Verse 27:20 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

16 وَوَرِثَ سُلَیۡمَـٰنُ دَاوُۥدَۖ وَقَالَ یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ عُلِّمۡنَا مَنطِقَ ٱلطَّیۡرِ وَأُوتِینَا مِن كُلِّ شَیۡءٍۖ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلۡفَضۡلُ ٱلۡمُبِینُ ۝١٦ wawaritha sulaymānu dāwūda waqāla yāayyuhā l-nāsu ʿullim'nā manṭiqa l-ṭayri waūtīnā min kulli shayin inna hādhā lahuwa l-faḍlu l-mubīn Solomon succeeded David. He said, ‘People, we have been taught the speech of birds, and we have been given a share of everything: this is a clearly a great favour.’ 17 وَحُشِرَ لِسُلَیۡمَـٰنَ جُنُودُهُۥ مِنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ وَٱلۡإِنسِ وَٱلطَّیۡرِ فَهُمۡ یُوزَعُونَ ۝١٧ waḥushira lisulaymāna junūduhu mina l-jini wal-insi wal-ṭayri fahum yūzaʿūn Solomon’s hosts of jinn, men, and birds were marshalled in ordered ranks before him 18 حَتَّىٰۤ إِذَاۤ أَتَوۡا۟ عَلَىٰ وَادِ ٱلنَّمۡلِ قَالَتۡ نَمۡلَةࣱ یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلنَّمۡلُ ٱدۡخُلُوا۟ مَسَـٰكِنَكُمۡ لَا یَحۡطِمَنَّكُمۡ سُلَیۡمَـٰنُ وَجُنُودُهُۥ وَهُمۡ لَا یَشۡعُرُونَ ۝١٨ ḥattā idhā ataw ʿalā wādi l-namli qālat namlatun yāayyuhā l-namlu ud'khulū masākinakum lā yaḥṭimannakum sulaymānu wajunūduhu wahum lā yashʿurūn and when they came to the Valley of the Ants, one ant said, ‘Ants! Go into your homes, in case Solomon and his hosts unwittingly crush you.’ 19 فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكࣰا مِّن قَوۡلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوۡزِعۡنِیۤ أَنۡ أَشۡكُرَ نِعۡمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِیۤ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَیَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَ ٰلِدَیَّ وَأَنۡ أَعۡمَلَ صَـٰلِحࣰا تَرۡضَىٰهُ وَأَدۡخِلۡنِی بِرَحۡمَتِكَ فِی عِبَادِكَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِینَ ۝١٩ fatabassama ḍāḥikan min qawlihā waqāla rabbi awziʿ'nī an ashkura niʿ'mataka allatī anʿamta ʿalayya waʿalā wālidayya wa-an aʿmala ṣāliḥan tarḍāhu wa-adkhil'nī biraḥmatika fī ʿibādika l-ṣāliḥīn Solomon smiled broadly at her words and said, ‘Lord, inspire me to be thankful for the blessings You have granted me and my parents, and to do good deeds that please You; admit me by Your grace into the ranks of Your righteous servants.’

20 وَتَفَقَّدَ ٱلطَّیۡرَ فَقَالَ مَا لِیَ لَاۤ أَرَى ٱلۡهُدۡهُدَ أَمۡ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡغَاۤىِٕبِینَ ۝٢٠ watafaqqada l-ṭayra faqāla mā liya lā arā l-hud'huda am kāna mina l-ghāibīn Solomon inspected the birds and said, ‘Why do I not see the hoopoe? Is he absent

21 لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُۥ عَذَابࣰا شَدِیدًا أَوۡ لَأَا۟ذۡبَحَنَّهُۥۤ أَوۡ لَیَأۡتِیَنِّی بِسُلۡطَـٰنࣲ مُّبِینࣲ ۝٢١ la-uʿadhibannahu ʿadhāban shadīdan aw laādh'baḥannahu aw layatiyannī bisul'ṭānin mubīni I will punish him severely, or kill him, unless he brings me a convincing excuse for his absence.’ 22 فَمَكَثَ غَیۡرَ بَعِیدࣲ فَقَالَ أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمۡ تُحِطۡ بِهِۦ وَجِئۡتُكَ مِن سَبَإِۭ بِنَبَإࣲ یَقِینٍ ۝٢٢ famakatha ghayra baʿīdin faqāla aḥaṭtu bimā lam tuḥiṭ bihi waji'tuka min saba-in binaba-in yaqīni But the hoopoe did not stay away long: he came and said, ‘I have learned something you did not know: I come to you from Sheba with firm news 23 إِنِّی وَجَدتُّ ٱمۡرَأَةࣰ تَمۡلِكُهُمۡ وَأُوتِیَتۡ مِن كُلِّ شَیۡءࣲ وَلَهَا عَرۡشٌ عَظِیمࣱ ۝٢٣ innī wajadttu im'ra-atan tamlikuhum waūtiyat min kulli shayin walahā ʿarshun ʿaẓīmu I found a woman ruling over the people, who has been given a share of everything- she has a magnificent throne 24 وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوۡمَهَا یَسۡجُدُونَ لِلشَّمۡسِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَزَیَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنُ أَعۡمَـٰلَهُمۡ فَصَدَّهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِیلِ فَهُمۡ لَا یَهۡتَدُونَ ۝٢٤ wajadttuhā waqawmahā yasjudūna lilshamsi min dūni l-lahi wazayyana lahumu l-shayṭānu aʿmālahum faṣaddahum ʿani l-sabīli fahum lā yahtadūn [but] I found that she and her people worshipped the sun instead of God. Satan has made their deeds seem alluring to them, and diverted them from the right path: they cannot find the right path