SURAH (27) AN-NAML (AYA 21 to 40)

لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لَأَذْبَحَنَّهُ أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ {27:21}

[Q27:21] La-u'azzibanahoo 'azaaban shadeedan aw la azbahannahoo aw layaatiyannee bisultaanim mubeen. 
[Q27:21] I will most certainly punish him with a severe punishment, or kill him, or he shall bring to me a clear plea.

[Q27:21] Demi sesungguhnya! Aku akan menyeksanya dengan seksa yang seberat-beratnya, atau aku akan menyembelihnya, kecuali dia membawa kepadaku alasan yang terang nyata (yang membuktikan sebab-sebab dia tidak hadir). 

(see commentary for verse 20)

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(27:21) I will punish him severely, or even slaughter him, unless he presents before me a reasonable excuse” *28

*28 Some people of the modern time say that the hud-bud (hoopoe) does not mean the bird commonly known by this name, but is the name of a man who was an officer in the army of Solomon. This claim is not based on any historical research in which they might have found a person named hud-hud included in the list of the officers of the government of the Prophet Solomon, but they base their claim on the argument that the custom of naming human beings after animals is prevalent in Arabic as in other languages and was also found in Hebrew. Moreover, the, work that has been ascribed to the hud-hud in the following verses and its conversation with the Prophet Solomon, can, according to them, be only performed by a human being. But if one keeps in view the context in which this thing occurs in the Qur'an, it becomes evident that this is no commentary of the Qur'an but its distortion. After aII, why should the Qur'an put the intellect and intelligence of man to the test by using enigmatic language '? Why should it not clearly say that a soldier of the Prophet Solomon's cavalry, or platoon, or communication department, was missing, whom he ordered to be searched out, and who came and gave this news and whom he despatched on such and such a mission? Instead, it uses such language that the reader, from the beginning to the end, is compelled to regard it as a bird. Let us, in this connection, consider the tarts in their sequence as presented in the Qur'an. First of aII, the Prophet Solomon expresses his gratitude to AIIah for His this bounty: "We have been taught the speech of the birds." In this sentence, firstly, the word Lair has been used absolutely which every Arab and scholar of Arabic will take in the meaning of a bird, because there is nothing in the context that points to its being figurative; secondly, if tair implied a group of men and not a bird, the ward language or tongue would have been used concerning it and not speech. 'Then, a person's knowing the tongue of another people is not so extraordinary a thing that it should be specially mentioned. Today there are among us thousands of men and women, who can speak and understand many foreign languages. This is in no way an unusual achievement which may be mentioned as an extraordinary gift of God. Then the Qur'an says, "For Solomon were gathered hosts of jinns and then and birds." In this sentence, firstly, the words Jinn and ins (men) and tair have been used as names for three well-known and distinct species denoted by these words in Arabic. Then they have been used absolutely and there is nothing in the context that may point to any of them being used metaphorically, or as a simile hecause of which one may take them in another meaning than their well- known lexical meaning. Then the word ins has occurred between the words jinn and Lair which does not allow taking it in the meaning that the Jinn and the tair were, in tact, two groups included in the species of ins (men). Had this been meant the words would have been: ul jinn wat-tair min-al-ins and not min-al- Jinn wal-ins W at-tair. A little further un the e Qur'an says that the Prophet Solomon said this when-during his review of the birds hr found the hud-hud missing. If the fair were human beings and hud-hud also was the name of a man, a word or two should Dave been there to indicate this so that cite poor reader should not have taken the word for a bird. When the group being mentioned is clearly of the birds and a number of it is called hud-hud how can it be expected that the reader will of his own accord understand them to be human beings'? Then the Prophet Solomon says, "1 will punish him severely, or even slaughter him, unless he presents before me a reasonable excuse." A man is killed, or hanged, or sentenced to death, but never slaughtered. Some hard-hearted person may even slaughter another person out of vengeance, but it cannot be expected of a Prophet that he would sentence a soldier of his army to be slaughtered only for the offence of desertion, and Allah would mention this heinous act of the Prophet without a word of disapproval. A little further on we shall again see that the Prophet Solomon sends the same hud-hud with a letter to the queen of Sheba and tells him "to cast it before her". Obviously, such an instruction can be given to a bird but not at all to a man when he is sent as an envoy or messenger. Only a foolish person will believe that a king would send his envoy with a letter to the queen of another country and tell him to cast or throw it before her. Should we suppose that the Prophet Solomon was not aware of the preliminary social etiquette which even common people like us also observe when we send our servant to a neighbour? Will a gentleman tell his servant to carry his letter to the other gentleman and throw it before him? All these things show that the word hud-hud here has been used in its lexical meaning, showing that he was not a man but a bird. Now, if a person is not prepared to believe that a hud-hud can speak those things that have been ascribed to it in the Qur'an, he should frankly say that he does not believe in this narrative: of the Qur'an. It is sheer hypocrisy to misconstrue plain and clear words of the Qur'an according to one's own whims only in order to cover up one's lack of faith in it. 

فَمَكَثَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ فَقَالَ أَحَطْتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ وَجِئْتُكَ مِنْ سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ {27:22}

[Q27:22] Famakasa ghaira ba'eedin faqaala ahattu bimaa lam tuhit bihee wa ji'tuka min Sabaim binaba iny-yaqeen. 
[Q27:22] And he tarried not long, then said: I comprehend that which you do not comprehend and I have brought to you a sure information from Sheba.

