بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah informs us about the Queen of Sabah when she received Prophet Sulayman’s, peace be upon him, letter:

قَالَتْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَؤُا۟ إِنِّىٓ أُلْقِىَ إِلَىَّ كِتَٰبٌ كَرِيمٌ

إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

أَلَّا تَعْلُوا۟ عَلَىَّ وَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ

She said: “O chiefs! Verily! Here is delivered to me a noble letter; verily, it is from Sulayman, and verily, it (reads): ‘In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy. Be you not exalted against me, but come to me as Muslims (true believers who submit to Allah with full submission)'”.

Then Allah says:

قَالَتْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَؤُا۟ أَفْتُونِى فِىٓ أَمْرِى مَا كُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشْهَدُونِ

She said: “O chiefs! Advise me in (this) case of mine. I decide no case till you are present with me.”

قَالُوا۟ نَحْنُ أُو۟لُوا۟ قُوَّةٍ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ وَٱلْأَمْرُ إِلَيْكِ فَٱنظُرِى مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ

They said: “We have great strength, and great ability for war, but it is for you to command; so think over what you will command.”

Meaning: We are possessors of strength in numbers and equipment, reinforcements and courage during fiece battle, but the matter is entrusted to you, and you are the one who will decide, so consider what you order us to do. We’ll listen and obey you”. [Tafseer Al-Muyassar]

“We are men of strength and great might in warfare. If you respond to what Sulayman said and do not obey him, we are strong to fight”.

It is as if they were leaning towards this opinion, which if implemented, it would have led to their destruction, but they also did not settle on it, but rather they said: “And the matter is up to you”, meaning: “The affair is what you give consideration” because of their knowledge regarding her intelligence, determination, and sincere consideration regarding their affairs. [Tafseer As-Sadi]

When they said what they said to her, she was more decisive than them and more knowledgeable about Sulayman’s affair, and that there was no way of defending oneself against Sulayman’s soldiers, armies, the jinn, humans, and birds that were subjected to his command. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

قَالَتْ إِنَّ ٱلْمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا۟ قَرْيَةً أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوٓا۟ أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَآ أَذِلَّةً وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ

وَإِنِّى مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِم بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌۢ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ

She said: “Verily! Kings, when they enter a town (country), they despoil it, and make the most honourable amongst its people low. And thus they do. But verily! I am going to send him a present, and see with what (answer) the messengers return.”

Meaning: She warned them against confronting Sulayman, peace be upon him, with hostility, and explaining to them the evil consequences of fighting, that when kings enter a town forcefully and overcome, they destroy it and humiliate the most honorable of its people, killing and capturing, and this is their constant habit to make people fear them, so I am sending a gift to Sulayman and his people, including valuable wealth, with which I will appease him, and then wait for the news that the messengers will return with. [Tafsir Al-Muyassar]