An-Naml 27:35
The Ant · Juz 19 · Page 379
وَإِنِّي مُرۡسِلَةٌ إِلَيۡهِم بِهَدِيَّةٖ فَنَاظِرَةُۢ بِمَ يَرۡجِعُ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلُونَ ٣٥
But indeed, I will send to them a gift and see with what [reply] the messengers will return."
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Medium · The classic, abridged: ayahs explained by ayahs and hadith.
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Commentary on 27:32–35
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 قَطِعَةً أَمْراً حَتَّى تَشْهَدُونِ
("O chiefs! Advise me in (this) case of mine. I decide no case till you are present with me.") meaning, `until you come together and offer me your advice.'
قَالُواْ نَحْنُ أُوْلُواْ قُوَّةٍ وَأُولُو بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ
(They said: "We have great strength, and great ability for war...") They reminded her of their great numbers, preparedness and strength, then they referred the matter to her and said:
وَالاٌّمْرُ إِلَيْكِ فَانظُرِى مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ
(but it is for you to command; so think over what you will command.) meaning, `we have the power and strength, if you want to go to him and fight him.' The matter is yours to decide, so instruct us as you see fit and we will obey. Ibn `Abbas said: "Bilqis said:
إِنَّ الْمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُواْ قَرْيَةً أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُواْ أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَآ أَذِلَّةً
(Verily, kings, when they enter a town, they destroy it and make the most honorable amongst its people the lowest.) And Allah said:
وَكَذلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ
(And thus they do. ) Then she resorted to peaceful means, seeking a truce and trying to placate Sulayman, and said:
وَإِنِّى مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِمْ بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ
(But verily, I am going to send him a present, and see with what the messengers return.) meaning, `I will send him a gift befitting for one of his status, and will wait and see what his response will be. Perhaps he will accept that and leave us alone, or he will impose a tax which we can pay him every year, so that he will not fight us and wage war against us.' Qatadah said: "May Allah have mercy on her and be pleased with her -- how wise she was as a Muslim and (before that) as an idolator! She understood how gift-giving has a good effect on people." Ibn `Abbas and others said: "She said to her people, if he accepts the gift, he is a king, so fight him; but if he does not accept it, he is a Prophet, so follow him."
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27:23
إِنِّي وَجَدتُّ ٱمۡرَأَةٗ تَمۡلِكُهُمۡ وَأُوتِيَتۡ مِن كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ وَلَهَا عَرۡشٌ عَظِيمٞ ٢٣
Indeed, I found [there] a woman ruling them, and she has been given of all things, and she has a great throne.
27:24
وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوۡمَهَا يَسۡجُدُونَ لِلشَّمۡسِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ أَعۡمَٰلَهُمۡ فَصَدَّهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ فَهُمۡ لَا يَهۡتَدُونَ ٢٤
I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allāh, and Satan has made their deeds pleasing to them and averted them from [His] way, so they are not guided,
27:25
أَلَّاۤ يَسۡجُدُواْۤ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِي يُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡخَبۡءَ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا تُخۡفُونَ وَمَا تُعۡلِنُونَ ٢٥
[And] so they do not prostrate to Allāh, who brings forth what is hidden within the heavens and the earth and knows what you conceal and what you declare -
27:26
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلۡعَرۡشِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ۩ ٢٦
Allāh - there is no deity except Him, Lord of the Great Throne."
27:27
۞ قَالَ سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقۡتَ أَمۡ كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلۡكَٰذِبِينَ ٢٧
[Solomon] said, "We will see whether you were truthful or were of the liars.
27:28
ٱذۡهَب بِّكِتَٰبِي هَٰذَا فَأَلۡقِهۡ إِلَيۡهِمۡ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنۡهُمۡ فَٱنظُرۡ مَاذَا يَرۡجِعُونَ ٢٨
Take this letter of mine and deliver it to them. Then leave them and see what [answer] they will return."
27:29
قَالَتۡ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمَلَؤُاْ إِنِّيٓ أُلۡقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَٰبٞ كَرِيمٌ ٢٩
She said, "O eminent ones, indeed, to me has been delivered a noble letter.
27:30
إِنَّهُۥ مِن سُلَيۡمَٰنَ وَإِنَّهُۥ بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٣٠
Indeed, it is from Solomon, and indeed, it is [i.e., reads]: 'In the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,
27:31
أَلَّا تَعۡلُواْ عَلَيَّ وَأۡتُونِي مُسۡلِمِينَ ٣١
Be not haughty with me but come to me in submission [as Muslims].'"
27:32
قَالَتۡ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمَلَؤُاْ أَفۡتُونِي فِيٓ أَمۡرِي مَا كُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمۡرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشۡهَدُونِ ٣٢
She said, "O eminent ones, advise me in my affair. I would not decide a matter until you witness [for] me."1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., are present with me or testify in my favor. ↩
27:33
قَالُواْ نَحۡنُ أُوْلُواْ قُوَّةٖ وَأُوْلُواْ بَأۡسٖ شَدِيدٖ وَٱلۡأَمۡرُ إِلَيۡكِ فَٱنظُرِي مَاذَا تَأۡمُرِينَ ٣٣
They said, "We are men of strength and of great military might, but the command is yours, so see what you will command."
27:34
قَالَتۡ إِنَّ ٱلۡمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُواْ قَرۡيَةً أَفۡسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوٓاْ أَعِزَّةَ أَهۡلِهَآ أَذِلَّةٗۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَفۡعَلُونَ ٣٤
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.
27:35
وَإِنِّي مُرۡسِلَةٌ إِلَيۡهِم بِهَدِيَّةٖ فَنَاظِرَةُۢ بِمَ يَرۡجِعُ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلُونَ ٣٥
But indeed, I will send to them a gift and see with what [reply] the messengers will return."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy