إِنِّى وَجَدتُّ ٱمْرَأَةً تَمْلِكُهُمْ وَأُوتِيَتْ مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَلَهَا عَرْشٌ عَظِيمٌ
Innee wajattum ra atan tamlikuhum wa ootiyat min kulli shai'inw wa lahaa 'arshun 'azeem
Indeed, I found [there] a woman ruling them, and she has been given of all things, and she has a great throne.
میں نے ایک عورت دیکھی کہ ان لوگوں پر بادشاہت کرتی ہے اور ہر چیز اسے میسر ہے اور اس کا ایک بڑا تخت ہے
Commentary
Ma'arif-ul-Quran: إِنِّي وَجَدتُّ امْرَأَةً 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. Jar...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: I found a woman ruling over them in other words she was their queen her name Bilqīs; and she has been given an abundance of all things that kings might require in the way of machines and instruments and she possesses a great throne — its length was 80 cubits its width 40 cubits its height 30 cubits ...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): How the Hoopoe came before Sulayman and told Him about Saba'
Allah says:
فَمَكَثَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ
(But (the hoopoe) stayed not long,) meaning, he was absent for only a short time. Then he came and said to Sulayman:
أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ
(I have grasped which you have not grasped) meaning, `I...
قَالَتْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَؤُا۟ إِنِّىٓ أُلْقِىَ إِلَىَّ كِتَٰبٌ كَرِيمٌ
Qaalat yaaa aiyuhal mala'u innee ulqiya ilaiya kitaabun kareem
She said, "O eminent ones, indeed, to me has been delivered a noble letter.
ملکہ نے کہا کہ دربار والو! میری طرف ایک نامہ گرامی ڈالا گیا ہے
Commentary
Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary
قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ إِنِّي أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ
She (the queen) said (to her officials after receiving the letter), "0 chieftains, there has been thrown to me an esteemed letter, 27:29.
Literal meaning of Karim is respectable, honorable or esteemed, and idiomatical...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: Then she said to the noblemen of her people ‘O members of the council lo! read yā ayyuhā’l-mala’u innī pronouncing in the last two words both hamzas; or by not pronouncing the second one and changing it into a wāw with kasra vowelling a noble a sealed letter has been delivered to me.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Sulayman's Letter to Bilqis
Allah tells us what Sulayman said to the hoopoe when he told him about the people of Saba' and their queen:
قَالَ سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْكَـذِبِينَ
((Sulayman) said: "We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are (one) of the liars.") meaning, `are ...
قَالَتْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَؤُا۟ أَفْتُونِى فِىٓ أَمْرِى مَا كُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشْهَدُونِ
Qaalat yaaa aiyuhal mala'u aftoonee fee amree maa kuntu qaati'atan amran hattaa tashhhaddon
She said, "O eminent ones, advise me in my affair. I would not decide a matter until you witness [for] me."
(خط سنا کر) وہ کہنے لگی کہ اے اہل دربار میرے اس معاملے میں مجھے مشورہ دو، جب تک تم حاضر نہ ہو (اور صلاح نہ دو) میں کسی کام کو فیصل کرنے والی نہیں
Commentary
Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Consultation in important matters is a Sunnah. It provides the benefit of having views of others, and gives them a sense of participation
قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَفْتُونِي فِي أَمْرِي مَا كُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشْهَدُونِ
She said, "0 chieftains, advise me in the matter I have (b...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: She said ‘O members of the council give me an opinion read yā ayyuhā’l-mala’u aftūnī pronouncing both hamzas or by not pronouncing the second and changing it into a wāw in other words guide me in this matter of mine. I never decide on a matter I never conclude it until you are present’.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Bilqis consults with Her Chiefs
When she read Sulayman's letter to them and consulted with them about this news, she said:
يأَيُّهَا الْمَلأ أَفْتُونِى فِى أَمْرِى مَا كُنتُ قَـطِعَةً أَمْراً حَتَّى تَشْهَدُونِ
("O chiefs! Advise me in (this) case of mine. I decide no case till you are present with ...
