سُوْرَةُ النَّمْلِ
Surah An-Naml (27) — Ayah 34
قَالَتْ إِنَّ ٱلْمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا۟ قَرْيَةً أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوٓا۟ أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَآ أَذِلَّةً ۖ وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ ﴿34﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
She said: "Verily kings, when they enter a town (country), they despoil it and make the most honourable amongst its people the lowest. And thus they do.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَتْ
qālat
She said
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱلْمُلُوكَ
l-mulūka
the kings
إِذَا
idhā
when
دَخَلُوا۟
dakhalū
they enter
قَرْيَةً
qaryatan
a town
أَفْسَدُوهَا
afsadūhā
they ruin it
وَجَعَلُوٓا۟
wajaʿalū
and make
أَعِزَّةَ
aʿizzata
(the) most honorable
أَهْلِهَآ
ahlihā
(of) its people
أَذِلَّةًۭ ۖ
adhillatan
(the) lowest
وَكَذَٰلِكَ
wakadhālika
And thus
يَفْعَلُونَ
yafʿalūna
they do
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.
(The queen) said, "When kings enter a city, they ruin it and disgrace [31] its honored people. That is what they are likely to do.
[31]
The Queen Informing Her Courtiers of Her Concerns:
From the manner of address in the letter, the Queen realized that Sulayman (peace be upon him) was not like ordinary rulers; rather, there was some extraordinary power behind him. She also understood that if she and her officials did not present themselves before Sulayman (peace be upon him) in obedience, then he would certainly march against them to subdue them. Sulayman (peace be upon him) could tolerate that these people abandon sun worship and come to the right path, and in that case, he would not interfere with them. However, he could not tolerate that, despite having means and resources, open polytheism and sun worship continued at a national level in his vicinity. Therefore, the Queen’s fears were not imaginary; she had correctly assessed that, firstly, Sulayman (peace be upon him) would certainly attack them if they disobeyed, and secondly, she had also realized that they did not have the strength to face Sulayman’s armies. Thus, warning her advisors of the consequences of disobedience or silence, she said that it often happens in the world that when a king conquers a country, the first thing he does is seize the economic resources of that country, rendering it impoverished and destitute. Then he crushes the leading people there, breaking their power so that they never again think of opposing him. In this way, he takes control of all the political, cultural, and economic resources of the conquered country, effectively ending its power and increasing his own. As a result, the dignitaries of the state are either put to death or forced to live in humiliation and disgrace. Looting and bloodshed become rampant, and sometimes cities are set on fire, and under normal circumstances, such outcomes are to be expected.
[31]
The Queen Informing Her Courtiers of Her Concerns:
From the manner of address in the letter, the Queen realized that Sulayman (peace be upon him) was not like ordinary rulers; rather, there was some extraordinary power behind him. She also understood that if she and her officials did not present themselves before Sulayman (peace be upon him) in obedience, then he would certainly march against them to subdue them. Sulayman (peace be upon him) could tolerate that these people abandon sun worship and come to the right path, and in that case, he would not interfere with them. However, he could not tolerate that, despite having means and resources, open polytheism and sun worship continued at a national level in his vicinity. Therefore, the Queen’s fears were not imaginary; she had correctly assessed that, firstly, Sulayman (peace be upon him) would certainly attack them if they disobeyed, and secondly, she had also realized that they did not have the strength to face Sulayman’s armies. Thus, warning her advisors of the consequences of disobedience or silence, she said that it often happens in the world that when a king conquers a country, the first thing he does is seize the economic resources of that country, rendering it impoverished and destitute. Then he crushes the leading people there, breaking their power so that they never again think of opposing him. In this way, he takes control of all the political, cultural, and economic resources of the conquered country, effectively ending its power and increasing his own. As a result, the dignitaries of the state are either put to death or forced to live in humiliation and disgrace. Looting and bloodshed become rampant, and sometimes cities are set on fire, and under normal circumstances, such outcomes are to be expected.