[Q27:22] Burung belatuk itu tidak lama ghaibnya selepas itu, lalu datang sambil berkata (kepada Nabi Sulaiman): Aku dapat mengetahui secara meliputi akan perkara yang engkau tidak cukup mengetahuinya dan aku datang kepadamu dari negeri Saba' dengan membawa khabar berita yang diyakini kebenarannya. 

(see commentary for verse 20)

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(27:22) The bird did not take long when it came and said, "I have obtained knowledge of things of which you have no knowledge. I have brought sure information about Saba. *29

*29 Saba' were a well-known commercial people of southern Arabia, whose capital city of Ma'rib lay about 55 miles to the north-east of San`a', the present capital of Yaman. They rose to power after the decline of the Minaean Kingdom in about 1100 B.C. and flourished for a thousand years in Arabia. Then in 115 B.C. they were replaced by the Himyarites, the other well-known people of southern Arabia, who ruled Yaman and Hadramaut in Arabia and Habash in Africa. The Sabaeans controlled the whole trade that passed between eastern Africa, India, the Far East and Arabia itself, on the one hand, and Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome on the other. That is why they were famous for their wealth in the ancient times; so much so that according to the Greek historians they were the richest people of the world. Besides trade and commerce, another great reason for their prosperity was that they had built dams here and there in their country to store rainwater for irrigation purposes, which had turned their whole land into a veritable garden. The Greek; historians have made mention of the unusual greenery of their country; and the Qur'an also refers to it in Surah Saba': 15.The statement of the hud-hud, `I have obtained knowledge of things of which you have no knowledge", does not imply that the Prophet Solomon was wholly unaware of Saba'. Obviously, the ruler of Syria and Palestine whose kingdom extended to the northern shores of the Red Sea (Gulf of `Aqabah), could not be unaware of a people who ruled the southern shores (Yaman) of the same Red Sea, and who also controlled an important pan of the international trade. Moreover, according to Psalms, Solomon's father, Prophet David, knew Saba' We lied the following words of his prayer in Psalms "Give the king thy judgement, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son (i.e. Solomon)... The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba (i.e. of Yaman's and Habash's branches) shall offer gifts." (72: 1-2, 10-11). Therefore, what the hud-hud means to say is this: "The knowledge of the things 1 have seen with my eyes in the central city of the Sabaeans has not yet reached you."

إِنِّي وَجَدْتُ امْرَأَةً تَمْلِكُهُمْ وَأُوتِيَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَلَهَا عَرْشٌ عَظِيمٌ {27:23}

[Q27:23] Innee wajattum ra atan tamlikuhum wa ootiyat min kulli shai'inw wa lahaa 'arshun 'azeem. 
[Q27:23] Surely I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given abundance and she has a mighty throne: 

[Q27:23] Sesungguhnya aku dapati seorang perempuan memerintah mereka dan dia telah diberikan kepadanya (serba sedikit) dari tiap-tiap sesuatu (yang diperlukan) dan dia pula mempunyai singgahsana yang besar. 

FOR VERSES 23 TO 26.

When Suleiman took a muster of the birds, he did not find the Hudhud -hoopoe, BECAUSE he had a good reason for his absence. At that time he was surveying the vast realm of Saba, the queen of Sheba, where he went along with another hoopoe who met him while he was flying to report to Suleiman and (the other hoopoe) gave him an explicit description of the grandeur of her dominion, after hearing the mighty and glory of Suleiman kingdom. Suleiman hoopoe came back and told him what he saw, particularly about their religion that she and her people were the worshippers of the sun.

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(27:23) There I have seen a woman ruling over her people: she has been given all sorts of provisions, and she has a splendid throne.

وَجَدْتُهَا وَقَوْمَهَا يَسْجُدُونَ لِلشَّمْسِ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ فَهُمْ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ{27:24}

[Q27:24] Wajattuhaa wa qawmahaa yasjudoona lishshamsi min doonil laahi wa zaiyana lahumush Shaitaanu a'maalahum fasaddahum 'anis sabeeli fahum laa yahtadoun; 
[Q27:24] I found her and her people adoring the sun instead of ALLAH (SWT), and the Shaitan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them and thus turned them from the way, so they do not go aright.

[Q27:24] Aku dapati raja perempuan itu dan kaumnya sujud kepada matahari dengan meninggalkan ibadat menyembah ALLAH (SwT) dan Syaitan pula memperelokkan pada pandangan mereka perbuatan (syirik) mereka, lalu menghalangi mereka dari jalan (yang benar); oleh itu mereka tidak beroleh petunjuk; 

(see commentary for verse 20)

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(27:24) I saw that she and her people prostrate themselves before the sun instead of Allah." *30 ---- Satan *31 made their deeds seem fair to them, *32 and hindered them from the highway: therefore, they do not find the right path

