during the time of Solomon
قَالَ يٰۤاَيُّهَا الۡمَلَؤُا اَيُّكُمۡ يَاۡتِيۡنِىۡ بِعَرۡشِهَا قَبۡلَ اَنۡ يَّاۡتُوۡنِىۡ مُسۡلِمِيۡنَ ٣٨ قَالَ عِفۡرِيۡتٌ مِّنَ الۡجِنِّ اَنَا اٰتِيۡكَ بِهٖ قَبۡلَ اَنۡ تَقُوۡمَ مِنۡ مَّقَامِكَۚ وَاِنِّىۡ عَلَيۡهِ لَـقَوِىٌّ اَمِيۡنٌ ٣٩ قَالَ الَّذِىۡ عِنۡدَهٗ عِلۡمٌ مِّنَ الۡـكِتٰبِ اَنَا اٰتِيۡكَ بِهٖ قَبۡلَ اَنۡ يَّرۡتَدَّ اِلَيۡكَ طَرۡفُكَؕ فَلَمَّا رَاٰهُ مُسۡتَقِرًّا عِنۡدَهٗ قَالَ هٰذَا مِنۡ فَضۡلِ رَبِّىۡۖ لِيَبۡلُوَنِىۡٓ ءَاَشۡكُرُ اَمۡ اَكۡفُرُؕ وَمَنۡ شَكَرَ فَاِنَّمَا يَشۡكُرُ لِنَفۡسِهٖۚ وَمَنۡ كَفَرَ فَاِنَّ رَبِّىۡ غَنِىٌّ كَرِيۡمٌ ٤٠ قَالَ نَكِّرُوۡا لَهَا عَرۡشَهَا نَـنۡظُرۡ اَتَهۡتَدِىۡۤ اَمۡ تَكُوۡنُ مِنَ الَّذِيۡنَ لَا يَهۡتَدُوۡنَ ٤١ فَلَمَّا جَآءَتۡ قِيۡلَ اَهٰكَذَا عَرۡشُكِؕ قَالَتۡ كَاَنَّهٗ هُوَۚ وَاُوۡتِيۡنَا الۡعِلۡمَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِهَا وَ كُنَّا مُسۡلِمِيۡنَ ٤٢ وَصَدَّهَا مَا كَانَتۡ تَّعۡبُدُ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِؕ اِنَّهَا كَانَتۡ مِنۡ قَوۡمٍ كٰفِرِيۡنَ ٤٣ قِيۡلَ لَهَا ادۡخُلِى الصَّرۡحَ ۚ فَلَمَّا رَاَتۡهُ حَسِبَـتۡهُ لُـجَّةً وَّكَشَفَتۡ عَنۡ سَاقَيۡهَا ؕ قَالَ اِنَّهٗ صَرۡحٌ مُّمَرَّدٌ مِّنۡ قَوَارِيۡرَ ۙ قَالَتۡ رَبِّ اِنِّىۡ ظَلَمۡتُ نَـفۡسِىۡ وَ اَسۡلَمۡتُ مَعَ سُلَيۡمٰنَ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ ٤٤
38. He said, “O chieftains, which one of you will bring her throne to me before they come to me submissively?” 39. A stalwart of the Jinn said, “I will bring it to you before you rise up from your place, and for this (task) I am powerful, reliable.” 40. Said the one who had the knowledge of the book, “I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you.” So when he saw it (the throne) well placed before him, he said, “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, and whoever is ungrateful, then my Lord is Need-Free, Bountiful”. 41. He said, “Disguise the throne for her, and we will see whether she discovers the truth, or she does not recognize it.” 42. So when she came, it was said (to her), “Is your throne like this?” She said, “It seems to be the same. We have been made to recognize the truth even before this, and we have already submitted.” 43. And she was prevented (from submitting before this) by that which she used to worship instead of Allah. Indeed she was from a disbelieving people. 44. It was said to her, “Enter the palace.” Then once she saw it, she thought it was flowing water, and uncovered her legs. He (Sulaimān) said, “This is a palace made of glasses.” She said, “My Lord, I had surely wronged myself, and now I submit, along with Sulaimān, to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.”
