Tafsir of An-Naml 27:24

If you ask: How did the hoopoe attain the knowledge of God, the obligation of prostrating to Him, and the ability to denounce their prostration to the sun, attributing it to Satan’s beautification?

I say: It is not far-fetched that God inspired him with this, just as He inspired him and other birds and animals with subtle knowledge that even the most intelligent of humans can barely grasp. Whoever wishes to verify this should consult the Book of Animals (Kitab al-Hayawan). This is especially true during the time of a Prophet to whom birds were subjected, whose speech he was taught, and which was made a miracle for him.

Regarding the recitation:

• Those who read with tashdid (stressing the lam in alla): They intend "He hindered them from the path" (fa-saddahum 'an al-sabil) so that they would not prostrate, thus omitting the preposition with an. It is also possible that la is an addition, meaning: "They are not guided to prostrate."
• Those who read with takhfif (lightening): It is ala (a particle of alerting) + la (negative). Ala is for alerting, and ya is a vocative particle whose addressee is omitted, as in the verse: "O, greet the abode of May..."
• In the codex of Abdullah (Ibn Mas'ud) and the reading of al-A'mash: It is hala.
• In the reading of Ubayy: "Will you not prostrate to God who brings forth the hidden (al-khab') in the heavens and the earth and knows what you conceal and what you reveal?"

Regarding al-khab' (the hidden): It is a verbal noun referring to plants, rain, and other things God has hidden from His unseen realms. It is also read as al-khab (lightening the hamza by omission) and al-khaba' (by changing it to a vowel), which is the reading of Ibn Mas'ud and Malik ibn Dinar.

Regarding the speaker: Some say the words "He who brings forth the hidden..." are spoken by the hoopoe; others say they are the words of the Lord of Might. The mention of bringing forth the hidden is a sign that it is the hoopoe’s speech, due to his expertise in locating water beneath the earth—a skill inspired by the One who brings forth the hidden. A person of insight, illuminated by the light of God, can perceive the characteristics of one specialized in a craft or science through their demeanor and speech. Hence the saying: "No servant performs a deed but that God casts upon him the mantle of his deed."

If you ask: Is the prostration of recitation (sajdat al-tilawah) obligatory in both readings or only one?

I say: It is obligatory in both. In one, it is a command to prostrate; in the other, it is a condemnation of the one who abandons it. Abu Hanifa and al-Shafi'i agreed that there are fourteen prostrations in the Quran. They differed only on the prostration in Surah Sad (Abu Hanifa considers it a prostration of recitation; al-Shafi'i, a prostration of gratitude). The view of al-Zajjaj, claiming obligation only in the light reading and not the stressed one, is not to be relied upon.

If you ask: Does the reciter pause differently between the two readings?

I say: Yes. If reading with takhfif, one pauses at "they are not guided," then begins with "Will you not prostrate?" Or, one may pause at "Ala ya" and then begin "prostrate." If reading with tashdid, one does not pause until "the Great Throne."

If you ask: How did the hoopoe equate the throne of Bilqis with the Throne of God in the description of "greatness"?

I say: There is a vast difference. Describing her throne as "great" is relative to the thrones of other kings of her kind. Describing God’s Throne as "Great" is relative to all that He created of the heavens and the earth. It is also read as al-'azim (in the nominative case).

[He said, "We will see whether you were truthful or whether you were of the liars. Take this letter of mine and deliver it to them, then turn away from them and see what they return with."]