Sayyidna Sulayman (علیہ السلام) and Queen Bilqis — A Letter, a Throne, and a Queen Who Submitted
Sayyidna Sulayman (علیہ السلام) and Queen Bilqis — A Letter, a Throne, and a Queen Who Submitted
Sayyidna Sulayman (علیہ السلام) and Queen Bilqis — A Letter, a Throne, and a Queen Who Submitted
Only one king in history counted birds among his soldiers: Sayyidna Sulayman (علیہ السلام), who had been taught the speech of birds. One day, inspecting them, he missed a small one — the hoopoe. "I do not see the hudhud (hoopoe)," he said, and warned it would be punished severely unless it brought a clear excuse.
He was the son of Sayyidna Dawud (علیہ السلام). Allah had given knowledge to father and son, who used to say: "Praise belongs to Allah who made us excel many of His believing servants." When Sulayman inherited from his father, he knew what kind of wealth had come to him:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ عُلِّمْنَا مَنطِقَ ٱلطَّيْرِ وَأُوتِينَا مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ ۖ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلْفَضْلُ ٱلْمُبِينُ
> "O people we have been taught the speech of birds, and all sorts of things are given to us. Indeed, this is the evident grace (of Allah)."
His armies of jinn, men and birds marched in perfect order. Passing the valley of the ants, he heard one ant call the others into their homes, lest Sulayman and his armies crush them unknowingly. The king smiled at the ant's words, and prayed to be grateful for Allah's favours to him and his parents, and to be admitted, by His mercy, among His righteous servants.
Meanwhile the hoopoe had not been away long. It returned with an excuse no one expected — sure information from Saba' (Sheba), about things its king did not know. It had found a woman ruling over that land: a queen given all sorts of things, who had a great throne.
But the saddest part was this: the queen and her people were prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, their deeds made beautiful to them by Satan, who had blocked their way — though every prostration belongs to Allah alone, Lord of the Great Throne.
Sulayman neither believed at once nor punished at once. "We shall see whether you have told the truth or you are one of the liars," he said, and sent the hoopoe back with a letter: deliver it to them, then turn aside and see what answer they return. The letter was short. It opened with the name of Allah — "With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful" — and its message was one command:
أَلَّا تَعْلُوا۟ عَلَىَّ وَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ
> "Do not rebel against me, and come to me in submission."
The letter reached a queen — the tafsir books name her Bilqis, queen of Saba' (Sheba). She neither tore it up nor hid it, but laid it before her chieftains:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَؤُا۟ أَفْتُونِى فِىٓ أَمْرِى مَا كُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشْهَدُونِ
> "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."
Her chiefs answered like soldiers: powerful and tough in battle, they said — but the command is yours. The queen was thinking further than her generals: when kings enter a town, they put it to disorder and bring its honourable people low — "and this is how they normally do."
So she chose a wiser test than war: a gift. His answer to it, she decided, would reveal what kind of man he was.
When her envoy presented the splendid gift, the king of jinn, men and birds was not pleased for a moment:
أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَآ ءَاتَىٰنِۦَ ٱللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّآ ءَاتَىٰكُم بَلْ أَنتُم بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ
> "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."
He sent the envoy home with a warning: return to them — we shall come with forces they cannot face, and drive them out in humiliation, unless they come in submission.
Then Sulayman turned to his own court: "O chieftains, which one of you will bring her throne to me before they come to me submissively?" A stalwart of the jinn offered to fetch it before the king rose from his place. But the one who had knowledge of the Book said he would bring it before Sulayman's glance could return to him — and when the king looked, there it stood, placed before him. The king answered the wonder with gratitude:
هَـٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّى لِيَبْلُوَنِىٓ ءَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ ۖ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِۦ
> "This is by the grace of my Lord, so that He may test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful. Whoever is grateful is grateful for his own benefit,"
— adding that his Lord is Need-Free, Bountiful.
He had her throne disguised, to see whether she would recognize it. When Bilqis arrived and was asked, "Is your throne like this?", she answered with her usual wisdom: "It seems to be the same." And she added: "We have been made to recognize the truth even before this," "we have already submitted." Only her upbringing's worship had held her back; she came from a disbelieving people.
Then it was said to her: "Enter the palace." She stepped forward, saw what looked like flowing water, and uncovered her legs to wade through. Sulayman told her: it is no water — "This is a palace made of glasses." And the queen who had tested a king with gold now spoke her journey's final words:
رَبِّ إِنِّى ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِى وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَـٰنَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
> "My Lord, I had surely wronged myself, and now I submit, along with Sulaimān, to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.”"
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🌿 Stop and Think About This Scene
Stay with the moment the throne appeared — brought from afar in less than a blink. What does the most powerful man on earth say then? Not "see what I command" — but "This is by the grace of my Lord, so that He may test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful." He treated even a miracle as an examination. Every blessing in our hands — health, wealth, talent, position — asks the same quiet question: grateful, or ungrateful?
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❤️ The Greatest Lesson
This story is not really about who had the greater throne. It is about what true greatness does with power. Sulayman commanded jinn and understood birds, yet used his power for one purpose only: that a queen and her people should know Allah. He sent her gold back, because guidance is not for sale. And Bilqis found her real crown when she admitted, "I had surely wronged myself." Thrones pass away; submission to Allah remains forever.
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📚 Important Lessons From This Story
1. Blessings are a test, not a trophy. Sulayman called the throne's coming a test of his gratitude — whoever is grateful is grateful for his own benefit.
2. Check the news before acting on it. Sulayman neither believed the hoopoe blindly nor punished it: "We shall see whether you have told the truth."
3. Wise leadership consults — and protects its people. Bilqis took her chiefs' counsel, then chose the path that spared her city from war.
4. What is right is not for sale. Sulayman sent the gift back: what Allah had given him was better; his call was no bargain.
5. When the truth stands before you, admit it — even against yourself. "My Lord, I had surely wronged myself" turned a sun-worshipping queen into a believer.
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🏠 How Can We Apply This in Our Daily Lives?
When Allah gives you a skill, a success or any honour, copy Sulayman's reaction: thank Allah first, and ask Him to keep you grateful, not proud.
Before passing on a report or judging anyone, do what Sulayman did with the hoopoe: check first. A bird's news moved a kingdom; our messages can move families too.
Facing a hard decision? Consult people you trust, as Bilqis did — and choose what protects others, even when pride argues for a fight.
And when you find you have been wrong — in a belief, a quarrel, a habit — say so plainly, as Bilqis did. Her door stands open to all who turn back.
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🌹 The Most Beautiful Message
A queen came with pride, gold and a throne — and left all three at the door of faith. The Quran ends her story in her own voice, adding nothing after: "now I submit, along with Sulaimān, to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds." Whatever throne you sit on, that door stands open for you too.
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📖 What the Tafsir Says
From Ma'ariful Quran (Mufti Muhammad Shafi), on verse 36 — her envoys arrive:
> When Bilqis's envoys reached the court of Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) 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.
From Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — the commentators praise the queen's wisdom:
> 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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📖 Authentic Reference
Book: The Holy Quran — Surah An-Naml (27), verses 15–44.
Verses: Quran 27:15 · Quran 27:16 · Quran 27:19 · Quran 27:22 · Quran 27:23 · Quran 27:30 · Quran 27:31 · Quran 27:32 · Quran 27:34 · Quran 27:36 · Quran 27:40 · Quran 27:42 · Quran 27:44
Tafsir: Ma'ariful Quran (Mufti Muhammad Shafi) and Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), as shown on this site's verse pages.