| | Linda “iLHam” Barto rendition of Surah The Ant, The Ants(an-Naml)
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| 27:1 | | Ta. Seen. These are the verses of the Qur’an –a Book that clarifies. |
| 27:2 | | [It is] a guide and glad tidings for the believers. |
| 27:3 | | [The believers are] those who establish ritual prayers and give in required charity. They also have assurance of the hereafter. |
| 27:4 | | As for those who do not believe in the hereafter, We have made their deeds seem pleasing to their eyes. They wander about distracted. |
| 27:5 | | It is for them that there is a horrible punishment. In the hereafter, they will have the greatest loss. |
| 27:6 | | Truly, you receive the Qur’an from the presence of the Perfectly Wise, the All-knowing. |
| 27:7 | | Moses said to his family, “Verily, I have seen a fire [in the distance]. I will bring from it some information, or I will bring you a burning branch so you may warm yourselves.” |
| 27:8 | | When he came to (the fire), however, there was a voice: “Blessed is He who is in the fire and those around it. Glory to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds! |
| 27:9 | | “O Moses, truly I am Allah, the Victorious, the Perfectly Wise. |
| 27:10 | | “Now, throw your rod.” When (Moses) saw (the rod) moving like a snake, he ran away without looking back. “O Moses, fear not. Truly, My messengers have no fear in My presence. |
| 27:11 | | “The exception is any who have done wrong. If the sin is replaced by goodness, I am indeed Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. |
| 27:12 | | “Now put your hand into your bosom, and it will come out white without harm. [These are] among the nine signs for Pharaoh and his people. Truly, they are a rebellious people.” |
| 27:13 | | When Our evident signs came to them, they said, “This is obviously magic.” |
| 27:14 | | With sin and arrogance, they rejected them although their minds were convinced by them. See what was the end of those who acted sinfully. |
| 27:15 | | We gave knowledge to David and Solomon. They said, “Praise to Allah, who has shown us favor above many of His believing servants.” |
| 27:16 | | Solomon, David’s heir, said, “O People, we have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given benefit from all things. This is indeed a real blessing.” |
| 27:17 | | Assembled for Solomon were armies of spirit-beings and men and birds, readied to be mobilized. |
| 27:18 | | When they came to a valley of ants, one of the ants communicated, “All ants, retreat to your tunnels; otherwise, Solomon and his armies may unwittingly crush you.” |
| 27:19 | | (Solomon) [perceiving the ant’s communication] smiled, amused at its speech. He said, “O my Lord, inspire me to be always grateful for Your blessing, which You have bestowed on me and my parents. [Inspire me] to perform such righteous deeds as will please You. Admit me, by Your grace, to be among Your righteous servants.” |
| 27:20 | | He reviewed the birds and said, “Why do I not see the hoopoe? Is he among those absent? |
| 27:21 | | “I will certainly punish him severely or even kill him unless he brings me a good reason.” |
| 27:22 | | (The hoopoe) did not tarry long. He said, “I have learned something you have not known. I have come to you from Sheba with accurate news. |
| 27:23 | | “Indeed, I found a woman ruling over them. [She was] provided with everything, and she has a magnificent throne. |
| 27:24 | | “I found her and her people worshiping the sun instead of Allah. Satan has made their deeds seem pleasing to their eyes. He has kept them away from the path, so they receive no guidance. |
| 27:25 | | “[Satan made it] that they would not worship Allah who reveals what is hidden in the skies and Earth. [He] knows what you hide and what you reveal. |
| 27:26 | | Allah! No god is there except Him –Lord of the Supreme Throne.” |
| 27:27 | | (Solomon) said, “We will see whether you have told the truth or a lie. |
| 27:28 | | “Take this letter of mine and deliver it to them. Withdraw from them to see what answer they return.” |
| 27:29 | | (The queen) said, “Chiefs, a letter worthy of respect has been delivered to me. |
| 27:30 | | Indeed, it is from Solomon and says, ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. |
| 27:31 | | “Do not be arrogant towards me, but come to me in surrender.’” |
| 27:32 | | She said, “Chiefs, advise me in my situation. I have never decided any situation except in your presence.” |
| 27:33 | | They said, “We possess great strength and are mighty in warfare, but the decision is yours, so consider what you will command.” |
