| | Bijan Moeinian rendition of Surah The Ant, The Ants(an-Naml)
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| 27:1 | | T.S. You are hereby listening to the words of God Who clearly answers those questions of yours that no one else can answer (Where we are coming from? What is the meaning of life? What will happen to us after death? Etc.) in this Qur’an |
| 27:2 | | This Qur’an will guide the believers through their life and contains good news for them |
| 27:3 | | The believers are those who worship God on regular basis and devote a portion of their incomes/ resources to charity and believe that there is a life after death [and that this earthly life is a short prelude to an everlasting life] |
| 27:4 | | As far as those who do not believe in hereafter, I (God) have doomed them to be pleased with their materialistic beliefs and wonder around like blind people |
| 27:5 | | For them there is an awful punishment in reserve and they are among the losers in the Hereafter |
| 27:6 | | Mohammad, indeed you are receiving these verses from the Lord Whose is the Wisest and Knows Everything |
| 27:7 | | Once, out in the desert, Moses saw the flames of a fire afar. He said to his folk: “Wait for me so that I go and see what it is all about and perhaps bring some fire to warm you up.&rdquo |
| 27:8 | | When he reached there, he heard a voice coming from the fire and surroundings: “Glory to the Lord of the universe.&rdquo |
| 27:9 | | “O’ Moses, I am God, the Almighty, and the Most Wise.&rdquo |
| 27:10 | | “Throw down your staff.” When Moses saw that his staff turned into a moving snake, he turned and ran, out of fear, without even looking back. [Then he heard:] “ O' Moses do not be afraid; my prophets should not fear.&rdquo |
| 27:11 | | “Only those fear who have done wrong. Even the latter; if they change, they will be forgiven as I am All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.&rdquo |
| 27:12 | | “Now put your hand into your pocket; when you take it out, it will shine white [like an intense fire] without hurting you. These are among the nine miracles that you have to present to Pharaoh and his people; [you are my messengers to them and your mission is to bring them back to the right path as] they are indeed wicked people.&rdquo |
| 27:13 | | [What a shame that when] Moses presented My undeniable miracles they simply said: “These are nothing but plain magic.&rdquo |
| 27:14 | | They rejected them only out of arrogance as [anytime a plague was sent to them, they begged Moses to remove it as] they were convinced. They were unjust to their own soul and see what happened to them |
| 27:15 | | As to David and Solomon, I granted them the knowledge as a gift. They both were grateful and said: “Thank to the Lord Who treated us better than the most of his believing servants.&rdquo |
| 27:16 | | When Solomon inherited David’s kingdom, he said [to his people]: “God has taught me to communicate with the birds and has granted me many talents & knowledge out of his grace [that I am sincerely grateful for.] |
| 27:17 | | Solomon had formed a disciplined army of men, Extra-terrestrials (Jinns) and birds ready to carry his orders |
| 27:18 | | In a military campaign, Solomon and his army entered into a valley where the ants were freely roaming. One of the ants said: “Hurry up, get out of Solomon’s way as his army will unknowingly crush us all.&rdquo |
| 27:19 | | Solomon was amused with the ant’s speech and smiled. He then [thanked God for giving him all this knowledge and wealth and] said: “ O My lord, I thank you for all favors that you have showered me and my parents with. Help me to do nothing but the good deeds to please you. May you include me out of your mercy among your righteous servants.&rdquo |
| 27:20 | | Once he summoned all birds in his army. When he took the attendance, he realized that the Hoopoe was absent |
| 27:21 | | [Solomon became angry at his absence and said:] “If he does not come up with a good excuse, I will punish him severely or even execute him.&rdquo |
| 27:22 | | It did not take a long when Hoopoe arrived saying: “I have been to the land of Sheba and you do not know what is going on there.&rdquo |
| 27:23 | | “There is a mighty woman ruling them and they are showered with many blessings.&rdquo |
| 27:24 | | “They are worshipping the sun instead of God. The Devil has made their deeds so pleasing to them that they think they are always right. They are therefore deprived of any guidance [God does not guide those who have gone so far in wrongdoing.] |
| 27:25 | | They should have been prostrating before God; the One Who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth; the One Who knows whatever man reveals or keeps as a secret |
| 27:26 | | There is no God but the One Who is the Owner of the glorious Throne |
| 27:27 | | Solomon said: “We will see whether you are telling the truth or simply fabricating a story.&rdquo |
| 27:28 | | “Take this letter of mine and hand it over to them. Wait for their response and bring it back to me.&rdquo |
| 27:29 | | After having received the letter, the] Queen said to her advisors: “I have received an important letter.&rdquo |
| 27:30 | | “It is from Solomon saying: “In the name of God, the Most Forgiving, and the Most Merciful.&rdquo |
| 27:31 | | “Leave the arrogance aside and come to me as Submitters (Muslims) to the Lord.&rdquo |
