Indexed OCR Text

583
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 20 - 28
Unless he brings to me a clear plea. - 27:21
That is, if the hoopoe offers a plausible excuse for its absence, then it
will be saved from the punishment. There is a subtle hint in it that it is
expected of a ruler or an administrator that if someone falters doing
something, then it should be thoroughly investigated before punishing
him. The punishment should be enforced only when the guilt is
established, otherwise he should be forgiven.
,I have discovered what you did not - 27:22). That is) أَحَطُتُّ بِمَا لَمُ تُحِطُ بِهِ
the hoopoe.said while offering its excuse that it knew something which he
did not know. What it meant was that it had brought information, which
he (Sulaiman & El) did not know before.
The prophets do not have the knowledge of the unknown
Imam Qurtubi has deduced from this incident that the prophets do not
have the knowledge of the unseen ('Ilm ul-ghayb), so that they could
know all about every thing. It is quite evident from this verse.
وَ جِئْتُكَ مِنْ سَبَاء بِنَا يَّقِيٍْ
"And have brought to you a sure information from Saba'
(Sheba)". 27:22
Saba' (Sheba) (.) is a well-known city of Yemen, and its other name
is Ma'arib (,L'). The distance between San'a', the capital of Yemen, and
Saba' is three day's journey.
Is it proper for a junior to say to his senior that he knows more
than him?
On the basis of this conversation by the hoopoe, some people have
deduced that it is appropriate for a pupil to say to his teacher or for a
common man to say to a knowledgeable person that he knows more than
the latter on the subject, provided he is absolutely confident that his
knowledge on that subject is really more than others. But it is argued in
Ruh ul-Ma'ani that such an assertion before the elders and scholars is
against the etiquettes, and should be avoided. This argument, however,
does not apply to the conversation of the hoopoe, because it made that
statement to save itself from the punishment and to justify its excuse for
the absence. The hoopoe actually wanted to place before Sulaiman Seel
the exact position, so that he could understand the reason for its absence.

584
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 20 - 28
In such situations it is not improper if something is said against the
normal etiquettes.
إِنِىُ وَجَدْتُّ امْرَاةً تَمْلِكُهُمْ
I have found a woman ruling over them, - 27:23
The name of this woman is given in the history as Bilqis, daughter of
Sharahil. But in some other narrations, it is mentioned that her mother
was a jinni whose name was Bal'amah, daughter of Shisan. (Wuhaib b.
JarIr has reported this from Khalil Ibn Ahmad, Qurtubi) Her grandfather,
Hudahud, was a great king and controlled the entire land of Yemen. He
had forty sons. All these sons became kings. Her father, Surah, had
married a jinni woman, who gave birth to her (Bilqis). Different reasons
are given for his marriage to a jinni. One of them being that he used to
say with arrogance "No one from you is a match for me; hence I will not
marry. It is because I do not like marrying outside my matching clan". As
a result of this, people got him married to a jinni woman. (Qurtubi) Perhaps
it was his conceit that he deemed his own people as not his equal. This did
not go well with the Divine writ and he was made to marry a jinni
woman, who was neither from his family nor his kind or race.
Is it permissible to marry a jinni?
Some people have expressed doubt on the question, because they
thought the jinns are not capable of reproducing like the humans. Ibn-al-
'Arabi has opined in his commentary that this is a wrong conception. It is
established through authentic ahadith that jinns also possess all the
requisites of reproduction and the essentials of male and female, as in
humans.
There is another aspect to this question from the angle of Islamic law.
That is, whether it is permissible for a man to marry a jinni woman? On
this aspect there are different views of the Islamic jurists. Some have
ruled that it is permissible, while others have ruled it out, because of their
(آكام المرجان فى أحكام different kind, like the animals. In the book named as
(JI this subject is discussed in detail, where some incidents are quoted
mentioning that Muslim men married Muslim jinni women, and they also
gave birth to children. Here this subject is irrelevant, because the father
of Bilgis, who married the jinni woman, was not a Muslim. Hence, the
question of permissibility does not arise here. In Islamic law the lineage is

585
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 20 - 28
based on father, and the father of Bilqis was a human. Therefore, Bilqis
would also be regarded as a human. In some narrations, marriage of
Sulaiman &Ce with Bilgis is mentioned. Even if these narrations are
correct, it does not corroborate permissibility to marry a jinni woman,
because Bilqis herself was not a jinni, though her mother might have
been one. Only Allah knows best. The marriage of Sulaiman Sell will be
discussed later in this commentary.
Is it permissible for a woman to be king or the head or Imam of a
people?
It is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn
'Abbas 4
that when the Holy Prophet
eg learnt that the people of Persia
لَنْ يُفْلِحَ قَومٌ وَلَّوًا أَمْرَهُم have made the daughter of Kisra as their queen, he said
Sf 4). That is, "Those people will never prosper who give control of authority
to a woman". It is for this verdict that scholars are unanimous on the
point that the control of a government, an empire or caliphate cannot be
assigned to a woman. Rather the greater imamah (al-imamah al-kubra)
is also allowed only to men folk, like the Imamah for prayers. As for Bilqis
being the queen of Saba', it does not make it to be a religious decree,
unless it is proven that Sayyidna Sulaiman &ya had married her, and
then retained her as the queen. This assumption is not proven by any
authentic narration, which could be trusted for the purpose of legislation
of religious laws.
وَأُوْتِيَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ
She has been given of everything - 23
It means that whatever services are needed to a king or an aristocrat
according to their time, they all were available to her. It is, however,
obvious that those things that were not invented by then, their
unavailability is not in conflict with this verse.
And she has a great throne - 23) Literal meaning of 'Arsh) وَلَهَا عَرُشْ عَظِيمٌ،
(J'^) is throne of the empire. A narration is attributed to Sayyidna Ibn
'Abbas 4% that the length of the throne of Bilqis was eighty yards, its
breadth was forty yards and height thirty yards. It was profusely
decorated with pearls, red rubies, topaz and olivine, and its legs were
studded with precious stones and pearls. Its curtains were made of silk
and fine cloth. The throne was secured within seven buildings, one within