T. Usmani
38. He said: O chiefs! Which of you will bring me her throne before they come unto me, surrendering? 39. A stalwart of the jinn said: I will bring it thee before thou canst rise from thy place. Lo! I verily am strong and trusty for such work. 40. One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring it thee before thy gaze returneth unto thee. And when he saw it set in his presence, (Solomon) said: This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for (the good of) his own soul; and whosoever is ungrateful (is ungrateful only to his own soul's hurt). For lo! my Lord is Absolute in independence, Bountiful. 41. He said: Disguise her throne for her that we may see whether she will go aright or be of those not rightly guided. 42. So, when she came, it was said (unto her): Is thy throne like this? She said: (It is) as though it were the very one. And (Solomon said): We were given the knowledge before her and we had surrendered (to Allah). 43. And (all) that she was wont to worship instead of Allah hindered her, for she came of disbelieving folk. 44. It was said unto her: Enter the hall. And when she saw it she deemed it a pool and bared her legs. (Solomon) said: Lo! it is a hall, made smooth, of glass. She said: My Lord! Lo! I have wronged myself, and I surrender with Solomon unto Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
M. Pickthall
38.آپ نے فرمایا اے سردارو! تم میں سے کوئی ہے جو ان کے مسلمان ہو کر پہنچنے سے پہلے ہی اس کا تخت مجھے ﻻدے. 39.ایک قوی ہیکل جن کہنے لگا آپ اپنی اس مجلس سے اٹھیں اس سے پہلے ہی پہلے میں اسے آپ کے پاس ﻻدیتا ہوں، یقین مانیے کہ میں اس پر قادر ہوں اور ہوں بھی امانت دار. 40.جس کے پاس کتاب کا علم تھا وه بول اٹھا کہ آپ پلک جھپکائیں اس سے بھی پہلے میں اسے آپ کے پاس پہنچا سکتا ہوں ۔ جب آپ نے اسے اپنے پاس موجود پایا تو فرمانے لگے یہی میرے رب کا فضل ہے، تاکہ وه مجھے آزمائے کہ میں شکر گزاری کرتا ہوں یا ناشکری، شکر گزار اپنے ہی نفع کے لیے شکر گزاری کرتا ہے اور جو ناشکری کرے تو میرا پروردگار (بے پروا اور بزرگ) غنی اور کریم ہے. 41.حکم دیا کہ اس کے تخت میں کچھ پھیر بدل کر دو تاکہ معلوم ہو جائے کہ یہ راه پالیتی ہے یا ان میں سے ہوتی ہے جو راه نہیں پاتے. 42.پھر جب وه آگئی تو اس سے کہا (دریافت کیا) گیا کہ ایسا ہی تیرا (بھی) تخت ہے؟ اس نے جواب دیا کہ یہ گویا وہی ہے ، ہمیں اس سے پہلے ہی علم دیا گیا تھا اور ہم مسلمان تھے. 43.اسے انہوں نے روک رکھا تھا جن کی وه اللہ کے سوا پرستش کرتی رہی تھی، یقیناً وه کافر لوگوں میں سے تھی. 44.اس سے کہا گیا کہ محل میں چلی چلو، جسے دیکھ کر یہ سمجھ کر کہ یہ حوض ہے اس نے اپنی پنڈلیاں کھول دیں ، فرمایا یہ توشیشے سے منڈھی ہوئی عمارت ہے، کہنے لگی میرے پروردگار! میں نے اپنے آپ پر ﻇلم کیا۔ اب میں سلیمان کے ساتھ اللہ رب العالمین کی مطیع اور فرمانبردار بنتی ہوں
Maulana Muhammad Junagarhi
Solomon (Sulaiman عليه السلام) reigned around three millennia ago.
During that time, there was a Kingdom of Saba, where the people used to worship the Sun.
The Kingdom of Saba was ruled by a Queen.
So, when Prophet-King Solomon (Sulaiman عليه السلام) learnt about it, he sent a letter to her in the name of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى to surrender as Muslims. Prophet-King Solomon (Sulaiman عليه السلام) had inherited Khilafat from his father Prophet-King David (Daud عليه السلام), and therefore he was undertaking legal reforms, establishing the Deen of Allah as the Law of the Land.
Surah anNaml (Q27) relates this story.
When the Queen of Saba received the letter, she consulted her military chiefs. They expressed readiness for war. However, to avoid war, she chose to first send expensive gifts to Solomon (Sulaiman عليه السلام). He refused and returned the gifts, stating that what Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى had given him was far better. He also threatened war which they would not be able to withstand. He commanded that she come in submission to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى .
Then, Solomon (Sulaiman عليه السلام) turns to his courtiers and asks who can bring the Throne of Saba before the Queen of Saba arrives.
Now, this is interesting. In the ayaat quoted above, we find that a 'jinn' offers to bring before Solomon (Sulaiman عليه السلام) stands from his Maqam (throne?), that is, almost immediately. That wasn't good enough? Another courtier offers to transport it from Saba to here in less than a blink of an eye, a fraction of a second. That was good enough.
This courier had some knowledge from the Book (عِنۡدَهٗ عِلۡمٌ مِّنَ الۡـكِتٰبِ). He knew the commands to will transportation instantaneously through space. Now, that's fantastic. How is that even possible? Can someone 'will' such a thing, and make it happen? Well, for believers, The Quran is the truth, so, yes, it is possible. We do not possess this knowledge, not yet, but it should be possible, as the Book says so. Solomon (Sulaiman عليه السلام) had been granted a Kingdom that nobody after him can have in this world. They already had the Taurat (Torah) and Zabur (Psalms).
However, what does it tell us about the technology of the Sun-worshipping Queen of Saba?
At what speed was she coming that 'almost immediately' was not good enough, and 'a fraction of a second' met the requirement?
both Kingdoms had been granted from Everything.
Our civilisation is searching for the Theory of Everything.
The world was already applying such technologies, three millennia ago.
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