Surah An-Naml
This Surah, called An-Naml or The Ant, is named after verse 18, which describes the ants and Solomon (as). It contains 93 verses in total. The Surah was revealed in connection with different events and occasions. The phrase “bismillah-ir-rahman-ir-rahim” is repeated twice in the Surah, once at the beginning and once at the beginning of Solomon’s letter to Sheba, the Queen.
The four prophets Moses, Solomon, Salih, and Lut struggled against different tribes during their lifetimes. The most detailed account is Solomon’s struggle, which led to Sheba’s conversion to monotheism.
Some verses in this holy Surah refer to Solomon’s ability to communicate with birds and insects. For example, he spoke with the hoopoe and ants. Additionally, jinns attended his army and court. Finally, he was able to bring the throne of Sheba from Yemen to Syria in a short amount of time.
Number of Verses
Surah an-Naml has ninety-three verses, 1166 words, and 4795 letters. It is one of the Mathani and intermediate surahs, occupying less than one-half of a juz’ of the Qur’an. It is mustahabb (supererogatory) to prostrate when reciting verse 26 of Surah an-Naml. Surah an-Naml is the 13th sura of the 29 Muqatti’at suras, those opening with disjoined letters.
Surah Naml is unique in that it is one of the few surahs that contains two instances of “bism Allah al-Rahman al-Rahim.” This phrase appears once at the opening of the Surah and again at the beginning of Solomon’s letter to the Queen of Sheba (Bilqis) in verse 30.
Theme of Surah An-Naml
- Throughout history, Tauheed has been preached to all.
- It guides all believers.
- As a result of Allah’s creation, no partner is associated with Him. It is impossible to forgive a person who associates partners with Him. In this case, we are dealing with shirk.
- There is no knowledge greater than Allah’s, and no one can surpass Him in knowledge.
- There will never be forgiven for those who don’t believe in Allah.
- In this Surah, Allah warns humanity to accept Allah as their creator without delay. Otherwise, they will be punished on the Day of Judgment.
According to verse 18, wadin-naml is the name of the Surah, which tells the story of An-Naml (the Ant).
The story begins with Hazrat Musa (A.S.). Additionally, it describes the struggle among four divine prophets, namely, Hazrat Musa (A.S.), Hazrat Saleh (A.S.), Hazrat Lut (A.S.) and Hazrat Suleman (A.S.).
It mentions Hazrat Musa’s nine miracles, which he showed Toiron and his people, and Hazrat Suleman’s story with the Queen of Sheba. Moreover, this Surah tells the story of Hazrat Suleman (A.S) conversing with ants and birds. There is also a story about Jinns attending a battle.
There was no belief in the power of Allah’s creation when this Surah was revealed.
Period of Revelation
Both the subject matter and style are very similar to Surahs from the middle Makkan period (Makki Surah of Quran), which tradition also confirms. Ibn Abbas and Jabir bin Zaid say that the Surah Ash-Shuaraa came first, followed by the Surah Naml, and then Al-Qasas.
Benefits and Significance Surah An-Naml
This Surah takes its name from a conversation between ants and Hazrat Suleman (A.S), who understood the languages of animals.
- The Surah on deerskin has been said to protect a person from snakes. Therefore, anyone keeping the Surah in their home will not be threatened by snakes.
- Reciting this Surah will reward you ten times as many people as were present when Hazrat Suleman (A.S), Hazrat Lut (A.S), Hazrat Saalih (A.S), and Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S) recited it.
- According to another hadith, “he who recites the Tawasin suras on eves of Friday will be an ally of, will be under His grace and support, will not be miserable in this world, will be given Heaven in the afterlife until he is satisfied or even beyond his satisfaction, and will marry him to one hundred fair women with large eyes.” (Hur al-‘In).[32]
Wazifa for Marriage
- After each obligatory prayer, recite this Surah 41 times.
- Boys, girls, and their parents can do it.
- There is no set time limit for it. As a result, it can be done until one gets married.
- If a girl is on their period, she can skip it.
The Virtue of the Surah
A tradition started by Imam Sadiq (as) announces:
“Whoever recites the triple suras which begin with Ta Seen (Surah Ash-Shu’ara, An-Naml, and Qasas) in the night before Friday, he will be one of the friends of Allah and he will be nigh to Him and he will be involved in His Grace and support.”
(If he fulfills his religious duties sincerely.)
Conclusion
The Surah An-Naml was created to encourage people to join the religion of Islam. It outlines the benefits for those who accept it and the punishments for those who don’t. Those who choose to accept Islam will be rewarded, while those who want proof and don’t find it will not be given a second chance once they see the miracle.
Read more about Dua e Qunoot.
