The Ant

Ta Sin. Those are the signs of the Koran and a Manifest Book,

a guidance, and good tidings unto the believers

who perform the prayer, and pay the alms, and have sure faith in the Hereafter.

Those who believe not in the Hereafter, We have decked out fair for them their works, and they wander blindly;

those are they whom an evil chastisement awaits, and they will be the greatest losers in the Hereafter.

Thou receivest the Koran from One All-wise, All-knowing.

When Moses said to his people 'I observe a fire, and will bring you news of it, or I will bring you a flaming brand, that haply you shall warm yourselves.'

So, when he came to it, he was called: 'Blessed is he who is in the fire, and he who is about it. Glory be to God, the Lord of all Being!

Moses, behold, it is I, God, the All-mighty, the All-wise.

Cast down thy staff.' And when he saw it quivering like a serpent he turned about, retreating, and turned not back. 'Moses, fear not; surely the Envoys do not fear in My presence,

save him who has done evil, then; after evil, has changed into good; All-forgiving am I, All-compassionate.

Thrust thy hand in thy bosom and it will come forth white without evil-among nine signs to Pharaoh and his people; they are an ungodly people.'

But when Our signs came to them visibly, they said, 'This is a manifest sorcery';

and they denied them, though their souls acknowledged them, wrongfully and out of pride. Behold, how was the end of the workers of corruption!

And We gave David and Solomon knowledge and they said, 'Praise belongs to God who has preferred us over many of His believing servants.'

And Solomon was David's heir, and he said, 'Men, we have been taught the speech of the birds, and we have been given of everything; surely this is indeed the manifest bounty.'

And his hosts were mustered to Solomon, jinn, men and birds, duly disposed;

till, when they came on the Valley of Ants, an ant said, 'Ants, enter your dwelling-places, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you, being unaware!'

But he smiled, laughing at its words, and he said, 'My Lord, dispose me that I may be thankful for Thy blessing wherewith Thou hast blessed me and my father and mother, and that I may do righteousness well-pleasing to Thee; and do Thou admit me, by Thy mercy, amongst Thy righteous servants.'

And he reviewed the birds; then he said, 'How is it with me, that I do not see the hoopoe? Or is he among the absent?

Assuredly I will chastise him with a terrible chastisement, or I will slaughter him, or he bring me a clear authority.'

But he tarried not long, and said, 'I have comprehended that which thou hast not comprehended, and I have come from Sheba to thee with a sure tiding.

I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given of everything, and she possesses a mighty throne.

I found her and her people prostrating to the sun, apart from God; Satan has decked out fair their deeds to them and he has barred them from the way, and therefore they are not guided,

so that they prostrate not themselves to God, who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and earth; and He knows what you conceal and what you publish.

God: there is no god but He, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.'

Said he, 'Now We will see whether thou hast spoken truly, or whether thou art amongst those that lie.

Take this letter of mine, and cast it unto them, then turn back from them and see what they shall return '

She said, 'O Council, see, a letter honourable has been cast unto me.

It is from Solomon, and it is "In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

Rise not up against me, but come to me in surrender." '

She said, 'O Council, pronounce to me concerning my affair; I am not used to decide an affair until you bear me witness.'

They said, 'We possess force and we possess great might. The affair rests with thee; so consider what thou wilt command.'

She said, 'Kings, when they enter a city, disorder it and make the mighty ones of its inhabitants abased. Even so they too will do.

Now I will send them a present, and see what the envoys bring back.'

But when he came to Solomon he said, 'What, would you succour me with wealth, and what God gave me is better than what He has given you? Nay, but instead you rejoice in your gift!

Return thou to them; we shall assuredly come against them with hosts they have not power to resist, and we shall expel them from there, abased and utterly humbled.'

He said, 'O Council, which one of you will bring me her throne, before they come to me in surrender?'

An efreet of the jinns said, 'I will bring it to thee, before thou risest from thy place; I have strength for it

and I am trusty.' Said he who possessed knowledge of the Book, 'I will bring it to thee, before ever thy glance returns to thee.' Then, when he saw it settled before him, he said, 'This is of my Lord's bounty that He may try me, whether I am thankful or ungrateful. Whosoever gives thanks gives thanks only for his own soul's good, and whosoever is ungrateful -- my Lord is surely All-sufficient, All-generous.'

He said, 'Disguise her throne for her, and we shall behold whether she is guided or if she is of those that are not guided.'

So, when she came, it was said, 'Is thy throne like this?' She said, 'It seems the same.' 'And we were given the knowledge before her, and we were in surrender,

but that she served, apart from God, barred her, for she was of a people of unbelievers.'

It was said to her, 'Enter the pavilion.' But when she saw it, she supposed it was a spreading water, and she bared her legs. He said, 'It is a pavilion smoothed of crystal. She said, 'My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, and I surrender with Solomon to God, the Lord of all Being.'

And We sent to Thamood their brother Salih: 'Serve you God!' And behold, they were two parties, that were disputing one with another.

