An-Naml Explained

Name Of Surah:Al-Naml
Arabic Name:الْنَّمْل
Classification:Makkan
Meaning Of The Name:Ants
Sura Number:27
Number Of Verses:93
Juz' Number:19 to 20
Number Of Rukus:7
Number Of Sajdahs:1 (verse 26)
Harf-E-Mukatta'at:Ṭā Sīn طس
Previous Sura:Quran 26
Next Sura:Quran 28

An-Naml[1] (Arabic: النمل|’an-naml|lit=The Ant<ref>[[Sale, AlKoran]]</ref><ref>[[Gerrans, S]]</ref>) is the 27th chapter (sūrah) of the Qur'an with 93 verses (āyāt).

Regarding the timing and contextual background of the supposed revelation (asbāb al-nuzūl), it is an earlier "Meccan surah", which means it is believed to have been revealed in Mecca, rather than later in Medina.

Summary

Sura 27 tells stories of the prophets Musa (Moses), Sulayman (Solomon), Saleh, and Lot (Arabic Lūṭ) 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.[3]

The story of Solomon is most detailed: Solomon converted Bilqis, Queen of Saba' (the Queen of Sheba) to the "true religion" after a hoopoe reported to him that she was a sun-worshipping queen.[4] This sura 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 Qurʾānic message from traditions.[5]

Significance of title

The sura's name is taken from the ants whose conversations were understood by Solomon.[6] Similar to suras ar-Ra'd "the Thunder" or al-Ankabut "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 an-Naml and an-Nahl "the Bee".[7] One interpretation for the ant's theological significance coincides with its role historically. As written in the 1993 edition of the Encyclopaedia of Islam:

Main concepts

Chronology

Sura 27 is agreed to be a Meccan surah from the middle of the Meccan period. Tafsir al-Jalalayn notes that some exceptions exist: ayat 52-55 are from the Medinan period; aya 85 was revealed during the Hijra to Medina.[13]

Nöldeke's Chronology

Orientalist Theodor Nöldeke's chronology places Sura 27 as 68th out of 114. He places it amongst the 21 suras of the Second Meccan Period (See Muhammad in Mecca). (The Meccan period is estimated to be from 610 to 622 CE.) Nöldeke estimates an-Naml to be preceded by al-Isra' and followed by al-Kahf. All three suras use allusions to Judaism and the stories of Moses in particular.[14]

Egyptian Chronology

Standard Islamic Egyptian chronology places an-Naml as 48th out of 114. In this order, it comes before al-Qasas "the Story" and after ash-Shu'ara "the Poets", following its order in the standard 'Uthmanic Qur'an (see History of the Qur'an). Amongst all three suras and all suras numbered between 19 and 32, the account of revelation begins with "mysterious letters," the meaning of which is speculated among some and among others remains unknown; they are speculated to have been variant Arabic dialects. Sura 27 begins with the words "Ta Sin."[15] As evident in Tafsīr al-Jalālayn, these words are sometimes interpreted as mysteries of God – signs to believe.[16]

Structure

Sura 27, as a mid-Meccan Period sura, can be interpreted multiple ways in terms of structure. Thematically speaking, the sura progresses across several subjects:

  1. Declaration of Qur'an – (In Sura 27:1, the Qur'an refers to itself consciously as a scripture, meant to make all clear.)[17]
  2. Moses's Signs are ignored by the Pharaoh[18]
  3. Solomon realizes God's blessings and dedicates himself to God's service.[19]
  4. The Queen of Sheba deals well with Solomon and acts generously with him.[20]
  5. The Queen of Sheba, one from disbelievers, converts and devotes herself to tawhid.[21]
  6. The people of Thamud disregard the warnings of Salih; Lot is likewise rejected by his people. The disbelievers are thus destroyed for scheming.[22]
  7. Declaration of God's universality, omniscience, and omnipotence – The Sura's phrasing condemns forgetting God's omnipotence.
  8. Declaration of Abandonment of Disbelievers – Prophet is to wash his hands of them.[23]
  9. Foretelling of Judgement (see Islamic view of the Last Judgment) and Indication of Signs.[24]
  10. Reiteration of Qur'an's purpose as a Warning.[25]

Straight-forward interpretation

According to a chronological reading of the text, the Sura ends on a bold note of warning. This is a perfectly valid reading of the text. Tafsīr al-Jalālayn concurs with this reading, suggesting in reference to ayat 91-93 that the prophet's duty is only to warn; the powerful, imminent tone expressed supports the conclusion that the final point of the Sura is the focal point.

Ring structure

Another valid reading of the text uses ring structure (see Chiastic structure). Favored in prominent modern scholar of Qur'anic studies Carl Ernst's interpretations of certain middle to late Meccan period suras, it can be applied to Sura 27 as well.[26] In ring structure, the focal point of the piece is found in the center, surrounded front and back by parallel statements. (Such parallel statements could elaborate on one another, contrast each other, or affirm one another. Multiple interpretations exist.) One could interpret Sura 27 as follows:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Surah Al Naml . Quran 4 U. Ibn Kathir. Ibn Kathir. 6 February 2020 .
  2. Book: Wherry . Elwood Morris . Elwood Morris Wherry . A Complete Index to Sale's Text, Preliminary Discourse, and Notes . 1896 . Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co . London.
  3. Book: Exodus 7:8-13 (NRSV).
  4. Book: Haleem, M. A. S. Abdel. The Qur'an: Sura 27:15-44 . Oxford University Press. New York.
  5. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:76-93.
  6. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:18-19.
  7. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 16.
  8. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:76-77.
  9. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:59-64.
  10. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:80-82.
  11. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:83-85.
  12. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:92-93.
  13. Book: Tafsīr al-Jalālayn. Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought. Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī. Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī. Amman, Jordan. 441. 2007.
  14. Book: Ernst, Carl W.. How to Read the Qur'an: A New Guide, with Select Translations. 2011. University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill. 41–45.
  15. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:1.
  16. Book: Tafsīr al-Jalālayn. Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought. Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī. Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūṭī. Amman, Jordan. 429. 2007.
  17. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:1-6.
  18. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:7-14.
  19. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:15-19.
  20. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:20-35.
  21. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:36-44.
  22. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:45-58.
  23. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:65-85.
  24. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:86-90.
  25. Book: Haleem. Qur'an 27:91-93.
  26. Book: Ernst, Carl W.. How to Read the Qur'an: A New Guide, with Select Translations. 2011. University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill. 120–121.

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