The Ant · Surah 27

Ta. Sin. These are revelations of the Qur'an and a Scripture that maketh plain

A guidance and good tidings for believers

Who establish worship and pay the poor-due and are sure of the Hereafter

Lo! as for those who believe not in the Hereafter, We have made their works fairseeming unto them so that they are all astray

Those are they for whom is the worst of punishment, and in the Hereafter they will be the greatest losers

Lo! as for thee (Muhammad), thou verily receivest the Qur'an from the presence of One Wise, Aware

(Remember) when Moses said unto his household: Lo! I spy afar off a fire; I will bring you tidings thence, or bring to you a borrowed flame that ye may warm yourselves

But when he reached it, he was called, saying: Blessed is Whosoever is in the fire and Whosoever is round about it! And Glorified be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds

O Moses! Lo! it is I, Allah, the Mighty, the Wise

And throw down thy staff! But when he saw it writhing as it were a demon, he turned to flee headlong; (but it was said unto him): O Moses! Fear not! the emissaries fear not in My presence

Save him who hath done wrong and afterward hath changed evil for good. And lo! I am Forgiving, Merciful

And put thy hand into the bosom of thy robe, it will come forth white but unhurt. (This will be one) among nine tokens unto Pharaoh and his people Lo! they were ever evil-living folk

But when Our tokens came unto them, plain to see, they said: This is mere magic

And they denied them, though their souls acknowledged them, for spite and arrogance. Then see the nature of the consequence for the wrong-doers

And We verily gave knowledge unto David and Solomon, and they said: Praise be to Allah, Who hath preferred us above many of His believing slaves

And Solomon was David's heir. And he said: O mankind! Lo! we have been taught the language of birds, and have been given (abundance) of all things. This surely is evident favour

And there were gathered together unto Solomon his armies of the jinn and humankind, and of the birds, and they were set in battle order

Till, when they reached the Valley of the Ants, an ant exclaimed: O ants! Enter your dwellings lest Solomon and his armies crush you, unperceiving

And (Solomon) smiled, laughing at her speech, and said: My Lord, arouse me to be thankful for Thy favour wherewith Thou hast favoured me and my parents, and to do good that shall be pleasing unto Thee, and include me in (the number of) Thy righteous slaves

And he sought among the birds and said: How is it that I see not the hoopoe, or is he among the absent

I verily will punish him with hard punishment or I verily will slay him, or he verily shall bring me a plain excuse

But he was not long in coming, and he said: I have found out (a thing) that thou apprehendest not, and I come unto thee from Sheba with sure tidings

Lo! I found a woman ruling over them, and she hath been given (abundance) of all things, and hers is a mighty throne

I found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allah; and Satan maketh their works fairseeming unto them, and debarreth them from the way (of Truth), so that they go not aright

So that they worship not Allah, Who bringeth forth the hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knoweth what ye hide and what ye proclaim

Allah; there is no Allah save Him, the Lord of the Tremendous Throne

(Solomon) said: We shall see whether thou speakest truth or whether thou art of the liars

Go with this my letter and throw it down unto them; then turn away and see what (answer) they return

(The Queen of Sheba) said (when she received the letter): O chieftains! Lo! there hath been thrown unto me a noble letter

Lo! it is from Solomon, and lo! it is: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Exalt not yourselves against me, but come unto me as those who surrender

She said: O chieftains! Pronounce for me in my case. I decide no case till ye are present with me

They said: We are lords of might and lords of great prowess, but it is for thee to command; so consider what thou wilt command

She said: Lo! kings, when they enter a township, ruin it and make the honour of its people shame. Thus will they do

But lo! I am going to send a present unto them, and to see with what (answer) the messengers return

So when (the envoy) came unto Solomon, (the King) said: What! Would ye help me with wealth? But that which Allah hath given me is better than that which He hath given you. Nay it is ye (and not I) who exult in your gift

Return unto them. We verily shall come unto them with hosts that they cannot resist, and we shall drive them out from thence with shame, and they will be abased

He said: O chiefs! Which of you will bring me her throne before they come unto me, surrendering

A stalwart of the jinn said: I will bring it thee before thou canst rise from thy place. Lo! I verily am strong and trusty for such work

One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring it thee before thy gaze returneth unto thee. And when he saw it set in his presence, (Solomon) said: This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for (the good of) his own soul; and whosoever is ungrateful (is ungrateful only to his own soul's hurt). For lo! my Lord is Absolute in independence, Bountiful