Surah An-Naml English Translation & Transliteration

¹Ta Sin. These are the verses of the Quran, that is, of the Book that makes clear what is right and true.

²It is both a guide and good news for those who wish to believe,

³who perform the prayer as it should be performed, give the zakat, and believe in the Hereafter without any doubt.

⁴As for those who do not take the Hereafter into account, they strive to make their deeds look good, and so they keep floundering in bewilderment.

⁵These are the ones who will suffer a terrible punishment. And in the Hereafter, too, they are the ones who will suffer the greatest loss.

⁶There is no doubt that this Quran is being conveyed to you from the presence of the One whose every judgment is right and who knows all things.

⁷Recall when Moses said to his family: I have seen a fire over there; I will bring you some news from it, or a burning ember so that we may warm ourselves.

⁸When Moses reached it, a voice called out to him: "Blessed are those who are at the site of this fire and around it. Allah, the Lord of the worlds, is free of all imperfection and exalted."

⁹—O Moses, it is I—I am Allah, the Mighty, whose every judgment is right!

¹⁰Now put your staff down on the ground! When Moses saw his staff moving like a snake, he turned and fled without looking back. Allah said: "O Moses, do not be afraid! For in My presence the messengers are not seized by fear.

¹¹Moreover, toward anyone who has done wrong and so harmed himself, and then turns back in repentance from the evil he did, I am matchless in forgiveness and an infinite source of mercy."

¹²Now put your hand inside your garment; you will see it come out dazzling white, without any blemish. Go with nine miracles to Pharaoh and his people, for they are a people of transgressors who have strayed from the path.

¹³And indeed, when Our miracles were laid out clearly before their eyes, they said: "This is plain sorcery."

¹⁴In fact, although they were firmly convinced of them, they knowingly refused to believe, purely out of wrongdoing and arrogance. See, then, what the end of those who spread corruption was!

¹⁵We also gave David and Solomon knowledge/revelation. And they gave thanks, saying: —All praise belongs to Allah, who has favored us above many of His believing servants.

¹⁶And Solomon succeeded David. He said: "O people! We have been taught the speech of the birds, and we have been given knowledge in every field. This is truly a great favor from Allah."

¹⁷One day Solomon's army of jinn, humans, and birds was assembled, and it set out in orderly ranks.

¹⁸When the army came to a place called the Valley of the Ants, a female ant called out: —O ants, get into your nests at once, so that Solomon and his soldiers do not crush you without noticing!

¹⁹Solomon smiled at the ant's words and prayed: —My Lord! Enable me to give the blessings You have bestowed on me and on my mother and father their due and to be grateful, and always to do deeds that will please You; and by Your mercy, admit me among Your good servants!

²⁰Another day, while inspecting the birds, Solomon said: —Why do I not see the hoopoe? Or has it vanished again?

²¹Either it will come before me with a valid and convincing excuse, or I will punish it severely and slaughter it.

²²Before long the hoopoe arrived and said: —I have learned something you do not know, and I have brought you reliable news about the people of Sheba.

²³—I found a woman ruling over them there. She had been given everything a ruler needs, and she also had a magnificent throne.

²⁴But I saw that she and her people worshipped the sun, forsaking Allah. Satan has made their deeds look good to them; they have strayed from the path and have not found the right way again.

²⁵Why do they not prostrate to Allah, who brings to light everything hidden in the heavens and the earth, and who knows all that you conceal and all that you disclose?

²⁶Allah—there is no god but Him, and He is the sole possessor of the seat of absolute sovereignty.

²⁷Solomon said: —We shall see whether you are telling the truth or lying.

²⁸Take this letter of mine and deliver it to them; then withdraw a little from them and see what answer they give!

²⁹The queen said: "O chiefs, a very important letter has been delivered to me.

³⁰It is from Solomon, and it begins: 'In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate,' and

³¹it reads: 'Do not act arrogantly toward me, but come to me having submitted as Muslims.'"

³²The queen said: "O chiefs, give me your opinions on what I should do now. I make no final decision without consulting you."

³³The nobles said: "We are a strong and warlike nation; nevertheless, the command is yours. Consider carefully, and command whatever you decide."

³⁴The queen said: "It is a fact that when kings forcibly enter a country, they turn it upside down and reduce its nobles to humiliation and disgrace. That is what Solomon and his army will do too.

³⁵As for me, I will send them a gift and see what news the envoys bring back."