قَالُوا۟ نَحْنُ أُو۟لُوا۟ قُوَّةٍ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ وَٱلْأَمْرُ إِلَيْكِ فَٱنظُرِى مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ
Qaaloo nahnu uloo quwwatinw wa uloo baasin shadeed; wal amru ilaiki fanzuree maazaa taamureen
They said, "We are men of strength and of great military might, but the command is yours, so see what you will command."
وہ بولے کہ ہم بڑے زورآور اور سخت جنگجو ہیں اور حکم آپ کے اختیار ہے تو جو حکم دیجیئے گا (اس کے مآل پر) نظر کرلیجیئے گا
Commentary
Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Consultation in important matters is a Sunnah. It provides the benefit of having views of others, and gives them a sense of participation
قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَفْتُونِي فِي أَمْرِي مَا كُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشْهَدُونِ
She said, "0 chieftains, advise me in the matter I have (b...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: They said ‘We possess force and we possess great might in other words we are hardy in war. The matter is for you to decide. So see what you will command’ us and we will obey you.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Bilqis consults with Her Chiefs
When she read Sulayman's letter to them and consulted with them about this news, she said:
يأَيُّهَا الْمَلأ أَفْتُونِى فِى أَمْرِى مَا كُنتُ قَـطِعَةً أَمْراً حَتَّى تَشْهَدُونِ
("O chiefs! Advise me in (this) case of mine. I decide no case till you are present with ...
قَالَتْ إِنَّ ٱلْمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا۟ قَرْيَةً أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوٓا۟ أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَآ أَذِلَّةً وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ
Qaalat innal mulooka izaa dakhaloo qaryatan afsadoohaa wa ja'alooo a'izzata ahlihaaa azillah; wa kazaalika yaf'aloon
She said, "Indeed kings - when they enter a city, they ruin it and render the honored of its people humbled. And thus do they do.
اس نے کہا کہ بادشاہ جب کسی شہر میں داخل ہوتے ہیں تو اس کو تباہ کر دیتے ہیں اور وہاں کے عزت والوں کو ذلیل کر دیا کرتے ہیں اور اسی طرح یہ بھی کریں گے
Commentary
Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Consultation in important matters is a Sunnah. It provides the benefit of having views of others, and gives them a sense of participation
قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَفْتُونِي فِي أَمْرِي مَا كُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشْهَدُونِ
She said, "0 chieftains, advise me in the matter I have (b...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: She said ‘Indeed kings when they enter a town ruin it with destruction and reduce the mightiest of its inhabitants to the most abased. That is what they too will do namely the senders of this letter.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Bilqis consults with Her Chiefs
When she read Sulayman's letter to them and consulted with them about this news, she said:
يأَيُّهَا الْمَلأ أَفْتُونِى فِى أَمْرِى مَا كُنتُ قَـطِعَةً أَمْراً حَتَّى تَشْهَدُونِ
("O chiefs! Advise me in (this) case of mine. I decide no case till you are present with ...
وَإِنِّى مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِم بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌۢ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ
Wa innee mursilatun ilaihim bihadiyyatin fanaaziratum bima yarji'ul mursaloon
But indeed, I will send to them a gift and see with what [reply] the messengers will return."
اور میں ان کی طرف کچھ تحفہ بھیجتی ہوں اور دیکھتی ہوں کہ قاصد کیا جواب لاتے ہیں
Commentary
Ma'arif-ul-Quran: وَإِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِم بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ ﴿35﴾
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 Bilqls in the court of Sulaiman (علیہ السلام)
Historical Isra'ili legends describe in...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: Now I will send them a gift and wait to see with what response the envoys return’ in the way of accepting the gift or rejecting it. If it be a king to whom we have sent it he will accept it; but if it be a prophet he will reject it. Thus she sent male and female servants one thousand in total togeth...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Bilqis consults with Her Chiefs
When she read Sulayman's letter to them and consulted with them about this news, she said:
يأَيُّهَا الْمَلأ أَفْتُونِى فِى أَمْرِى مَا كُنتُ قَـطِعَةً أَمْراً حَتَّى تَشْهَدُونِ
("O chiefs! Advise me in (this) case of mine. I decide no case till you are present with ...
