Surah An-Naml

لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُۥعَذَابًۭاشَدِيدًاأَوْلَأَا۟ذْبَحَنَّهُۥٓأَوْلَيَأْتِيَنِّىبِسُلْطَٰنٍۢمُّبِينٍۢ

[If so,] I will punish him most severely or will kill him unless he bring me a convincing excuse!”

فَمَكَثَغَيْرَبَعِيدٍۢفَقَالَأَحَطتُبِمَالَمْتُحِطْبِهِۦوَجِئْتُكَمِنسَبَإٍۭبِنَبَإٍۢيَقِينٍ

But [the hoopoe] tarried but a short while; and [when it came] it said: “I have encompassed [with my knowledge] something that thou hast never yet encompassed [with thine] - for I have come to thee from Sheba with a tiding sure!

إِنِّىوَجَدتُّٱمْرَأَةًۭتَمْلِكُهُمْوَأُوتِيَتْمِنكُلِّشَىْءٍۢوَلَهَاعَرْشٌعَظِيمٌۭ

“Behold, I found there a woman ruling over them; and she has been given [abundance] of all [good] things, and hers is a mighty throne,

وَجَدتُّهَاوَقَوْمَهَايَسْجُدُونَلِلشَّمْسِمِندُونِٱللَّهِوَزَيَّنَلَهُمُٱلشَّيْطَٰنُأَعْمَٰلَهُمْفَصَدَّهُمْعَنِٱلسَّبِيلِفَهُمْلَايَهْتَدُونَ

And I found her and her people adoring the sun instead of God; and Satan has made these doings of theirs seem goodly to them, and [thus] has barred them from the path [of God], so that they cannot find the right way:

أَلَّايَسْجُدُوا۟لِلَّهِٱلَّذِىيُخْرِجُٱلْخَبْءَفِىٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِوَٱلْأَرْضِوَيَعْلَمُمَاتُخْفُونَوَمَاتُعْلِنُونَ

[for they have come to believe] that they ought not to adore God [although it is He] who brings forth all that is hidden in the heavens and on earth, and knows all that you would conceal as well as all that you bring into the open:

ٱللَّهُلَآإِلَٰهَإِلَّاهُوَرَبُّٱلْعَرْشِٱلْعَظِيمِ

God, save whom there is no deity - the Sustainer, in awesome almightiness enthroned!”

قَالَسَنَنظُرُأَصَدَقْتَأَمْكُنتَمِنَٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ

Said [Solomon]: “We shall see whether thou hast told the truth or art one of the liars!

ٱذْهَببِّكِتَٰبِىهَٰذَافَأَلْقِهْإِلَيْهِمْثُمَّتَوَلَّعَنْهُمْفَٱنظُرْمَاذَايَرْجِعُونَ

Go with this my letter and convey it to them; and thereafter withdraw from them and see what [answer] they return.”

قَالَتْيَٰٓأَيُّهَاٱلْمَلَؤُا۟إِنِّىٓأُلْقِىَإِلَىَّكِتَٰبٌۭكَرِيمٌ

[When the Queen had read Solomon’s letter,] she said: “O you nobles! A truly distinguished letter has been conveyed unto me.

إِنَّهُۥمِنسُلَيْمَٰنَوَإِنَّهُۥبِسْمِٱللَّهِٱلرَّحْمَٰنِٱلرَّحِيمِ

Behold, it is from Solomon, and it says, ‘In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace:

أَلَّاتَعْلُوا۟عَلَىَّوَأْتُونِىمُسْلِمِينَ

[God says:] Exalt not yourselves against Me, but come unto Me in willing surrender!’”

قَالَتْيَٰٓأَيُّهَاٱلْمَلَؤُا۟أَفْتُونِىفِىٓأَمْرِىمَاكُنتُقَاطِعَةًأَمْرًاحَتَّىٰتَشْهَدُونِ

She added: “O you nobles! Give me your opinion on the problem with which I am now faced; I would never make a [weighty] decision unless you are present with me.”

