سُوْرَةُ النَّمْلِ
Surah An-Naml (27) — Ayah 40
قَالَ ٱلَّذِى عِندَهُۥ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَنَا۠ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبْلَ أَن يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ ۚ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهُ مُسْتَقِرًّا عِندَهُۥ قَالَ هَـٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّى لِيَبْلُوَنِىٓ ءَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ ۖ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّى غَنِىٌّ كَرِيمٌ ﴿40﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: "I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!" Then when he [Sulaimân (Solomon)] saw it placed before him, he said: "This is by the Grace of my Lord - to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And whoever is grateful, truly, his gratitude is for (the good of) his ownself; and whoever is ungrateful, (he is ungrateful only for the loss of his ownself). Certainly my Lord is Rich (Free of all needs), Bountiful."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَ
qāla
Said
ٱلَّذِى
alladhī
one who
عِندَهُۥ
ʿindahu
with him
عِلْمٌۭ
ʿil'mun
(was) knowledge
مِّنَ
mina
of
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
the Scripture
أَنَا۠
anā
I
ءَاتِيكَ
ātīka
will bring it to you
بِهِۦ
bihi
will bring it to you
قَبْلَ
qabla
before
أَن
an
[that]
يَرْتَدَّ
yartadda
returns
إِلَيْكَ
ilayka
to you
طَرْفُكَ ۚ
ṭarfuka
your glance
فَلَمَّا
falammā
Then when
رَءَاهُ
raāhu
he saw it
مُسْتَقِرًّا
mus'taqirran
placed
عِندَهُۥ
ʿindahu
before him
قَالَ
qāla
he said
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
This
مِن
min
(is) from
فَضْلِ
faḍli
(the) Favor
رَبِّى
rabbī
(of) my Lord
لِيَبْلُوَنِىٓ
liyabluwanī
to test me
ءَأَشْكُرُ
a-ashkuru
whether I am grateful
أَمْ
am
or
أَكْفُرُ ۖ
akfuru
I am ungrateful
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
شَكَرَ
shakara
(is) grateful
فَإِنَّمَا
fa-innamā
then only
يَشْكُرُ
yashkuru
he is grateful
لِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ
linafsihi
for his own soul
وَمَن
waman
And whoever
كَفَرَ
kafara
(is) ungrateful
فَإِنَّ
fa-inna
then indeed
رَبِّى
rabbī
my Lord
غَنِىٌّۭ
ghaniyyun
(is) Self-sufficient
كَرِيمٌۭ
karīmun
Noble
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.
40-1 Who was the person who said this? Which book was this? And what was the knowledge, by virtue of which this claim was made? There are different opinions of the commentators regarding these three matters; the complete reality of all three is known only to Allah Almighty. Here, from the words of the Noble Quran, what is understood is only this much: that he was a human being, who had knowledge of the Divine Book, and Allah Almighty, as a miracle and a sign, granted him the power to bring the throne in the blink of an eye. A Karamat (saintly miracle) and a Mu'jizah (prophetic miracle) are, by definition, such acts that are completely contrary to apparent causes and customary matters, and they manifest only by the power and will of Allah Almighty. Therefore, neither the personal strength is surprising, nor is there a need to trace the knowledge mentioned here, because this is merely an introduction of the person through whom this act was outwardly accomplished; otherwise, in reality, it is the will of Allah Almighty that is at work, which can do whatever it wills in the twinkling of an eye. Prophet Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) was also aware of this reality, so when he saw that the throne was present, he described it as the grace of my Lord.
