Verse 27:42 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

38 قَالَ یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلۡمَلَؤُا۟ أَیُّكُمۡ یَأۡتِینِی بِعَرۡشِهَا قَبۡلَ أَن یَأۡتُونِی مُسۡلِمِینَ ۝٣٨ qāla yāayyuhā l-mala-u ayyukum yatīnī biʿarshihā qabla an yatūnī mus'limīn Then he said, ‘Counsellors, which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?’ 39 قَالَ عِفۡرِیتࣱ مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ أَنَا۠ ءَاتِیكَ بِهِۦ قَبۡلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِكَۖ وَإِنِّی عَلَیۡهِ لَقَوِیٌّ أَمِینࣱ ۝٣٩ qāla ʿif'rītun mina l-jini anā ātīka bihi qabla an taqūma min maqāmika wa-innī ʿalayhi laqawiyyun amīnu A powerful and crafty jinn replied, ‘I will bring it to you before you can even rise from your place. I am strong and trustworthy enough,’ 40 قَالَ ٱلَّذِی عِندَهُۥ عِلۡمࣱ مِّنَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ أَنَا۠ ءَاتِیكَ بِهِۦ قَبۡلَ أَن یَرۡتَدَّ إِلَیۡكَ طَرۡفُكَۚ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهُ مُسۡتَقِرًّا عِندَهُۥ قَالَ هَـٰذَا مِن فَضۡلِ رَبِّی لِیَبۡلُوَنِیۤ ءَأَشۡكُرُ أَمۡ أَكۡفُرُۖ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا یَشۡكُرُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّی غَنِیࣱّ كَرِیمࣱ ۝٤٠ qāla alladhī ʿindahu ʿil'mun mina l-kitābi anā ātīka bihi qabla an yartadda ilayka ṭarfuka falammā raāhu mus'taqirran ʿindahu qāla hādhā min faḍli rabbī liyabluwanī a-ashkuru am akfuru waman shakara fa-innamā yashkuru linafsihi waman kafara fa-inna rabbī ghaniyyun karīmu but one of them who had some knowledge of the Scripture said, ‘I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye.’ When Solomon saw it set before him, he said, ‘This is a favour from my Lord, to test whether I am grateful or not: if anyone is grateful, it is for his own good, if anyone is ungrateful, then my Lord is self-sufficient and most generous.’ 41 قَالَ نَكِّرُوا۟ لَهَا عَرۡشَهَا نَنظُرۡ أَتَهۡتَدِیۤ أَمۡ تَكُونُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِینَ لَا یَهۡتَدُونَ ۝٤١ qāla nakkirū lahā ʿarshahā nanẓur atahtadī am takūnu mina alladhīna lā yahtadūn Then he said, ‘Disguise her throne, and we shall see whether or not she recognizes it.’

42 فَلَمَّا جَاۤءَتۡ قِیلَ أَهَـٰكَذَا عَرۡشُكِۖ قَالَتۡ كَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَۚ وَأُوتِینَا ٱلۡعِلۡمَ مِن قَبۡلِهَا وَكُنَّا مُسۡلِمِینَ ۝٤٢ falammā jāat qīla ahākadhā ʿarshuki qālat ka-annahu huwa waūtīnā l-ʿil'ma min qablihā wakunnā mus'limīn When she arrived, she was asked, ‘Is this your throne?’ She replied, ‘It looks like it.’ [Solomon said], ‘We were given knowledge before her, and we devoted ourselves to God

43 وَصَدَّهَا مَا كَانَت تَّعۡبُدُ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّهَا كَانَتۡ مِن قَوۡمࣲ كَـٰفِرِینَ ۝٤٣ waṣaddahā mā kānat taʿbudu min dūni l-lahi innahā kānat min qawmin kāfirīn she was prevented by what she worshipped instead of God, for she came from a disbelieving people.’ 44 قِیلَ لَهَا ٱدۡخُلِی ٱلصَّرۡحَۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَتۡهُ حَسِبَتۡهُ لُجَّةࣰ وَكَشَفَتۡ عَن سَاقَیۡهَاۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ صَرۡحࣱ مُّمَرَّدࣱ مِّن قَوَارِیرَۗ قَالَتۡ رَبِّ إِنِّی ظَلَمۡتُ نَفۡسِی وَأَسۡلَمۡتُ مَعَ سُلَیۡمَـٰنَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِینَ ۝٤٤ qīla lahā ud'khulī l-ṣarḥa falammā ra-athu ḥasibathu lujjatan wakashafat ʿan sāqayhā qāla innahu ṣarḥun mumarradun min qawārīra qālat rabbi innī ẓalamtu nafsī wa-aslamtu maʿa sulaymāna lillahi rabbi l-ʿālamīn Then it was said to her, ‘Enter the hall,’ but when she saw it, she thought it was a deep pool of water, and bared her legs. Solomon explained, ‘It is just a hall paved with glass,’ and she said, ‘My Lord, I have wronged myself: I devote myself, with Solomon, to God, the Lord of the Worlds.’ 45 وَلَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَاۤ إِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمۡ صَـٰلِحًا أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ فَإِذَا هُمۡ فَرِیقَانِ یَخۡتَصِمُونَ ۝٤٥ walaqad arsalnā ilā thamūda akhāhum ṣāliḥan ani uʿ'budū l-laha fa-idhā hum farīqāni yakhtaṣimūn To the people of Thamud We sent their brother, Salih, saying, ‘Worship God alone,’ but they split into two rival factions 46 قَالَ یَـٰقَوۡمِ لِمَ تَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَ بِٱلسَّیِّئَةِ قَبۡلَ ٱلۡحَسَنَةِۖ لَوۡلَا تَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ ۝٤٦ qāla yāqawmi lima tastaʿjilūna bil-sayi-ati qabla l-ḥasanati lawlā tastaghfirūna l-laha laʿallakum tur'ḥamūn Salih said, ‘My people, why do you rush to bring [forward] what is bad rather than good? Why do you not ask forgiveness of God, so that you may be given mercy?’