586
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 20 - 28
the other, all well protected and locked.
وَجَدْتُّهَا وَقَوْمَهَا يَسْجُدُوْنَ لِلشَّمُسِ
I have found her and her people prostrating to the sun - 27:24
This shows that her people were star-worshippers and used to worship
the sun. Some believe that they were Zoroastrians, who worship fire and
all forms of light.
that is, they do not prostrate to Allah who) أَلاَ يَسُجُدُوا لِلْهِ الَّذِى يُخْرِجُ الْخَبُ ءَ
bring forth what is hidden - 25). This sentence is linked with the previous
one, "The Satan has beautified their deeds - 26" and the sense is that the
Satan had engrained in their minds that they should not bow down
before Allah, or had prevented them from the righteous path so that they
should not prostrate before Allah Ta'ala.
Letters and writings are enough proof on religious matters in the
normal circumstances
الكلية Go with this letter of mine - 28). Sayyidna Sulaiman) إِذْهَبُ بّكِتِىُ هذَا
considered it enough to write to the queen of Saba' (Sheba) for the
fulfillment of his duty to invite her to faith, and hence sent her a letter.
This shows that in the normal circumstances the letter or writing is an
acceptable proof. The religious jurists did not accept a letter as an
evidence only where a proper personal evidence is required under Islamic
law, because testimony is not allowed on telephone or by letter. It has
been made mandatory for the witnesses to appear in person before the
court. There is a lot of wisdom in this law. Under any law of the world
prevalent in any country it is compulsory for the witnesses to appear
before the court in person, and the testimony through letter or telephone
is not accepted.
Writing letters and sending them to the disbelievers is permissible
Another matter that has been proved by the letter of Sayyidna
Sulaiman &Cd is that in preaching of religion and invitation to Islam it is
permissible to write letters to disbelievers and infidels. According to many
Sahih ahadith it is established that the Holy Prophet
had also written
letters to many infidels.
Social etiquettes should always be observed, no matter if it is a
gathering of infidels
قَالْقِهُ إِلَيْهِمُ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمُ

587
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 29 - 37
Throw it down to them, then turn back from them - 27:28
When Sayyidna Sulaiman uel made use of the hoopoe as a courier,
he also taught him the social etiquette that after delivering the letter to
Queen of Saba' it should move out of her court, which is the norm of the
royal courts. This shows that observance of social etiquettes and good
human behavior is desirable as a general rule.
Verses 29 - 37
قَالَتْ بَأَيُّهَا الْمَلَوُا إِنِّىَّ أُلْقِىَ إِلَىَّ كِتْبٌ كَرِيْمٌ ﴿٢٩﴾ إِنَّهْ مِنْ سُلَيْمُنَ
وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحُمْنِ الرَّحِيْمِ ﴿٢﴾ الَّ تَعْلُوْا عَلَىَّ وَأَتُوْنِىُ
مُسْلِمِينَ ﴿٢﴾ قَالَتْ فَيُّهَا الْمَلَؤُا أَفْتُوُنِىُ فِىَّ أَمْرِىُّ مَا كُنْتُ
قَاطِعَةٌ أَمْرًا حَتّى تَشْهَدُوُن ﴿٣٢﴾ قَالُوا نَحْنُ أُولُوا قُوَّةٍ وَأُولُوا بَأْسٍ
شَدِيْدٍ ! وَّالْآَمُرُ إِلَيْكِ فَانْظُرِىُ مَاذَا تَأْمُرِيْنَ ﴿٣٣﴾ قَالَتْ إِنَّ الْمُلُوُكَ
إِذَا دَخَلُوا قَرْيَّةً أَفْسَدُوُهَا وَجَعَلُوًّا اَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَا آَذِلَّةً " وَكَذلِكَ
يَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٣٤﴾ وَإِنّى مُرُسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِمْ بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنْظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ
الْمُرُسَلُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾ فَلَمَّا جَآءَ سُلَيْمُنَ قَالَ أَتْمِدُوُنَنِ بِمَالٍُ فَمَآ أَثْنِّ
اللّهُ خَيْرٌ مِّعَّآ أَشْكُمٌْ بَلْ انْتُمُ بِهَدِيَتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ ﴿٣٦﴾ إِرْجِعُ إِلَيْهِمُ
فَلْنَأْتِيَنَّهُمْ بِجُنُوُدٍ لاَّ قِبَلَ لَهُمْ بِهَا وَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُمْ مِّنْهَا آَذِلَّةً وَّهُمُ
ضغِرُونَ ﴿١٣٧
She (the queen) said (to her officials after receiving the
letter), "O chieftains, there has been delivered to me an
esteemed letter. [29] It is from Sulaiman and it is (in the
following words:) With the name of Allah, the
All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful. [30] Do not rebel against
me and come to me in submission." [31] She said, "O
chieftains, advise me in the matter I have (before me). I
am not the one who decides a matter absolutely unless
you are present with me." [32] They said, "We are
powerful and tough fighters, and the decision lies with