*30 This shows that the people of Saba' at that lime followed the religion of sun-worship, which is also supported by the ancient traditions of Arabia. Ibn ishaq has cited the genealogists' saying to the effect that Saba' have in fact descended from an ancestor whose name was `Abd Shams (slave of the sun, or sun-worshipper) and title Saba'. This is supported by the Israelite traditions as well. According to these when the hud-hud arrived with the Prophet Solomon's letter, the queen of Sheba was going for the worship of the sun-god, and it threw the letter on the way before the queen.
*31 The style shows that the sentences from here to the end of the paragraph are not a part of the hud-bud's speech but its speech ended with: "they prostrate themselves before the sun", and these words are an addition by Allah to its speech. 'I his opinion is supported by the sentence: "He knows all that you conceal and reveal." These words give the impression that the speaker and the addressees here are not the hud-hud and the Prophet Solomon and his courtiers respectively, but the speaker is Allah and the addressees the mushriks of Makkah, for whose admonition this story has been related. From among the commentators, 'Allamah Alusi;, the author of Ruh-al-Ma ani, also has preferred the same opinion.
*32 That is, Satan has made them believe that earning the worldly wealth and making, their lives more and more grand and pompous is the only real and fit use of their mental and intellectual and physical powers. Apart from these, they need not think seriously on anything else: they need not bother themselves to see whether there was any factual reality behind the apparent life of the world or not, and whether the basis of their religion, morality, culture and system of life accorded with that Reality or went utterly against it. Satan satisfied them that when they were making adequate progress in respect of wealth and power and worldly grandeur, they had no need to see whether their beliefs and philosophies and theories were correct or not, for the only proof of their being correct was that they were earning wealth and enjoying life to their hearts content. 

أَلَّا يَسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ الَّذِي يُخْرِجُ الْخَبْءَ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُخْفُونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ {27:25}

[Q27:25] Allaa yasjudoo lillaahil lazee yukhrijul khab'a fis samaawaati wal ardi wa ya'lamu maa tukhfoona wa maa tu'linoon.
[Q27:25] That they do not make obeisance to ALLAH (SWT), Who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and the earth and knows what you hide and what you make manifest:

[Q27:25] (Mereka dihalangi oleh Syaitan) supaya mereka tidak sujud menyembah ALLAH (SwT) yang mengeluarkan benda yang tersembunyi di langit dan di bumi dan yang mengetahui apa yang kamu rahsiakan serta apa yang kamu zahirkan. 

(see commentary for verse 20)

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(27:25) that they may prostrate themselves before that God Who brings to light the hidden things of the heavens and the earth *33 and knows all that you conceal and reveal. *34

*33 That is, He is bringing continuously into existence those things which before their ' birth were hidden here and there: He is bringing out continuously countless kinds of vegetation and minerals from the bowels of the earth: He is manifesting from upper space such things as could not even be conceived by Ruman mind before their manifestation.
*34 That is, His knowledge embraces everything; the open and hidden are alike for Him; He is aware of everything. By citing these two attributes of AIIah the object is to impress that if they had not been deluded by Satan, they could have seen the right way clearly: they could have perceived that the hot burning sphere of the sun which has no sense of its own existence, did not deserve to be worshipped but worship was due to Him alone Who is the All-Knowing and the AlI-Wise Being, and Whose power is bringing into existence new and ever stew phenomena every moment. 

اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ ۩ {26}

[Q27:26] Allaahu laaa ilaaha illaa Huwa Rabbul 'Arshil Azeem.
[Q27:26] ALLAH (SWT), there is no God but He: He is the Lord of mighty power.

[Q27:26] ALLAH (SwT)! Tiada Tuhan melainkan Dia, Tuhan yang mempunyai Arasy yang besar. 

IT IS DESIRABLE (MUSTAHAB) TO PROSTRATE ONE'S SELF IN ADORATION BEFORE ALLAH (SWT) AFTER RECITING verse 26.

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(27:26) Allah: none but He is worthy of worship: He is the Owner of the glorious Throne. *35

*35 This is one of those verses of the Qur'an, whose recital makes it obligatory for one to perform a Sajdah (prostration), and there is a consensus on this of the Muslim jurists. The object of performing a Sajdah here is that a believer should set himself apart from the sun-worshippers and should decalre by his action that he does not regard the sun but Allah Almighty alone as his Deity and Lord. 

قَالَ سَنَنْظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ {27}

[Q27:27] Qaala sananzuru asadaqta am kunta minal kaazibeen. 
[Q27:27] He said: We will see whether you have told the truth or whether you are of the liars:

[Q27:27] Nabi Sulaiman berkata: Kami akan fikirkan dengan sehalus-halusnya, adakah benar apa yang engkau katakan itu ataupun engkau dari golongan yang berdusta. 

(see commentary for verse 20)

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(27:27) Solomon said, "We shall just now see whether what you say is true, or that you area liar.

اذْهَبْ بِكِتَابِي هَٰذَا فَأَلْقِهْ إِلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا يَرْجِعُونَ {27:28}

[Q27:28] Izhab bikitaabee haaza fa alqih ilaihim summma tawalla 'anhum fanzur maazaa yarji'oon 
[Q27:28] Take this my letter and hand it over to them, then turn away from them and see what (answer) they return.

[Q27:28] Pergilah bawa suratku ini, serta campakkanlah kepada mereka, kemudian berundurlah dari mereka; dalam pada itu perhatikanlah apa tindak balas mereka. 

