سُوْرَةُ النَّمْلِ
Surah An-Naml (27) — Ayah 18
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَتَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ وَادِ ٱلنَّمْلِ قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّمْلُ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ مَسَـٰكِنَكُمْ لَا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَـٰنُ وَجُنُودُهُۥ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿18﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Till, when they came to the valley of the ants, one of the ants said: "O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Sulaimân (Solomon) and his hosts should crush you, while they perceive not."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
حَتَّىٰٓ
ḥattā
Until
إِذَآ
idhā
when
أَتَوْا۟
ataw
they came
عَلَىٰ
ʿalā
to
وَادِ
wādi
(the) valley
ٱلنَّمْلِ
l-namli
(of) the ants
قَالَتْ
qālat
said
نَمْلَةٌۭ
namlatun
an ant
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O
ٱلنَّمْلُ
l-namlu
ants
ٱدْخُلُوا۟
ud'khulū
Enter
مَسَـٰكِنَكُمْ
masākinakum
your dwellings
لَا
lā
lest not crush you
يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ
yaḥṭimannakum
lest not crush you
سُلَيْمَـٰنُ
sulaymānu
Sulaiman
وَجُنُودُهُۥ
wajunūduhu
and his hosts
وَهُمْ
wahum
while they
لَا
lā
(do) not perceive
يَشْعُرُونَ
yashʿurūna
(do) not perceive
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
18-1 From this, firstly, it is understood that animals also possess a certain type of consciousness, although it is much less and different from that of humans. Secondly, it shows that despite the greatness and virtue of Prophet Sulaiman (عليه السلام), he was not ‘Alim al-Ghaib (knower of the unseen). That is why the ants felt threatened that they might be trampled unknowingly. Thirdly, it shows that animals also benefited from and still hold this authentic belief that no one except Allah is ‘Alim al-Ghaib. This is further supported by the upcoming incident of the hoopoe. Fourthly, Prophet Sulaiman (عليه السلام) understood the languages of animals other than birds as well. This knowledge was granted to him by Allah as a miracle, just as the subjugation of jinn, etc., was a miraculous attribute.