588
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 29 - 37
you; so consider what command you should give." [33]
She said, "In fact when the kings enter a town, they put
it to disorder and put its honorable citizens to disgrace,
and this is how they normally do. [34] And I am going to
send a gift to them, then see, what response the envoys
will bring back." [35]
So when he (the envoy) came to Sulaiman, he said, "Are
you extending a financial aid to me? So what Allah has
given me is much better than what He has given to you.
But you yourselves are proud of your gift. [36] Go back
to them, and we will bring to them forces they have no
power to face, and we will certainly drive them out
from there in humiliation while they are disgraced." [37]
Commentary
قَالَتْ يَأَيُّهَا الْمَلُوا إِنِّيّ أُلْقِىَ إِلَىَّ كِتْبٌ كَرِيمٌ
She (the queen) said (to her officials after receiving the letter),
"O chieftains, there has been thrown to me an esteemed letter,
27:29.
Literal meaning of Karim is respectable, honorable or esteemed, and
idiomatically this word is used for a letter when it is sealed. This is why
Sayyidnā Ibn 'Abbas 4%, Qatadah, Zohair Jill +~, etc. have
interpreted the expression
Es Ut as the sealed book, which indicates
that Sayyidna Sulaiman & had put his seal on the letter. When the
Holy Prophet
learnt about the tradition of the non-Arab kings that
they do not read the letter if it is not sealed, he got a seal made for
himself, and used it on the letters he sent to Caesar and Chosro. It shows
that the practice of sealing a letter is to show respect to the letter as well
as to the addressee. The present day practice is to secure the letter in an
envelope, which is as good as sealing it. Where show of respect to the
addressee is intended, it is closer to the practice of the Holy Prophet?
to
secure it in an envelope.
The language of the letter of Sulaiman
Although Sayyidna Sulaiman &Ka was not an Arab, yet it is not
unlikely that he knew the Arabic language, especially when he knew the
languages of the animals. As the Arabic language is supreme among all
the languages, it is possible that he might have written the letter in
Arabic. It is also probable because Bilqis was an Arab by race, and she

589
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 29 - 37
read the letter and understood it. The other probability is that he had
written the letter in his own language and an interpreter read it for her.
(Ruh)
Some rules of writing letters
إِنَّهُ مِنْ سُلَيُمْنَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحُمُنِ الرَّحِيمِ
It is from Sulaiman and it is (in the following words:) With the
name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful. 27:30
There is not a single aspect of human life on which Qur'an does not
provide guidance. Mutual exchange of welfare and other information
through letters is part of human requirements. In this Surah, full text of
the letter from Sayyidna Sulaiman Mall to Queen Saba' has been
reproduced. This is a letter from a prophet, and Qur'an has reproduced it
as an approved format for a letter. Hence, it should be taken in that light
and Muslims should try to follow the guidance provided in it for letter
writing.
Writer should first write his name and then of the addressee
The very first guidance provided in this letter is that Sayyidna
Sulaiman ME has begun it by writing his name. How did he write the
name of the addressee, it is not mentioned in the Qur'an. However, it does
tell us that it was the practice of the prophets to write their name first, in
which there are many benefits: For instance, the addressee would know
even before reading the letter from whom it has come. So he would read
the letter in the backdrop of his relations with the writer, and any
confusion about the identity of the writer would be eliminated right in the
beginning. The Holy Prophet & had also adopted the same practice in all
his letters addressed to various persons, and began the letter with the
wordings من محمّد عبد الله ورسوله (From Muhammad, the slave of Allah and
His messenger)
A question may arise here as to whether it would be a disrespect to the
addressee if a junior writes his name first while writing to his elder,
teacher or senior in status? So, is it appropriate to follow this practice or
not? In this respect the companions of the Holy Prophet
had acted
differently. Most of them preferred to follow the practice of the Holy
Prophet
and not the requirement of the formality, and wrote their
names first even when writing to the Holy Prophet
himself. Ruh

590
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 29 - 37
ul-Ma'ani has reproduced a narration of Sayyidna 'Anas
from al-Bahr
ul-Muhit as follows:
ما کان احد اعظم حرمة من رسول الله صلی الله عليه وسلم، و کان اصحابه اذا
کتبوا اليه كتابًا بدأوا بانفسهم. قلت: وكتاب علاء الحضرمى رضى الله عنه يشهد
له على ماروى.
"No human is more revered than the Holy Prophet 3, but
when his companions used to write to him, they would first
write their names, and I say that Sayyidna 'Ala' Al-Hadrami's
letter, which he wrote to the Holy Prophet 5, is a proof to
that."
However, after quoting these narrations in Ruh ul-Ma'ani it is
observed that all this discussion is about the preferred way, otherwise
both ways are permissible. If some one writes his name in the last, that
too is correct. Religious jurist Abu al-Layth has written in his Bustan that
if some one starts with the name of the addressee, no one can question its
permissibility, because this has also been the practice among the Muslims
for long, and no one has objected to that. (Ruh ul-Ma'ani, Qurțubi)
Replying to letters is also a practice of the prophets
It is observed in Tafsir ul-Qurtubi that if someone receives a letter, it
is incumbent upon him to answer it, because a letter from someone not
present is as good as the greeting of the one who is present. It is
attributed to Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 49
e in a narration that he used to
regard the reply of a letter as much obligatory as the reply to a greeting
by salām. (Qurțubi)
Starting letters with Bismillah
The letter of Sayyidna Sulaiman Seal and all the letters sent by the
Holy Prophet
have established that writing Bismillah at the beginning
of a letter was the practice of the prophets. As to the question whether
Bismillah should precede the name of the writer or not, the practice of the
Holy Prophet
was that he always put Bismillah before his name, and
the name of the addressee after his own name. But in the Qur'an the
order is reversed and the name of Sayyidna Sulaiman &Cª is written first
and then Bismillah. Therefore, it is also in order if the name of the writer
is written first and then Bismillah. But Ibn Abi Hatim has reported on the
authority of Yazid Ibn Rauman that in fact Sayyidna Sulaiman A had

