PROPHET SULAYMAN (علیہ السلام) AND THE QUEEN OF SABA, BILQUIS

PROPHET SULAYMAN (………………) AND THE QUEEN OF SABA, BILQUIS
Sayyidina sulayman (……………………._ was not only a prophet of Allah but Allah had also made him a king over a vast territory. Moreover, his domain was not limited over mankind alone but he also ruled over the jinss. Allah had subjugated to him the winds too, all animals on earth and birds in the atmosphere. Too however, he was aware fully that the wisdom behind giving him absolute authority over all these things was to try him. He acknowledged this fact as his words in the quran disclose:
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“This is of my lord’s bounty that he may test me, whether I thank (him) or privy ingrate. And whosoever gives thank, gives thanks only for his own soul, and whosoever is ungrateful, then surely my lord is self-sufficient, bountiful.” (surah annamal, 40)
One day, he was leading his army and a retinue of assistants in great glory through mountains, plain and valleys. When they were at the valley of naml, one of the ants forewarned her specie, “retreat to your homes and inside holes lest sulayman’s (………….) army trample you unknowingy.” He heard her and laughed and he prayed:
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My lord! Inspire me that I should thank you for your bounty you have bestowed on me and on my parents and (inspire me) that I may do good deeds that shall be pleasing to you. And admit me, by your mercy, among your righteous slaves.” (surah an mal, verse 19)
Then he inspected his army as all commanders do. He found that the hudhud (hoopoe) was not there. He asked, “Why, is he absent without my permission? I shall punish him severely or slaughter him unless he presents a valid excuse>” soon thereafter the hudhud appeared declaring submission and the reason for his absence. He said that he had been round the word but come across a knowledge that sayyidina sulayman (……………) might not be knowing but woluld give it importance. He had brought information about saba.
This place is located in yemen. This country, yemen, is situated very far from bayt ul-maqdis (the seat of sayyidina sulayman……………..)
The hudhud discloses that a woman ruled over that country as their queen. She was given every conceivable thing. The most amazing thing that she possessed was the royal throne. The hudhud had not seen such a large throne anywhere else in the world. He disclosed also that those people had for misguidance and had shut their eyes to truth. They worshiped the sun and not alllah, the one. They prostrated to the sun. They ought to prostrate to allah who bestows bounties on everyone. There is no god besides Allah, the owner of the mighty throne.
Sayyidina sulayman (………………….) beard him and said that he would verify his statement before accepting it. He wrote a letter to the queen and instructed the hudhud to drop it to them carefully without being seen. Then he should see how they reacted but must not let them know about himself. Then, the hudhud flew there and landed on the window of the queen’s bedroom. There was no one in the room. Sa, he quietly dropped the letter on her bed and concealed himself behind the curtain over a window. When she came to retire,she found the letter. She took it. Opened it and read it. Her color changed on reading it. She paced up and down the room thinking about its contents and how it landed there. With this on her mind, she wants to sleep. In the morning, she summoned her ministers and advisers. She told them of the letter from sayyidina sulayman (………………) beginning: in the name of Allah, the compassionate, the merciful, and demanding: do not rise against me but come to me in submission. Then, she asked them for advise as she always did before deciding anything. She was aware of sayyidina sulayman (………………) strength, and she wanted to tackle this matter amicable. They reminded her that they were a force to be reckoned with, but they waited
Her final decision she reminded them that invaders always playedhell with the people they attacked and humiliate their nobles and chefs. She did not wish that her subject should go to know of syyidina sulayman’s (…………………..) intentions and would send to him some gifts. Her ministers and adviser agreed with her. They prepared a handsome baggage of gifts including jeweler and other items. And they sent it with some of their men.
O children, sayyidina sulayman (…………………) was not a man of the world that he would be impressed with riches. Rathere, he was a king not interested in worldly wealth but he was concerned with conveying allah’s message. When the queen’s representatives came to him delighted with the gifts they had brought, he remarked, “Will you help me with wealth? Know that Allah has given me what is better than that which he has given you, so, retain you gifts with yourselves and be happy with that.” Then, he warned them, saying, “Return to them. We shall come with an army that cannot be turned back. We shall drive them out of there, disgraced.”
Sayyidina sulayman (………………….) decided to let them know that the strength Allah had given him was greater than their apparent strength. So, he asked his chiefs, “Which of you will bring me her throne before they come to me in submission. “he asked for the throne because it is the symbol of authority and ruler ship one of the giant jinns offrred to bring it to him before he rose from his place. But, he wanted it even before that. He turned away from the giant. Another learned one offered to bring it within the blink of an eye. And, indeed, the throne bikquis was before him in the twinkling of an eye. On seeing it, sayyidina sulayman (………………) showed humbleness and submission, saying, “this is part of my lord’s bounty to see whether I am grateful or not. Whoever thanks does so for himself and whoever does not thank, than my lord is independent, bountiful.”
There, when the queen learnt that her gifts were returned to her, she took her ministers and nobles and set out for bayt ul-maqdis. She had decided to offer submission to sayyidina sulayman (…………………) she had not know that her throne was already there. On the other hand, sayyidina sulayman (………………) was aware of everything even that she was headed towards bayt ul-maqdis. So, he instructed his servants to disguise her throne for her. He wished to examine her whether she was guided or she was among the misguided, ignorant ones.
When she arrived, he receved her and her escorts warmly in the fashion of royalty. When she was seeded, he asked her about her throne; “it is like yours?” she looked at it carefully and said, “it seems the same.”
This was evidence of her poor intelligence. If she was a believer, then she would have known that there is no limit to Allah’s powers and ability. Then, sayyidina sulayman (……………..) and the queen, bilquis, stood up. All the attendants and members of the assembly stood with them. They headed for the interior courtyard of the –palace. They came to the wide and spacious courtyard made of glass with pillars of silver. Sayyidina sulayman (…………….) paused to allow the queen to go ahead of him As she prepared to put her foot forward, she saw a reflection of sayyidina sulayman’s (……………) ministers and of the floor and she would have to go through it, so she tucked up her lower garment lest it become wet. Sayyidina sulayman(…………) smiled and said:
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“it is a palace smoothed of crystal.”
She felt ashamed because of her lack of knowledge. She blowed before sayyidina sulayman’s (……………………. ) knowledge and strength. She said, “my lord,, I have wronged myself. I submit myself with sulayman to allah, the lord of the worlds.”
In this way, she accepted islam and professed belief in allah. She and her entourage gave up sun-worship. She surrendered her kingdom to sayyidina sulayman (…………………).