حَتّىٰ إِذا أَتَوا عَلىٰ وادِ النَّملِ قالَت نَملَةٌ يا أَيُّهَا النَّملُ ادخُلوا مَساكِنَكُم لا يَحطِمَنَّكُم سُلَيمانُ وَجُنودُهُ وَهُم لا يَشعُرونَ

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."

فَتَبَسَّمَ ضاحِكًا مِن قَولِها وَقالَ رَبِّ أَوزِعني أَن أَشكُرَ نِعمَتَكَ الَّتي أَنعَمتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلىٰ والِدَيَّ وَأَن أَعمَلَ صالِحًا تَرضاهُ وَأَدخِلني بِرَحمَتِكَ في عِبادِكَ الصّالِحينَ

So [Solomon] smiled, amused at her speech, and said, "My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to do righteousness of which You approve. And admit me by Your mercy into [the ranks of] Your righteous servants."

وَتَفَقَّدَ الطَّيرَ فَقالَ ما لِيَ لا أَرَى الهُدهُدَ أَم كانَ مِنَ الغائِبينَ

And he took attendance of the birds and said, "Why do I not see the hoopoe - or is he among the absent?

لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذابًا شَديدًا أَو لَأَذبَحَنَّهُ أَو لَيَأتِيَنّي بِسُلطانٍ مُبينٍ

I will surely punish him with a severe punishment or slaughter him unless he brings me clear authorization."

فَمَكَثَ غَيرَ بَعيدٍ فَقالَ أَحَطتُ بِما لَم تُحِط بِهِ وَجِئتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقينٍ

But the hoopoe stayed not long and said, "I have encompassed [in knowledge] that which you have not encompassed, and I have come to you from Sheba with certain news.

وَجَدتُها وَقَومَها يَسجُدونَ لِلشَّمسِ مِن دونِ اللَّهِ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيطانُ أَعمالَهُم فَصَدَّهُم عَنِ السَّبيلِ فَهُم لا يَهتَدونَ

I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds pleasing to them and averted them from [His] way, so they are not guided,

أَلّا يَسجُدوا لِلَّهِ الَّذي يُخرِجُ الخَبءَ فِي السَّماواتِ وَالأَرضِ وَيَعلَمُ ما تُخفونَ وَما تُعلِنونَ

[And] so they do not prostrate to Allah, who brings forth what is hidden within the heavens and the earth and knows what you conceal and what you declare -

اللَّهُ لا إِلـٰهَ إِلّا هُوَ رَبُّ العَرشِ العَظيمِ ۩

Allah - there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Great Throne."

قالَ سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقتَ أَم كُنتَ مِنَ الكاذِبينَ

[Solomon] said, "We will see whether you were truthful or were of the liars.

اذهَب بِكِتابي هـٰذا فَأَلقِه إِلَيهِم ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنهُم فَانظُر ماذا يَرجِعونَ

Take this letter of mine and deliver it to them. Then leave them and see what [answer] they will return."