سُوْرَةُ النَّمْلِ
Surah An-Naml (27) — Ayah 19
فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًا مِّن قَوْلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِىٓ أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَىَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَـٰلِحًا تَرْضَىٰهُ وَأَدْخِلْنِى بِرَحْمَتِكَ فِى عِبَادِكَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ﴿19﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
So he [Sulaimân (Solomon)] smiled, amused at her speech and said: "My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favours which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among Your righteous slaves."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَتَبَسَّمَ
fatabassama
So he smiled
ضَاحِكًۭا
ḍāḥikan
laughing
مِّن
min
at
قَوْلِهَا
qawlihā
her speech
وَقَالَ
waqāla
and said
رَبِّ
rabbi
My Lord
أَوْزِعْنِىٓ
awziʿ'nī
Grant me (the) power
أَنْ
an
that
أَشْكُرَ
ashkura
I may thank You
نِعْمَتَكَ
niʿ'mataka
(for) Your Favor
ٱلَّتِىٓ
allatī
which
أَنْعَمْتَ
anʿamta
You have bestowed
عَلَىَّ
ʿalayya
on me
وَعَلَىٰ
waʿalā
and on
وَٰلِدَىَّ
wālidayya
my parents
وَأَنْ
wa-an
and that
أَعْمَلَ
aʿmala
I may do
صَـٰلِحًۭا
ṣāliḥan
righteous (deeds)
تَرْضَىٰهُ
tarḍāhu
that will please You
وَأَدْخِلْنِى
wa-adkhil'nī
And admit me
بِرَحْمَتِكَ
biraḥmatika
by Your Mercy
فِى
fī
among
عِبَادِكَ
ʿibādika
Your slaves
ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ
l-ṣāliḥīna
righteous
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
19. So Solomon smiled, amused at her words [21], and said, "My Lord, enable me [22] to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do righteous deeds that please You, and admit me by Your mercy among Your righteous servants."
[21]
The Ant’s Plea and Sayyiduna Sulaiman’sؑ Prayer for Rain:
He understood the words of the ant and, out of extreme joy and delight, smiled and expressed gratitude for this blessing of Allah. Then, raising his hands in supplication, he said: O Lord! Grant me the ability to be grateful for the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents. And in one narration, it is mentioned that once Hazrat Sulaimanؑ went out with the people to a field to perform the prayer for rain (Salat al-Istisqa). There he saw an ant lying on its back, raising its legs, and praying to Allah: O Allah! I am also Your creation. If You do not provide me with food and drink, how can I remain alive? Either give us food or cause us to die. Hazrat Sulaimanؑ, upon hearing the ant’s prayer, said to the people: Now return to your homes. An ant has fulfilled your need. Now, inshaAllah, it will rain. [دارقطنی بحوالہ مشکوۃ۔ کتاب الصلوٰۃ۔ باب الاستسقاء فصل ثالث]
[22]
The Literal Meaning of ﴿وَزَعَ﴾:
Here, the word ﴿أَوْزِعْنِي﴾ has been used. And the literal meaning of ﴿وَزَعَ﴾ is to stop or restrain. And ﴿وزع﴾ al-jaysh means to keep the army in orderly ranks. Hazrat Sulaimanؑ is praying that as much as You have showered blessings upon me and my parents, may my soul not become uncontrollable and unbridled and take the path of rebellion. As it often happens that the abundance of blessings from Allah corrupts the minds of most people. Keep me away from such people and such a mentality, and grant me the ability to be a grateful servant for these blessings and to do only those deeds which are pleasing to You.
The Interpretation of the Ant Speaking?
The rationalists have also displayed their intellectual prowess in the story of the Valley of the Ants. They say that the Valley of the Ants is the name of a settlement at a certain place, and Naml was the name of a tribe. Its members were also called Naml. Upon seeing Sulaiman’sؑ army, one Naml said this to another Naml. As much weight as this interpretation or distortion may carry, consider it in the context of these verses to see whether there appears to be any reasonableness in this interpretation.
[21]
The Ant’s Plea and Sayyiduna Sulaiman’sؑ Prayer for Rain:
He understood the words of the ant and, out of extreme joy and delight, smiled and expressed gratitude for this blessing of Allah. Then, raising his hands in supplication, he said: O Lord! Grant me the ability to be grateful for the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents. And in one narration, it is mentioned that once Hazrat Sulaimanؑ went out with the people to a field to perform the prayer for rain (Salat al-Istisqa). There he saw an ant lying on its back, raising its legs, and praying to Allah: O Allah! I am also Your creation. If You do not provide me with food and drink, how can I remain alive? Either give us food or cause us to die. Hazrat Sulaimanؑ, upon hearing the ant’s prayer, said to the people: Now return to your homes. An ant has fulfilled your need. Now, inshaAllah, it will rain. [دارقطنی بحوالہ مشکوۃ۔ کتاب الصلوٰۃ۔ باب الاستسقاء فصل ثالث]
[22]
The Literal Meaning of ﴿وَزَعَ﴾:
Here, the word ﴿أَوْزِعْنِي﴾ has been used. And the literal meaning of ﴿وَزَعَ﴾ is to stop or restrain. And ﴿وزع﴾ al-jaysh means to keep the army in orderly ranks. Hazrat Sulaimanؑ is praying that as much as You have showered blessings upon me and my parents, may my soul not become uncontrollable and unbridled and take the path of rebellion. As it often happens that the abundance of blessings from Allah corrupts the minds of most people. Keep me away from such people and such a mentality, and grant me the ability to be a grateful servant for these blessings and to do only those deeds which are pleasing to You.
The Interpretation of the Ant Speaking?
The rationalists have also displayed their intellectual prowess in the story of the Valley of the Ants. They say that the Valley of the Ants is the name of a settlement at a certain place, and Naml was the name of a tribe. Its members were also called Naml. Upon seeing Sulaiman’sؑ army, one Naml said this to another Naml. As much weight as this interpretation or distortion may carry, consider it in the context of these verses to see whether there appears to be any reasonableness in this interpretation.
