| | Musharraf Hussain rendition of Surah The Ant, The Ants(an-Naml)
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| 27:1 | | Ta Sin. These are the verses of the Quran, a Clear Book, |
| 27:2 | | a guide and glad tidings for the believers, |
| 27:3 | | who perform the prayer, give Zakat and believe firmly in the Hereafter. |
| 27:4 | | As for those who don’t believe in the Hereafter, We made their deeds appear attractive to them, so they wander about blindly. |
| 27:5 | | These people will have the worst punishment, and they shall be the biggest losers in the Hereafter. |
| 27:6 | | But you have received the Quran from the Wise, All-Knowing |
| 27:7 | | Remember when Musa said to his wife, “I’ve seen a fire. I will bring you some news from there, or fetch you a burning coal so you can warm yourself.” |
| 27:8 | | When he reached there, a voice called out: “Blessed is Whoever is veiled by the fire and whoever is close to it. Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds! |
| 27:9 | | Musa, it is I, Allah, the Almighty, the Wise, |
| 27:10 | | so throw down your shepherd’s staff.” When he saw it wriggling, he turned and fled, without looking back. “Musa,” the voice said, “Don’t be afraid. Messengers shouldn’t be afraid in My presence, |
| 27:11 | | even the one who has done wrong but then changes himself to do good; for I am Forgiving, Caring. |
| 27:12 | | Now put your hand inside your cloak and it will come out brilliant white but unharmed, yet another of nine signs to show Pharaoh and his people; they are brazen sinners.” |
| 27:13 | | However, when Our self-evident signs came to them, they said, “This is magic,” |
| 27:14 | | and they rejected them, and yet they were certain of their truth; this was due to their wickedness and pride. So look what happened to those who spread corruption |
| 27:15 | | We gave Dawud and Sulayman knowledge, and both prayed: “Praise be to Allah, Who favoured us over many of His believing servants.” |
| 27:16 | | Then Sulayman succeeded Dawud, and he said, “People, we have been taught the language of birds, and have been given all kinds of things, a clear sign of favour.” |
| 27:17 | | Sulayman’s armies of jinn, men and birds gathered to parade before him; |
| 27:18 | | and they marched until they came to the Valley of Ants, where one of the ants said: “Ants, get into your anthills so that Sulayman and his armies don’t crush you unwittingly.” |
| 27:19 | | Sulayman smiled and laughed at her words and said, “Lord, make me grateful to You for the blessings that You have given me and my father; and grant me strength to do righteous deeds to please You; and kindly, include me with Your righteous servants. |
| 27:20 | | One day, whilst looking for a missing bird, Sulayman said: “Why can’t I see the Hoopoe? He’s absent? |
| 27:21 | | Either he brings me a valid reason for his absence, or I will punish him severely, maybe even slaughter him!” |
| 27:22 | | The hoopoe did not stay away for long; he returned and said, “I know of something that you don’t, and I bring you an accurate report from Sheba. |
| 27:23 | | There I found a woman ruling over them; and, like you, she has been given everything and has a mighty throne |
| 27:24 | | I found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allah, and Satan had made their deeds attractive to them, and blocked them from the true way, so they were not guided. |
| 27:25 | | Shouldn’t they worship only Allah, Who discloses whatever is hidden in the Heavens and the Earth, and Who knows whatever you choose either to conceal or to reveal? |
| 27:26 | | There is no god but Allah, the Lord of the mighty Throne. |
| 27:27 | | Sulayman said, “We shall see if you are telling the truth or lying. |
| 27:28 | | Go with this letter of mine and make sure they receive it, then move a little way from them and see what response they come back with.” |
| 27:29 | | The queen said, “My lords, I have received a gracious letter. |
| 27:30 | | It is from Sulayman and reads: ‘In the name of Allah, the Kind, the Caring. |
| 27:31 | | Do not think yourselves above me, but come to me in submission. |
| 27:32 | | So she asked, “My lords, advise me in this matter. I don’t make any decision without your presence and advice.” |
