Surah An-Naml: Verses (15–19)

Verse 15: {And We certainly gave David knowledge...}

Regarding His saying, Exalted is He: {knowledge} (علماً), the intended meaning is a category of knowledge, or sublime knowledge (سنياً).

If one asks: Should this not be the position of the fa' (consequence particle) rather than the waw (conjunction particle), as in your saying: "I gave him, so he thanked" (أعطيته فشكر) and "I prevented him, so he was patient" (ومنعته فصبر)?

The answer is: Gratitude expressed by the tongue is only appropriate if preceded by the action of the heart, which is the resolve to perform obedience and abandon disobedience, and by the action of the limbs, which is engaging in acts of obedience. Since verbal gratitude must be preceded by both, it is as if He said: "And We certainly gave him knowledge, so he acted upon it in heart and limb, and he said with his tongue, 'Praise be to Allah who did such and such.'"

Verse 16: {And Solomon inherited David...}

Regarding His saying, Exalted is He: {And Solomon inherited David} (وورث سليمان داوود), there is a difference of opinion among scholars:

1. Al-Hasan said it refers to wealth, because prophethood is a fresh bestowal (عطية مبتدأة) and is not inherited.
2. Others said it refers to prophethood.
3. Others said it refers to kingship and political authority (الملك والسياسة).

If Al-Hasan had reflected, he would have known that when a son inherits wealth, it is also a fresh bestowal from Allah, the Exalted. This is why a son inherits if he is a believer, but not if he is an unbeliever or a murderer. However, Allah has made death the cause of inheritance for those who inherit, subject to certain conditions, which is not the case for prophethood, as death is not a cause for the son's prophethood. In this respect, they differ. This difference does not prevent the inheritance of prophethood from being described as such, due to what David embodied at the time of his death, just as a son inherits wealth due to what the father embodied at his death.

What clarifies our position is that if Allah had specified, "And Solomon inherited David's wealth," then His subsequent saying, {And he said, "O people, we have been taught the language of the birds"} (وقال يأبت أيها الناس علمنا منطق الطير), would lack meaning. But if we say he inherited his station of prophethood and kingship, this fits well, as teaching the language of the birds falls under what he inherited. Similarly, His saying: {And we have been given from everything} (وأوتينا من كل شىء) fits the heir of kingship who gathers all these things, whereas the heir of wealth does not gather them. His saying: {Indeed, this is the manifest bounty} (إن هاذا لهو الفضل المبين) is also fitting only for what we mentioned, not merely wealth, which can be attained by both the perfect and the deficient. Furthermore, the armies of Solomon mentioned by Allah after this suit only what we have mentioned. Thus, the view that he inherited only wealth is refuted by what we have stated.

However, if it is said that he inherited both wealth and kingship, this is not refuted by the arguments we mentioned, except by the apparent meaning of the Prophet's saying: "We, the company of Prophets, do not leave inheritance."

Verse 17: {And Solomon inherited David...} (Cont.)

Regarding His saying: {And He taught you, O people...} (This seems to be a misplaced reference in the source text, likely referring to the context of the preceding verses or the following one about the birds' language). The purpose here is to publicize Allah's favor and proclaim it, inviting people to believe in the miracle, which is the knowledge of the language of the birds.

The author of Al-Kashshaf said: Mantiq (speech/language) is everything that is vocalized, whether single words or connected phrases, whether meaningful or not. Ya'qub titled his book Islaah al-Mantiq (The Correction of Speech), and he only corrected the individual words. The Arabs say, "The dove cooed" (نطقت الحمامة), and every type of bird communicates its sounds. What Solomon, peace be upon him, was taught of the language of the birds is what they understand of each other's intentions and purposes.

Verse 18: {And We have been given from everything...}

Regarding His saying: {And We have been given from everything} (وأوتينا من كل شىء), the intended meaning is the vastness of what he was given. This is because "everything" (الكل) and "a great many" (البعض الكثير) share the attribute of abundance. This shared attribute allows for metaphorical usage, so the term "everything" is used for "a great many," similar to His saying: {And I have been given from everything} (An-Naml: 23).

Verse 19: {Indeed, this is the manifest bounty.}

Regarding His saying: {Indeed, this is the manifest bounty} (إن هاذا لهو الفضل المبين), this confirms His saying: {Praise be to Allah, who has favored us over many of His believing servants}. The purpose is gratitude and praise, as the Prophet (PBUH) said: "I am the master of the children of Adam, and there is no boast."

If one asks: How could he say {We have been taught... and We have been given...} (علمنا وأوتينا), as this is the speech of the arrogant?