| 27:34 | | She said, “When kings enter a country, they indeed spoil it. They change the noblest of its people into the lowest class. That’s how they act. |
| 27:35 | | “I am indeed going to send them a gift. I’ll see with what my ambassadors return.” |
| 27:36 | | When (the ambassadors) came to Solomon, he said, “Are you providing me wealth? What Allah has given me is better than what He has given you. Nonsense! It is only you who rejoice in your gift. |
| 27:37 | | “Return with certainty that We will come to them with such forces that they will never be able to match. We will expel them from there as they are disgraced, and they will feel humiliated.” |
| 27:38 | | He said, “O Chiefs, which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission to Allah?” |
| 27:39 | | A chief among the spirit-beings said, “I will bring it to you before you rise from your council. Truly, I am powerful enough to do it and may be trusted.” |
| 27:40 | | One who had knowledge of the Book said, “I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye.” When (Solomon) saw it placed before him, he said, “This is by the grace of my Lord to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful. If someone is grateful, truly his/her gratitude is for his/her own soul. If anyone is ungrateful, truly, My Lord is the Independent One, the Most Generous. |
| 27:41 | | He said, “Change her throne so that she cannot recognize it. We will see whether she is guided or is among those who receive no guidance.” |
| 27:42 | | When she arrived, she was asked, “Is your throne like this?” She said, “It was just like this. Knowledge was given to us prior to this, and we have submitted to Allah.” |
| 27:43 | | He got her away from the worship of others besides Allah. She had truly been of a people that had no faith. |
| 27:44 | | She was asked to enter the palace. When she saw it, she thought it was a pool. She bared her legs [by lifting her dress for walking through water]. He said, “This is merely a palace paved smoothly with glass.” She said, “My Lord, I have indeed been wrong to myself. I do submit, along with Solomon, to the Lord of the Worlds.” |
| 27:45 | | We certainly sent to the Thamud their brother Salih. He said, “Worship Allah.” They became two sides arguing with each other. |
| 27:46 | | He said, “O my people, why do you want to hurry the evil in preference to the good? Why not ask Allah for forgiveness so you may receive mercy?” |
| 27:47 | | They said, “We consider you and those with you as a bad omen.” He said, “Your bad omen is with Allah. Yes, you are a people being tested.” |
| 27:48 | | In the city, nine gang members created havoc in the land and would not change. |
| 27:49 | | They said, “Swear a mutual oath by Allah that we will assault him and his people at night. Then we will tell his heir, ‘We were not present at the killing of his people, and we are positively telling the truth.’” |
| 27:50 | | They plotted a scheme, but We too planned even though they did not perceive it. |
| 27:51 | | See what became of their plot. We destroyed them and all their people. |
| 27:52 | | Their houses were left to ruin because they practiced sin. Truly, in this is a sign for people with knowledge. |
| 27:53 | | We saved those who believed and lived righteously. |
| 27:54 | | [Consider] Lot. He said to his people, “Do you commit shameful acts although you can see [that it is unnatural]? |
| 27:55 | | “Why would you [men] go to other men for sex rather than women? You are an ignorant people.” |
| 27:56 | | (Lot’s) people, however, gave no answer but this: They said, “Run the followers of Lot from your city. These are truly men who want to be clean and pure.” |
| 27:57 | | But We saved him and his family except for his wife. We destined her to be among those who stayed behind. |
| 27:58 | | We rained on them a shower [of brimstone]. The shower was horrid for those who were warned. |
| 27:59 | | Say, “Praise to Allah! Peace on His servants whom He has chosen! Which is better –Allah or the false gods with whom they associate?” |
| 27:60 | | Who has created the skies and Earth? Who sends down rain from the sky for you? With it, We cause growth of orchards of beauty and delight. It is not within your power to cause the growth of the trees in them. A god besides Allah? No, they are a people who ascribe equals. |
| 27:61 | | Who has made the earth firm on which to live? [Who has] made the rivers in its midst and set firm mountains on it? [Who has] made a separation between the two bodies of flowing water? A god besides Allah? No, but most of them do not know. |