He said, 'O my people, why do you seek to hasten evil before good? Why do you not ask forgiveness of God? Haply so you will find mercy.'

They said, 'We augur ill of thee and of those that are with thee.' He said, 'Your augury is with God; nay, but you are a people being proved.'

Now in the city there were nine persons who did corruption in the land, and put not things right;

they said, 'Swear you, one to another, by God, "We will attack him and his family by night, then we will tell his protector, We were not witnesses of the destruction of his family; and assuredly we are truthful men."'

And they devised a device, and We likewise devised a device, while they were not aware;

and behold, how was the end of their device! For We destroyed them and their people all together.

Those are their houses, all fallen down because of the evil they committed; surely in that is a sign for a people who have knowledge.

And We delivered those who believed and were godfearing.

And Lot, when he said to his people, 'What, do you commit indecency with your eyes open?

What, do you approach men lustfully instead of women? No, you are a people that are ignorant.'

And the only answer of his people was that they said, 'Expel the folk of Lot from your city; they are men that keep themselves clean!'

So We delivered him and his family, except his wife; We decreed she should be of those that tarried.

And We rained on them a rain; and evil indeed is the rain of them that are warned.

Say: 'Praise belongs to God, and peace be on His servants whom He has chosen.' What, is God better, or that they associate?

He who created the heavens and earth, and sent down for you out of heaven water; and We caused to grow therewith gardens full of loveliness whose trees you could never grow. Is there a god with God? Nay, but they are a people who assign to Him equals!

He who made the earth a fixed place and set amidst it rivers and appointed for it firm mountains and placed a partition between the two seas. Is there a god with God? Nay, but the most of them have no knowledge.

He who answers the constrained, when he calls unto Him, and removes the evil and appoints you to be successors in the earth. Is there a god with God? Little indeed do you remember.

He who guides you in the shadows of the land and the sea and looses the winds, bearing good tidings before His mercy. Is there a god with God? High exalted be God, above that which they associate!

Who originates creation, then brings it back again, and provides you out of heaven and earth. Is there a god with God? Say: 'Produce your proof, if you speak truly.'

Say: 'None knows the Unseen in the heavens and earth except God. And they are not aware when they shall be raised;

nay, but their knowledge fails as to the Hereafter; nay, they are in doubt of it; nay, they are blind to it.

The unbelievers say, 'What, when we are dust, and our fathers, shall we indeed be brought forth?

We have been promised this, and our fathers before; this is naught but the fairy-tales of the ancients.'

Say: 'Journey in the land, then behold how was the end of the sinners.'

Do not sorrow for them, nor be thou straitened for what they devise.

They say, 'When shall this promise come to pass, if you speak the truth?'

Say: 'It may be that riding behind you already is some part of that you seek to hasten on.

Surely thy Lord is bountiful to men; but most of them are not thankful.

Surely thy Lord knows what their hearts conceal, and what they publish.

And not a thing is there hidden in heaven and earth but it is in a Manifest Book.

Surely this Koran relates to the Children of Israel most of that concerning which they are at variance;

it is a guidance, and a mercy unto the believers.

Surely thy Lord will decide between them by His Judgment; He is the All-mighty, the All-knowing.

So put thy trust in God; thou art upon the manifest truth.

Thou shalt not make the dead to hear, neither shalt thou make the deaf to hear the call when they turn about, retreating.

Thou shalt not guide the blind out of their error neither shalt thou make any to hear, save such as believe in Our signs, and so surrender.

When the Word falls on them, We shall bring forth for them out of the earth a beast that shall speak unto them: 'Mankind had no faith in Our signs.'

Upon the day when We shall muster out of every nation a troop of those that cried lies to Our signs, duly disposed,

till, when they are come, He shall say, 'Did you cry lies to My signs, not comprehending them in knowledge, or what have you been doing?'

And the Word shall fall upon them because of the evil they committed, while they speak naught.

Have they not seen how We made the night for them, to repose in it, and the day, to see? Surely in that is a sign for a people who are believers.

On the day the Trumpet is blown, and terrified is whosoever is in the heavens and earth, excepting whom God wills, and every one shall come to Him, all utterly abject;

and thou shalt see the mountains, that thou supposest fixed, passing by like clouds -- God's handiwork, who has created everything very well. He is aware of the things you do.

Whosoever comes with a good deed, he shall have better than it; and they shall be secure from terror that day.

And whosoever comes with an evil deed, their faces shall be thrust into the Fire: 'Are you recompensed but for what you did?'

I have only been commanded to serve the Lord of this territory which He has made sacred; to Him belongs everything. And I have been commanded to be of those that surrender,

and to recite the Koran. So whosoever is guided, is only guided to his own gain; and whosoever goes astray, say: 'I am naught but a warner.

And say: 'Praise belongs to God. He shall show you His signs and you will recognise them. Thy Lord is not heedless of the things you do.'