(see commentary for verse 20)

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(27:28) Take this letter of mine and cast it before them; then get aside and see what reaction they show." *36

*36 Here ends the role of the hud-hud (hoopoe). The rationalists deny its being a bird for the reason that a bird could not possibly be endowed with such powers of observation, discrimination and expression that it should pass over a country and should come to know that it is the land of Saba`, it has such and such a system of government, it is ruled by a certain woman, its religion is sunworship, that it should have worshipped One God instead of having gone astray, and then on its return to the Prophet Solomon it should so clearly make a report of aII its observations before him. Due to these very reasons the open atheists object that the Qur'an is a book of fables and legends; then those who try to interpret the Qur'an rationally misconstrue its clear words in order to prove that the hud-hud was not at all a bird but he was a man. But the question is: What scientific information have these gentlemen got by which they could tell with absolute certainty what powers and abilities the different species of animals and their different individuals have got? The information that they possess only consists of the results interred froth the grossly insufficient observation made cursorily by them of the life and behaviour of the animals. In fact, man has not so far been able to know through any certain means what different animals know and what they see and hear and what they feel and think and understand, and how the mind of each one of them works. Yet, whatever little observation has been made of the life of the different species of animals, it has revealed some of their wonderful abilities. Now, when AIIah, Who is the Creator of these animals, tells us that He had taught the speech of the birds to one of His Prophets and blessed him with the ability to speak to them, and the Prophet's taming and training had so enabled a hud-hud that it could make certain observations in the foreign lands and could report theta to the Prophet, we should, in fact, be prepared to revise our little knowledge about the animals in the light of Allah's statement. But, instead, we commit the folly of taking our this insufficient knowledge as the criterion and belie this statement of AIIah or distort it out of its true meaning. 

قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ إِنِّي أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ {27:29}

[Q27:29] Qaalat yaaa aiyuhal mala'u innee ulqiya ilaiya kitaabun kareem. 
[Q27:29] She said: O chief! Surely an honorable letter has been delivered to me.

[Q27:29] (Setelah membaca surat itu), berkatalah raja perempuan negeri Saba': Wahai ketua-ketua kaum! Sesungguhnya telah disampaikan kepadaku sepucuk surat yang mulia. 

The Queen receiving the epistle consulted her courtiers about the graceful communication she had received from Solomon.

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(27:29) The queen said, "O chiefs, a very important letter has been cast before me.

إِنَّهُ مِنْ سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ {27:30}

[Q27:30] Innahoo min Sulaimaana wa innahoo bismil laahir Rahmaanir Raheem. 
[Q27:30] Surely it is from Sulaiman, and surely it is in the name of ALLAH (SWT), the Beneficent, the Merciful; 

[Q27:30] Sesungguhnya surat itu dari Nabi Sulaiman dan kandungannya (seperti berikut): Dengan nama ALLAH (SwT), Yang Maha Pemurah, lagi Maha Mengasihani,

FOR VERSES 30 AND 31.

The matter of these two verses was the contents of the communication from Solomon. Solomon had invited the Queen and her people to Islam, i.e., submission to ALLAH (SWT), against their submitting themselves to anything else.

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(27:30) It is from Solomon, and it begins with the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

أَلَّا تَعْلُوا عَلَيَّ وَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ {27:31}

[Q27:31] Allaa ta'loo 'alaiya waa toonee muslimeen.
[Q27:31] Saying: exalt not yourselves against me and come to me in submission.

[Q27:31] Bahawa janganlah kamu meninggi diri terhadapku dan datanglah kamu kepadaku dengan menyerah diri (beriman dan mematuhi ajaran agama ALLAH (SwT)). 

(see commentary for verse 20)

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(27:31) It says, `Do not adopt a rebellious attitude against me and present yourselves as Muslims before me'." *37

*37 That is, "The letter is important for several reasons: (1) It has reached me in an unusual way. Instead of an envoy it has been brought and dropped at me by a bird. (2) It is from Solomon, the great ruler of Palestine and Syria. (3) It has heen begun with the name of AIIah, the Compassionate, and Merciful, which is an unusual way of correspondence and is not followed by any kingdom in the world. (4) Then, it is also unusual that a letter should be written only in the name of AIIah, the Exalted, spare from alI other gods and goddesses. (5) The most important thing in it is that it quite clearly and plainly invites us to give up rebellion and adopt obedience and present ourselves before Solomon in submission (or as Muslims)." "Present yourselves as Muslim" can have two meanings: (1) "Present yourselves in submission"; and (2) "present yourselves as Muslims (after embracing lslam)." The first meaning is in accordance with the Prophet Solomon's position as a ruler, and the second with his position as a Prophet. Probably this comprehensive word was used in order to convey both the meanings through the letter. The same sort of invitation has always been extended by Islam to independent nations and governments that they should either accept Islam and become equal partners in the Islamic system of life, or surrender political independence and submit to the system of Islam and pay Jizyah.

SECTION 3

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

Solomon wants the Queen with her throne be brought to him – He who had the knowledge of a part of the Book offers to bring the Queen with her thronewithin the twinkling of the eye – The Queen surrenders and embraces the Truth.

قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَفْتُونِي فِي أَمْرِي مَا كُنْتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشْهَدُونِ {27:32}

[Q27:32] Qaalat yaaa aiyuhal mala'u aftoonee fee amree maa kuntu qaati'atan amran hattaa tashhhadoon. 
[Q27:32] She said: O chiefs! Give me advice respecting my affair: I never decide an affair until you are in my presence.

[Q27:32] Raja perempuan itu berkata lagi: Wahai ketua-ketua kaum, berilah penjelasan kepadaku mengenai perkara yang aku hadapi ini; aku tidak pernah memutuskan sesuatu perkara sebelum kamu hadir memberi pendapat dan mempersetujuinya. 