| 27:32 | | She said: “Advise me in this affair as I have never done anything without your consultation.&rdquo |
| 27:33 | | They replied: “We are powerful and know the fighting skills. The final decision is yours.&rdquo |
| 27:34 | | She said: “When the kings invade a town, they usually destroy it and undignified their citizens.&rdquo |
| 27:35 | | “Let me send him some gift and see what his response will be.&rdquo |
| 27:36 | | When the messengers presented the gifts, Solomon said: “Do you want to buy me with this world’s wealth? Don’t you know that what God has given me is much better than the wealth that you are impressed with?&rdquo |
| 27:37 | | “Go back and let them know that we [the worshippers of God] will come to destroy the [the worshippers of sun] with such a mighty army that they can not resist.&rdquo |
| 27:38 | | Solomon then turned to his court’s people and asked: “Who can bring her throne to me so that they [realize my power and] come to me in submission?&rdquo |
| 27:39 | | A Jin (Extra-terrestrial) of his court said: “I can bring it to you before you even stand up. Trust me, I am powerful enough to do so.&rdquo |
| 27:40 | | A scientist of his court said: “I can beam it here in a blink of an eye. When Solomon saw her throne placed in front of him, he thanked the Lord saying: “This is by the Grace of my Lord, whereby He wants to see whether I appreciate all these blessings of Him or I am an ungrateful person. The one who is grateful is good to his own soul. The one who is ungrateful should know that God does not need his thanking; indeed God is the wealthiest and the Most Generous |
| 27:41 | | Solomon then ordered to build a palace to accommodate the Queen at her arrival and said: “Let us see whether she will submit to God or will remain defiant.&rdquo |
| 27:42 | | When the Queen arrived, Solomon asked: “Does this [throne] look like yours?” She said: “It is just the same.” I had already known this [that Solomon is a Prophet of God and not a simple king] and had tendency to surrender myself [to the will of God and became a believer.] |
| 27:43 | | She was [not a stubborn person and she was] worshipping other deities in account of her [upbringing and] being among the unbelieving people |
| 27:44 | | Solomon then invited her to enter to her palace. When she saw the interior, she thought it was a pool of water; so she tucked up her skirt to enter it. Solomon said: “It is [not water but is] paved with crystals. This last strike [removed any remaining doubt from her heart and] made her to say: “ O My Lord, I have been unjust to myself; now I join to Solomon in submitting myself to the Lord of the universe.&rdquo |
| 27:45 | | As to Thamood, I (God) appointed their brother Saleh as my Prophet to invite them to worship the Lord. Instead [ of being united under the flag of the Lord and find peace,] they turned into two fighting groups |
| 27:46 | | Saleh said: “ My people, why do you rush into committing sins instead of doing good deeds? Repent and ask God for forgiveness; may He have mercy on you |
| 27:47 | | They said: “You are a bad omen [for the simple reason that we were one nation at “peace” before you.] Saleh replied: “This [bad or good] omen [that you are talking about] is a mean by which God has put you in trial |
| 27:48 | | They were nine wicked men in town who had done nothing good in their lives |
| 27:49 | | They got together and said: “Let us kill Saleh and his followers and then deny the whole thing. However, we have to swear to God that this will remain a secret of ours.&rdquo |
| 27:50 | | They had their own plot and God had His own scheme of which they were unawar |
| 27:51 | | Note the result of their scheme. I destroyed them and their people together |
| 27:52 | | There their houses lie desolate in account of their meanness. There is a lesson in this for the knowledgeable people |
| 27:53 | | Of course I saved those who had believed and respected the Lord |
| 27:54 | | Prophet] Lot said to his people: “How can you commit such an abomination publicly while you know that it is wrong?&rdquo |
| 27:55 | | What kind of people you are that prefers men to women for the gratification of your sexual desires? What a foolish people you are [unaware of punishment in reserve for you.] |
| 27:56 | | The only response that he received from his people was: “Expel this pious looking Lot and his family from your town.&rdquo |
| 27:57 | | At last I saved Lot and his family, except his wife who had already been doomed |
| 27:58 | | Then I ordered an unusual rain to take over them. What a miserable rain for the people who were well warned in advance |
| 27:59 | | now that you are blessed with a “God pleasing” way of life,] Say: “Thank God and peace be with His chooses servants.” [Then ask:] “Is God better or those whom you worship beside God?&rdquo |
| 27:60 | | Who has created the heavens and the earth? Who is sending the water from the sky in order to bring to life those beautiful gardens of yours? Who else but God can create any of those trees? Is there any other god beside God? The fact of the matter is, the disbelievers have chosen the wrong direction |
| 27:61 | | Who has made the earth habitable for you? Who has made the water run for you in the rivers? Whose has set the mountains on the earth? Who is preventing the two running water [like so many rivers which are running in the oceans] from mixing together? Is there any other god beside God? What a shame that most people do not get it |
