27 An-Naml (The Ants)

Mecca Period 48

Asad’s Version:

(27:48) Now there were in the city nine men 47 who were wont to commit deeds of depravity all over the land, and would not reform; (27:49) [and] after having bound one another by an oath in God's name, 48 they said: "Indeed, we shall suddenly fall upon him and his household by night [and slay them all]; and then we shall boldly say to his next of kin, 'We did not witness the destruction of his household - and, behold, we are indeed men of truth!'"

27:50 And so they devised an evil scheme; but We devised a subtle scheme [of Our own], and they perceived it not

(27:51) Behold, then, what all their scheming came to in the end: We utterly

destroyed them and their people, all of them;

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَكَانَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ ...

27:48. There were in the City nine men of a family

...يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُونَ ﴿٤٨﴾

who made mischief in the land, and would not reform.

C3286. They had made up their minds to wage a relentless war against justice. They did not destroy justice, but justice destroyed them.

قَالُوا تَقَاسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ...

27:49. They said:

"Swear a mutual oath by Allah that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his people,

C3287. A most dastardly plot, because

- it was to be secret,

- by night,

- taking their victims unawares,

- and because careful provision was made that they should all tell lies together, saying that they knew nothing about it, in order to evade the vengeance which Salih's heirs (if any were left) or his tribe might want to exact!

And yet such were exactly the plots laid against the holy Prophet himself.

...ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهِ مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِكَ أَهْلِهِ...

and that we shall then say to his heir (when he seeks vengeance): 'We were not present at the slaughter of his people,

...وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ ﴿٤٩﴾

and we are positively telling the truth.'"

[[Asad’s notes:

47 Or "nine clans", since, in the above context, the term raht, is liable to either of these two interpretations, The "city" referred to is evidently the region known as Al-Hijr, in northern Hijaz (cf surah 7, notes 56 and 59). - In contrast with the preceding story of the Queen of Sheba's eager way to faith, the stories of the tribe of Thamud and (inverses 54-58) of Lot's people are meant to call attention to the hostility which a call to righteousness so often evokes in people who are strong but vain, or, alternatively, weak and addicted to senseless passions.

48 Lit., "by God". As is evident from 7:73 if. and from the above allusion, the Thamlid did have a vague notion of God, but their erstwhile faith had been overlaid by their excessive arrogance and thus deprived of all spiritual value.

49 The story of Lot and the perverted people of Sodom is mentioned in several places, particularly in 7:80-84, 11:69-83 and 26:160-173. ]]