(see commentary for verse 20)

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(27:32) (Having read out the letter) the queen said, "O chiefs, counsel me in this matter; I do not take a decision in any matter without (consulting) you." *38

*38 The words used in the Text are: hatta tash-hu-dun (unless you are present, or unless you bear witness). That is: "I regard your presence necessary when I take a decision in important matters, and also that whatever decision I take you should be there to testify that it is right and correct." This shows that though the system of government among Saba' was kingship, it was not tyrannical; but the ruler of the time decided matters in consultation with the important people in the government. 

قَالُوا نَحْنُ أُولُو قُوَّةٍ وَأُولُو بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ وَالْأَمْرُ إِلَيْكِ فَانْظُرِي مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ {27:33}

[Q27:33] Qaaloo nahnu uloo quwwatinw wa uloo baasin shadeed; wal amru ilaiki fanzuree maazaa taamureen. 
[Q27:33] They said: We are possessors of strength and possessors of mighty prowess, and the command is yours, therefore see what you will command.

[Q27:33] Mereka menjawab: Kita adalah orang-orang yang kuat gagah dan amat berani merempuh peperangan dan perkara itu (walau bagaimanapun) terserahlah kepadamu; oleh itu fikirkanlah apa yang engkau hendak perintahkan. 

(see commentary for verse 20)

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(27:33) They replied, "We are a powerful people, and good fighters. The decision, however, rests with you. You may yourselves consider as to what command you should give."

قَالَتْ إِنَّ الْمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا قَرْيَةً أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوا أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَا أَذِلَّةً ۖ وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ {27:34}

[Q27:34] Qaalat innal mulooka izaa dakhaloo qaryatan afsadoohaa wa ja'alooo a'izzata ahlihaaa azillah; wa kazaalika yaf'aloon. 
[Q27:34] She said: Surely the kings, when they enter a town, ruin it and make the noblest of its people to be low, and thus they (always) do;

[Q27:34] Raja perempuan itu berkata: Sesungguhnya raja-raja, apabila masuk ke sebuah negeri, mereka merosakkannya dan mereka menjadikan penduduknya yang mulia hina-dina; dan sedemikian itulah mereka akan lakukan. 

(see commentary for verse 20)

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(27:34) The queen said, "When the kings enter a land, they ruin it and debase its honourable people; *39 they do just the same. *40

*39 In this one sentence a thorough criticism has been made of imperialism. The kings' invasion of the other countries and the victorious nations' violence against the oppressed nations has never been for the sake of reform and goodwill. 'fire object has been to control and exploit the means and resources of sustenance granted to the other nation by God, and make it so helpless that it should never be able to rise in resistance and demand its share. For this purpose they block up all it, means of prosperity, power and honour, crush down aII selfrespecting elements, instil in its members attitudes of slavery, flattery, treachery and spying against one another, imitation of the conqueror and respect for his civilization, contempt of their own civilization and other such mean qualities of character. Thus, gradually they bring them down to such a low level of character where they may not hesitate even to sell off any of their most sacred objects of heritage and be ready to perform any wretched service on payment. 
*40 This sentence has two meanings and both are equally probable: (1) It may be a part of the queen of Sheba's speech, which she might have added in order to emphasize her foregoing words; and (2) it may be Allah's words which have been added as a parenthesis in support of the queen's speech. 

وَإِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِمْ بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ {27:35}

[Q27:35] Wa innee mursilatun ilaihim bihadiyyatin fanaaziratum bima yarji'ul mursaloon. 
[Q27:35] And surely I am going to send a present to them, and shall wait to see what (answer) do the messengers bring back.

[Q27:35] Dan bahawa aku hendak menghantarkan hadiah kepada mereka, kemudian aku akan menunggu, apakah balasan yang akan dibawa balik oleh utusan-utusan kita.  

The Queen decided to send some valuable presents to Solomon and something to test his wisdom. If Solomon was only a king, he would accept the presents AND would not know the solution of the things of test AND IF HE BE AN APOSTLE OF ALLAH (SWT), he would reject the gifts and declare the matter hidden in the problematic things. She sent many invaluable gifts and along with them some slaves in the guise of women and some female attendants of her in grab of men. When the messenger from the Queen arrived in the Land of Solomon and found the greatness and glory of Solomon’s possessions and his court, compared to which the gifts he had brought for Solomon were worthless and insignificant, he was struck with awe and wonder.

Solomon rejected the gifts and made known to him all that was hidden in the matters of tests sent by the Queen and replied as said in this verse and the next.

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(27:35) I shall send to them a gift, and then wait to see with what reply my envoys return."

فَلَمَّا جَاءَ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَا آتَانِيَ اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا آتَاكُمْ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ {27:36}

[Q27:36] Falammaa jaaa'a Sulaimaana qaala atumiddoonani bimaalin famaaa aataakum bal antum bihadiy yatikum tafrahoon. 
[Q27:36] So when he came to Sulaiman, he said: What! Will you help me with wealth? But what ALLAH (SWT) has given me is better than what He has given you. Nay, you are exultant because of your present; 

[Q27:36] Maka apabila (utusan pembawa hadiah itu) datang mengadap Nabi Sulaiman, berkatalah Nabi Sulaiman (kepadanya): Tidaklah patut kamu memberikan kepadaku pemberian harta-benda, kerana apa yang telah diberikan ALLAH (SwT) kepadaku lebih baik dari apa yang telah diberikanNya kepada kamu; (bukan aku yang memandang kepada pemberian hadiah) bahkan kamulah yang bergembira dengan hanya kekayaan yang dihadiahkan kepada kamu (atau yang kamu hadiahkan dengan perasaan megah). 