591
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 29 - 37
بسم الله الرّحمن الرّحيم. من سليمان بن داود الى بلقيس :written his letter in this manner
which means that he wrote) ابنة ذى شرح وقومها. ان لاتعلوا عَلَىَّ وَاتُوُنِى مُسُلِمِيْنَ
Bismillah before his name) but when Bilgis read out this letter to her
people, she mentioned the name of Sulaiman & first in order to let
them know the name of the writer. The Holy Qur'an has copied what
Bilgis had uttered. There is no mention in the Qur'an whether Bismillah
was written first or the name of Sayyidna Sulaiman SKA in the original
letter. There is yet another possibility that the name of Sulaiman
was written on the envelope and Bismillah at the top of the letter, and
when Bilqis read out the letter to her people she announced the name of
Sayyidna Sulaiman 8& first.
Ruling
The original tradition (Sunnah) of letter writing is that all letters
should begin with Bismillah. However, the religious jurists have ruled, on
the authority of the indications given in the Qur'an and Sunnah, that if
there is a risk of disrespect to the name of Allah on the apprehension that
the paper on which Bismillah is written would be thrown away, then it is
not right to write Bismillah, lest one should get involved in sin. The
present day practice is that letters are thrown away after reading and
they end up in garbage. Hence, it is better to perform Sunnah by reciting
Bismillah orally before starting the letter, rather than writing it on paper.
Can a paper bearing a Qur'anic verse be given in the hands of a
disbeliever?
Sayyidna Sulaiman a had sent this letter to Bilqis when she was
not a Muslim, but ◌ِبسُمِ اللّهِ الرَّحمنِ الرَّحِيم was written on it. It confirms that this
is permissible. The non-Arab kings to whom the Holy Prophet g had
written letters were disbelievers. But the letters contained some Qur'anic
verses too. It should be understood that although it is not permitted to
hand over the Holy Qur'an to infidels, but any book or paper containing
some verses of the Qur'an does not qualify to be the Qur'an itself; hence,
such papers or books can be handed over to an infidel or to someone
without wudu' (ablution). (Alamgiri)
Letters should be written short, comprehensive, eloquent and
effective
Looking at the letter of Sayyidna Sulaiman & one cannot avoid
noticing that it is so comprehensive that all important matters have been

592
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 29 - 37
put together in a few sentences, maintaining the high standard of
eloquence alongwith the royal grandeur in front of the infidels. At the
same time perfected attributes of Allah Ta'ala are also described along
with an invitation towards Islam. The condemnation of conceit and
arrogance is also noticeable. As a matter of fact, this letter is a specimen of
the marvel of Qur'an. Sayyidna Qatadah 4 has stated that it was the
practice in letter writing by all the prophets to make it brief but at the
same time ensuring that nothing mentionable is left out. (Ruh ul-Ma'ani)
Consultation in important matters is a Sunnah. It provides the
benefit of having views of others, and gives them a sense of
participation
قَالَتُّ ◌َأَيُّهَا الْمَلَوُا ◌َفْتُوْنِىٌ فِىّ أَمْرِىُ ◌ٌ مَا كُنْتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّى تَشْهَدُوُنِ
She said, "O chieftains, advise me in the matter I have (before
me). I am not the one who decides a matter absolutely unless
you are present with me." - 32
The word اقْتُوُنِى is derived from Fatwa فَتُوى, which means answering
some specific issue. Here it means to give counsel or to express one's
views. When Queen Bilqis received the letter of Sayyidna Sulaiman
she called the members of her government and asked their view as to
what she should do. Before asking their view on the matter, she
encouraged and pleased them by declaring that she did not take decisions
without consulting them. Because of her remarks, the ministers and the
generals expressed their readiness to sacrifice every thing they had in
order to follow her command. ◌ِنَحْنُ أُولُوا قُوَّةٍ وَأُولُوا بَأْسٍ شَدِيْدٍ وَّالْآَمُرُ إِلَيُك ("We are
powerful and tough fighters, and the decision lies with you - 33).
Sayyidnā Qatadah 4
has related that according to his information there
were 313 members in her consultative committee, and each one of them
represented and enjoyed the support of ten thousand persons. (Qurtubi)
This statement brings to light that having consultation with
supporters is an old practice. Islam has attached great importance to
consultation and has made this mandatory for the government
functionaries. So much so that the Holy Prophet Eg, who was the
recipient of revelations from Allah Ta'ala and also used to get direct
guidance from Him (thus did not have any need for consultation or
advice), was also commanded to follow this practice, in order to set up a

