وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوْمَهَا يَسْجُدُونَ لِلشَّمْسِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ فَهُمْ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ 24
Translations
I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allāh, and Satan has made their deeds pleasing to them and averted them from [His] way, so they are not guided,
Transliteration
Wa jaddattuha wa qawmaha yasjuduna lil-shamsi min duni Allah wa zayyyana lahumu ash-shaytanu a'malahum fa-saddahum 'anil-sabil fa-hum la yahtadun
Tafsir (Explanation)
Prophet Sulayman reports finding the Queen of Sheba and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, with Satan having beautified their deeds in their eyes, causing them to be diverted from the path of guidance. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this ayah demonstrates how polytheism and idol worship stem from Satanic deception that makes forbidden acts appear attractive to disbelievers, while their hearts remain sealed from recognizing the truth of monotheism.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Surah An-Naml (The Ant), which recounts Prophet Sulayman's journey and his encounter with the Queen of Sheba. The context shows how sun worship was prevalent among the people of Sheba in ancient Arabia, illustrating the spiritual condition of pre-Islamic societies and the role of Satanic whispers in perpetuating shirk (polytheism).
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The greatest sin is to associate partners with Allah' (Sahih Bukhari). Also relevant is the hadith from Sahih Muslim about how Satan beautifies sins to humans: 'Satan makes sin seem fair to the son of Adam.'
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that following false deities or ideologies often results from Satan making evil appear attractive and righteous, emphasizing the importance of seeking knowledge, consulting the Quran and Sunnah, and guarding our hearts against Satanic whispers that justify deviation from Allah's path.
Related Ayahs
وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُۥدَ وَسُلَيْمَـٰنَ عِلْمًا ۖ وَقَالَا ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى فَضَّلَنَا عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّنْ عِبَادِهِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
And We had certainly given to David and Solomon knowledge, and they said, "Praise [is due] to Allāh, who has favored us over many of His believing servants."
وَيَوْمَ يُنفَخُ فِى ٱلصُّورِ فَفَزِعَ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا مَن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَكُلٌّ أَتَوْهُ دَٰخِرِينَ
And [warn of] the Day the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will be terrified except whom Allāh wills. And all will come to Him humbled.
وَإِنَّهُۥ لَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
And indeed, it is guidance and mercy for the believers.
أَمَّن جَعَلَ ٱلْأَرْضَ قَرَارًا وَجَعَلَ خِلَـٰلَهَآ أَنْهَـٰرًا وَجَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَٰسِىَ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ حَاجِزًا ۗ أَءِلَـٰهٌ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
Is He [not best] who made the earth a stable ground and placed within it rivers and made for it firmly set mountains and placed between the two seas a barrier? Is there a deity with Allāh? [No], but most of them do not know.