سورة النَّمل
Surah Al-Naml 27:20
The Tribe of Naml-Namlites · Verse 20 of 93
وَتَفَقَّدَ الطَّيْرَ فَقَالَ مَا لِيَ لَا أَرَى الْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ الْغَائِبِينَ
Abdul Mannan Omar
And (once) he reviewed the birds and the (cavalry of) swift running horses and said, `How is it that I do not see (my officer named) Hudhud? Is he deliberately absent?
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
And he took a muster of the Birds; and he said: "Why is it I see not the Hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees?
Ahmed Ali
When he reviewed the Tair, he said: "How is it I do not see Hud-hud? Is he absent?
12 more translations
Ali Unal
(On another occasion) he inspected the birds and said: "How is it that I cannot see the hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees?
Daryabadi
And he sought after the birds and said: what aileth me that I see not the hoopoe; is he among the absentees?
Faridul Haque
And he surveyed the birds – he therefore said, “What is to me that I do not see the Hudhud (hoopoe), or is he really absent?”
Maulana Muhammad Ali
And he reviewed the birds, then said: How is it I see not Hudhud, or is it that he is one of the absentees?
Maulvi Sher Ali
And he reviewed the birds and said, `How is it that I do not see Hudhud? Is he deliberately absent?
Muhammad Asad
And [one day] he looked in vain for [a particular one of] the birds; and so he said: "How is it that I do not see the hoopoe? Or could he be among the absent?
Muhammad Musin Khan
He inspected the birds, and said: "What is the matter that I see not the hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees?
Muhammad Pickthall
And he sought among the birds and said: How is it that I see not the hoopoe, or is he among the absent?
Muhammad Sarwar
(Solomon) inspected the birds and said, "How is it that I cannot see the hoopoe. Is he absent?.
Muhammed ali Shakir
And he reviewed the birds, then said: How is it I see not the hoopoe or is it that he is of the absentees?
Rashad Khalifa
He inspected the birds, and noted: "Why do I not see the hoopoe? Why is he missing?
Shabbir Ahmed
(Leaving the peaceful tribe of An-Naml alone, Solomon marched forward.) As he examined the cavalry, he said, “How is it that I do not see the commander Hud-Hud (the Hoopoe)? Is he one of the absentees?”
Commentary 27:20 Al-Hudhud الْهُدْهُدَ was not the lapwing or hoopoe or any other bird (mind the suffix alال before hudhud هُدْهُدbut the title of an officer who was…
وَتَفَقَّدَ الطَّيْرَ فَقَالَ مَا لِيَ لَا أَرَى الْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ الْغَائِبِينَ
27:20 Al-Hudhud الْهُدْهُدَ was not the lapwing or hoopoe or any other bird (mind the suffix alال before hudhud هُدْهُدbut the title of an officer who was entrusted by Solomon with an important mission to the court of Sheba. In many cultures, both first and last names that have the meanings of birds or animals are widespread. There is the Hebrew Rachel (“ewe”) and Deborah (“bee”), the biblical Jemima (“dove”), the Spanish Paloma (“dove”),and the German surnames Vogel, Adler, and Specht (“bird,” “eagle,” “woodpecker”). In English, “Robin” is a common first name and a number of bird names exist as last names (“Sparrow,” “Stork,” “Dove,” “Swan”), albeit not so common as in other tongues. In ancient times, Hudhud used to be a popular name: among those bearing it was a son of Ismâîl, an Edomite prince (1 Kings 11.14), and it is said to be the name of the father of Sheba (Muntah al-‘Arab). The Arab writers speak of a king of Himyâr as Hudhud (Lisân). According to the same authority, Hudhud is also written as Hudahad, which was the name of a tribe in Yemen. Therefore, there is nothing strange about such a name. Birds do not speak, neither tell the truth nor lie, and cannot be subject to the infliction of a severe punishment by a great monarch such as Solomon. Similarly incomprehensible is the exposition of the great spiritual doctrine of unity by the lapwing or hoopoe. Occasionally it is objected that the word Zabaha in the verse is used in connection with the slaughtering of an animal. This objection can be refuted easily by referring to verse 2:49 and its use of the word.