³⁶When the envoys came to Solomon with the gifts, Solomon said to their leader: —Are you offering me financial aid? What Allah has bestowed on me is better than what you have brought. It is you who rejoice in the gifts you bring.

³⁷—Now go back to your people and tell them that we are coming upon them with an army they cannot withstand, and that we will drive them out of their land, humiliated and disgraced.

³⁸Solomon said: "O chiefs, which of you can bring me that queen's throne before they come to us in submission?"

³⁹A highly capable one among the jinn said: "I will bring you her throne before you rise from your place, for I have the strength to bring it, and I am trustworthy."

⁴⁰Meanwhile, the one who had knowledge of the Book stood up and said: "I will bring it to you in the blink of an eye." When Solomon saw the throne set before him, he said: "This is a favor and a bounty from my Lord to me. He is testing me to see whether I will be grateful or ungrateful. The truth is that whoever is grateful is grateful only for his own good, but whoever is ungrateful, let him know well that my Lord has no need of his gratitude. He is most generous."

⁴¹Solomon said: "Alter her throne so that she cannot recognize it; let us see whether she will recognize it or not."

⁴²When the queen came into his presence, she was asked: "Was your throne like this?" She said: "It is as if this were it! Knowledge had reached us before this, and we decided to become Muslims."

⁴³But what she had worshipped besides Allah before had led her astray, for she belonged to a people living in disbelief.

⁴⁴She was told: "Please, enter the hall of the palace!" When she saw the crystal floor, she thought it was deep water and drew up her skirts. Solomon said: "The floor of this palace is made of crystal." The woman said: —My Lord, I have truly wronged and harmed myself by worshipping the sun. Now, together with Solomon, I have submitted unconditionally to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

⁴⁵To Thamud We sent their brother Salih as a messenger, saying, "Serve Allah alone." But they at once split into two quarreling factions.

⁴⁶Salih said: —O my people, when you could be living in goodness and happiness, why do you behave insolently, as if to say, "Let the punishment come upon us quickly"? Would it not be better to ask Allah for forgiveness so that you may receive His compassion and mercy?

⁴⁷They said: "You and those with you have brought an ill omen upon us." —Salih said: "What you call an ill omen is a law from Allah. In truth, you are being tested."

⁴⁸In that city there was a gang of nine men who kept spreading corruption in the land and left no peace or order.

⁴⁹Swearing by Allah, they said among themselves: —Let us make a sudden raid on Salih and his family by night and kill them; then we will say to his guardian/next of kin, who will seek justice for him, "We never witnessed the killing of your relatives; we are truly telling the truth."

⁵⁰Yes, they were laying a trap, but while they were unaware, We were undoing their trap.

⁵¹See, then, what the outcome of their trap was! We sank them, together with their whole people, into the depths of the earth.

⁵²These are the ruined houses of those who wronged and harmed themselves. Surely there is a lesson in the story of Salih for people who are aware.

⁵³In the end We saved those who believed, for they guarded themselves against rebellion.

⁵⁴We also sent Lot as a messenger. He used to say to them: —How can you commit this indecency while knowing full well that it is abhorrent?

⁵⁵And how can you leave women and have relations with men? Truly, you are an ignorant, disgraceful people.

⁵⁶His people's only reply was: —Drive the family of Lot out of your land; evidently they are such pure and virtuous people!

⁵⁷So We saved Lot and his family, except his wife, for We left her among those who stayed behind and perished.

⁵⁸We rained stones down upon them. How dreadful is the rain that falls on those who paid no heed to the warnings!

⁵⁹Say: —All praise belongs to Allah, and peace be upon His servants whom He has chosen. Is Allah superior, or what they associate with Him as partners?

⁶⁰Who is it that created the heavens and the earth, and, moreover, sends down water for you from the sky and with it brings into being gardens of magnificent beauty, of which you could not grow even a single tree? Is there another god alongside Allah? No, in fact they are a people who have strayed from the path.

⁶¹And who is it that made the earth fit for life, caused rivers to flow through it between the valleys, set firm mountains upon it, and placed a barrier between the two great bodies of water so that they do not mix? Is there another god alongside Allah? No, most of them do not know this truth.

⁶²And who is it that answers the prayer of one in distress when he calls on Him, removes his hardship, and makes you heirs of the earth? Is there another god alongside Allah? How little you reflect!