IT INDICATES THAT Solomon was proud of the divine blessings and the power bestowed in him AND NOT of the temporal power and worldly possessions.

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(27:36) When (the envoy of the queen) came to Solomon, the king said "Do you want to help me with wealth? What God has given me is much more than what He has given you *41 ' May you yourselves rejoice in your gift!

*41 This sentence is not meant to express pride and vanity. What it means to say is this: "1 have no desire for your wealth; I only desire that you should believe, or at least submit to a righteous system. if you agree to neither of these alternatives, it is not possible for me to accept the bribes of wealth and leave you tree in the , matter of a polytheistic and wicked system of life. What my Lord has given me is enough for me to cherish any desire for your wealth.

ارْجِعْ إِلَيْهِمْ فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّهُمْ بِجُنُودٍ لَا قِبَلَ لَهُمْ بِهَا وَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُمْ مِنْهَا أَذِلَّةً وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ {27:37}

[Q27:37] Irji' ilaihim falanaatiyan nahum bijunoodil laa qibala lahum bihaa wa lanukhri jannahum minhaaa azillatanw wa hum saaghiroon. 
[Q27:37] Go back to them, so we will most certainly come to them with hosts which they shall have no power to oppose, and we will most certainly expel them therefrom in abasement, and they shall be in a state of ignominy.

[Q27:37] Kembalilah kepada mereka, (jika mereka tidak juga mahu beriman) maka demi sesungguhnya kami akan mendatangi mereka dengan angkatan tentera yang mereka tidak terdaya menentangnya dan kami akan mengeluarkan mereka dari negeri Saba' dengan keadaan hina, menjadi orang-orang tawanan. 

SOLOMON ORDERED the messenger to return to his Queen and informed her of his decision to march to Sheba with his unconquerable hosts.

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(27:37) (O messengers,) go back to your people; we shall bring against them such forces *42 which they will not be able to withstand, and we shall drive them out (of their land) humbled and disgraced."

*42 There is a subtle gap between this and the previous sentence, which one can easily till up by a careful study of the discourse. It means this: "O Messengers, take ties gift back to the people who nave sent you. They will either have to yield to our first proposal, i. e. they should come before us as Muslims, or we shall bring forces against them." 

قَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ {27:38}

[Q27:38] Qaala yaaa aiyuhal mala'u aiyukum yaateenee bi'arshihaa qabla ai yaatoonee muslimeen.
[Q27:38] He said: O chiefs! Which of you can bring to me her throne before they come to me in submission?

[Q27:38] Nabi Sulaiman berkata pula (kepada golongan bijak pandainya): Wahai pegawai-pegawaiku, siapakah di antara kamu yang dapat membawa kepadaku singgahsananya sebelum mereka datang mengadapku dalam keadaan berserah diri memeluk Islam? 

(see commentary for verse 20)

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(27:38) To his courtiers Solomon *43 said, "Which of you can fetch me her throne before those people come to me in submission?" *44

*43 The details of the story that have been omitted are to the effect: The envoys returned to the queen with the gift and made a report of what they had seen and heard; the queen decided on the basis of what she heard about the Prophet Solomon to make a visit to Jerusalem to see him personally; she left Saba' for Palestine accompanied by her royal entourage and Sent a message to Solomon's court that she was herself coming to personally hear the invitation from the king himself and to have a direct talk with him. Here, the story is resumed from the time when the queen had reached near Jerusalem and was going to appear before Solomon in a day or two. 
*44 That is, the same throne about which the hoopoe (hud- hud) had reported, "She has a splendid throne." Some commentators have given a strange interpretation here. They say that the Prophet Solomon wanted to have the throne before him before the queen's arrival because he wanted to take possession of it. For he feared that if the queen became a Muslim. It would be unlawful to take possession of her property without her approval: therefore, he made haste to have the queen's throne with him even before her arrival in Jerusalem because at chat time it was lawful to take it into his possession. May AIIah pardon us! This is a strange concept about the intention of a Prophet. Why should one not understand the verse in the light that Prophet Solomon wanted to show a miracle also to the queen and her courtiers besides preaching his message so that she might know what extraordinary powers AIlah, Lord of the worlds, had granted His Prophet so that she might be convinced that Solomon was surely a Prophet of Allah`? Some modern conunentators have put an even more strange meaning on this verse. They translate the verse thus: "Which of you can bring me a throne for the queen:'" whereas the Qur'an has used the word bi- 'arshi-ha which means "her throne', and not bi-'arshil,-laha, "a throne for her". They mistranslate the verse in order to get rid of what the Qur'an has stated that the Prophet Solomon wanted the queen's own throne to be brought froth Yaman to Jerusalem and that too before the queen's arrival. 

قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ مَقَامِكَ ۖ وَإِنِّي عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِيٌّ أَمِينٌ {27:39}

[Q27:39] Qaala 'ifreetum minal jinni ana aateeka bihee qabla an taqooma mim maqaamika wa innee 'alaihi laqawiyyun amen. 
[Q27:39] One audacious among the jinn said: I will bring it to you before you rise up from your place; and most surely I am strong (and) trusty for it.

[Q27:39] Berkatalah Ifrit dari golongan jin: Aku akan membawakannya kepadamu sebelum engkau bangun dari tempat dudukmu dan sesungguhnya aku amatlah kuat gagah untuk membawanya, lagi amanah. 

