THE STORY OF BILQIS (Queen Sheba) AND SULEIMAN (AS)
Analyzing Suratul naml, Qur’an Chapter 27 verse 20-44
Part 4
THE TEST OF BILQIS
Allah tells:
قَالَ
He (Suleiman) said:
When Suleiman brought the throne of Bilqis before she and her people arrived, he issued orders that some of its features should be altered, so that he could test her and see whether she recognized it and how composed she would be when she saw it. Would she hasten to say either that it was her throne or that it was not! So he said:
نَكِّرُوا لَهَا عَرْشَهَا نَنظُرْ أَتَهْتَدِي أَمْ تَكُونُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ
Disguise her throne for her that we may see whether she will be guided, or she will be one of those not guided.
Ibn Abbas said:
“Remove some of its adornments and parts.”
Mujahid said:
“He issued orders that it should be changed, so whatever was red should be made yellow and vice versa, and whatever was green should be made red, so everything was altered.”
Ikrimah said,
“They added some things and took some things away.”
فَلَمَّا جَاءتْ قِيلَ أَهَكَذَا عَرْشُكِ
So when she came, it was said:”Is your throne like this?
Her throne, which had been altered and disguised, with some things added and others taken away, was shown to her. She was wise and steadfast, intelligent and strong-willed. She did not hasten to say that this was her throne, because it was far away from her. Neither did she hasten to say that it was not her throne, when she saw that some things had been altered and changed.
قَالَتْ كَأَنَّهُ هُوَ
She said:(It is) as though it were the very same.
This is the ultimate in intelligence and strong resolve.
وَأُوتِينَا الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهَا وَكُنَّا مُسْلِمِينَ
Knowledge was bestowed on us before her, and we had submitted to Allah.
Mujahid said,
“This was spoken by Suleiman.”
وَصَدَّهَا مَا كَانَت تَّعْبُدُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ مِن قَوْمٍ كَافِرِينَ
And “Saddaha” that which she used to worship besides Allah has prevented her, for she was of a disbelieving people.
This is a continuation of the words of Suleiman — according to the opinion of Mujahid and Sa`id bin Jubayr, may Allah be pleased with them both — i.e., Suleiman said:
وَأُوتِينَا الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهَا وَكُنَّا مُسْلِمِينَ
(Knowledge was bestowed on us before her, and we had submitted to Allah). and what stopped her from worshipping Allah alone was
مَا كَانَت تَّعْبُدُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ مِن قَوْمٍ كَافِرِينَ
(that which she used to worship besides Allah, for she was of a disbelieving people).
I say: The opinion of Mujahid is supported by the fact that she declared her Islam after she entered the ‘Sarh” as we shall see below
قِيلَ لَهَا ادْخُلِي الصَّرْحَ فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ حَسِبَتْهُ لُجَّةً وَكَشَفَتْ عَن سَاقَيْهَا
It was said to her: Enter “As-Sarh” but when she saw it, she thought it was a pool, and she (tucked up her clothes) uncovering her legs.
Suleiman had commanded the Shayatin to build for her a huge palace of glass beneath which water was flowing. Anyone who did not know the nature of the building would think that it was water, but in fact there was a layer of glass between a person walking and the water.
قَالَ إِنَّهُ صَرْحٌ مُّمَرَّدٌ مِّن قَوَارِيرَ
He (Suleiman) said:”Verily, it is a “Sarh Mumarrad” of “Qawarir.”
means a palace or any lofty construction.
Allah says of Fir`awn may Allah curse him that he said to his minister Haman:
ابْنِ لِى صَرْحاً لَّعَـلِّى أَبْلُغُ الاٌّسْبَـبَ
Build me a “Sarh” that I may arrive at the ways. (40:36-37)
“Sarh” is also used to refer to the high constructed palaces in Yemen.
“Mumarrad” means sturdily constructed and smooth.
مِّن قَوَارِيرَ
of “Qawarir”,
“Marid” is a fortress in Dawmat Al-Jandal. What is meant here is that Suleiman built a huge, lofty palace of glass for this queen, in order to show her the greatness of his authority and power. When she saw for herself what Allah had given him and how majestic his position was, she submitted to the command of Allah and acknowledged that he was a noble Prophet, so she submitted to Allah and said:
قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي
She said:My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself,
meaning, by her previous disbelief and “Shirk” and by the fact that she and her people had worshipped the sun instead of Allah.
وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَانَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
and I submit, together with Suleiman to Allah, the Lord of all that exists.
meaning, following the religion of Suleiman, worshipping Allah alone with no partner or associate, Who created everything and measured it exactly according to its due measurements.
Alhamdulillahi robil-alameen.
Bashir Habeebullah @ knowislam.com.ng
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