⁶³And who is it that guides you through the pitch darkness of land and sea, and sends the winds as bearers of good news ahead of His mercy? Is there another god alongside Allah? Allah is exalted far above whatever they associate with Him.

⁶⁴And who is it that originates creation and then constantly renews it, and provides for you from the sky and the earth? Is there another god alongside Allah? —Say to them: —Bring your proof, if you are truthful in your claim.

⁶⁵Say also: —No one in the heavens or on the earth knows the knowledge of the unseen except Allah. Moreover, they are not even aware of when they will be raised to life.

⁶⁶Yet all knowledge about the Hereafter has been laid before their understanding. But, as it turns out, they are in doubt about this too. No, in fact they turn blind to the Hereafter.

⁶⁷That is why the disbelievers who cover up that truth say: —When we and our forefathers have died and turned to dust, are we really to be raised to life again?

⁶⁸These threats made to us were made to our forefathers before us too. These are nothing but the legends of the ancients.

⁶⁹Say to them: —Travel through the land and see what became of those who made sin their second nature.

⁷⁰Even so, do not grieve for them, and do not be troubled by the traps they lay!

⁷¹And they even go so far as to say: —If you are telling the truth, when will this punishment you keep threatening us with come?

⁷²Say to them: —Perhaps part of that punishment you want hastened is already about to come down upon your heads!

⁷³Your Lord is surely most gracious to people even so, but most people do not appreciate this blessing or give thanks for it.

⁷⁴Yet your Lord knows very well what they hide within themselves and what they disclose.

⁷⁵For there is nothing hidden and mysterious in the heavens or on the earth that is not present in a clear book/law.

⁷⁶Surely this Quran explains to the Children of Israel, in the most accurate way, many of the matters over which they have fallen into disagreement.

⁷⁷For this Quran is a guide that shows the absolute truth, and a mercy for the believers who believe and trust.

⁷⁸Have no doubt that your Lord will carry out the judgment He has given concerning them. For He is possessed of supreme power and knows all things.

⁷⁹So rely and trust in Allah alone! For you stand upon a truth/the Quran whose rightness is clear and certain.

⁸⁰It is also a fact that you cannot make the dead hear, nor can you make the deaf hear when they turn their backs on this call.

⁸¹Nor can you turn those who close their eyes to the truths and so become blind away from the path they have strayed onto and bring them to the right path. You can make only the believers who believe and trust in Our verses hear this call; they are the ones who are Muslims.

⁸²When the word decreed against them comes true, We will bring forth from the earth a living creature that will speak to them, telling them that people did not believe wholeheartedly in Our verses.

⁸³And on that Day of Gathering, We will gather from every ummah, group by group, those who clung to lies in the face of Our verses, and bring them together; and they will be driven to the place of reckoning.

⁸⁴When all of them have come before Him, Allah will say to them: —Did you cling to lies in the face of My verses without reflecting on them with knowledge and grasping them? If not, what was it that you were doing?

⁸⁵Because they clung to lies in the face of Our verses, the word of punishment concerning them is fulfilled; they are struck dumb and cannot utter a single word.

⁸⁶Have they not seen that We made the night dark so that they may rest, and the day bright so that they may work and earn? Surely there are many signs in this for a people who would believe.

⁸⁷On that day the Trumpet (Sur) will be blown, and everyone in the heavens and on the earth, except those Allah wills, will be seized with terror, and on that day they will all come before Him with heads bowed.

⁸⁸Those mountains you see and think will never move from their place—on that day they will drift away as the clouds drift. This is the handiwork of Allah, who binds everything to a perfect order. For He is aware of all that you do.

⁸⁹Whoever comes into the divine presence with goodness will have there more than he deserves, and they will be safe from the terror and fear of that day.

⁹⁰And whoever comes into the divine presence with evil deeds—they will be flung face down into the Fire, and they will be told: "Did you expect any recompense other than what you did?"

⁹¹Say: —I have been commanded only to serve Allah, the Lord of this city which He has made inviolable—for everything belongs to Him—and I have been commanded to be among those who submit to Him unconditionally as Muslims,

⁹²and to recite the Quran and make it heard. So whoever listens to the Quran and turns to the right path does so only for his own good. And whoever strays from this path, say to him: —I am only a warner.

⁹³And say: —All praise belongs to Allah. The day will come when He will show you His verses/signs, and you will recognize them at once. And your Lord is never indifferent to what you do.