Surah Naml
Contents
T.S.: These are signs of the Recital, a clarifying Book, [27:1]
guidance and good news for the believers, [27:2]
those who pray regularly, and give alms, and who are sure of the hereafter. [27:3]
As for those who do not believe in the hereafter, We have made their doings seem fair to them, so they rove astray. [27:4]
Those are the ones for whom there will be the worst torment, as they will be the biggest losers in the hereafter. [27:5]
As for you, the Recital has been dispensed to you from the source of wisdom and knowledge. [27:6]
Remember how Moses said to his family, “I perceive a fire; I will bring you some information from it, or I will bring you a flaming firebrand, so you may get warm.” [27:7]
But when he reached the fire, a call rang out, “Blessed the one by the fire, and those around it. And glory be to God, Lord of the universe. [27:8]
“Moses, it is I, God, the Almighty, the Wise: [27:9]
“Now toss your staff.” And when he saw it wriggling as if it were a serpent, he retreated and didn’t come back. “Moses, do not fear, for the messengers have no fear of Me; [27:10]
“while if those who do wrong will replace bad with good, then I am very forgiving, most merciful. [27:11]
“Now put your hand to your chest, and it will come out white though undiseased. These are among nine signs to Pharaoh and his people, for they are immoral people.” [27:12]
But when Our signs came to them to make them see, they said, “This is obvious witchcraft!” [27:13]
And they rejected them, ignorantly and arrogantly, though their souls were certain of them; so see how the immoral ended up. [27:14]
We gave knowledge to David and Solomon too, and they said, “Praise be to God, who favored us over many faithful worshippers.” [27:15]
Now Solomon succeeded David; he said, “People, we have been taught the speech of the birds, and we have been given all things; surely this is evident favor.” [27:16]
And his troops were marshaled for Solomon—sprites, men, and birds— in orderly ranks, [27:17]
until when they came upon a valley of ants, an ant said, “Ants, go into your nests; don’t let Solomon and his troops crush you unawares.” [27:18]
Now he smiled, laughing at its speech, and he said, “My Lord, keep me grateful for your grace, which you have conferred on me and my parents, and keep me acting with integrity pleasing to You, and include me by Your mercy as one of Your righteous servants.” [27:19]
Then he reviewed the birds and said, “Why don’t I see the hoopoe? Is it an absentee? [27:20]
“I will punish it with a severe penalty, or I will cut its throat, unless it brings me clear legitimization.” [27:21]
Now it was staying not far away. It said, “I have become acquainted with what you have not; and I have come to you from Sheba with certain information. [27:22]
“There I found a woman ruling them; she is supplied with everything, and has a magnificent throne. [27:23]
“I found her and her people bowing to the sun instead of God; and Satan makes their actions seem pleasing to them, thus blocking them from the path, so they do not accept guidance. [27:24]
“So they do not bow to God, who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal. [27:25]
“There is no deity but God, Lord of the exalted Throne.” [27:26]
[Solomon] said, “We will see if you are telling the truth, or if you are a liar. [27:27]
“Go with this letter of mine; present it to them, then withdraw from them and see how they respond.” [27:28]
[The queen of Sheba] said, “O chiefs, I have been presented with a gracious letter. [27:29]
“It is from Solomon, and it says, ‘In the name of God, the Benevolent, the Merciful: [27:30]
31“‘Don’t rise against me, but come to me submissive.’” [27:31]
She said, “O chiefs, advise me in my business; I am not one to decide a matter unless you are present.” [27:32]
They said, “We have power, and are masters of violent force; but the command is up to you, so consider what you command.” [27:33]
She said, “When kings enter a state they despoil it and reduce its most powerful people to the most abject; that is what they do. [27:34]
“But as for me, I will send them a gift, and see what the ambassadors return with.” [27:35]
Now when they came to Solomon, he said, “Are you furnishing me with material wealth? But what God has given me is better than what God has given you. No, you are the ones who are delighted with your gift. [27:36]
“Go back to them, and be sure we will come upon them with armies they cannot counter; and we will expel them from there, humble and lowly.” [27:37]
He said to his chiefs, “Which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me submitting?” [27:38]
An imp among the sprites said, “I will bring it to you before you rise from your place; I am certainly strong enough for it, and reliable.” [27:39]
The one who had knowledge from scripture said, “I will bring it to you before you can blink your eye.” Then when he saw it set before him, he said, “This is from the grace of my Lord, to test me, whether I am grateful or ungrateful. But if anyone is grateful, his thanks are for his own good; and if anyone is ungrateful, still my Lord is independent, with inherent worth. ” [27:40]
He said, “Disguise her throne to her, and we will see if she is guided, or is one of those unguided.” [27:41]
Then when she arrived, she was asked, “Is that your throne?” She said, “It seems to be. But then we were given knowledge before this, and we have become acquiescent.” [27:42]
Yet what she had been worshipping instead of God inhibited her, for she was from an idolatrous people. [27:43]
She was told, “Enter the palace,” but when she saw it she thought it was a body of water, so she bared her legs. He said, “It is a palace faced with glass.” She said, “My Lord, I have wronged my own soul, but I submit with Solomon to God, Lord of the universe.” [27:44]
We also sent their brother Salih to the Thamud with the message, “Worship God,” but they split into two factions, disputing with each other. [27:45]