ٱرْجِعْ إِلَيْهِمْ فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّهُم بِجُنُودٍ لَّا قِبَلَ لَهُم بِهَا وَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُم مِّنْهَآ أَذِلَّةً وَهُمْ صَٰغِرُونَ
Irji' ilaihim falanaatiyan nahum bijunoodil laa qibala lahum bihaa wa lanukhri jannahum minhaaa azillatanw wa hum saaghiroon
Return to them, for we will surely come to them with soldiers that they will be powerless to encounter, and we will surely expel them therefrom in humiliation, and they will be debased."
ان کے پاس واپس جاؤ ہم ان پر ایسے لشکر سے حملہ کریں گے جس کے مقابلے کی ان میں طاقت نہ ہوگی اور ان کو وہاں سے بےعزت کرکے نکال دیں گے اور وہ ذلیل ہوں گے
Commentary
Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Return of the presents of Bilqis by Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام)
قَالَ أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَا آتَانِيَ اللَّـهُ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا آتَاكُم بَلْ أَنتُم 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 y...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: Go back to them with the gifts that you have brought for We shall assuredly come to them with hosts which they will not be able to face and we shall expel them from there from the land of Sheba Saba’ — named thus after their tribal ancestor — humiliated and they shall be utterly abased’ unless they ...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Gift and the Response of Sulayman
More than one of the scholars of Tafsir among the Salaf and others stated that she sent him a huge gift of gold, jewels, pearls and other things. It is apparent that Sulayman, peace be upon him, did not even look at what they brought at all and did not pay any a...
قَالَ نَكِّرُوا۟ لَهَا عَرْشَهَا نَنظُرْ أَتَهْتَدِىٓ أَمْ تَكُونُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ
Qaala nakkiroo lahaa 'arshahaa nanzur atahtadeee am takoonu minal lazeena laa yahtadoon
He said, "Disguise for her her throne; we will see whether she will be guided [to truth] or will be of those who is not guided."
سلیمان نے کہا کہ ملکہ کے (امتحان عقل کے) لئے اس کے تخت کی صورت بدل دو۔ دیکھیں کہ وہ سوجھ رکھتی ہے یا ان لوگوں میں ہے جو سوجھ نہیں رکھتے
Commentary
Ma'arif-ul-Quran: قَالَ الَّذِي عِندَهُ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ (Said the one who had the knowledge of the book - 27:40). The question is as to who was this person? One possibility is that he was Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) himself, because his knowledge of the book of Allah was most extensive. In that case this incident ...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: He said ‘Disguise her throne for her — in other words transform it such that when she sees it it will be in an unrecognisable form — that we may see whether she will be guided to recognising it or be of those who cannot be guided’ to recognise when things are transformed around them. He Solomon soug...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Test of Bilqis
When Sulayman 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 tha...
فَلَمَّا جَآءَتْ قِيلَ أَهَٰكَذَا عَرْشُكِ قَالَتْ كَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ وَأُوتِينَا ٱلْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهَا وَكُنَّا مُسْلِمِينَ
Falammaa jaaa'at qeela ahaakaza 'arshuki qaalat kaanna hoo; wa ooteenal 'ilma min qablihaa wa kunnaa muslimeen
So when she arrived, it was said [to her], "Is your throne like this?" She said, "[It is] as though it was it." [Solomon said], "And we were given knowledge before her, and we have been Muslims [in submission to Allah].