593
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 29 - 37
tradition for his followers. The Holy Qur'an directs the Holy Prophet
that is, he should consult them in the matters. There (3:159) وَشَاوِرُهُمْ فِى الْأَمْرِ
is a sense of participation for the companions in this command, and an
advice for the coming generations that the government functionaries
must always consult on important matters.
Reaction of Queen Bilqis on the letter of Sulaiman
After having consulted the functionaries of her government and
gaining their confidence, she herself developed a strategy that she should
initially test out the real intention of Sayyidna Sulaiman Sel and to find
out whether he was actually a prophet and messenger of God, and
whether he was really conveying the message of God or he was aspiring
for a greater empire. The purpose behind this strategy was to find out
that if he was a prophet in reality, then his command should be followed
and no hostility be adopted against him. On the other hand if he was only
a king and wished to expand his empire by subjugating her kingdom,
then a different plan be worked out to face the challenge. To test out the
real intention of Sayyidna Sulaiman Mal she adopted the tactic of
sending to him precious gifts and presents. If he becomes satisfied after
receiving the gifts, then it would indicate that he was only a king and had
approached her with mundane motives. On the other hand, if he was
actually a prophet then he would not agree on any thing other than
acceptance of Islam. Ibn Jarir has reported this explanation from
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 46 Mujahid, Ibn Juraij, and Ibn Wahb Jas AU(,
with several chins of narrators. The same subject is elaborated in the
following verse:
وَإِنِّى مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِمُ بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنْظِرَةٌ ) بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ
And I am going to send a gift to them, then see, what response
the envoys will bring back." 27:35.
Appearance of envoys of Bilqis in the court of Sulaiman Sel
Historical Isra'ili legends describe in great detail the incident of the
visit of the envoys of Bilqis and the gifts they had taken with them. All
versions of the legends agree on that the gifts included some gold bricks,
some precious stones, one hundred slaves and one hundred slave girls.
But the slave girls were dressed in men's clothes and the slaves were
dressed in ladies outfits. There was also a letter from Bilqis, in which

594
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 29 - 37
there were some questions for testing Sayyidna Sulaiman Skal. In the
selection of gifts also, his test was intended. Allah Ta'ala had passed on
detailed information of gifts to Sulaiman &&El even before their arrival.
Sayyidna Sulaiman & commanded the Jinns to lay out a floor of gold
and silver bricks over a thirty miles stretch from his court, and that
strange looking animals be lined up on either side of this pathway. Their
excrement of bowels was also to be placed on the floor of gold and silver.
Similarly, his court was decorated with special attention. Four thousand
chairs of gold were placed on the left side and four thousand on the right
side of the main hall for the scholars, ministers, and other officials of the
court. The entire hall was bedecked with precious stones. When Bilqis's
envoys saw animals standing on the floor of gold bricks, they were
embarrassed with the gifts they had brought with them. It is reported in
some narrations that they threw away their gold bricks. Then as they
proceeded, they saw rows of beasts and birds on either side of the
pathway. After that they came across the rows of jinns. Seeing them, they
were browbeaten. Ultimately, when they reached the court and stood
before Sayyidna Sulaiman &Cel, he received them with dignity, and
entertained them with veneration. But he returned all their gifts and
presents, and answered all the questions sent up by Bilqis. (Qurtubi)
Return of the presents of Bilqis by Sayyidna Sulaiman
قَالَ أَتْمِتُّوْنَنِ بِمَالٍ ◌ُفَمَآ اثْنِ اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّآ أَثْبِكُمٌُ بَلُ أَنْتُمُ بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ
"Are you giving me an aid of wealth? So what Allah has given
me is much better than He has given to you. But you yourselves
are proud of your gift. 27:36.
When Bilgis's envoys reached the court of Sayyidna Sulaiman El
with the gifts and presents sent by her, he said to them 'Do you wish to
help me with wealth? Whatever wealth and bounties I have been given
by Allah is much better than your wealth and material. Therefore, I do
not accept your presents of wealth. You better take them away, and enjoy
them yourself.
Is it permissible to accept presents from infidels?
Sayyidna Sulaiman Sel did not accept the presents of Queen Bilqis,
which indicates that it is not permissible or not preferable to accept
presents from infidels. The correct position about this question is that if

595
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 29 - 37
this may lead to weakening of one's position or that of Muslim community,
or is likely to go against the expediency of the national interest, then it is
prudent not to accept their presents. (Ruh ul-Ma'ani). But if the interest of
the Muslims is in favour of acceptance, for instance if this gesture may
lead the non-Muslims to the acceptance of Islam, or may ward off some
impending danger to Islam, in such situations it is permitted. It was the
practice of the Holy Prophet
to accept presents from some infidels and
reject them from others. It is reported in 'Umdatul Qari Sharp al-Bukhari
(Kitab ul-hibah) and Sharh-As- Siyar-Al-Kabr on the authority of
Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik ,ws dl , that 'Amir ibn Malik, brother of Bra',
went to Madinah on some work, when he was a disbelieving infidel, and
presented two horses and two pairs of garments to the Holy Prophet
He sent back these presents with the remarks "We do not accept presents
from disbelievers". Once 'Iyad ibn Himar al-Mujashii presented to him
some thing. The Holy Prophet
enquired from him whether he was a
Muslim, to which he replied in the negative. So he returned his presents,
explaining that Allah Ta'ala has commanded him not to accept presents
from the disbelievers.
As against this there are other narrations reporting that the Holy
Prophet
had accepted presents from some disbelievers. In one such
narration, it is related that Abu Sufyan had presented to him a piece of
leather when he was still a disbeliever, which the Holy Prophet
had
accepted. Another narration has reported that a Christian had presented
to him a very shiny piece of fine silk, which was also accepted by him.
Shamsul 'A'immah has commented after citing these narrations that,
in his view, the reason of rejection and acceptance of these presents by
the Holy Prophet
was that where he thought that by their rejection
the disbeliever would come near Islam, he rejected them, and where he
considered that their acceptance will help bring the disbeliever close to
Islam he did that. ('Umdatul Qari)
Bilgis took the rejection of her presents by Sayyidna Sulaiman Scal as
a sign of his prophethood - not because the acceptance of gifts from
disbelievers is not permissible - but she had purposefully sent those
presents as a bribe, in order to save herself from any attack from him.

