SURA XXVII (27) - THE ANT     (Mecca - 95 Verses)              (LXVIII - 174)  
 
       In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
 
       Ta. Sad.  These are the signs (verses) of the Koran and of the lucid
Book;
 
       Guidance and glad tidings to the believers who observe prayer and pay
the stated alms, and believe firmly - do they - in the life to come.
 
       As to those who believe not in the life to come, we have made their own
doings fair seeming to them, and they are bewildered therein.
 
       These are they whom the woe of chastisement awaiteth; and in the next
life they shall suffer - yes shall they - greatest loss;
 
       But thou hast certainly received the Koran from the Wise, the Knowing.
 
       Bear in mind when Moses said to his family, "I have perceived a fire;
 
       I will bring you tidings from it, or will bring you a blazing brand,
that ye may warm you."
 
       And when he came to it, he was called to, "Blessed, He who is in the
fire, and He who is about it; and glory be to God, the Lord of the worlds!
 
       O Moses! verily, I am God, the Mighty, the Wise!
 
27:10  Throw down now thy staff."  And when he saw that it moved itself as
though it were a serpent, he retreated backward and returned not.  "O Moses,
fear not; for the Sent Ones fear not in my presence,
 
       Save he who having done amiss shall afterwards exchange the evil for
good; for I am Forgiving, Merciful.
 
       Put now thy hand into thy bosom:  it shall come forth white, yet free
from hurt:  one of the nine signs to Pharaoh and his people; for a perverse
people are they."
 
       And when our signs were wrought in their very sight, they said, "This is
plain magic."
 
       And though in their souls they knew them to be true, yet in their
wickedness and pride they denied them.  But see what was the end of the corrupt
doers!
 
       And of old we gave knowledge to David and Solomon:  and they said,
"Praise be to God, who hath made us to excel many of his believing servants!"
 
       And in knowledge Solomon was David's heir.  And he said, "O men, we have
been taught the speech of birds, and are endued with everything.  This is
indeed a clear boon from God."
 
       And to Solomon were gathered his hosts of Djinn and men and birds, and
they were marched on in bands,
 
       Till they reached the Valley of Ants.  Said an ant, "O ye ants, enter
your dwellings, lest Solomon and his army crush you and know it not."
 
       Then smiled Solomon, laughing at her words, and he said, "Stir me up, O
Lord, to be thankful for thy favour which thou hast shewed upon me and upon my
parents, and to do righteousness that shall be well pleasing to thee, and bring
me in, by thy mercy, among thy servants the righteous."
 
27:20  And he reviewed the birds, and said, "How is it that I see not the
lapwing?  Is it one of the absent?
 
       Surely, with a severe chastisement will I chastise it, or I will
certainly slaughter it, unless it bring me a clear excuse."
 
       Nor tarried it long ere it came and said, "I have gained the knowledge
that thou knowest not, and with sure tidings have I come to thee from Saba:
 
       I found a woman reigning over them, gifted with everything, and she hath
a splendid throne;
 
       And I found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of God; and
Satan hath made their works fair seeming to them, so that he hath turned them
from the Way:  wherefore they are not guided,
 
       To the worship of God, who bringeth to light the secret things of heaven
and earth, and knoweth what men conceal and what they manifest:
 
       God! there is no god but He! the lord of the glorious throne!"
 
       He said, "We shall see whether thou hast spoken truth, or whether thou
art of them that lie.
 
       Go with this my letter and throw it down to them:  then turn away from
them and await their answer."
 
       She said, "O my nobles! an honourable letter hath been thrown down to
me:
 
27:30  It is from Solomon; and it is this:  'In the name of God, the
Compassionate, the Merciful!
 
       Set not up yourselves against me, but come to me submitting (Muslims).'"
 
       She said, "O my nobles, advise me in mine affair:  I decide it not
without your concurrence."
 
       They said, "We are endued with strength and are endued with mighty
valour.  - But to command is thine:  See therefore what thou wilt command us."
 
       She said, "Kings when they enter a city spoil it, and abase the
mightiest of its people:  and in like manner will these also do.
 
       But I will send to them with a gift, and await what my envoys bring
back."
 
       And when the messenger came to Solomon, he said, "Aid ye me with riches?
But what God hath given to me is better than what he hath given you:  yet ye
glory in your gifts:
 
       Return to them:  for we will surely come to them with forces which they
cannot withstand, and we will drive them from their land humbled and
contemptible."
 
       Said he, "O nobles, which of you will bring me her throne before they
come to me, submitting?:  (Muslims)."
 
       And Efreet of the Djinn said:  "I will bring it thee ere thou risest
from thy place:  I have power for this and am trust."
 
27:40   And one who had the knowledge of Scripture said, "I will bring it to
thee in the twinkling of an eye." And when he saw it set before him, he said,
'This is of the favour of my Lord, to try me whether I will be thankful or
unthankful.  And he who is thankful is thankful to his own behoof; and as for
him who is unthankful - truly my Lord is self-sufficient, bounteous!"
 
       Said he, "Make her throne so that she know it  not:  we shall see
whether she hath or hath not guidance."
 
       And when she came he said, "is thy throne like this?"  She said, "As
though it were the same."  "And we," said he, "have had knowledge given us
before her, and have been Muslims."{
 
       But the gods she had worshipped instead of God had led her astray:  for
she was of a people who believe not.
 
       It was said to her, "Enter the Palace:" and when she saw it, she thought
it a lake of water, and bared her legs.  He said, "It is a palace paved with
glass."
 
       She said, "O my Lord!  I have sinner against my own soul, and I resign
myself, with Solomon, to God the Lord of the Worlds."
 
       And of old we sent to Themoud their brother Saleh, with "Serve ye God:"
but lo! they became two sets of disputants wrangling with each other.
 