قَالُوا۟نَحْنُأُو۟لُوا۟قُوَّةٍۢوَأُو۟لُوا۟بَأْسٍۢشَدِيدٍۢوَٱلْأَمْرُإِلَيْكِفَٱنظُرِىمَاذَاتَأْمُرِينَ

They answered: “We are endowed with power and with mighty prowess in war - but the command is thine; consider, then, what thou wouldst command.”

قَالَتْإِنَّٱلْمُلُوكَإِذَادَخَلُوا۟قَرْيَةًأَفْسَدُوهَاوَجَعَلُوٓا۟أَعِزَّةَأَهْلِهَآأَذِلَّةًۭوَكَذَٰلِكَيَفْعَلُونَ

Said she: “Verily, whenever kings enter a country they corrupt it, and turn the noblest of its people into the most abject. And this is the way they [always] behave?

وَإِنِّىمُرْسِلَةٌإِلَيْهِمبِهَدِيَّةٍۢفَنَاظِرَةٌۢبِمَيَرْجِعُٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ

Hence, behold, I am going to send a gift to those [people], and await whatever [answer] the envoys bring back.”

فَلَمَّاجَآءَسُلَيْمَٰنَقَالَأَتُمِدُّونَنِبِمَالٍۢفَمَآءَاتَىٰنِۦَٱللَّهُخَيْرٌۭمِّمَّآءَاتَىٰكُمبَلْأَنتُمبِهَدِيَّتِكُمْتَفْرَحُونَ

Now when [the Queen’s messenger] came unto Solomon, he said: “Do you people mean to add to my wealth? But that which God has given me is [so much] better than all that He has given you! Nay, it is [only such as] you that would rejoice in this gift of yours!

ٱرْجِعْإِلَيْهِمْفَلَنَأْتِيَنَّهُمبِجُنُودٍۢلَّاقِبَلَلَهُمبِهَاوَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُممِّنْهَآأَذِلَّةًۭوَهُمْصَٰغِرُونَ

“Go thou back unto them [that have sent thee]! For, [God says:] ‘We shall most certainly come upon them with forces which they will never be able to withstand, and shall most certainly cause them to be driven from that [land of theirs], despicable and humbled!’”

قَالَيَٰٓأَيُّهَاٱلْمَلَؤُا۟أَيُّكُمْيَأْتِينِىبِعَرْشِهَاقَبْلَأَنيَأْتُونِىمُسْلِمِينَ

[When Solomon learned that the Queen of Sheba was coming,] he said [to his council]: “O you nobles! Which of you can bring me her throne ere she and her followers come unto me in willing surrender to God?”

قَالَعِفْرِيتٌۭمِّنَٱلْجِنِّأَنَا۠ءَاتِيكَبِهِۦقَبْلَأَنتَقُومَمِنمَّقَامِكَوَإِنِّىعَلَيْهِلَقَوِىٌّأَمِينٌۭ

Said a bold one of the invisible beings [subject to Solomon]: “I shall bring it to thee ere thou rise from thy council-seat - for, behold, I am powerful enough to do it, [and] worthy of trust!”

قَالَٱلَّذِىعِندَهُۥعِلْمٌۭمِّنَٱلْكِتَٰبِأَنَا۠ءَاتِيكَبِهِۦقَبْلَأَنيَرْتَدَّإِلَيْكَطَرْفُكَفَلَمَّارَءَاهُمُسْتَقِرًّاعِندَهُۥقَالَهَٰذَامِنفَضْلِرَبِّىلِيَبْلُوَنِىٓءَأَشْكُرُأَمْأَكْفُرُوَمَنشَكَرَفَإِنَّمَايَشْكُرُلِنَفْسِهِۦوَمَنكَفَرَفَإِنَّرَبِّىغَنِىٌّۭكَرِيمٌۭ

Answered he who was illumined by revela­tion: “[Nay,] as for me - I shall bring it to thee ere the twinkling of thy eye ceases!” And when he saw it truly before him, he exclaimed: “This is [an outcome] of my Sustainer’s bounty, to test me as to whether I am grateful or ungrateful! However, he who is grateful [to God] is but grateful for his own good; and he who is ungrate­ful [should know that], verily, my Sustainer is self-sufficient, most generous in giving!”