[17] Exalt Allah and His Shariah First and Foremost

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

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

Allah, The Most High, informs us about the noble prophet Sulayman, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, when he asked who could bring the Bilqees’s throne to him:

قَالَ يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلۡمَلَؤُاْ أَيُّكُمۡ يَأۡتِينِى بِعَرۡشِہَا قَبۡلَ أَن يَأۡتُونِى مُسۡلِمِينَ

He said: “O chiefs! Which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me surrendering themselves in obedience?

قَالَ عِفۡرِيتٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ أَنَا۟ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبۡلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِكَ‌ۖ وَإِنِّى عَلَيۡهِ لَقَوِىٌّ أَمِينٌ۬

An Ifrit (strong) from the jinns said: “I will bring it to you before you rise from your place (council). And verily, I am indeed strong, and trustworthy for such work.

قَالَ عِفۡرِيتٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ

An Ifrit (strong) from the jinns said.

An Ifreet is an extremely strong and forceful one (amongst the Jinn). And what is apparent here is that at that time Sulayman was in Sham, so the distance between him and Saba was a period of four months journey- two months to go there and two months to return; however regardless of this, the Ifreet said, “I take it upon myself to bring it – regardless of its big size and heftiness, and regardless of its distance- before you can rise from your (council)”. Customarily, the councils take a long time and they take most of the forenoon- about one third of the day. This is mostly the time period of councils, but it may take less or more than that.

Then there was a subject of this great King (Sulayman) who was bestowed with the power and ability to do what was greater than the offer of the Ifreet. Allah said:

قَالَ ٱلَّذِى عِندَهُ ۥ عِلۡمٌ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ أَنَا۟ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبۡلَ أَن يَرۡتَدَّ إِلَيۡكَ طَرۡفُكَ‌ۚ

One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: “I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!

The Qur’an commentators stated that he was a man – a scholar and righteous in the company of Sulyaman, and he was called Aaif Ibn Barkhiyaa. He knew Allah’s Greatest Name through which Allah responds and gives when invoked and asked.

Allah said that he said:

أَنَا۟ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبۡلَ أَن يَرۡتَدَّ إِلَيۡكَ طَرۡفُكَ‌ۚ

I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!

Meaning, by invoking Allah with that Name. And Allah knows best as to whether this is what is intended or that this person had knowledge of the scripture through which he was able to bring something that was far away and attain what was very difficult to attain (by the will of Allah).

Sulyaman’s Reaction When He Saw The Throne of Bilqees In His Presence

Allah, The Most High, said:

فَلَمَّا رَءَاهُ مُسۡتَقِرًّا عِندَهُ ۥ قَالَ هَـٰذَا مِن فَضۡلِ رَبِّى لِيَبۡلُوَنِىٓ ءَأَشۡكُرُ أَمