IZQ

027

The
Ant

By the Name

God

the Fount-of-All-Mercy
the Ever-Merciful

Ta Sin

those are
the Signs of
the Reading

and a Clear Book

a guide and good news
for those who believe

who make the Sala

and pay the Zaka

and have sure belief
in the life to come

those who do not believe
in the world to come

We have made what they do
seem good to them

they wander about blindly

those are the ones
for whom is waiting
an evil punishment

and they will be
the greatest losers
in the world to come

you receive
the Reading
from Hu

Hu is
All-Wise
All-Knowing

When Moses said
to his people

"I see a fire

I will bring you news of it

or I will bring you
a flaming branch

so that hopefully
you can warm yourselves"

but when he came upon it
he was called to

"Blessed is Hu

Hu is in the fire

and Hu is all around it

glory be to God

the Liege of
all the worlds

Moses

see

it is I

God

the All-Powerful
the All-Wise

throw down your staff"

and when he saw it
slithering like a snake
he turned around
and ran away
and did not turn back

"Moses

do not be afraid

the Messengers
are not afraid
when I am present

only those
who have done evil
then after evil
changed it to good

I am
Most-Forgiving
Ever-Merciful

place your hand
in next to your breast
and it will come out
shining pure white
but suffering no harm

just one of nine Signs
for Pharaoh and his people

because they are
a wicked people"

but when Our Signs
came for them to see
they said

"This is just
an obvious sorcery"

and they said that
they did not believe them

even though
they knew in themselves
that they did

in their wickedness
and pride
see how they ended up

those who spread sickness

and We gave knowledge
to David and Solomon
and they said

"Grateful praise
belongs to God

Hu has preferred us
over so many of
Hu's servants
who believe"

and Solomon was
the heir to David
and he said

"Humankind
we have been taught
the language of the birds

and we have been given
everything

this is most certainly
a clear favour"

and his troops
were gathered around
Solomon

jinn
humans
and birds

in orderly rows

until
when they came to
the valley of the ants
an ant said

"Ants

enter your homes

so that Solomon
and his troops
do not crush you
not noticing you"

but he smiled
laughing at its words
and said

"My Liege
keep me thankful
for Your blessing

with which You have
blessed me
and my father and mother

and make sure
that I do good
pleasing You

and let me enter
through Your mercy

to be amongst
those of Your servants
who do good"

and he inspected the birds
and said

"How is it
that I do not see
the hoopoe?

is it not here?

surely I will punish it
or kill it

unless it brings me
a clear excuse"

but it did not
stay away for long
and said

"I have understood
what you do not understand

and I have come
from Sheba to you
with certain news

I found a woman
ruling over them
who has been given
everything

and she owns
a mighty throne

I found her and her people
making Sajda to the sun
as opposed to God

Satan has made
what they do
seem good to them

and has kept them
from the Way
so they are not guided

so they do not
make Sajda to God

Hu brings out
what is hidden
in the heavens and the earth

and Hu knows
what you hide
and what you show

God

there is no god but Hu

the Liege of
the Mighty Throne"

he said

"Now we will see
if you have
spoken the truth

or if you are among
those that lie

take this letter of mine
and take it to them

then draw back from them
and see what they reply"

she said

"O Council

a noble letter
has been brought to me

it is from Solomon
saying

'By the Name

God

the Fount-of-All-Mercy
the Ever-Merciful

do not rise up against me

but come to me
surrendered'"

she said

"O Council

advise me
about this matter

I am not in the habit
of deciding things
until you give me
your advice"

they said

"We have great force
and military power

the decision rests with you
so consider
what you will command"

she said

"When kings enter a city
they spread sickness in it

and make the greatest
of those who live there
the lowest of the low

this is what they will do

now I will send them
a present

and see what
the messengers bring back"

but when they
came to Solomon
he said

"Would you try to
please me with wealth

when what
God has given me
is better than
what Hu has given you?

no

it is you that
takes pleasure
in your gift.

return to them

we will come to them
with troops
they cannot resist

and we shall
drive them out of there
made low and humble"

he said

"O Council

which of you
will bring me
her throne

before they come to me
surrendered?"

a demon of the jinn
said

"I will bring it to you
before you rise
from where you sit

I have the strength for it
and can be trusted"

but one who had
knowledge of the Book
said

"I will bring it to you
even before
your glance returns to you"

then when he saw it
settled before him
he said

"This is from
the favour of my Liege

to test me
as to whether I am
thankful or ungrateful

whoever gives thanks
gives thanks only for
their own soul's good

and whoever is
ungrateful

surely
my Liege is
Rich-beyond-Need
Generous"

he said

"Disguise her throne for her

and we shall see
if she is guided

or if she is one of those
who are not guided"

so when she came
it was said

"Is your throne like this?"

she said

"It seems the same"

he said

"We were given
the knowledge
before her

and we were
already surrendered"

but what she served
apart from God
kept her from it

she was from
a people who were
ungrateful

it was said to her

"Enter the hall"

but when she saw it
she thought it was
a pool of water

and she bared her legs

he said

"It is a hall
of smooth crystal"

she said

"My Liege

indeed I have
done wrong to my soul

and I surrender
with Solomon

to God

the Liege of
all the worlds"

and We sent to Thamood
their brother Salih
telling them to serve God

and straight away
they formed two groups
arguing one with another

he said

"O my people

why do you rush
to bring on evil
before good?