He said, “My people, why do you seek to hasten ill before good? Why don’t you seek forgiveness from God, that you may receive mercy?” [27:46]
They said, “We see you as an omen of ill, and those with you too.” He said, “The omen of ill for you is with God; yes, you are a people being tested.” [27:47]
Now there was a group of nine kinsmen in the city, causing trouble in the land and not making peace. [27:48]
They said, “Swear to each other by God that we will attack him and his family by night, then we will tell his heir that we did not witness the destruction of his family, insisting that we are being truthful.” [27:49]
But while they plotted, We plotted too, though they were unaware. [27:50]
Now see how their plot turned out: I destroyed them and their people altogether. [27:51]
And so their homes are empty on account of their wrongdoing; surely there is a sign in that for people who discern. [27:52]
But We saved those who believed and were conscientious. [27:53]
And Lot too: he said to his people, “What? You approach perversion with your eyes open? [27:54]
“Do you really lust after men instead of women? Then you are ignorant people!” [27:55]
But his people’s only reply was to say, “Expel the family of Lot from your town, for they are people who keep themselves clean.” [27:56]
So We rescued him and his family —except his wife, whom We fated to be among the laggards— [27:57]
while We rained a shower on them; and the shower was hard on those who’d been warned. [27:58]
Say, Praise be to God, and peace upon the servants God has chosen. Is God better, or what they associate with God? [27:59]
Or, who created the heavens and the earth, and rains water from the sky for you? With it We produce orchards full of beauty, whose trees you could not produce. Is there a deity besides God? No, but they are a deviant people. [27:60]
Or, who made the earth steady, and put rivers in its clefts, and set mountains on it, and placed a partition between the two seas? Is there a deity besides God? No, but most of them do not know. [27:61]
Or, who answers the cry of the one hard pressed, and removes adversity, and makes you heirs of the earth? Is there a deity besides God? You hardly pay attention. [27:62]
Or, who guides you in the darknesses of the land and the sea, and who sends the winds as heralds of divine mercy? Is there a deity besides God? God transcends any association that they attribute. [27:63]
Or, who initiates creation and then repeats it; and who provides you sustenance from the sky and the earth? Is there a deity besides God? Say, “Bring your proof, if you are being truthful.” [27:64]
Say, “No one in the heavens or earth knows the unseen except God; and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.” [27:65]
No, their knowledge ends at the hereafter; rather, they are in doubt about it; or rather, they are blind to it. [27:66]
Those who disbelieve say, “What? When we have become dust, and our ancestors too, will we indeed be brought forth? [27:67]
“We have in fact been promised this before, we and our ancestors— these are nothing but myths of the ancients.” [27:68]
Say, “Travel the earth and see how the sinners ended up.” [27:69]
But don’t grieve over them, and don’t be troubled by what they plot. [27:70]
They also say, “When is this promise, if you are being truthful?” [27:71]
Say, “It may be that some of what you are seeking to hasten is coming up right behind you.” [27:72]
Yet in fact your Lord is certainly gracious to humanity, even though most of them are not thankful. [27:73]
And in fact your Lord does know what their hearts conceal, and what they reveal. [27:74]
And there is no mystery in the sky and earth but is in an enlightening Book. [27:75]
As for this Recital, it tells the Children of Israel about most of what they differ on. [27:76]
And it is certainly guidance and mercy for the believers. [27:77]
Your Lord will decide between them by divine wisdom, being the Almighty, the Omniscient. [27:78]
So trust in God, for you will be based on evident truth: [27:79]
for you cannot cause the dead to hear, and you cannot make the deaf hear the call when they turn back; [27:80]
and you are not a guide for the blind out of their wanderings; the only ones you can make hear are those who believe in Our signs and who acquiesce. [27:81]
And when the testimony is confirmed against them, We will bring forth an animal from the earth for them that will speak to them, telling them that people were not certain of Our signs. [27:82]
One day We will gather from every people a group of those who repudiated Our signs, and they will be held in check [27:83]
until they arrive: “Did you repudiate My signs without comprehending them by knowledge; or what is it you were doing?” [27:84]
And the sentence will be passed on them for their wrongdoing, and they will have nothing to say. [27:85]
Don’t they see that We made the night for them to rest therein, and the day for visibility? Surely in that are signs for a people who believe. [27:86]
And the day the trumpet is blown, everyone in the skies and on earth will be terrified, except whoever God wills; and everyone will come to God humbled. [27:87]
You see the mountains and think them fixed, yet they pass away as the clouds pass, a design of God, who has arranged every thing: indeed, God knows whatever you do. [27:88]
Whoever does good deserves good from it; and they will be safe from fear on that day. [27:89]
And whoever does evil will be toppled into the fire: are you requited for anything but what you have done? [27:90]
I have only been directed to worship the Lord of this city, who has sanctified it, and to whom all things belong: and I have been directed to be acquiescent, [27:91]
and to read the Recital. And whoever accepts guidance only accepts guidance for the good of his own soul; but if anyone strays, then say, “I am only a warner.” [27:92]
And say, “Praise be to God, who will show you signs of the divine that you will recognize; and your Lord is not heedless of what you do.” [27:93]