The answer is twofold:

1. He intends himself and his father (David).
2. This nun (the plural marker) is called the nun of the obeyed singular, as he was a king obeyed. Furthermore, there may be benefits tied to magnifying the king, making such magnification obligatory.

Verse 20: {And Solomon was gathered for his troops...}

Regarding His saying: {And Solomon was gathered for his troops of the jinn and mankind and birds} (وحشر لسليمان جنوده من الجن والإنس والطير), Hashr (الحشر) means summoning and assembling from different places. The meaning is that Allah made all these categories his soldiers, which is only possible if they act according to his will. This is only possible with intellect that validates accountability, or they are like adolescents nearing the age of accountability. Therefore, we say that Allah granted the birds in his time a form of intellect, unlike the state of birds in our time, although some birds today are inspired by Allah with subtleties necessary for their needs or benefits for mankind, like bees.

Verse 21: {and they were kept in check.}

Regarding His saying: {and they were kept in check} (فهم يوزعون), this means they were restrained. This only happens if every group among them has a restrainer (وازع) who has authority over them to stop, hold back, and turn them away. The apparent meaning supports this extent, and what is mentioned in the reports—that those who advanced were prevented from marching ahead of their troops in an orderly manner—is not impossible.

Verse 22: {Until, when they came upon the valley of the ants...}

Regarding His saying: {Until, when they came upon the valley of the ants} (حتى إذا أتوا على وادى النمل), it is said that it was a valley in Sham (the Levant) abundant with ants.

Why is the verb ataw (أتوا) used with ala (على)? The answer is twofold:

1. Their arrival was from above, so the preposition of ascent (الاستعلاء) was used.
2. It means traversing the valley and reaching its end, from the saying, "He came upon the thing" (أتى على الشيء), meaning he exhausted it or reached its end. It is as if they intended to descend at the end of the valley.

It was also read as: {O ant, O ants} (نملة يأيها أيها النمل) with a dammah on the mim and dammah on the nun and mim. The original form was an-Naml (النمل) on the pattern of ar-Rajul (الرجل), but an-Naml (النمل) is the commonly used form as a simplification (like saying as-Saba' for as-Sabu').

Verse 23: {Said an ant...}

Regarding His saying: {Said an ant} (قالت نملة), this means she spoke those words, which is not far-fetched, as Allah is capable of creating intellect and speech in them.

It is narrated that Qatadah entered Kufa, and people gathered around him, saying, "Ask whatever you wish." Abu Hanifa, who was present as a young boy, said, "Ask him about Solomon's ant: was it male or female?" They asked him, and he was silenced. Then Abu Hanifa, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "It was female." They asked him how he knew. He replied, "From the Book of Allah, which is His saying: {Said an ant} (قالت نملة). If it were male, He would have said, 'Said an ant' (قال نملة). This is because an-Namlah (the ant) is like ad-Hamamah (the dove) or ash-Shaah (the sheep), where the term applies to both male and female, distinguished by a marker, like saying 'a male dove' or 'a female dove,' using the masculine or feminine pronoun."

Verse 24: {Enter your dwellings...}

Regarding His saying: {Enter your dwellings} (ادخلوا مساكنكم), know that since the ant approached the level of intellect, she was addressed with what the rational beings are addressed with. That is why He said: {Enter your dwellings}.

If you ask: What is the meaning of {lest Solomon and his soldiers crush you} (لا يحطمنكم)? I say it can be an answer to the command or a prohibition replacing the command. The meaning is: Do not remain where you are, lest Solomon crush you, following the pattern: "I shall not let you see me here."

This verse contains admonitions regarding several matters:

1. One who is passing by on the road is not obligated to be cautious; caution is only required for those who are in the path.
2. The ant said, {while they perceive not} (وهم لا يشعرون), as if she knew that the Prophet is infallible (معصوم) and would not kill these creatures except by mistake. This is a great indication of the necessity of affirming the infallibility of the Prophets, peace be upon them.
3. I read in some books that the ant commanded the others to enter because she feared for her people that upon seeing Solomon in his majesty, they might fall into ingratitude towards Allah's favor. This is the meaning of her saying, {lest Solomon and his soldiers crush you}—she commanded them to enter their dwellings so they would not see those favors and thus fall into ingratitude. This is an admonition that associating with worldly people is to be avoided.
4. It was read as {your dwelling} (مساكنكم) and {crush you} (لا يحطمنكم) with a lightened nun. It was also read as {crush you} (لا يحطمنكم) with an fathah and kasrah on the ta'. The original form was yahtamimunakum (يحطمنكم).

