The fifth clip of the interpretation of the Qur'an from Surah Naml was released

The Cultural Center of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Nigeria, in order to acquaint the Muslim people of Nigeria with the divine message and enlightenment, intends to present an educational clip of reciting and interpreting the luminous verses of the Holy Quran to its audience every Thursday on Facebook and YouTube.

We start from where we left you last Friday, and here are ayahs 20, 21 and 22 of Surah Naml:

وتفقّد الطّیْر فقال ما لی لا أرى الْهدْهد أمْ کان من الْغائبین

لأعذّبنّه عذابًا شدیدًا أوْ لأذْبحنّه أوْ لیأْتینّی بسلْطانٍ مّبینٍ

فمکث غیْر بعیدٍ فقال أحطت بما لمْ تحطْ به وجئْتک من سبإٍ بنبإٍ یقینٍ

“[One day] he (Solomon) reviewed the birds, and said, ‘Why do I not see the hoopoe? Or is he absent?”

“I will surely punish him with a severe punishment, or I will surely behead him, unless he brings a clear-cut excuse.”

“He did not stay for long [before hoopoe turned up] and said, ‘I have alighted on something which you have not alighted on, and I have brought you from Sheba a definite report.”

As we said last week, God Almighty had given Prophet Solomon a kingdom to rule, along with command and authority over birds, animals, insects and the invisible species called Jinn or genie. God had even granted him the ability to understand and speak the tongue of these creatures, as we explained last Friday about his encounter with an ant. Here, in the ayahs that we recited to you now, Solomon, while reviewing representatives of the different species of birds assembled in his presence and their reports on what they had seen while flying over Palestine and beyond, noticed the conspicuous absence of the hoopoe. He became rather upset, saying that if the hoopoe, on return, fails to provide any justification or clear-cut excuse about its absence from the gathering of birds it will be severely punished, and even killed. Soon the hoopoe returned and told Solomon that it had flown to the distant land of Yemen beyond the Arabian Desert, and saw some strange things in the kingdom of Sheba, from which it had brought definite reports of events of which the Prophet was not aware.

From these ayahs we learn that

1. Just and God-fearing leaders, in addition to their characteristic of mercy and concern for public welfare, are sharp and precise in their dealings with subordinates, and expect valid and justified reasons from them.
2. In government and state affairs the slightest negligence could turn out into a catastrophe if precise report of the real situation on the ground is not provided, or leniency is shown to wrongdoers, instead of dealing decisively with their lapse of duty, in order to serve as lessons for others.
3. Qualities of Islamic leadership include logical attitude towards events, officials and people, with readiness to accept justified reasons, along with decisiveness and firmness.

Now listen to ayahs 23 and 24 of Surah Naml:

إنّی وجدتّ امْرأةً تمْلکهمْ وأوتیتْ من کلّ شیْءٍ ولها عرْشٌ عظیمٌ

وجدتّها وقوْمها یسْجدون للشّمْس من دون اللّـه وزیّن لهم الشّیْطان أعْمالهمْ فصدّهمْ عن السّبیل فهمْ لا یهْتدون

“I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given everything, and she has a great throne.”

“I found her and her people prostrating to the Sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds seem decorous to them —thus he has barred them from the way [of Allah], so they are not guided—”

Hoopoe, reporting to Prophet Solomon about its reconnoitering mission to distant Yemen, said that the kingdom of Saba or Sheba is ruled by a woman of great power, who has a splendid palace and a great throne. But the misfortune of the people of that land is that, instead of worshipping Allah, the One and Only Creator, they prostrate to the Sun, to the extent that the ever-deceiving Satan has made their wrongful act decorous to them, thus depriving them of their conscience to seek guidance and the right way.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. Power and welfare are of transitory nature, and definitely do not indicate the goodness or wickedness of persons, but what is important is to follow the right path, without becoming arrogant or being deceived by the luxuries that one may enjoy.
2.  People often follow the ideas and religion of their rulers, for this reason, governments are responsible before God, and should play an effective role in providing guidance and properly shaping the ideas and religious beliefs of their subjects.

