and so they

Wander about in distraction.

5.
Such are they for whom

A grievous Penalty is (waiting):

And in the Hereafter theirs

Will be the greatest loss.

6.
As to thee, the Qur-n

Is bestowed upon thee

From the presence of One

Who is Wise and All-Knowing.

p. 979

7.
Behold! Moses said

To his family "I perceive

A fire; soon will I bring you

From there some information,

Or I will bring you

A burning brand to light

Our fuel, that ye may

Warm yourselves.

8.
But when he came

To the (Fire), a voice

Was heard: "Blessed are those

In the Fire and those around:

And Glory to God,

The Lord of the Worlds.

9.
\"O Moses! Verily,

I am God, the Exalted

In Might, the Wise!...

10.
\"Now do thou throw thy rod!"

But when he saw it

Moving (of its own accord)

As if it had been a snake,

He turned back in retreat,

And retraced not his steps:

"O Moses!" (it was said),

"Fear not: truly, in My presence,

Those called as apostles

Have no fear,--

p. 980

11.
\"But if any have done wrong

And have thereafter substituted

Good to take the place of evil,

Truly, I am Oft-Forgiving,

Most Merciful.

12.
\"Now put thy hand into

Thy bosom, and it will

Come forth white without stain

(Or harm): (these are) among

The nine Signs (thou wilt take)

To Pharaoh and his people:

For they are a people

Rebellious in transgression."

13.
But when Our Signs came

To them, that should have"

Opened their eyes, they said:

"This is sorcery manifest!"

14.
And they rejected those Signs

In iniquity and arrogance,

Though their souls were convinced

Ther: so see what was

The end of those

Who acted corruptly!

p. 981

Section 2.

15.
We gave (in the past)

Knowledge to David and Solomon

And they both said:


"Praise be to God, Who

Has favoured us above many

Of His servants who believe!

16.
And Solomon was David's heir.

He said: "O ye people!

We have been taught the speech"

Of Birds, and on us

Has been bestowed (a little)

Of all things: this is

Indeed Grace manifest (from God.)"

17.
And before Solomon were marshalled

p. 982

His hosts,--of Jinns and men

And birds, and they were all

Kept in order and ranks.

18.
At length, when they came

To a (lowly) valley of ants,

One of the ants said:


"O ye ants, get into

Your habitations, lest Solomon

And his hosts crush you

(Under foot) without knowing it."

19.
So he smiled, amused

At her speech; and he said:

"O my Lord! so order me

That I may be grateful

For Thy favours, which Thou

Hast bestowed on me and

On my parents, and that

I may work the righteousness

That will please Thee:


And admit me, by Thy Grace,

To the ranks of Thy

Righteous Servants."

p. 983

20.
And he took a muster

Of the Birds; and he said:

"Why is it I see not

The Hoopoe? Or is he

Among the absentees?"

21.
\"I will certainly punish him

With a severe penalty,

Or execute him, unless he

Bring me a clear reason

(For absence)."

22.
But the Hoopoe tarried not

Far: he (came up and) said:

"I have compassed (territory)

Which thou hast not compassed,

And I have come to thee

From Saba with tidings true.

23.
\"I found (there) a woman

Ruling over them and provided

With every requisite; and she

Has a magnificent throne.

p. 984

24.
\"I found her and her people

Worshipping the sun besides God:

Satan has made their deeds

Seem pleasing in their eyes,

And has kept them away

From the Path,--so

They receive no guidance,--

25.
\"(Kept them away from the Path),

That they should not worship

God, Who brings to light

What is hidden in the heavens

And the earth, and knows

What ye hide and what

Ye reveal.

26.
\"God!--there is no god

But He!--Lord of the Throne's

Supreme!"

27.
(Solomon) said: "Soon shall we

See whether thou hast told

The truth or lied!

p. 985

28.
\"Go thou, with this letter

Of mine, and deliver it

To them: then draw back

From them, and (wait to) see

What answer they return"...

29.
(The Queen) said: "Ye chiefs!

Here is--delivered to me--

A letter worthy of respect.

30.
\"It is from Solomon, and is

(As follows), 'In the name

Of God, Most Gracious,

Most Merciful:

31.
\"'Be ye not arrogant

Against me, but come

To me in submission

(To the true Religion).'"

Section 3.

32.
the said: "Ye chiefs!

Advise me in (this)

My affair: no affair

Have I decided

Except in your presence."

33.
They said: "We are endued

With strength, and given

To vehement war:


But the command is

With thee; so consider

What thou wilt command."

34.
She said: "Kings, when they

Enter a country, despoil it,

p. 986

And make the noblest

Of its people its meanest

Thus do they behave.