596
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 38 - 41
Verses 38 - 41
قَالَ بَأَيُّهَا الْمَلَؤُا أَيُّكُمُ يَأْتِيْنِىُ بِعَرُشِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُوُنِىُ مُسْلِمِيْنَ
﴿٣٨﴾ قَالَ عِفْرِيُتْ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ آنَا أتِيْكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ مَّقَامِكَ؟
وَإِنِى عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِىٌّ آَمِيْنٌ ﴿٣٩﴾ قَالَ الَّذِىُ عِنْدَهُ عِلُمْ مِّنَ الْكِتْبِ آَنَا
أتِيُكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَّرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرُفُكَ * فَلَمَّا رَاهُ مُسْتَقِرًّا عِنْدَهُ قَالَ هذَا
مِنْ فَضْلِ رَبِىُ ◌ٌّّ لِيَبْلُوَنِىّءَ آَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُهُ وَمَنْ شَكْرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ
لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنُ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّىُ غَنِىٌّ كَرِيْمٌ ﴿٤﴾ قَالَ نَكِرُوا لَهَا عَرْشَهَا
نَنْظُرُ أَتَهْتَدِىّ أَمْ تَكُونُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ لاَيَهْتَدُونَ ﴿٤١﴾
He said, "O chieftains, which one of you will bring her
throne to me before they come to me submissively?" [38]
An 'ifrit (stalwart) from the Jinns said, "I will bring it
to you before you rise up from your place, and for this
(task) I am powerful, trust-worthy". [39] Said the one
who had the knowledge of the book, "I will bring it to
you before your glance returns to you." So when he saw
it (the throne) well-placed before him, he said, "This is
by the grace of my Lord, so that He may test me
whether I am grateful or ungrateful. And whoever is
grateful is grateful for his own benefit, and whoever is
ungrateful, then my Lord is Need-Free, Bountiful". [40]
He said, "Disguise the throne for her, and we will see
whether she discovers the truth or she is one of those
who have no guidance." [41]
Commentary
Bilqis's appearance in the court of Sulaiman &cel
Qurtubi has reported, giving references of historical record, that
Bilgis's envoys returned from the court of Sulaiman Sell totally
dumb-founded and awe-struck, and conveyed his declaration of war to
the queen. Then Bilqis said to her people that she was already of the view
that he was no ordinary king, but was on some special assignment from
God, and that fighting with His messenger is like fighting with God, for
which they did not have the strength. After making this statement, she
started getting ready to go to Sayyidna Sulaiman SCH. She took along

597
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 38 - 41
with her twelve thousand chiefs, commanding an army of hundred
thousand men each." Allah Ta'ala had graced Sayyidna Sulaiman Sel
with such awe and majesty that no one had the courage to speak before
him. One day he saw a cloud of dust at some distance. So he asked from
those who were present as to what that was. His people answered 'O
messenger of Allah! Queen Bilqis is coming with her people'. Some
narrations relate that at that time she was about three miles from the
court of Sulaiman del. At that moment Sayyidna Sulaiman cal turned
to his courtiers and asked them:
قَالَ يَأَيُّهَا الْمَلَؤُ! أَيُّكُمُ يَأْتِيْنِىُ بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَّأْتُوُنِىُ مُسُلِمِيْنَ
He said, "O chieftains, which one of you will bring her throne to
me before they come to me submissively?" 27:38.
Sayyidna Sulaiman Ce was already informed that Bilqis was coming
to him to submit after having been impressed by his invitation. So he
decided that, apart from royal grandeur, she should also witness a
prophetic miracle, which should help her convert to faith. Allah Ta'ala
had bestowed the miracle of control of jinns to Sayyidna Sulaiman .
After receiving the cue from Allah Ta'ala, he fancied to have Bilqis's
throne brought to his court even before her arrival. So he commanded the
jinni, who was also present in his court, to bring her throne. Selection of
throne was presumably made on the basis that it was the most secured
object of her treasure, which was kept in the impregnable inner most hall
of the seven castles, one within the other, properly secured under lock. So
much so that her own people could not reach there. Shifting of such a
huge and secured object without breaking the lock or door to a place so far
away from where it was placed, could not have been possible without the
help and will of Allah Ta'ala. This was an ideal way to make her see and
realize the unlimited power and control of Allah. At the same time it was
also intended to make her realize that the high position and status of
1. The learned author has already mentioned that no authentic record is
available on the details of this story. However there are some details found in
the Israelite traditions some of which are reproduced here. This huge
.
number of the army of Bilgis is also taken from those traditions; otherwise,
the number given is highly exaggerated on the face of it, and 'Allamah 'Alusi
has opined that the tradition giving such a huge number of the army seems
to be a lie.

