Surah An-Naml

The Surah consists of two discourses, the first from the beginning of the Surah to the end of verse 58 and the second from verse 59 to the end. The theme of the first discourse is that the people who benefit from the guidance of the Qur’an and its blessings are those who accept the realities which it presents. They are then obedient and submissive to Allah’s guidance, by following it in their practical lives. One of the greatest hindrances for man is the denial of the Hereafter. For it makes him irresponsible, selfish and eager for the worldly life, which in turn makes it impossible for him to submit himself before Allah and to accept the moral restrictions on his lusts and desires.

Historic figures are presented signifying three types of characters:

1. The first type is characterised by Pharaoh, the chiefs of Thamud and the rebels of the people of Lut who were all heedless of the accountability of the Hereafter and had consequently become slaves to the world and their desires. These people did not believe even after the miracles were presented to them. Rather they turned against those who invited them to goodness and piety and persisted in their evil ways. They did not heed the admonition right up to the moment before they were overtaken by Allah’s punishment.
2. The second type of character is that of the Prophet Solomon who had been blessed by Allah with wealth, kingdom and grandeur to an unimaginable extent. Since he regarded himself as answerable before Allah and knew that whatever he had was only due to Allah’s bounty, he was obedient to Allah and there was no tinge of pride or arrogance in his character.
3. The third type is that of the queen of Sheba who ruled over a wealthy and famously known nation in the history of Arabia. She possessed all those means of life which could cause a person to become vain and conceited. Her wealth and possessions far exceeded the wealth and possessions of many tribes of the past and future, including the Quraysh. She was born into a culture of polytheism (Shirk) which was not only an ancestral way of life with her but she had to follow it in order to maintain her position as a ruler. Therefore, it was extremely difficult for her to give it up and adopt Monotheism (Tawhid), especially when compared to the more common polytheist. However, when the truth was made known to her, nothing could stop her from accepting it. Her past ignorance was in fact due to her being born and brought up in a polytheistic environment and not because of her being a slave to her lusts and desires. Her conscience was not devoid of the sense of accountability before Allah.

In the second discourse, from the outset, attention has been drawn to some of the most glaring and visible realities of the universe. The disbelievers of Makkah are asked one question after the other, questioning them about whether these realities testify to the creed of polytheism (Shirk) or to the truth of Monotheism (Tawhid) to which the Qur’an invites?

In conclusion, the real invitation of the Qur’an, that is, the invitation to serve one God alone, has been presented in a concise but forceful manner, and the people are informed that accepting it would be to their own advantage and rejecting it to their own disadvantage. For if they deferred faith until they saw the signs of Allah (the major signs foretold before the coming of the last day), they would be left with no choice but to believe and submit. In fact, they should bear in mind that this would be the time of judgment and believing then would be of no avail.

Connection between the beginning and the ending of the Surah There is a mention of the Qur’an in the beginning and the end of the Surah, “Ta, Seen. These are the verses of the Qur’an and a clear Book” (27:1) “And to recite the Qur’an. And whoever is guided is only guided for (the benefit of) himself; and whoever strays - say, “I am only (one) of the warners.” (27:92)