why do you not ask for
forgiveness from God?

hopefully
that way
you will find mercy"

they said

"We see you
and those with you
as a sign of bad luck"

he said

"Your sign of bad luck
is with God

you are only
a people facing a test"

now in the city
there were nine people

who spread sickness
in the land

and did not
put things right

they said

"Let us swear by God
to one another
that we will attack him
and his family
by night

then we will
tell his protector
that
we did not see
his family
being destroyed

and that we are
telling the truth

and they came up with
a plan

and We came up with
a plan
which they
did not know about

and see
what was the result
of their plan

We destroyed them
and their people
all together

those are their houses
all fallen down
because of
the evil that they did

surely in that is a Sign
for people who have
knowledge

and We rescued
those who believed

and were
Mindful of God

and when Lot said
to his people

"Do you behave
in a filthy way
with eyes wide open?

do you lust after men
instead of women?

you are a people
that are ignorant"

and the only answer
from his people was to say

"Drive the family of Lot
out of your city

they are people
who keep themselves clean"

but We rescued him
and his family

except his wife

We decided
that she should be
with those left behind

and We rained on them
a rain

and evil is the rain
of those that are warned

say

"Grateful praise
belongs to God

and peace be on
Hu's servants
chosen by Hu"

is God better
or what they
partner
with Hu?

Hu created
the heavens and the earth

and sent down for you
out of heaven
water

and with it
We made grow
gardens
full of beauty
and delight

you could never
make their trees grow

is there a god
besides
God?

no

but they are a people
who make others
equal to Hu

Hu made the earth
a fixed place

and set in it
rivers

and set for it
firm mountains

and set a barrier
between the two seas

is there a god
besides
God?

no

but most of them
have no knowledge

Hu answers
those feeling forced
when they call to Hu

and takes away
their distress

and sets you
as those who
will have the earth
placed in their care

is there a god
besides
God?

how little you remember

Hu guides you
in the shadows
of the land and the sea

and sets loose
the winds

carrying good news
before Hu's mercy

is there a god
besides
God?

God is Most High
above
any of their partner-gods

Hu begins
the creation

then brings it
back again

and provides for you
from heaven and earth

is there a god
besides
God?

say

"Bring your proof
if you are
telling the truth"

say

"No-one knows
the unseen
in the heavens and the earth

except God"

and they do not know
when they will be raised

no

their knowledge
stops short
of the life to come

no

they are not sure
about it

no

they are blind to it

those who are
ungrateful
say

"What
when we are dust

along with our families
from before us

will we really be
brought back to life?

we have been promised this

and our families
before us

this is nothing but
fairy tales

from the people
of long ago"

say

"Journey in the land

and see how
those who did evil
came to an end"

do not be sorry for them

and do not get upset about
the plots people make

they say

"When will this happen
if what you say is true?"

say

"It may be
that there is following

behind you

something
of what you are
wanting to hurry along"

surely your Liege
shows favour
to humankind

but most of them
are not thankful

surely your Liege
knows
what their hearts hide

and what they show

and nothing
is hidden
in heaven and earth

that is not in
a Clear Book

and this Reading
also speaks to
the Tribe of Israel

about
much upon which
they disagree

it is a guide

and a mercy

for those who
believe

surely your Liege
will decide between them
with Hu as Judge

Hu is
the All-Powerful
the All-Knowing

so put your trust
in God

you are on the path
of clear truth

you will not make
the dead
be able to hear

nor will you make
the deaf
hear the call

when they
turn their backs
and run away

you will not guide
the blind
out of their mistakes

nor will you
make anyone hear

except those who
believe in Our Signs
and surrender

when the Word
comes down upon them

We will bring for them
out of the earth

a beast
that will speak to them

telling how humankind
did not believe in
Our Signs

on the day when
We will gather

out of every nation

a troop of those
who said Our Signs were lies

ranked close together

until

when they are all come
Hu shall say

"Did you call My Signs lies

even though
you did not have
proper knowledge of them

or what were you doing?

and the Word
will come down upon them

because of
the evil things they did

and they will not speak

have they not seen
how We made the night
for them

to lie at rest in it

and the day
for seeing?

surely
in that is a Sign
for a people
who believe

on the day that
the Trumpet is blown

all will be filled with terror
in the heavens and the earth

except those
whom God wills

and every one
will come to Hu
humbled

and you will see
the mountains

that you thought were fixed

passing by like clouds

this is the work of
God

Hu has created everything
perfectly

Hu
is aware of
the things you do

whoever comes
with a good deed
shall have better than it

and they will be
safe from terror
on that day

and whoever comes
with an evil deed

their faces will be
pushed into
the Fire

"Are you being
paid back
for any more than
what you did?"

"I have only been ordered
to serve
the Liege of this land
which Hu has made holy

to Hu belongs everything

and I have been ordered
to be of those who
surrender

and to recite
the Reading"

so whoever is guided
is only guided
to their own gain

and for whoever
takes the wrong way
say

"I am nothing but
a warner"

and say

"Grateful praise
belongs to God

Hu will show you
Hu's Signs
and you will
recognise them

your Liege
does not
ignore
the things you do"

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