Verse 25: {So he smiled, laughing at her saying...}

Regarding His saying: {So he smiled, laughing at her saying} (فتبسم ضاحكا من قولها), this means he began to smile and proceeded to laugh, indicating that he had moved beyond mere smiling into laughter. He laughed for two reasons:

1. His admiration for what her speech indicated about the manifestation of mercy and compassion from her and her soldiers, and the prominence of his and their status in piety, which is evident in her saying, {while they perceive not}.
2. His joy over what Allah had granted him, which He had not granted anyone else—hearing the speech of the ant and grasping its meaning.

Verse 26: {My Lord, enable me...}

Regarding His saying: {My Lord, enable me} (رب أوزعنى), the author of Al-Kashshaf said: The reality of awzi'ni (أوزعنى) is: "Make me such that I express the gratitude for Your favor upon me and restrain it from departing from me, so that I may always be grateful to You." This indicates our position (of the Ash'arites/Sunnis), because according to the Mu'tazilites, every grace that could possibly be bestowed has already been bestowed, and asking for the attainment of something already present is futile.

Regarding His saying: {and upon my parents} (وعلى والدى), this is because he counted the favors of Allah upon his parents as a favor upon himself.

The meaning of His saying: {and to do righteous work that pleases You} (وأن أعمل صالحا ترضاه) is a request for assistance in gratitude and in righteous deeds. Then he said: {and admit me by Your mercy among Your righteous servants} (وأدخلنى برحمتك فى عبادك الصالحين). Since he asked for assistance in good deeds in this world, he asked to be included among the righteous in the Hereafter. His saying {by Your mercy} indicates that entering Paradise is by His mercy and grace, not by the servant's deserving action.

Know that Solomon, peace be upon him, first asked for what leads to the reward of the Hereafter, and then asked for the reward of the Hereafter itself.

The means to reward are two:

1. Thanking the preceding favor: {My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have conferred upon me} (رب أوزعنى أن أشكر نعمتك التى أنعمت على). Since the bestowal upon the fathers is a bestowal upon the sons (because the son's lineage to a noble father is a favor from Allah upon the son), he naturally engaged in thanking Allah's favors upon his fathers by saying: {and upon my parents} (وعلى والدى).
2. Engaging in all other types of service: {and to do righteous work that pleases You} (وأن أعمل صالحا ترضاه).

As for asking for the reward of the Hereafter, it is His saying: {and admit me by Your mercy among Your righteous servants} (وأدخلنى برحمتك فى عبادك الصالحين).

If one asks: The ranks of the Prophets are greater than the ranks of the Saints (الأولياء) and the righteous (الصالحين). What is the reason that Prophets ask to be included among the righteous? (Joseph said: {Cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous} (Yusuf: 101), and Solomon said: {admit me by Your mercy among Your righteous servants}).

The answer is: The perfect righteous person (الصالح الكامل) is one who does not disobey Allah nor even intends disobedience. This is a high station. And Allah knows best.

Verses 27–31: {And he inspected the birds...}

{And he inspected the birds and said, "What is with me that I do not see the hoopoe, or is he among the absent? I will surely punish him with severe punishment or slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear excuse." Then he remained not long before he said, "I have encompassed [in knowledge] what you have not encompassed, and I have brought you from Saba' with certain news. Indeed, I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given from everything, and she has a great throne. I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has adorned their deeds for them and diverted them from the way, so they are not guided."}

Regarding His saying: {And he inspected the birds} (وتفقد الطير), meaning he checked on them.

Regarding His saying: {What is with me that I do not see the hoopoe, or is he among the absent?} (فقال مالي لا أرى الهدهد أم كان من الغآئبين), meaning, why is he absent from my inspection?

Regarding His saying: {I will surely punish him with severe punishment or slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear excuse} (لأعذبنه عذابا شديدا أو لاذبحنه أو ليأتينى بسلطان مبين), this shows the gravity of the matter and the seriousness of the duty of oversight.

Regarding His saying: {Then he remained not long before he said, "I have encompassed [in knowledge] what you have not encompassed..."} (فمكث غير بعيد فقال أحطت بما لم تحط به), this indicates that the hoopoe returned quickly.

Regarding His saying: {and I have brought you from Saba' with certain news} (وجئتك من سبإ بنبإ يقين), this confirms the certainty of the news he brought.

Regarding His saying: {Indeed, I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given from everything, and she has a great throne} (إنى وجدت امرأة تملكهم وأوتيت من كل شىء ولها عرش عظيم), this describes the Queen of Sheba.

Regarding His saying: {I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has adorned their deeds for them and diverted them from the way, so they are not guided} (وجدتها وقومها يسجدون للشمس من دون الله وزين لهم الشيطان أعمالهم فصدهم عن السبيل فهم لا يهتدون), this explains the reason for their misguidance.