The task which Solomon wanted to achieve was something which ordinarily seemed to be impossible, i.e., the bringing of the Queen single-handed arresting her and presenting her with her throne itself.

The offer to do it was from a jinn who said he would do it before Suleiman rises from his seat, i.e., Solomon disperses his court and gets up but even with that, Solomon was not satisfied.

°          The Ahmadi Commentator just to establish his own peculiar interpretation of the word of Jinn that was an Amalekite who was of a large stature. It will be ridiculous to imagine that however huge a man may be, it could never be possible for him to go to the distance land of Sheba within the few moments and to single-handed arrest the Queen and bring her with her throne unless the jinn be a spirit and the one with some extraordinary spiritual strength and powers to do it.

This proves that Solomon was not inclined to use the spiritual powers in all his affairs than use of any temporal one.

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(27:39) A mighty one from among the jinns submitted, "I shall fetch it to you even before you rise from your place *45: I possess the necessary power for it and am trustworthy." *46

*45 From this it becomes obvious whether the jinns under the Prophet Solomon were, according to the interpretation of some rationalist commentators of the modern times, from among mankind or from among the hidden creation commonly known as jinns. Obviously, the sitting of the Prophet Solomon's court would at the most be of three to four hours, and the distance of Ma'rib, capital of Saba', from Jerusalem was even as the crow dies, not less than 1500 miles. To fetch a splendid throne of a queen from such a distant place in such a short time could not be possible for a man, even if he be a very strong and robust person. This task cannot be performed even by a jet plane of today. The throne was not lying in a jungle from where it had just to be fetched. It lay in a queen's palace, which must have been well-guarded, and in the absence of the queen it must have been kept in a secure place if a man had gone to fetch it, he should have been accompanied by a commando force so that he could overwhelm the guards and snatch away the throne. How could all this be accomplished before the rising of the court? This thing can be conceived only in connection with a real Jinn!
*46 That is, "You can trust me in that I will not carry it away, nor steal any valuable thing from it." 

قَالَ الَّذِي عِنْدَهُ عِلْمٌ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ ۚ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ مُسْتَقِرًّا عِنْدَهُ قَالَ هَٰذَا مِنْ فَضْلِ رَبِّي لِيَبْلُوَنِي أَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ ۖ وَمَنْ شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّي غَنِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ {27:40}

[Q27:40] Qaalal lazee indahoo 'ilmum minal Kitaabi ana aateeka bihee qabla ai yartadda ilaika tarfuk; falammaa ra aahu mustaqirran 'indahoo qaala haazaa min fadli Rabbee li yabluwaneee 'a-ashkuru am akfuru wa man shakara fa innamaa yashkuru linafsihee wa man kafara fa inna Rabbee Ghaniyyun Kareem.
[Q27:40] One who had the knowledge of the Book said: I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye. Then when he saw it settled beside him, he said: This is of the grace of my Lord that He may try me whether I am grateful or ungrateful; and whoever is grateful, he is grateful only for his own soul, and whoever is ungrateful, then surely my Lord is Self-sufficient, Honored.

[Q27:40] Berkata pula seorang yang mempunyai ilmu pengetahuan dari Kitab ALLAH (SwT): Aku akan membawakannya kepadamu dalam sekelip mata! Setelah Nabi Sulaiman melihat singgahsana itu terletak di sisinya, berkatalah ia: Ini ialah dari limpah kurnia Tuhanku, untuk mengujiku adakah aku bersyukur atau aku tidak mengenangkan nikmat pemberianNya dan (sebenarnya) sesiapa yang bersyukur maka faedah syukurnya itu hanyalah terpulang kepada dirinya sendiri dan sesiapa yang tidak bersyukur (maka tidaklah menjadi hal kepada ALLAH (SwT)), kerana sesungguhnya Tuhanku Maha Kaya, lagi Maha Pemurah. 

This verse is of special importance and special significance to guide an intelligent student of the Holy Qur’an, i.e., when the one possessing something of the knowledge of the Book---‘The Word of ALLAH (SWT)’---could bring the Queen of Sheba with her throne from Sheba within the twinkling of the eye, WHAT MORE WONDERFUL AND MARVELOUS STRENGTH AND POWER COULD THE ONE POSSESS WHO WAS ENDOWED BY ALLAH (SWT) WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WHOLE OF THE BOOK---‘The Word of ALLAH (SWT)’---i.e., the Holy Qur’an---See verse 13:43.

It is said that the Jinn knew the ‘Isme-Aazam’, i.e., the Greatest Name of ALLAH (SWT), with which one can do and undo things impossible for others to achieve.

And the one who offered to do this was Asif-e-Barqiah. Solomon had graciously taught him the secret Name of ALLAH (SWT).

Ä  It is recorded in ‘Khulasatul-Manhaj’ of Tha’labi who is one of the renowned Sunni Commentators that Abdullah bin Salam asked the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) as to who that was who presented the Queen of Sheba on her throne to Solomon.

Ä  The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said ‘it was none else but Ali ibne Abi Talib’ and addressing Ali, the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said “O’ Ali, thou hast been hidden with the apostles of ALLAH (SWT), preceding me, and with me thou art manifest.”