35.
\"But I am going to send

Him a present, and (wait)

To see with what (answer)

Return (my) ambassadors."

36.
Now when (the embassy) came

To Solomon, he said:

"Will ye give me abundance

In wealth? But that which

God has given me is better

Than that which He has

Given you! Nay it is ye

Who rejoice in your gift!

37.
\"Go back to them, and be sure

We shall come to them

With such hosts as they

Will never be able to meet:


We shall expel them

From there in disgrace,

And they will feel

Humbled (indeed)."

38. He said (to his own men):


"Ye Chiefs! which of you

Can bring me her throne

Before they come to me

In submission?"

39. Said an 'Ifrit, of the Jinns:


"I will bring it to thee

p. 987

Before thou rise from thy

Council: indeed I have

Full strength for the purpose,

And may he trusted."

40.
Said one who had knowledge

Of the Book: "I will

Bring it to thee within

The twinkling of an eye!"

Then when (Solomon) saw it

Placed firmly before him,

He said: "This is

By the grace of my Lord!

To test me whether I am

Grateful or ungrateful!

And if any is grateful,

Truly his gratitude is (a gain)

For his own soul; hut if

Any is ungrateful, truly

My Lord is Free of all Needs,

Supreme in Honour!"

41.
He said: "Transform her throne

Out of all recognition by her:

Let us see whether she

Is guided (to the truth)

p. 988

Or is one of those who

Receive no guidance."

42.
So when she arrived,

She was asked, "Is this

Thy throne?
" She said,

"It was just like this;

And knowledge was bestowed

On us in advance of this,

And we have submitted

To God (in Islam)."

43.
And he diverted her

From the worship of others

Besides God: for she was

(Sprung) of a people

That had no faith.

44.
She was asked to enter

The lofty Palace: but

When she saw it, she

Thought it was a lake

Of water, and she (tucked up

Her skirts
), uncovering her legs.

He said: "This is

But a palace paved

p. 989

Smooth with slabs of glass."

She said: "O my Lord!

I have indeed wronged"

My soul: I do (now)

Submit (in Islam), with Solomon,

To the Lord of the Worlds."

Section 4.

45.
We sent (aforetime),

To the Thamd, their brother

ali, saying, "Serve God":


But behold, they became

Two factions quarrelling

With each other.

46.
He said: "O my people!

Why ask ye to hasten on

p. 990

The evil in preference to the good?

If only ye ask God for forgiveness,

Ye may hope to receive mercy.

47.
They said: "Ill omen

Do we augur from thee

And those that are with thee
".

He said: "Your ill omen

Is with God; yea, ye are

A people under trial."

48.
There were in the City

Nine men of a family,

Who made mischief in the land,

And would not reform.

49.
They said: "Swear

A mutual oath by God

That we shall make

A secret night attack

On him and his people,

And that we shall then

Say to his heir (when he

Seeks vengeance
), 'We were not

Present at the slaughter

Of his people, and we are

Positively telling the truth
'."

p. 991

50.
They plotted and planned,

But We too planned,

Even while they perceived it not.

51.
Then see what was the end

Of their plot!--this,

That We destroyed them

And their people, all (of them).

52.
Now such were their houses,--

In utter ruin,--because

They practised wrong-doing.

Verily in this is a Sign

For people of knowledge.

53.
And We saved those

Who believed and practised

Righteousness.

54.
(We also sent) Lt

(As an apostle): behold,

He said to his people,

"Do ye do what is shameful

Though ye see (its iniquity)?

55.
Would ye really approach men

In your lusts rather than

Women? Nay, ye are

A people (grossly) ignorant!

56. But his people gave

No other answer but this:


They said, "Drive out

p. 992

The followers of Lt from

Your city: these are

Indeed men who want

To be clean and pure!"

57.
But We saved him

And his family, except

His wife: her We destined

To be of those

Who lagged behind.

58.
And We rained down on them

A shower (of brimstone):

And evil was the shower

On those who were admonished

(But heeded not)!

Section 5.

59.
Say: Praise be to God,

And Peace on His servants

Whom He has chosen

(For His Message). (Who)

Is better?--God or

The false gods they associate

(With Him)?

p. 993

60.
Or, who has created

The heavens and the earth,

And who sends you down

Rain from the sky?

Yea, with it We cause

To grow well-planted orchards

Full of beauty and delight:

It is not in your power

To cause the growth

Of the trees in them. (Can there be

Another
) god besides God?

Nay, they are a people

Who swerve from justice.

61.
Or, who has made the earth

Firm to live in; made

Rivers in its midst; set

Thereon mountains immovable;

And made a separating bar

Between the two bodies

Of flowing water?

(Can there be another) god

Besides God? Nay, most

Of them know not.

