Social Quranevery verse · a conversation
Sign in
سُورَةُ النَّمۡلِ · 27:33
MeccanRevelation order ٤٨Juzʾ ١٩Page ٣٧٩

قَالُوا۟ نَحْنُ أُو۟لُوا۟ قُوَّةٍۢ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ بَأْسٍۢ شَدِيدٍۢ وَٱلْأَمْرُ إِلَيْكِ فَٱنظُرِى مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ

٣٣
Saheeh International · EN

They said, "We are men of strength and of great military might, but the command is yours, so see what you will command."

IntroductionRevelationTafsirTransmissionDebate
Bio

Introduction

This is āyah 33 of Sūrat An-Naml (The Ant), the 48th sūrah in the traditional order of revelation. It was revealed in the Meccan period and sits within Juzʾ 19. Meccan verses tend to address faith, the oneness of God, and the hereafter.

This introduction is a starting point — the community and Bilal will enrich it over time.

Bio

Revelation & occasion

Asbāb al-Nuzūl
Period
Meccan
Order revealed
48 of 114
Surah
An-Naml (27)

No specific occasion of revelation (Asbāb al-Nuzūl) is recorded for this āyah in al-Wāḥidī's collection. Many verses were revealed without a single triggering event.

Commentary

Tafsir

4 works

Hafiz Ibn Kathir

She said: "O chiefs! Advise me in case of mine. I decide no case till you are present with me. (32)They said: "We have great strength, and great ability for war, but it is for you to command; so think over what you will command. (33)She said: "Verily, kings, when they enter a town, they destroy it and make the most honorable among its people the lowest. And thus they do. (34)"But verily, I am going to send him a present, and see with what (answer) the messengers return. (35) Bilqis consults with Her Chiefs When she read Sulayman's letter to them and consulted with them about this news, she said: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَفْتُونِي فِي أَمْرِي مَا كُنْتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشْهَدُونِ ("O chiefs! Advise me in (this) case of mine. I decide no case till you are present with me.") meaning, 'until you come together and offer me your advice.' قَالُوا نَحْنُ أُولُو قُوَّةٍ وَأُولُو بَ…
Provenance

Chains of transmission

Oral — isnād

  1. ~610–632 CERevelation & memorisation

    Received by the Prophet ﷺ and preserved by the ḥuffāẓ (memorisers) among the Companions.

  2. 1st century AHMutawātir transmissionawaiting curation

    Carried by mass-transmission through the generations of qurrāʾ.

  3. TodayLiving chainsawaiting curation

    Continuous ijāzah chains link reciters today back to the Prophet ﷺ.

Verified isnād chains for this āyah will be added by curators.

Written — the manuscript record

  1. ~650 CEʿUthmānic codicesawaiting curation

    The standardised muṣḥaf sent to the great cities (e.g. the Topkapı and Samarqand codices).

  2. 8th–10th c.Early Ḥijāzī & Kūfic foliosawaiting curation

    Surviving leaves in Birmingham, Sanaa, Paris (BnF) and beyond.

  3. Modern printModern printawaiting curation

    The 1924 Cairo edition → today: the standard printed muṣḥaf used worldwide.

A curated chain of manuscript images for this exact āyah — roughly one per century — is coming. Help us source and verify them.

The wall

And now — what do you think?

The text, its history and the classical commentary are laid out above. Share your own understanding, ask a question, or reason with others.

Sign in to add your voice to this verse.
No reflections yet — be the first.
Provenance

Community resources

No community resources for this verse yet.