| 27:33 | | They said, “We possess power and military might, but the final decision rests with you; so, tell us what to do. |
| 27:34 | | She said, “When kings enter a city, they lay waste to it and humiliate its nobility; that is their way. |
| 27:35 | | So I will send them a gift and wait to see what the envoys come back with.” |
| 27:36 | | When they reached Sulayman, he said to her envoys, “Do you think you can increase my wealth? What Allah has given me is far better than what He has given you. Only the likes of you rejoice in such gifts. |
| 27:37 | | Go back to your people and tell them We shall come with armies that they can’t face, and we shall expel them from their city, humiliated and disgraced. |
| 27:38 | | Sulayman asked his courtiers, “Who can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?” |
| 27:39 | | An Efreet from the jinns said, “I can bring it to you before you get up from your place; I am strong and trustworthy.” |
| 27:40 | | Another, who had knowledge of the Book, said, “I can bring it to you in the blinking of an eye.” When Sulayman saw it installed before him, he said, “This is by My Lord’s favour, to test whether I am grateful or ungrateful. Whoever is grateful is grateful for his own benefit; but whoever is ungrateful harms only himself, as my Lord is Self-Sufficient, Generous.” |
| 27:41 | | He said, “Disguise her throne so that we can see if she is guided or not. |
| 27:42 | | After arriving, the Queen was asked, “Is your throne like this?” She said, “It looks just like it.” And Sulayman said, “We were given prior knowledge, and we submitted to Allah. |
| 27:43 | | What had previously stopped her was what she used to worship beside Allah, as she came from a disbelieving community.” |
| 27:44 | | “Enter the royal chamber,” she was told. When she saw it, she thought it was a pool and so bared her legs to keep her robes dry. Sulayman said, “The chamber is paved with glass.” She said, “My Lord, I have wronged myself, but now I submit with Sulayman to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. |
| 27:45 | | We sent to the people of Thamud their brother Salih, saying: “Worship Allah,” but they split into two groups and began to argue. |
| 27:46 | | Salih said, “My people, why are you in a rush to do evil rather than good? If you would only seek Allah’s forgiveness, you will be shown kindness.” |
| 27:47 | | They said, “We feel uneasy about you and those with you.” He said, “Your feeling of unease rests with Allah. The fact is that, as a people, you are being tested.” |
| 27:48 | | There was a gang of nine men in the city who would not comply but went around wreaking havoc. |
| 27:49 | | They said, “Let us swear by Allah to attack him and his family by night, then tell his guardian that we were not witnesses to his family’s demise and that we are telling the truth.” |
| 27:50 | | They hatched a plot, and so We countered it; but they remained unaware. |
| 27:51 | | Behold the outcome of their plot: We destroyed them all, and their community. |
| 27:52 | | These are their houses, razed to the ground because of their wrongdoing. In that, there is a sign for people who know. |
| 27:53 | | And We saved those who believed and were mindful of Us |
| 27:54 | | And remember Lut, when he said to his people: “How can you commit acts of indecency with your eyes wide open? |
| 27:55 | | Do you approach other men with lust rather than women? You people are utterly foolish.” |
| 27:56 | | The only response they gave: “Expel Lut’s household from your city, they are such puritans.” |
| 27:57 | | So We saved him and his family except for his wife, whom We decreed would stay behind; |
| 27:58 | | and We pelted them with a rain of brimstone. How dreadful was the rain on those who had been forewarned |
| 27:59 | | Say: “Praise be to Allah, and peace be upon His chosen servants! Is Allah better or whatever they associate with Him?” |
| 27:60 | | Who is it Who created the Heavens and the Earth and sends down rain for you from the sky with which We have produced delightful gardens. You cannot make its trees grow? Is there another god along with Allah? On the contrary, they are people who have turned away from truth. |
| 27:61 | | Who is it Who made the Earth a place for you to live, made rivers to flow in it, made mountains, and set a barrier between the two seas? Is there another god along with Allah? No, most of them are ignorant |