62.
Or, who listens to the (soul)

Distressed when it calls

On Him, and who relieves

Its suffering, and makes you

p. 994

(Mankind) inheritors of the earth?'

(Can there be another) god

Besides God? Little it is

That ye heed!

63.
Or, who guides you

Through the depths of darkness

On land and sea, and who

Sends the winds as heralds

Of glad tidings, going before

His Mercy? (Can there be

Another
) god besides God?--

High is God above what

They associate with Him!

64.
Or, who originates Creation,

Then repeats it,

And who gives you sustenance

From heaven and earth?

(Can there be another) god

Besides God? Say, "Bring forth

Your argument, if ye

Are telling the truth!"

65.
Say: None in the heavens

Or on earth, except God,

Knows what is hidden:


Nor can they perceive

When they shall be raised

Up (for Judgment).

66.
Still less can their knowledge

Comprehend the Hereafter: nay,

p. 995

They are in doubt and uncertainty

Thereanent; nay, they are blind

Thereunto!

Section 6.

67.
The Unbelievers say: "What!

When we become dust,

We and our fathers,--shall we

Really be raised (from the dead)?

68.
\"It is true we were promised

This,--we and our fathers

Before (us): these are nothing

But tales of the ancients."

69.
Say: "Go ye through the earth

And see what has been

The end of those guilty

(Of sin)."

70.
But grieve not over them,

Nor distress thyself

Because of their plots.

71.
They also say: "When will

This promise (come to pass)?

(Say) if ye are truthful."

72.
Say: "It may be that

Some of the events which

Ye wish to hasten on

May be (close) in your pursuit!
"

p. 996

73.
But verily thy Lord is

Full of grace to mankind:

Yet most of them are ungrateful.

74.
And verily thy Lord knoweth

All that their hearts do hide,

As well as all that

They reveal.

75.
Nor is there aught

Of the Unseen, in heaven

Or earth, but is (recorded)

In a clear record.

76.
Verily this Qur-n doth explain

To the Children of Israel

Most of the matters

In which they disagree.

77.
And it certainly is

A Guide and a Mercy

To those who believe.

78.
Verily thy Lord will decide

Between them by His Decree:

And He is Exalted in Might,

All-Knowing.

79.
So put thy trust in God:


For thou art on (the Path

Of
) manifest Truth.

p. 997

80.
Truly thou canst not cause

The Dead to listen, nor

Canst thou cause the Deaf

To hear the call,

(Especially) when they

Turn back in retreat.

81.
Nor canst thou be a guide

To the Blind, (to prevent them)

From straying: only those

Wilt thou get to listen

Who believe in Our Signs,

And they will bow in Islam.

82.
And when the Word is

Fulfilled against them (the unjust),

We shall produce from the earth

A Beast to (face) them:

He will speak to them,

For that mankind did not

Believe with assurance

In Our Signs.

Section 7.

83.
One Day We shall gather

Together from every people

A troop of those who reject

Our Signs, and they shall

Be kept in ranks,--

84.
Until, when they come

(Before the Judgment-seat),

(God) will say: "Did ye

Reject My Signs, though ye

p. 998

Comprehended them not

In knowledge, or what

Was it ye did?"

85.
And the Word will be

Fulfilled against them, because

Of their wrong-doing, and they

Will be unable to speak

(In plea).

86.
See they not that We

Have made the Night

For them to rest in

And the Day to give

Them light? Verily in this

Are Signs for any people

That believe!

87.
And the Day that the Trumpet

Will be sounded--then will be

Smitten with terror those

Who are in the heavens,

And those who are on earth,

Except such as God will please

(To exempt): and all shall come

To His (Presence) as beings

Conscious of their lowliness.

88.
Thou seest the mountains

And thinkest them firmly fixed:

But they shall pass away

As the clouds pass away:

p. 999

(Such is) the artistry of God,

Who disposes of all things

In perfect order: for He is

Well acquainted with all that ye do.

89.
If any do good, good will

(Accrue) to them therefrom;

And they will be secure

From terror that Day.

90.
And if any do evil,

Their faces will be thrown

Headlong into the Fire:


"Do ye receive a reward

Other than that which ye

Have earned by your deeds?"

91.
For me, I have been

Commanded to serve the Lord

Of this City, Him Who has

Sanctified it and to Whom

(Belong) all things:


And I am commanded

To be of those who bow

In Islam to God's Will,--

92. And to rehearse the Qur-n:


And if any accept guidance,

p. 1000

They do it for the good

Of their own souls,

And if any stray, say:


"I am only a Warner".

93.
And say: "Praise be to God,

Who will soon show you

His Signs, so that ye

Shall know them
"; and thy Lord

Is not unmindful

Of all that ye do.

p. 1001

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