18 Preface حَتّىٰ إِذا أَتَوا عَلىٰ وادِ النَّملِ قالَت نَملَةٌ يا أَيُّهَا النَّملُ ادخُلوا مَساكِنَكُم لا يَحطِمَنَّكُم سُلَيمانُ وَجُنودُهُ وَهُم لا يَشعُرونَYusuf AliAt length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said: “O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it.”1This verse and the next, read together, suggest the symbolical meaning as predominant. The ant, to outward appearances, is a very small and humble creature. In the great pomp and circumstances of the world, it may be neglected or even trampled on by a people who mean it no harm. Yet, by its wisdom, it carries on its own life within its own sphere (“habitations”) unmolested, and makes a useful contribution to the economy of the world. So there is room for the humblest people in the spiritual world.