Tafseer of The Ant · An-Naml · 27:18
Until, when they came upon the valley of the ants, an ant said, "O ants, enter your dwellings that you not be crushed by Solomon and his soldiers while they perceive not."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Allah, exalted be His mention, means by His word: حَتَّى إِذَا أَتَوْا عَلَى وَادِ النَّمْلِ — until Sulaymān and his armies came to the Valley of the Ants. قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَاأَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ ادْخُلُوا مَسَاكِنَكُمْ لا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَانُ وَجُنُودُهُ — He says: so that Sulaymān and his armies do not crush and kill you. وَهُمْ لا يَشْعُرُونَ — He says: while they do not know that they have crushed you.
Ibn Bashshār related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān and Yaḥyā related to us, they said: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, on the authority of a man called al-Ḥakam, on the authority of ʿAwf, concerning His word: قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَاأَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ — he said: the ants of Sulaymān ibn Dāwūd were as large as flies.