جب وہ آ پہنچی تو پوچھا گیا کہ کیا آپ کا تخت بھی اسی طرح کا ہے؟ اس نے کہا کہ یہ تو گویا ہو بہو وہی ہے اور ہم کو اس سے پہلے ہی (سلیمان کی عظمت شان) کا علم ہوگیا تھا اور ہم فرمانبردار ہیں
Commentary
Ma'arif-ul-Quran: قَالَ الَّذِي عِندَهُ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ (Said the one who had the knowledge of the book - 27:40). The question is as to who was this person? One possibility is that he was Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) himself, because his knowledge of the book of Allah was most extensive. In that case this incident ...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: So when she came it was said to her ‘Is your throne like this?’ She said ‘It as though it is the one’. She had in fact recognised it; but she made a pretence to them just as they made a pretence to her given that when she was asked about the throne it was not said ‘Is this your throne?’ for had it b...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Test of Bilqis
When Sulayman 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 tha...
وَصَدَّهَا مَا كَانَت تَّعْبُدُ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ مِن قَوْمٍ كَٰفِرِينَ
Wa saddahaa maa kaanat ta'budu min doonil laahi innahaa kaanat min qawmin kaafireen
And that which she was worshipping other than Allah had averted her [from submission to Him]. Indeed, she was from a disbelieving people."
اور وہ جو خدا کے سوا (اور کی) پرستش کرتی تھی، سلیمان نے اس کو اس سے منع کیا (اس سے پہلے تو) وہ کافروں میں سے تھی
Commentary
Ma'arif-ul-Quran: قَالَ الَّذِي عِندَهُ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ (Said the one who had the knowledge of the book - 27:40). The question is as to who was this person? One possibility is that he was Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) himself, because his knowledge of the book of Allah was most extensive. In that case this incident ...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: And what she worshipped besides God that is other than Him barred her from the worship of God for she belonged to disbelieving folk’.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Test of Bilqis
When Sulayman 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 tha...
قِيلَ لَهَا ٱدْخُلِى ٱلصَّرْحَ فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ حَسِبَتْهُ لُجَّةً وَكَشَفَتْ عَن سَاقَيْهَا قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ صَرْحٌ مُّمَرَّدٌ مِّن قَوَارِيرَ قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّى ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِى وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَٰنَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
Qeela lahad khulis sarha falammaa ra at hu hasibat hu lujjatanw wa khashafat 'an saaqaihaa; qaala innahoo sarhum mumarradum min qawaareer; qaalat Rabbi innee zalamtu nafsee wa aslamtu ma'a Sulaimaana lillaahi Rabbil 'aalameen
She was told, "Enter the palace." But when she saw it, she thought it was a body of water and uncovered her shins [to wade through]. He said, "Indeed, it is a palace [whose floor is] made smooth with glass." She said, "My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, and I submit with Solomon to Allah, Lord of the worlds."
(پھر) اس سے کہا گیا کہ محل میں چلیے، جب اس نے اس (کے فرش) کو دیکھا تو اسے پانی کا حوض سمجھا اور (کپڑا اٹھا کر) اپنی پنڈلیاں کھول دیں۔ سلیمان نے کہا یہ ایسا محل ہے جس میں (نیچے بھی) شیشے جڑے ہوئے ہیں۔ وہ بول اٹھی کہ پروردگار میں اپنے آپ پر ظلم کرتی رہی تھی اور (اب) میں سلیمان کے ہاتھ پر خدائے رب العالمین پر ایمان لاتی ہوں
Commentary
Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary
Did Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) marry Bilqis?
The story of Bilqis has ended in the above verses on the statement that she converted to Islam after coming to Sayyidna Sulaiman ۔ (علیہ السلام) What happened after that? The Qur'an is silent on this. It is for this reason that when someo...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: It was also said to her ‘Enter the palace hallway’ — this was a transparent white glass floor underneath which flowed sweet water that contained fish. Solomon had it made when he was told that her legs and feet resembled the shanks of a mule. And when she saw it she supposed it to be a pool of water...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Test of Bilqis
When Sulayman 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 tha...