Haqq Dawah Media Presents: Qalbin Saleem
AsSalaam Alkuim,
Today's episode is the English translation of Surah An Naml (The Ants).
Surah 27 tells stories of the prophets Musa (Moses), Sulayman (Solomon), Saleh, and Lut (Lot) to emphasize the message of tawhid (monotheism) in Arabian and Israelite prophets. The miracles of Moses, described in the Book of Exodus, are mentioned in opposition to the arrogance and kufr (disbelief) of the Pharaoh.[1]
The story of Solomon is most detailed: Solomon converted Queen Bilqis of Saba' (Sheba) to the "true religion" after a hoopoe reported to him that she was a sun-worshiping queen. This surah was likely revealed to address the role of the "Children of Israel" among the believers in Mecca, to emphasize and commend the piety of past prophets, and to distinguish the present Quranic message from past traditions.
Significance of title
The sura's name is taken from the ants whose conversations were understood by Solomon.[4] Similar to Sura 13 (The Thunder) or Sura 29 (The Spider), The Ants has no thematic significance in the Sura beyond it being a familiar phrase amongst believers, a reminder of the sura's story of Solomon.
Ants do hold a privileged status among animals in Islam on account of the story of Solomon. Hadith literature tells of Muhammad forbidding Muslims to kill the ant, bee, hoopoe, or shrike; it is no coincidence that they are all featured in Surah 27 and that Surah 16 is entitled The Bee.[5] One interpretation for the ant's theological significance coincides with its role historically. As written in the 1993 edition of the Encyclopedia of Islam, "Since early antiquity, ants have been an object of admiration on account of ... the feverish activity with which they provide for their 27th chapter (surah) of the Qur'an with 93 verses (ayat)sustenance and the perfect organisation of their societies." This perfect organization under one cause correlates well with the Islamic idea of obedience, or ibadah.
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Until next time,
Fe Aman Allah