Surah An-Naml, Ayah 41-60 — Word by Word
النمل
The Ant
Explanations are simplified from tafsirs by Ibn Kathir, Mufti Muhammad Shafi, and Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Spot an inaccuracy? Let us know.
qāla nakkirū lahā ʿarshahā nanẓur atahtadī am takūnu mina alladhīna lā yahtadūna
He said, "Disguise for her her throne; we will see whether she will be guided [to truth] or will be of those who is not guided."
falammā jāat qīla ahākadhā ʿarshuki qālat ka-annahu huwa waūtīnā l-ʿil'ma min qablihā wakunnā mus'limīna
So when she arrived, it was said [to her], "Is your throne like this?" She said, "[It is] as though it was it." [Solomon said], "And we were given knowledge before her, and we have been Muslims [in submission to Allāh].
waṣaddahā mā kānat taʿbudu min dūni l-lahi innahā kānat min qawmin kāfirīna
And that which she was worshipping other than Allāh had averted her [from submission to Him]. Indeed, she was from a disbelieving people."
qīla lahā ud'khulī l-ṣarḥa falammā ra-athu ḥasibathu lujjatan wakashafat ʿan sāqayhā qāla innahu ṣarḥun mumarradun min qawārīra qālat rabbi innī ẓalamtu nafsī wa-aslamtu maʿa sulaymāna lillahi rabbi l-ʿālamīna
She was told, "Enter the palace." But when she saw it, she thought it was a body of water and uncovered her shins [to wade through]. He said, "Indeed, it is a palace [whose floor is] made smooth with glass." She said, "My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, and I submit with Solomon to Allāh, Lord of the worlds."
walaqad arsalnā ilā thamūda akhāhum ṣāliḥan ani uʿ'budū l-laha fa-idhā hum farīqāni yakhtaṣimūna
And We had certainly sent to Thamūd their brother Ṣāliḥ, [saying], "Worship Allāh," and at once they were two parties conflicting.
qāla yāqawmi lima tastaʿjilūna bil-sayi-ati qabla l-ḥasanati lawlā tastaghfirūna l-laha laʿallakum tur'ḥamūna
He said, "O my people, why are you impatient for evil before [i.e., instead of] good? Why do you not seek forgiveness of Allāh that you may receive mercy?"
qālū iṭṭayyarnā bika wabiman maʿaka qāla ṭāirukum ʿinda l-lahi bal antum qawmun tuf'tanūna
They said, "We consider you a bad omen, you and those with you." He said, "Your omen [i.e., fate] is with Allāh. Rather, you are a people being tested."
wakāna fī l-madīnati tis'ʿatu rahṭin yuf'sidūna fī l-arḍi walā yuṣ'liḥūna
And there were in the city nine family heads causing corruption in the land and not amending [its affairs].
qālū taqāsamū bil-lahi lanubayyitannahu wa-ahlahu thumma lanaqūlanna liwaliyyihi mā shahid'nā mahlika ahlihi wa-innā laṣādiqūna
They said, "Take a mutual oath by Allāh that we will kill him by night, he and his family. Then we will say to his executor, 'We did not witness the destruction of his family, and indeed, we are truthful.'"
wamakarū makran wamakarnā makran wahum lā yashʿurūna
And they planned a plan, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not.
fa-unẓur kayfa kāna ʿāqibatu makrihim annā dammarnāhum waqawmahum ajmaʿīna
Then look how was the outcome of their plan - that We destroyed them and their people, all.
fatil'ka buyūtuhum khāwiyatan bimā ẓalamū inna fī dhālika laāyatan liqawmin yaʿlamūna
So those are their houses, desolate because of the wrong they had done. Indeed in that is a sign for people who know.
wa-anjaynā alladhīna āmanū wakānū yattaqūna
And We saved those who believed and used to fear Allāh.
walūṭan idh qāla liqawmihi atatūna l-fāḥishata wa-antum tub'ṣirūna
And [mention] Lot, when he said to his people, "Do you commit immorality while you are seeing?
a-innakum latatūna l-rijāla shahwatan min dūni l-nisāi bal antum qawmun tajhalūna
Do you indeed approach men with desire instead of women? Rather, you are a people behaving ignorantly."
famā kāna jawāba qawmihi illā an qālū akhrijū āla lūṭin min qaryatikum innahum unāsun yataṭahharūna
But the answer of his people was not except that they said, "Expel the family of Lot from your city. Indeed, they are people who keep themselves pure."
fa-anjaynāhu wa-ahlahu illā im'ra-atahu qaddarnāhā mina l-ghābirīna
So We saved him and his family, except for his wife; We destined her to be of those who remained behind.
wa-amṭarnā ʿalayhim maṭaran fasāa maṭaru l-mundharīna
And We rained upon them a rain [of stones], and evil was the rain of those who were warned.
quli l-ḥamdu lillahi wasalāmun ʿalā ʿibādihi alladhīna iṣ'ṭafā āllahu khayrun ammā yush'rikūna
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Praise be to Allāh, and peace upon His servants whom He has chosen. Is Allāh better or what they associate with Him?"
amman khalaqa l-samāwāti wal-arḍa wa-anzala lakum mina l-samāi māan fa-anbatnā bihi ḥadāiqa dhāta bahjatin mā kāna lakum an tunbitū shajarahā a-ilāhun maʿa l-lahi bal hum qawmun yaʿdilūna
[More precisely], is He [not best] who created the heavens and the earth and sent down for you rain from the sky, causing to grow thereby gardens of joyful beauty which you could not [otherwise] have grown the trees thereof? Is there a deity with Allāh? [No], but they are a people who ascribe equals [to Him].