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Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission: Islamic Foundation UK
Introduction to Tafheem | Glossary | Verbs
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 Surah An-Naml 27:32-37 [3/7] ↕
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
قَالَتْShe said,
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا"O
ٱلْمَلَؤُاْchiefs!
أَفْتُونِىAdvise me
فِىٓin
أَمْرِىmy affair.
مَاNot
كُنتُI would be
قَاطِعَةًthe one to decide
أَمْرًاany matter
حَتَّىٰuntil
تَشْهَدُونِyou are present with me."
﴿٣٢﴾
قَالُواْThey said,
نَحْنُ"We
أُوْلُواْ(are) possessors
قُوَّةٍ(of) strength
وَأُوْلُواْand possessors
بَأْسٍ(of) might
شَدِيدٍgreat,
وَٱلْأَمْرُand the command
إِلَيْكِ(is) up to you,
فَٱنظُرِىso look
مَاذَاwhat
تَأْمُرِينَyou will command."
﴿٣٣﴾
قَالَتْShe said,
إِنَّ"Indeed,
ٱلْمُلُوكَthe kings,
إِذَاwhen
دَخَلُواْthey enter
قَرْيَةًa town
أَفْسَدُوهَاthey ruin it
وَجَعَلُوٓاْand make
أَعِزَّةَ(the) most honorable
أَهْلِهَآ(of) its people
أَذِلَّةً‌ۖ(the) lowest.
وَكَذَٲلِكَAnd thus
يَفْعَلُونَthey do.
﴿٣٤﴾
وَإِنِّىBut indeed, I am
مُرْسِلَةٌgoing to send
إِلَيْهِمto them
بِهَدِيَّةٍa gift
فَنَاظِرَةُۢand see
بِمَwith what
يَرْجِعُreturn
ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَthe messengers."
﴿٣٥﴾
فَلَمَّاSo when
جَآءَcame
سُلَيْمَـٰنَ(to) Sulaiman
قَالَhe said,
أَتُمِدُّونَنِ"Will you provide me
بِمَالٍwith wealth?
فَمَآBut what
ءَاتَـٰنِۦَ ٱللَّهُAllah has given me
خَيْرٌ(is) better
مِّمَّآthan what
ءَاتَـٰكُمHe has given you.
بَلْNay,
أَنتُمyou
بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْin your gift
تَفْرَحُونَrejoice.
﴿٣٦﴾
ٱرْجِعْReturn
إِلَيْهِمْto them,
فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّهُمsurely, we will come to them
بِجُنُودٍwith hosts
لَّاnot
قِبَلَ(is) resistance
لَهُمfor them
بِهَاof it,
وَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُمand surely, we will drive them out
مِّنْهَآfrom there
أَذِلَّةً(in) humiliation,
وَهُمْand they
صَـٰغِرُونَ(will be) abased."
﴿٣٧﴾

قَالَتۡ يٰۤاَيُّهَا الۡمَلَؤُا اَفۡتُوۡنِىۡ فِىۡۤ اَمۡرِىۡ​ۚ مَا كُنۡتُ قَاطِعَةً اَمۡرًا حَتّٰى تَشۡهَدُوۡنِ‏  قَالُوۡا نَحۡنُ اُولُوۡا قُوَّةٍ وَّاُولُوۡا بَاۡسٍ شَدِيۡدٍ ۙ وَّالۡاَمۡرُ اِلَيۡكِ فَانْظُرِىۡ مَاذَا تَاۡمُرِيۡنَ‏  قَالَتۡ اِنَّ الۡمُلُوۡكَ اِذَا دَخَلُوۡا قَرۡيَةً اَفۡسَدُوۡهَا وَجَعَلُوۡۤا اَعِزَّةَ اَهۡلِهَاۤ اَذِلَّةً  ​ۚ وَكَذٰلِكَ يَفۡعَلُوۡنَ‏  وَاِنِّىۡ مُرۡسِلَةٌ اِلَيۡهِمۡ بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنٰظِرَةٌۢ بِمَ يَرۡجِعُ الۡمُرۡسَلُوۡنَ‏   فَلَمَّا جَآءَ سُلَيۡمٰنَ قَالَ اَتُمِدُّوۡنَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَاۤ اٰتٰٮنِۦَ اللّٰهُ خَيۡرٌ مِّمَّاۤ اٰتٰٮكُمۡ​ۚ بَلۡ اَنۡـتُمۡ بِهَدِيَّتِكُمۡ تَفۡرَحُوۡنَ‏   اِرۡجِعۡ اِلَيۡهِمۡ فَلَنَاۡتِيَنَّهُمۡ بِجُنُوۡدٍ لَّا قِبَلَ لَهُمۡ بِهَا وَلَـنُخۡرِجَنَّهُمۡ مِّنۡهَاۤ اَذِلَّةً وَّهُمۡ صٰغِرُوۡنَ‏ 
Translation
(27:32) (After reading the letter) the Queen said: "Nobles, let me have your counsel in this matter for I make no firm decision without you."38 (27:33) They said: "We are strong and are given to vehement fighting. But the decision is yours. Therefore, consider what you would like to command." (27:34) The Queen said: "When the kings enter a country they cause corruption in it and abase those of its people who are held in honour.39 This is what they are wont to do.40 (27:35) I will send them a gift and then see with what answer my envoys return." (27:36) Now, when (the envoy of the Queen) came to Solomon, he said: "Do you want to aid me with wealth? Whatever Allah has granted me is much more than what He has given you.41 (Keep for yourselves) your gift in which you are exulting. (27:37) Envoy, go back to those who sent you and we shall certainly come upon them with hosts42 whom they will be unable to resist. We shall drive them out from there, and they will suffer humiliation and disgrace."
Commentary

38. The words used in the text are: hatta tash-hu-dun (until you are present, or unless you bear witness). That is: “I regard your presence necessary when I take a decision in important matters, and also that whatever decision I take you should be there to testify that it is right and correct.” This shows that though the system of government among Saba was kingship, it was not tyrannical; but the ruler of the time decided matters in consultation with the important people in the government.

39. In this one sentence a thorough criticism has been made of imperialism. The kings’ invasion of the other countries and the victorious nations’ violence against the oppressed nations has never been for the sake of reform and goodwill. The object has been to control and exploit the means and resources of sustenance granted to the other nation by God, and make it so helpless that it should never be able to rise in resistance and demand its share. For this purpose they block up all its means of prosperity, power and honor, crush down all self respecting elements, instill in its members attitudes of slavery, flattery, treachery and spying against one another, imitation of the conqueror and respect for his civilization, contempt of their own civilization and other such mean qualities of character. Thus, gradually they bring them down to such a low level of character where they may not hesitate even to sell off any of their most sacred objects of heritage and be ready to perform any wretched service on payment.

40. This sentence has two meanings and both are equally probable: (1) It may be a part of the queen of Sheba’s speech, which she might have added in order to emphasize her foregoing words; and (2) it may be Allah's words which have been added as a parenthesis in support of the queen's speech.

41. This sentence is not meant to express pride and vanity. What it means to say is this: “I have no desire for your wealth; I only desire that you should believe, or at least submit to a righteous system. If you agree to neither of these alternatives, it is not possible for me to accept the bribes of wealth and leave you free in the matter of a polytheistic and wicked system of life. What my Lord has given me is enough for me to cherish any desire for your wealth.

42. There is a subtle gap between this and the previous sentence, which one can easily fill up by a careful study of the discourse. It means this: “O messengers, take these gift back to the people who have sent you. They will either have to yield to our first proposal, i.e. they should come before us as Muslims, or we shall bring forces against them.”