598
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 38 - 41
Sulaiman Meel was actually bestowed by Allah Ta'ala, which had enabled
him to perform such super-human things. (Ibn Jarir)
before they come to me submissively - 27:38). The) قَبْلَ أَنْ يَّأْتُوُنِىُ مُسْلِمِيْنَ
word l' (muslimin) is the plural of Muslim, the literal meaning of
which is obedient or submissive. In conventional expression, 'Muslim' is
equivalent of 'believer'. According to Sayyidna ibn 'Abbas 4, here
Muslimin is used in its literal meaning, that is, obedient or submissive. It
is so because it was not established at that time that Queen Bilqis had
converted to Islam. She actually converted to Islam after talking to
Sayyidna Sulaiman El, as is evident from the verses to follow now.
Said the one who had the knowledge of the) قَالَ الَّذِىُ عِنْدَهُ عِلُمْ مِّنَ الْكِتْب
book - 27:40). The question is as to who was this person? One possibility is
that he was Sulaiman &Kyl himself, because his knowledge of the book of
Allah was most extensive. In that case this incident happened as a
miracle. The objective was also that Bilgis should have an experience of
the prophetic miracle, so that no doubt was left in her mind. But Ibn Jarir
has reported from many commentators of the Qur'an, like Qatadah, that
he was a person from the companions of Sayyidna Sulaiman el.
Qurtubi has declared it to be the view of the majority. Ibn Ishaque has
mentioned his name as 'Aşif Ibn Barkhiya, and has opined that he was a
friend of Sayyidna Sulaiman SCH. Some other narrations say that a
cousin of Sayyidna Sulaiman &al had the knowledge of Al-Ism ul-A'zam,
(a particular name of Allah Almighty) the speciality of which is that
whatever blessing is invoked from Allah Ta'ala by reciting this name, it is
accepted, and anything requested is delivered from Him. It does not prove
that Sayyidna Sulaiman & did not have the knowledge of
Al-Ism-ul-A'zam. Rather it is quite likely that he considered it prudent to
have the manifestation of the miracle by one of his people, which should
have deeper impression on Bilqis. Therefore, instead of performing the
miracle himself, he addressed his people in the above manner. (jus
In such a situation, this incident was a Karamah, which was (فصوص الحكم
performed by 'Aşif Ibn Barkhiya.
Difference between miracle and Karamah
Miracles take place without any involvement of natural phenomena
by the exclusive act and will of Allah Ta'ala. It is clearly defined in the
Qur'an itself وَمَا رَمَيُتْ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلكِنَّ اللَّهَ رَمى (You did not throw when you threw

599
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 38 - 41
but Allah did throw - 8:17). Likewise, there is no involvement of natural
phenomena in the happening of Karamah. They take place exclusively
with the act and will of Allah Ta'ala. This should also be understood that
miracles and Karamah do not take place with the wish or control of the
person performing them, but only by the will and act of Allah Ta'ala. The
only difference between the two is that if such an unusual act is
demonstrated through a prophet, it is known as a miracle; and if it is
demonstrated through someone who is not a prophet, it is called
Karamah. In this particular incident if it is correct that 'Asif Ibn
Barkhiya, who was a companion of Sayyidna Sulaiman & H, performed
it, then it will be called his Karamah. The unusual acts performed by
saints are in fact the reflection of the perfections of their prophets, which
in turn are deemed to be the miracles of their prophet.
The incident of the throne of Bilgis was a Karamah or a Tasarruf
Shaikh Muhiyyuddin ibn al-'Arabi has declared it as a Tasarruf of
'Aşif ibn Barkhiya. In the general use of the term, Tasarruf means to
captivate the audience by the power of sight and mind, for which it is not
necessary for the person performing it that he is a prophet or saint or
even a Muslim. It is something like mesmerism or hypnotism. The saints
have used this power occasionally for reforming and training of their
disciples also. Ibn al-'Arabi has explained that since prophets avoid using
Tasarruf, therefore Sayyidna Sulaiman
got this job done by 'Aşif ibn
Barkhiya. But the Qur'an has declared it the result of ◌ِعِلُمْ مِّنَ الْكِتَاب (The
knowledge of the book - 27:40). In the light of the wordings of the Qur'an,
it seems preferable that it was an outcome of some prayer or of Al-Ism
ul-A'zam which falls within the purview of Karamah, and has nothing to
do with Tasarruf.
The assertion ◌َأنا أتِيُكَ بِهٍ قَبُلَ أَنْ يَّرْتَدَّ إِلَيُكَ طَرُفُك (I will bring it to you before
your glance returns to you - 27:40) may create confusion, because it gives
the impression that this act was carried out with intent and control. That
being so, it is a sign of Tasarruf, because Karamah is not under the
control of a saint. The answer to this doubt is that presumably Allah
Ta'ala had already given the signal that if there would be a desire for
that, He would fulfill it in no time.
This explanation is taken from the commentary 'Ahkam ul Qur'an' by
Sayyidi Hakimul Ummah Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi, on Surah

600
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 42 - 44
An-Naml. Apart from that, he has also written a pamphlet on Tasarruf in
Arabic under the title 'At-Tasarruf, which I have translated in Urdu and
has been published separately.
Verses 42 - 44
فَلَمَّا جَآءَتُ قِيْلَ اَلهْكَذَا عَرُشُكِ ، قَالَتُ كَانَّهُ هُوَ، وَأُوْتِيْنَا الْعِلْمَ
مِنْ قَبْلِهَا وَكُنَّا مُسُلِمِينَ ﴿٤٢﴾ وَصَدَّهَا مَا كَانَتُ تَّعْبُدُ مِنْ دُوْنِ
اللّهِ * إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ مِنْ قَوْمٍ كُفِرِينَ ﴿٤٣﴾ قِيْلَ لَهَا ادْخُلِى الصَّرُحَ؟
فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ حَسِبَتْهُ لُجَّةً وَّكَشَفَتْ عَنْ سَاقَيْهَا ، قَالَ إِنَّهْ صَرْعٌ مُّمَرَّدٌ
مِّنْ قَوَارِيْرَةٍ قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّىُ ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِىُ وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمُنَ
لِلْهِ رَبِّ الْغَلَمِيْنَ ﴿٤٤﴾
So when she came, it was said (to her), "Is your throne
like this?" She said, "It seems to be the same, and
knowledge (of truth) was given to us even before this
and we have already submitted." [42] And she was
prevented (from submitting before) by that which she
used to worship instead of Allah. Indeed she was from a
disbelieving people. [43] It was said to her, "Enter the
palace." Then once she saw it, she thought it to be
flowing water and uncovered her legs. He (Sulaiman)
said, "This is a palace made of glasses." She said, "My
Lord, I had surely wronged myself, and now I submit,
alongwith Sulaiman, to Allah, the Lord of the worlds."
[44]
Commentary
Did Sayyidna Sulaiman 85 marry Bilgis?
The story of Bilqis has ended in the above verses on the statement
that she converted to Islam after coming to Sayyidna Sulaiman 9.
What happened after that? The Qur'an is silent on this. It is for this
reason that when someone asked 'Abdullah ibn 'Uyaynah whether
Sayyidna Sulaiman MA had married Bilgis, he answered that her case
has finished on this ◌َاَسُلَمُتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَانَ لِلْهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِين (I submit, alongwith
Sulaiman, to Allah, the Lord of the worlds - 44). The idea behind this

