The Qur’an

“Solomon and the Queen of Sheba”

Sura 27

The Ant

20. And he (Solomon) reviewed the birds, then said: How is it I see not the hoopoe or is it that he is of the absentees?
21. I will most certainly punish him with a severe punishment, or kill him, or he shall bring to me a clear plea.
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.
23. Surely I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given abundance and she has a mighty throne:
24. I found her and her people adoring the sun instead of Allah, and the Shaitan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them and thus turned them from the way, so they do not go aright
25. That they do not make obeisance to Allah, Who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and the earth and knows what you hide and what you make manifest:
26. Allah, there is no god but He: He is the Lord of mighty power.
27. He said: We will see whether you have told the truth or whether you are of the liars:
28. Take this my letter and hand it over to them, then turn away from them and see what (answer) they return.
29. She said: O chief! surely an honorable letter has been delivered to me
30. Surely it is from Sulaiman, and surely it is in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful;
31. Saying: exalt not yourselves against me and come to me in submission.
32. She said: O chiefs! give me advice respecting my affair: I never decide an affair until you are in my presence.
33. They said: We are possessors of strength and possessors of mighty prowess, and the command is yours, therefore see what you will command.
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;
35. And surely I am going to send a present to them, and shall wait to see what (answer) do the messengers bring back.
36. So when he came to Sulaiman, he said: What! will you help me with wealth? But what Allah has given me is better than what He has given you. Nay, you are exultant because of your present;
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 from there in abasement, and they shall be in a state of ignominy.
38. He said: O chiefs! Which of you can bring to me her throne before they come to me in submission?
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.
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.
41. He said: Alter her throne for her, we will see whether she follows the right way or is of those who do not go aright.
42. So when she came, it was said: Is your throne like this? She said: It is as it were the same, and we were given the knowledge before it, and we were submissive.
43. And what she worshipped besides Allah prevented her, surely she was of an unbelieving people.
44. It was said to her: Enter the palace; but when she saw it she deemed it to be a great expanse of water, and bared her legs. He said: Surely it is a palace made smooth with glass. She said: My Lord! surely I have been unjust to myself, and I submit with Sulaiman to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

The Bible

“Solomon and the Queen of Sheba”

First Kings

Chapter 10

1. And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to prove him with hard questions.
2. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
3. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not.
4. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built,
5. And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.
6. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
7. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.
8. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom.
9. Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
10. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices very great store, and precious stones: there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon.
11. And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great plenty of almug trees, and precious stones.
12. And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD, and for the king’s house, harps also and psalteries for singers: there came no such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.
13. And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

COMMENTARY

In the Qur’an:

1. Solomon had heard about the Queen of Sheba from the hoopoe bird, a creature with unusual intellect with whom he had a long conversation.

2. The Queen of Sheba sent ambassadors with gifts, but Solomon rejected these gifts.

3. Solomon ordered Jinn to steal the throne of the queen and it was brought to Solomon’s presence instantaneously. Solomon wanted to test whether she would recognize her throne after it was transformed by Jinn. When she came to Jerusalem, she did recognize it.

4. When she entered the Palace she uncovered her legs, thereby disgracing herself and she submitted herself remorsefully to God.

In the Bible:

1. The Queen of Sheba had heard about the wisdom of Solomon and decided to come to see for herself if it was true.

2. The Queen personally brought Solomon costly gifts, to which Solomon responded with gifts in return. She “…gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all that she desired, whatever she asked besides what was given her by the bounty of King Solomon. So she turned and went back to her own land, with her servants...”

3. No trials or tests of faith were given to the Queen by Solomon. Rather “…Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king which he could not explain to her…”.

4. The Queen praised the Lord after seeing the order and manner of the House of God and the services of the priests.