| 27:62 | | Who responds to the distressed one when he/she calls upon Him? Who relieves his/her suffering and makes you inheritors of Earth? A god besides Allah? Little you heed [if you think that]. |
| 27:63 | | Who guides you through depths of darkness on land and sea? Who sends the winds as [heralds of] glad tidings ahead of His mercy [of rain]? A god besides Allah? Allah is far above whatever may be associated [with Him]. |
| 27:64 | | Who originates creation and then continues it? Who provides for you from the skies and Earth? A god besides Allah? Say, “Produce your evidence if you are telling the truth.” |
| 27:65 | | Say, “No one of Heaven or Earth, other than Allah, knows what is hidden, and neither can anyone else perceive when all shall be resurrected.” |
| 27:66 | | No, (the unbelievers) cannot comprehend the hereafter. In fact, they are in doubt and confusion and are unseeing. |
| 27:67 | | The unbelievers say, “What! When we and our ancestors become dust, shall we really be resurrected? |
| 27:68 | | “Sure, we and our forefathers were promised this before, but that was nothing but ancient folktales.” |
| 27:69 | | Say, “Travel about the earth and see what became of the guilty.” |
| 27:70 | | Do not grieve over them, however, or be upset over their plots. |
| 27:71 | | They say, “When will this promise [of the end times] happen, if it’s the truth?” |
| 27:72 | | Say, “Perhaps some of (the events) you [want to] hasten may already be in close pursuit of you.” |
| 27:73 | | Truly, your Lord is full of grace for humanity, although most people are ungrateful. |
| 27:74 | | Truly, your Lord knows all that their hearts conceal as well as all that they reveal. |
| 27:75 | | There is nothing of Heaven or Earth that is not neatly recorded. |
| 27:76 | | Truly, this Qur’an explains for the Children of Israel many things about which they are confused. |
| 27:77 | | It is certainly a guide and a mercy to those who believe. |
| 27:78 | | Truly, your Lord will decide among them by His decree. He is the Victorious, the All-knowing. |
| 27:79 | | So put your trust in Allah, for now you have found manifest truth. |
| 27:80 | | Truly, you cannot cause the [spiritually] dead to listen or cause the [spiritually] deaf to hear the call if they insist on retreating. |
| 27:81 | | You cannot be a guide to the unseeing to keep them from straying. Only those who believe in Our signs will listen, and they will bow in submission to Allah. |
| 27:82 | | When the Word is fulfilled against them, We shall bring forth for them from the earth a beast. He will be able to speak to them because humanity did not believe with assurance in Our signs. |
| 27:83 | | One day We shall congregate from all people a crowd of those who reject our verses, and they will be held in rows. |
| 27:84 | | They will arrive [before God]. (Allah) will say, “Did you reject My signs without comprehension, or what?” |
| 27:85 | | And the Word will be fulfilled against them because of their sin, and they will be unable to speak. |
| 27:86 | | Do they not see that We have designed the night for their rest and the day for light? Truly, in this alone are signs for any people who will believe. |
| 27:87 | | On the day that the trumpet will sound, those of Heaven and Earth will be smitten with terror. The exception is those whom Allah has exempted [through His salvation]. All shall come before Him, humiliated. |
| 27:88 | | You see the mountains and think that they are immoveable, but someday they will be gone, just as clouds dissipate by an act of Allah, who perfected everything. He is well aware of all that you do. |
| 27:89 | | If any people do good deeds, they will reap goodness. They will be secure from the terror of that day. |
| 27:90 | | If any people commit evil [without repentance], their faces will be thrown downward into the fire. Will you receive a reward other than what you have earned by your deeds? |
| 27:91 | | “I have been commanded to worship the Lord of this city. [He is] the One who made it sacred. To Him belong all things. I am commanded to be among those who bow in submission to Allah. |
| 27:92 | | “[I am also commanded] to recite the Qur’an.” If any people accept guidance, they do it for the good of their own souls. If any people stray, say, “I am only a warner.” |
| 27:93 | | Also say, “Praise to Allah! He will show you His signs so that you will know them. Your Lord does not ignore what you do.” |