       He said, "O my people, why, if ye ask not pardon of God that ye may find
mercy, hasten ye on evil rather than good?"
 
       They said, "We augur ill concerning thee and those who are with thee."
He said, "The ills of which ye augur depend on God.  But ye a a people on your
trial."
 
       And there were in the city nine persons who committed excesses in the
land and did not that which is right.
 
27:50  They said, "Swear ye to one another by God that we will surely fall on
him and on his family by night:  then will we say to the avenger of blood, we
witnessed not the destruction of his family:  and verily we speak the truth."
 
       And they devised a device, and we devised a device, and they were not
aware  of it -
 
       And see what the was the end of their device!  We destroyed them and
their whole people:
 
       And for their sin these their houses are empty ruins:  Verily in this is
a sign to those who understand;
 
       And we delivered those who believed and feared.
 
       And Lot, when he said to his people, "What! proceed ye to such
filthiness with your eyes open?
 
       What! come ye with lust unto men rather than to women?  Surely ye are an
ignorant people."
 
       And the answer of his people was but to say, "Cast out the family of Lot
from your city:  they, forsooth, are men to purity!"
 
       So we rescued him and his family:  but as for his wife, we decreed her
to be of them that lingered:
 
       And we rained a rain upon them, and fatal was the rain to those who had
had their warning.
 
27:60  Say:  Praise be to God and peace by on His servants whom He hath
chosen!  Is God the more worthy or the gods they join with Him?
 
       Is not He who hath made the Heavens and the Earth, and hath sent down
rain to you from Heaven, by which we cause the luxuriant groves to spring up?
It is not in your power to cause its trees to spring up!  What!  A god with
God?  Yet they find equals for Him!
 
        Is not He, who hath set the earth so firm, and hath made rivers in its
midst, and hath placed mountains upon it, and put a barrier between the two
seas?  What! a god with God?  Yet the greater part of them have no knowledge!
 
        Is not He the more worthy who answereth the oppressed when they cry to

him, and taketh off their ills, and maketh you to succeed your sires on the
earth?  What! a god with God?  How few bear these things in mind!
 
       Is not He, who guideth you in the darkness of the land and of the sea,
and who sendeth forth the winds as the forerunners of His mercy?  What!  a god
with God?  Far from God be what ye join with Him!
 
       Is not He, who created a Being, then reneweth it, and who supplieth you
out of the Heaven and the Earth?  What! a god with God?  Say:  Bring forth your
proofs if you speak the truth.
 
       Say:  None either in the Heavens or in the Earth knoweth the unseen but
God.  And they know not
 
       When they shall be raised.
 
       - Yet they have attained to a knowledge of the life to come: - yet are
they in doubt about it: - yet are they blind about it!
 
       And the unbelievers say:  "When we and our fathers have been dead shall
we be taken forth?
 
27:70  Of old have we been promised this, we and our sires of old:  it is but
fables of the ancients."
 
       Say:  Go ye through the land, and see what hath been the end of the
wicked.
 
       And grieve not thou for them, nor be in distress at their devisings.
 
       And they say, "When will this promise be made good, if ye speak true?"
 
       Say:  Haply a part of what ye desire to be hastened may be close behind
you.
 
       And truly thy Lord is full of goodness towards men:  But most of them
are not thankful.
 
       And thy Lord knoweth well what their breasts enshroud, and what they
bring to light,
 
       And there is no secret thing in the Heaven or on the Earth, but it is in
the clear Book.
 
       Truly this Koran declareth to the children of Israel most things wherein
they disagree:
 
       And it is certainly guidance and a mercy to the faithful.
 
27:80  Verily, by his wisdom will thy Lord decide between them:  for He is the
Mighty, the KNowing.
 
       Put thou then thy trust in God:  for thou hast clear truth on thy side.
 
       Thou shalt not make the dead to hear; neither shalt thou make the deaf
to hear the call, when they turn away backward;
 
       Neither art thou the guide of the blind out of their errors:  none truly
shalt thou make to hear but those who believe our signs:  and they are Muslims.
 
       When the doom shall be ready to light upon them, we will cause a monster
to come forth to them out of the earth, and cry to them, "Verily men have not
firmly believed our signs."
 
       And on that day shall be gathered out of eery nation a company of those
who have gainsaid our signs, in separate bands;
 
       Till they come before God, who will say, "Treated ye my signs as
impostures, although ye embraced them not in your knowledge? or what is it that
ye were doing?
 
       And doom shall light upon them for their evil deeds, and nought shall
they have to plead.
 
       See they not that we have ordained the night that they may rest in it,
and the day with its gift of light?  Of a truth herein are signs to people who
believe.
 
       On that day there shall be a blast on the trumpet, and all that are in
the heavens, and all that are on the earth shall be terror-stricken, save him
whom God pleaseth to deliver; and all shall come to him in humble guise.
 
27:90  And thou shalt see the mountains, which thou thinkest so firm, pass
away with the passing of a cloud!  'Tis the work of God, who ordereth all
things!  of all that ye do is He well aware.
 
       To him who shall present himself with good works, shall be a reward
beyond their desert, and they shall be secure from the terror on that day;
 
       And they who shall present themselves with evil shall be flung downward
on their faces into the fire.  Shall ye be rewarded but as ye have wrought?
 
       Say:  Specially ma I commanded to worship the Lord of this land, which
He hath sanctified.  All things are His:  and I am commanded to be one of those
who surrender them to God (a Muslim)
 
       And to recite the Koran:  and whosoever is rightly guided, assuredly
will be rightly guided to his own behoof.
 
       And as to him who erreth, say, I truly am a warner only.  And say,
Praise be to God!  He will shew you His signs, and ye shall acknowledge them:
and of what ye do, thy Lord is not regardless.
 