Now we listen to ayahs 25 and 26 of Surah Naml:

ألّا یسْجدوا للّـه الّذی یخْرج الْخبْء فی السّماوات والْأرْض ویعْلم ما تخْفون وما تعْلنون

اللّـه لا إلـٰه إلّا هو ربّ الْعرْش الْعظیم

“So that they do not prostrate themselves to Allah, Who brings out the hidden in the heavens and the earth, and He knows whatever you hide and whatever you disclose.”

“Allah—there is no god except Him— is the Lord of the Great Throne.”

After giving his report to Solomon of the situation in the kingdom of Sheba, hoopoe expresses surprise as to why certain people allow themselves to be deceived by Satan, instead of obeying Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth Who has power over all things and knows whatever is concealed or disclosed. The next ayah means to say: Don’t they realize that there is no god or deity except Allah, the Lord Most High Who has created everything, brought into existence mankind and all other creatures, provides sustenance, brings the rainfall and makes the plants grow! Thus, hoopoe, despite being a mere bird, is conscious of God Almighty and knows that whatever powers and wisdom Solomon possesses, as king and prophet, are limited, which means God has not given him knowledge of the unseen regarding the situation in the kingdom of Sheba, for the acquisition of which, God has made him depend on others.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. Worship is part of innate human nature, but this does not mean mankind should intellectually degrade itself by turning away from the path of monotheism and instead worshipping animals, stones, plants, idols, and heavenly bodies such as sun, moon, and stars – as has been the sorry case of the polytheists, who even regard certain animals as sacred, when these creatures have been created by God for the benefit of the human race.
2. The Sun, which provides light and energy, does have a major role in the growth of plants and animals, and flourishing of life and civilization on earth, but it is only a mere creation of God and should not be worshipped, as some of the polytheists do. 
3. Satan takes control of the minds and emotions of those pursuing carnal desires, and in order to further deceive them the devil makes deviation appear as decorous, in order to deprive them of divine guidance.
4. The world is under the observation of God and nothing is hidden from Him.

Now we listen to ayahs 27 and 28 of Surah Naml:

قال سننظر أصدقْت أمْ کنت من الْکاذبین

اذْهب بّکتابی هـٰذا فألْقهْ إلیْهمْ ثمّ تولّ عنْهمْ فانظرْ ماذا یرْجعون

“He (Solomon) said, ‘We shall see whether you are truthful, or if you are one of the liars.”

“Take this letter of mine and deliver it to them. Then draw away from them and observe what [response] they return.”

After listening to hoopoe’s report, Solomon accepted its excuse, and to further verify the truthfulness of its claims, as well as to prove to others that this bird was not lying in a bid to escape punishment, entrusted it with the official mission of delivering to the Queen of Sheba and her courtiers a letter inviting them to monotheism. Solomon instructed hoopoe that after delivering his message it should draw away from them in order to observe how these sun-worshippers respond – whether they turn to God or continue their evil way of polytheism. Prophets are never awed by the worldly power and glory of kings and emperors. Their mission is to provide guidance, as Solomon did, and as was the habit of God’s Last and Greatest Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), who wrote letters of invitation to monotheism, to the Emperors of Rome and Iran, as well as to other kings and rulers.

From these ayahs we learn that:

1. In order to invite others to the right path, God-oriented leaders never resort to violence, threats and bloodshed, but use peaceful means such as speeches, writing of letters and sending of envoys to explain to them in a rational way.
2. Verifying the accuracy of a report is part of the duty of the government and its officials, instead of believing in any hearsay, as Solomon does here in order to ascertain the news brought by hoopoe as well as to absolve it of any suspicion of lies that may crop up in the minds of others who had neither been to the kingdom of Sheba nor ever heard of it.
3. The disbelievers and the deviated should be enlightened of facts and realities in a proper manner and rational way.