It is said the Holy Imam Ali ibne Abi Talib, at the will of ALLAH (SWT), had appeared in many forms to fulfill some divine plans of helping certain very deserving persons like Solomon-e-Fassi, and it was for this reason the world titled Ali with the famous Epithets of ‘Mazharul Ajaib’, i.e., the Manifestor of Wonders and the ‘Muzhirul Ghariab’, i.e., the Exhibitor of Marvels. These two titles have been exclusively owned by Ali and none else in Islam, and even today everyone who knows the divine powers that ALLAH (SWT) has endowed Ali, invokes his ever-ready help. The name Ali is always associated with the epithet, ‘Mushkil Kusha’, i.e., the Remover of Difficulties.

    His name is used by spiritualists for great spiritual achievements. To many in the various parts of the world Ali has in person appeared and help. Ali’s spiritual superiority as next only to the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) is universally acknowledged by one and all in the Islamic World.

The last clause that man’s devotion to Him is just in his own interest otherwise ALLAH (SWT) is far above to need any gratitude or return from anyone.

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(27:40) He who possessed knowledge of the Book, spoke out, "I will fetch it to you in the twinkling of an eye." *47 As soon as Solomon saw the throne placed before him, he exclaimed: "This is by the Grace of my Lord so that He may test me (to see) whether I am grateful or ungratefull! *48 And the one who is grateful is grateful only for the good of his own self; as for the one who is ungrateful, my Lord is All-Sufficient and Self-Exalted." *49

*47 Nothing is known with certainty as to who this person was, what special knowledge he had and what Book is referred to here, whose knowledge he had. No explanation of these things has been given either in the Qur'an or in any authentic Hadith. Some of the commentators say that it was an angel; others say that it was a man. Then they differ as to the identity of the man. Someone mentions the name of Asaf bin Barchiah, who, according to the rabbinical traditions, was the Prince of Men. Someone says that he was Khidr; someone mentions some other name; and Imam Razi insists that it was the Prophet Solomon himself. But none of these has any reliable source for his information, and Imam Razi's opinion does not even fit in with the Qur'anic context. Likewise, about the Book also the commentators differ. Someone says that it refers to Lauh-i-Mahfuz (the Preserved Tablet) and some other takes it for the Book of Law. But all this is mere guess-work. Similar guesses have been made about the knowledge the man had from the Book. We only know and believe what has been said in the Qur'an, or what becomes evident from its words In any case the person was not from among the jinns, and possibly he was a man. He possessed some extraordinary knowledge, which had been derived from some Divine Book (al-Kitab). The jinn had claimed to fetch the throne within a few hours by means of his physical strength; this man fetched it in a moment by the power of his knowledge.
*48 The words of the Qur'an are very clear in this regard. This person's claim did not remain a claim like the jinn's, but, in fact, as soon as he made the claim the throne was seen placed before the Prophet Solomon the next moment just consider these words: - "The person said, `I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye.' As soon as Solomon saw the throne placed before him...." Anyone who reads these words, regardless of the extraordinary nature of the event, will surely understand that no sooner did the person utter these words than the event as claimed by him took place forthwith. There is, therefore, no need to make far-fetched interpretations of this plain matter. Then, on seeing the throne, the Prophet Solomon's exclaiming, "This is by the Grace of my Lord so that He may test me (to see) whether I am grateful or ungrateful!" can be relevant only if the event be extraordinary; otherwise if only a skilful craftsman of the king had hurriedly made or arranged a throne for the queen, it could not be so novel an event at which the Prophet Solomon should have spontaneously exclaimed: "This is by the Grace of my Lord!..." and feared that the prompt arrangement of a throne for the honourable guest might cause him to become ungrateful to Allah instead of being grateful. After all, there could be no question of a believing ruler's becoming involved in vanity and self-conceit on this small achievement, especially when he was not merely an ordinary believer but a Prophet of AIIah As for the question as to how a royal throne was fetched over a distance of I,500 miles in the twinkling of an eye, it can be briefly answered thus: "The concepts of time and space, and matter and movement, that we have formed on the basis of our experiments and observations, are only applicable to us. These concepts are not correct in respect to God, nor is He bound by these. Not to speak of an ordinary throne, His power can make the sun; and even much larger stars, travel millions of millions of miles in the matter of moments. The God Who by His one Command brought this huge universe into being, had the power to have moved the throne of the queen of Sheba at a speed greater than the speed of light. In this very Qur'an it has been stated that AIIah, by His powers, took his servant Muhammad (may Allah's peace be upon him) from Makkah to Jerusalem and also brought him back in the same night.
*49 That is. He does not stand in need of somebody's gratefulness. His Godhead is neither enhanced by an iota by somebody's gratefulness nor diminished by that amount by somebody's ingratitude or thanklessness. He is a Sovereign in His own right. His Sovereignty is not dependent on His creation's acknowledgement or rejection. The same thing has been expressed in the Qur'an through the Prophet Moses: "If you prove thankless, you and all the dwellers of the earth, (you should know that) AIIah is All-Sufficient and worthy of all praise by Himself." (Ibrahim: 8). The same theme is contained in a Hadith Qudsi related in Muslims saying: "AIIah says: O My servants, if you all men and jinns, from the beginning to the end, together become like the heart of the most righteous person among you, it will not cause any increase in My Kingdom; and O My servants, if you aII men and jinns, from the beginning to the end, together become like the heart of the most sinful person among you, it will not cause any decrease in My Kingdom. O My servants, it is your own deeds which I credit to your account, and then fully recompense you for them. So, whoever receives something good, Iet him be grateful to AIIah, and whoever receives something else, let him curse his own self only".