| 27:62 | | Who is the One Who answers your prayers when you are absolutely desperate and relieves your suffering? Who has made you superior to the other creatures on earth? is there any other god beside God? What a shame that only a few people reflect about these things |
| 27:63 | | Who is the One Who guides you [by organizing the stars in a nonchaotic order as well as magnetic field of the earth in a predictable order] through the darkness of the land and the sea? Who is the One Who sends you the winds to give you the good news of forthcoming rain [that your life depends upon so much] as a practical proof of His Mercy? Is there any other god beside God? God is much higher in rank than the others (idols, women, wealth, power, etc.) that people worship |
| 27:64 | | Who is the One Who initiates the creation at first place and then makes the reproduction of life possible? Who is the One Who sends your means of living from the sky as well as from the earth? Is there any other god beside God? If so, bring your proof or explain it by an argument to show your sincerity in your belief |
| 27:65 | | [O' Muhammad] Say: “None but God has knowledge about unknown territories; they do not [even] know when they will be raised [for the judgment.]&rdquo |
| 27:66 | | As a matter of fact, they are confused, doubt and are blind (and totally careless) about Hereafter |
| 27:67 | | The disbelievers [jokingly] say: “After having turned into the dust, we and our forefathers will be raised.&rdquo |
| 27:68 | | “We are told these [none senses] in the past. These are nothing but mythology type of stories.&rdquo |
| 27:69 | | In response, tell them: “Roam the earth and see [with your own eyes] what happened to the unbelievers before you.&rdquo |
| 27:70 | | [O’ Mohammad,] Do not feel sorry for them and do not worry about their threatening plans |
| 27:71 | | They say: “If you tell the truth, let the Day of Resurrection take place today [so that we see it with our own eyes and then believe in it.]&rdquo |
| 27:72 | | Say: “You are already [being judged and partially] paying for some of your sins due to your challenge.&rdquo |
| 27:73 | | Indeed your Lord is full of Grace towards the people [by postponing the day of judgment for them and giving them more time to improve themselves.] What a shame that most of them are not grateful |
| 27:74 | | Your Lord knows what people say and what they mean |
| 27:75 | | There is not a secret thing in the heavens and on the earth which is not recorded [for/by God.] |
| 27:76 | | This Qur’an settles the issues that have divided the children of Israel [Jews and Christians alike] into different groups |
| 27:77 | | This Qur’an is [,therefore,] a mercy and a guidance for the believers |
| 27:78 | | Your Lord will judge among them by His own criteria; your Lord is the Highest Authority and the Most Knowledgeable |
| 27:79 | | Put your trust in God as you are following the most obvious truth |
| 27:80 | | You can not deliver the message to the dead person nor can you make the deaf to hear you; especially when they turn away from you |
| 27:81 | | You can not guide the blind [to the right path] in spite of his will. You can deliver the message only to those who have chosen to believe and then submit themselves wholeheartedly |
| 27:82 | | When the time comes, I (God) will order an earthly beast to give them a speech about their disbelief |
| 27:83 | | Imagine the Day when I will gather together the disbelievers of every community |
| 27:84 | | When they are all gathered, then I will say: “You refused my revelations without giving them any thought. Is it not what you did?&rdquo |
| 27:85 | | Then they will be sentenced for their wickedness while unable to speak |
| 27:86 | | Have they not seen how I have created the night for their rest and the day for their activities. This alone is a proof enough for the believers |
| 27:87 | | When the Day of Resurrection is announced by the horn, everyone in the heavens and the earth will be horrified, except those who have pleased God. All will present themselves to Him in submission |
| 27:88 | | When you look at the mountains, you find them standing still. They are moving, however, like the clouds. This is the manifestation of the Lord’s manufacturing power That has created everything in perfection. This Powerful Lord knows anything that you do |
| 27:89 | | Those who come with good deed to their Lord, will be rewarded many times and have not to fear on the Day of Judgment |
| 27:90 | | Those who have done evil things, should expect to be flung upon their faces into the fire. Do you not expect to be rewarded according to what you have done |
| 27:91 | | [O’ Mohammad, say:] “I am commanded to worship the Lord of this City (Mecca) which the One Who owns everything has made a sanctuary. I am commanded to submit to Him (to be a Muslim) and to recite Qur’an.”&hellip |
| 27:92 | | The one who accepts the guidance dose it for his own good. As to the one who prefers to stay lost, say: “I am only a Warner (the choice is yours).&rdquo |
| 27:93 | | Let them know that: "Praise is to Lord. He will soon show you His signs which you will recognize; your Lord is not unaware of what you do." |