601
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 45 - 53
answer was that when Qur'an has not divulged anything after that, it is
not for us to probe any further. But Ibn 'Asakir has reported on the
authority of Sayyidna 'Ikrimah 4
that Sayyidna Sulaiman SA had
married Bilgis after that, and she was retained as the sovereign of her
country. She was then sent back to Yemen, and Sayyidna Sulaiman Sel,
used to visit her every month for three days. He got three palaces made
for her in Yemen, which had no parallel of their kind. (Only God knows
best)
Verses 45 - 53
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَى ثَمُوْدَ آَخَاهُمُ ضِلِحًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللهَ فَإِذَاهُمْ فَرِيُقْنٍ
يَخْتَصِمُونَ ﴿٤٥﴾ قَالَ يُقَوْمِ لِمَ تَسْتَعُجِلُونَ بِالسَّيّئَةِ قَبْلَ الْحَسَنَةِ؟
لَوْلاَ تَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرُحَمُونَ ﴿٤٦﴾ قَالُوا الطَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَنْ
مَّعَكَ ، قَالَ طَِّرُكُمْ عِنْدَ اللّهِ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ قَوْمٌّ تُفْتَنُونَ ﴿٤٧﴾ وَكَانَ فِى
الْمَدِيْنَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهُطِ يُّفْسِدُوْنَ فِى الْأَرْضِ وَلاَ يُصْلِحُونَ ﴿٤٨)
قَالُوا تَقَاسَمُوا بِاللهِ لَنُبَِّنَّهُ، وَأَهْلَهُ، ثُمّ لَنَقُوْلَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهِ مَا شَهِدْنَا
مَهْلِكَ أَهْلِهٍ وَإِنَّا لَصدِقُوْنَ ﴿٤٩﴾ وَمَكَرُوا مَكْرًا وَّمَكَرْنَا مَكُرًا وَّهُمُ
لاَيَشْعُرُونَ ﴿ .. ﴾ فَانْظُرُ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ مَكْرِهِمْ " أَنَّادَمَّرْنُهُمْ
وَقَوْمَهُمُ اَجْمَعِيْنَ ﴿٥١) فَتِلْكَ بُيُوتُهُمْ خَاوِيَّةٌ بِمَا ظَلَمُوْا ◌ُ إِنَّ فِىُ
ذِلِكَ لَآَيَّةً لِّقَوْمٍ يَّعْلَمُونَ ﴿٢﴾ وَ أَنْجَيْنَا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُوْنَ
﴿٥٣٪
And We sent to Thamud their brother Salih saying (to
them), "Worship Allah". Then suddenly they became two
groups quarrelling with each other. [45] He said, "O my
people, why do you seek evil to come sooner before
good? Why do you not seek forgiveness from Allah, so
that you are treated with mercy?" [46] They said, "We
regard you and those with you as a sign of bad omen."
He said, "Your omen is with Allah, but you are a people

602
Surah An-Naml : 27 : 45 - 53
put to a test." [47]
And there were nine persons in the city who used to
make mischief on the earth and did not put things right.
[48] They said, "Let us swear a mutual oath by Allah
that we shall attack him (Salih) and his family at night,
then will say to his heir, 'We did not witness the
destruction of his family and we are really truthful."
[49] And (thus) they devised a plan and We devised a
plan, while they were not aware. [50] So look how was
the fate of their plan, that We annihilated them and
their people altogether. [51] Now those are their houses,
lying empty because of the transgression they
committed. Surely, in this there are signs for a people
who have knowledge. [52] And We saved those who
believed and who used to be God-fearing. [53]
Commentary
why do you seek evil to come sooner before) لِمَ تَسُتَعْجِلُونَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ الْحَسَنَةِ
good? - 27:46). Sayyidna Salih Mal is referring here to the demand of the
infidels that he should bring the divine torment to them in this world, so
that they may know his truthfulness. Therefore, "evil" in this sentence
stands for torment, while "good" refers to their repentance and invoking
divine mercy. It, therefore means, "Why are you asking me to bring the
divine punishment before you repent?"
.Raht) is used for a group) رَهُط nine persons - 27:48). The word) تِسْعَةُ رَهُطٍ
Here each of the nine persons is called Raht presumably because they
were regarded superior among their clan for having wealth and dignity.
Each one of them had his own separate group of people, hence they are
called nine groups. They were known as the chiefs of Hijr, which was a
city of the people of Salih &El. Hijr was a well-known city of Syria.
لَنُبََّنَّهُ، وَأَهْلَهُ، ثُمَّ لَنَقُوْلَنَّ لِوَلِيّه مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِكَ أَهْلِهِ وَإِنَّ لَصدِقُوْنَ
We shall attack him (Salih) and his family at night, then will
say to his heir, We did not witness the destruction of his family
and we are really truthful - 27:49.
The plan was that all of them together should attack him and his
companions in the darkness of night, and kill them all. And when the
claimant of the blood would make the claim, they would say that they did