Surah An-Naml
Surah 27 · The Ant · 93 verses · meccan
The Ant — from the ant in verse 18 who warned her colony to get out of the way of Sulayman's army.
The story
A tiny ant saw a huge army coming and shouted to all the other ants to hide. Sulayman عليه السلام — a king who could understand animals — heard her and smiled. Then he thanked Allah, because even a king can learn from an ant.
How it unfolds
AYAH 7-14
Musa and the fire
The valley, the staff, the hand — and hearts that rejected the signs while being certain of them.
AYAH 15-19
Sulayman and the ant
A king who understands the ant's warning, smiles, and asks for gratitude rather than more power.
AYAH 20-44
The queen of Sheba
The hoopoe's report, the letter, the refused gift, the throne, and a queen who submits by her own choice.
AYAH 59-93
Who answers the distressed
A series of questions no rival can answer, including the surah's most-recited verse.
Verses to carry
- 27:62"Who is it that responds to the distressed one when he calls upon Him, and removes evil?"
- 27:19Sulayman smiling at an ant, then asking to be made grateful — power meeting humility.
- 27:40"This is from the favour of my Lord, to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful."
Remember this
Nobody is too small to matter, and nobody is too important to learn.
Talk about it
Sulayman عليه السلام was a king with amazing powers, but he asked Allah to make him *grateful*. Why do you think he asked for that?