When the Word comes to pass against them, We will bring forth to them out of the earth a beast which will say to them that mankind had no real faith in Our revelations. On that day We shall gather from each community a host of those who denied Our revelations; and they shall be lined in ranks. And when they come forth (God) will say: ‘Did you deny My revelations even though you did not comprehend them fully; or what was it that you were doing?’ And the Word will come to pass against them because of their wrongdoing, and they will be unable to speak. Are they not aware that it is We who have made the night for them to rest in, and the day to give them light? In this there are truly signs for people who will believe. (The Ants; Al-Naml: 27: 82-86)
The surah now takes us on another round previewing some of the forerunners of the Day of Resurrection, and portraying some of its scenes. It mentions the appearance of a beast to speak to those who do not believe in God’s signs that are placed in the universe. It paints a scene of the resurrection and the rebuke leveled at those who deny God’s signs, while they stand speechless. It then quickly refers to the two signs that are always there to see, namely the night and the day, before taking us back to the scene of great horror when the trumpet is blown and the mountains are made to move like clouds. It shows us the good believers safe of all this horror while the errant ones thrown on their faces in hell.
The first verse mentions a beast being brought forth. This beast is mentioned in many Hadiths, some of which are authentic, but these do not give any description of it. Descriptions of it are, however, found in other Hadiths that do not aspire to a reasonable degree of authenticity. Hence, they should be discarded. It signifies nothing that the beast should be 60 yards in length, or that it should have fluff, feather, a beard and hoofs, or that it should have a bull’s head, a pig’s eyes, an elephant’s ears, an ostrich’s neck, a lion’s chest, a tiger’s color, a cat’s waist, a ram’s tail and a camel’s limbs, or any of the endless descriptions that commentators include.
It is better by far to limit ourselves to the text of the Qur’an and the authentic Hadiths which tell us that the appearance of the beast is a presage of the Day of Resurrection. It is when the time for repentance has expired and judgment is due on those who continued to be adamant in their rejection of the faith that God will bring forth this beast to speak to them. Beasts normally do not speak, or rather they have their languages which people do not understand. However, at this point people will understand what this beast says, and they will know that it is a miracle that heralds the Last Hour. But they were keen to deny God’s signs and the Day of Resurrection.
It is noticeable in this surah that several scenes show a dialogue between some insects, birds, jinn and Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him). The mention of the beast that speaks to people gives an image that fits well with those scenes, as it complements the overall scene painted in the surah.
The surah proceeds from this forerunner of the Day of Judgment to the scene of resurrection and gathering: “On that day We shall gather from each community a host of those who denied Our revelations; and they shall be lined in ranks.” All mankind will be gathered on that day, but the surah highlights here the position of those denying revelations. It shows them as they are driven in ranks, altogether, having no say or choice in the direction they have to go.
“And when they come forth (God) will say: Did you deny My revelations even though you did not comprehend them fully; or what was it that you were doing?” The first question is one of reproach, because it is already known that they denied God’s revelations, while the second is sarcastic. This combination is used in spoken language making the second question imply that they had no particularly noticeable action in which they might have been engaged during their lives, apart from such singular denial of God’s revelations. Such a question receives no answer; those to whom it is put stand speechless, unable to utter a word: “And the Word will come to pass against them because of their wrongdoing, and they will be unable to speak.” They deserve such a fate because of their wrongdoing in their life on earth. They are unable to speak, while the beast has already spoken. What a contrast drawn in the Qur’anic expression and also in the great signs being described in the Qur’an.
The presentation in this round follows a special pattern, setting scenes from this life next to those from the life to come, moving from one to the other at the moment when it is particularly effective. Here the surah leaves the scene of those who denied God’s revelations as they stand speechless on the Day of Resurrection to draw a scene of this world which should have awakened their consciences and invited them to reflect on the universe and its creation. They should have thought of it and realized that God takes care of them, providing them with what enables them to have a comfortable life, making the universe around them suitable for life, not hostile to it: “Are they not aware that it is We who have made the night for them to rest in, and the day to give them light? In this there are truly signs for people who will believe.”
The scene of the still night and the alert day should give man a religious conscience that directs him to maintain his bond with God who alternates the night and day. Both day and night are universal signs that bear a clear message to anyone who accepts the faith, but those unbelievers will not do so. Had there been only night or only day, life would not be possible on earth. Indeed had either the day or the night been ten times longer than what they are now, the sun would have burned out every plant on earth, while at night every surviving plant would have been frozen. Life then becomes impossible. We see that the present state of the night and day is suitable to life, and this carries signs for people who respond to faith.