Transliteration:( Fatabassama daahikam min qawlihaa wa qaala Rabbi awzi'nee an ashkura ni'mata kal lateee an'amta 'alaiya wa 'alaa waalidaiya wa an a'mala saalihan tardaahu wa adkhilnee birahmatika fee 'ibaadikas saaliheen )
"Thereupon he smiled [40] at her words and said, 'My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and my parents [41], and to do righteous deeds that You will accept [42], and admit me by Your mercy into the company of Your righteous servants.' [43]"
Upon hearing the ant’s warning to its colony, Sulaiman (peace be upon him) smiled in admiration. This was not laughter of amusement, but a gentle smile filled with appreciation for the wisdom, awareness, and concern shown by the tiny creature. It reflected his humble recognition of Allah’s favor in granting him such extraordinary understanding.
Sulaiman immediately turned to du‘ā (supplication), asking Allah to make him grateful for the countless blessings granted to him and his parents. This teaches us that even a Prophet, blessed with immense power and miracles, attributes all good solely to Allah’s favor, not personal merit.
He didn’t only ask to do good deeds, but that his deeds be those “which You will accept.” This distinction emphasizes sincerity and quality in action, as not all good acts are automatically accepted. Acceptance requires pure intention, humility, and alignment with divine guidance.
Sulaiman concluded his prayer by seeking entry, through Allah’s mercy, into the ranks of the righteous servants. Despite being a mighty Prophet and king, he humbly seeks Allah’s mercy, showing that salvation and spiritual rank depend not on status, but divine grace. This reflects the peak of prophetic humility and devotion.
The tafsir of Surah Naml verse 19 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Naml ayat 15 which provides the complete commentary from verse 16 through 19.
(27:19) Smiling at the ant’s utterance, Solomon burst into laughter and said: “My Lord! Hold me under (Your) control[25] that I may render thanks for the favour which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may act righteously in a manner that would please You. Include me, out of Your Mercy, among Your righteous servants.[26]“
25. “Bestow upon me that I may be thankful” means this: “O my Lord! The wonderful powers and abilities that You have given me are such that if I become even a little forgetful and heedless, I might transgress the bounds of service and be puffed up with pride and go astray. Therefore, O my Lord, bestow upon me so that I may remain grateful to You for all Your blessings instead of being ungrateful.”
26. “And admit me by Your mercy among Your righteous slaves” probably implies this: “I should be included among the righteous in the Hereafter and should enter Paradise along with them.” For a person who does righteous acts will automatically be righteous, but one’s entry into Paradise in the Hereafter cannot come about merely on the strength of one’s good works, but it will depend on Allah’s mercy. According to a Hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) once said, “Merely the deeds of any one of you will not enable him to enter Paradise.” It was asked, “In your case too, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Yes, I also shall not enter Paradise only on the strength of my deeds, unless Allah Almighty covers me with His mercy.”
This prayer of the Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) on this occasion becomes irrelevant if an-namal is taken to mean a tribe of human beings and namlah a member of that tribe. After all, there could be nothing extraordinary in the warning given by a member of a human tribe to the people of his tribe about the approaching troops of a powerful king that it should have induced the king to make such a prayer to Allah. However, a person having such a wonderful power of comprehension that he may hear the speech of an ant from a distance and also understand it, is certainly something extraordinary, which can involve a person in self-conceit and vanity. In such a case only the prayer of the Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) can be relevant.
[1073]- More literally, "gather within me the utmost strength and ability." [1074]- Or "with Your righteous servants [into Paradise]."
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