| 27:62 | | Who answers the distressed when they cry out to Him, removes suffering, and causes you to inherit the land? Is there another god beside Allah? How little do you reflect! |
| 27:63 | | Who is it Who guides you through the darkness on land and sea; and Who is it Who sends winds heralding glad tidings of His kindness in the form of rain? Is there another god beside Allah? Allah is far exalted above anything they associate as partners with Him |
| 27:64 | | Who sets in motion the process of creation, then returns it to its former state; and Who provides for you from the Earth and sky? Is there another god beside Allah? Say: “Fetch your proof, if you are telling the truth.” |
| 27:65 | | Say: “No one in the Heavens or on Earth has knowledge of the unseen except Allah; nor do they have any knowledge of when they will be resurrected.” |
| 27:66 | | Can their knowledge comprehend the Hereafter? On the contrary, they have doubts about it; in fact, they are blind to it |
| 27:67 | | The disbelievers say, “How can it be that when we and our forefathers have turned to dust we will be brought back to life? |
| 27:68 | | We and our forefathers were promised this before. This is merely a tale of the ancient people.” |
| 27:69 | | Say: “Travel on the Earth and see the fate of the sinners.” |
| 27:70 | | Do not grieve over them, Messenger, nor be anxious about what they are plotting. |
| 27:71 | | They say, “When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are telling the truth?” |
| 27:72 | | Say: “It may be, what you seek to hasten is already close behind you.” |
| 27:73 | | Your Lord is most gracious towards people, but most are ungrateful |
| 27:74 | | And your Lord knows whatever their hearts conceal, and what they reveal. |
| 27:75 | | There is nothing hidden in the Earth or sky which is not found in a Clear Book. |
| 27:76 | | This Quran narrates most of the disagreements of the Israelites. |
| 27:77 | | It is a guidance and kindness for the believers. |
| 27:78 | | Your Lord will decide wisely between them. He is the Almighty, the Knowing. |
| 27:79 | | So trust in Allah, for you are clearly in the right. |
| 27:80 | | You can no more make the deaf hear the call than you can the dead, if they turn their backs on you; |
| 27:81 | | nor are you there to guide the blind away from their error. Only those will hear you who believe in Our signs and submit to Our will |
| 27:82 | | When the judgement against them comes to pass, We shall bring forth from the Earth a beast that will tell them about the people who didn’t believe in Our signs. |
| 27:83 | | And on the Day when We gather from every community an army of those who denied Our signs, they will march in ranks. |
| 27:84 | | And, when they arrive before Him, He will say, “Did you deny My signs despite not comprehending them? If not, what were you doing?” |
| 27:85 | | And, as the decree is passed against them because of their wrongdoing, they will say nothing |
| 27:86 | | Haven’t they seen We made the night for them to rest and the day to give them light? In that, there is a sign for people who believe. |
| 27:87 | | And on the Day that the Trumpet is blown, all those in the Heavens and the Earth will be terrified except those whom Allah pleases to protect; each of them shall come to Him, humbly. |
| 27:88 | | And you will see the mountains, which you thought were fixed, floating like clouds. This is the handiwork of Allah, Who has perfected everything. He is fully aware of what you do. |
| 27:89 | | Whoever brings good deeds with him, shall receive even better in return; and they will be safe from the terror of that Day; |
| 27:90 | | but anyone who comes with evil deeds will be hurled face-down into the Fire and asked: “Have you not been rewarded for what you did? |
| 27:91 | | “I have been ordered to worship the Lord of this city, Who made it sacred, and all things belong to Him; and I have been ordered to be among the committed, |
| 27:92 | | who recite the Quran.” Thereafter, whoever is guided it is for his own benefit; and anyone who goes astray tell them: “I am a warner.” |
| 27:93 | | And say: “Praise be to Allah. He will show you His signs and you will recognise them. Your Lord is not unaware of what you do. |
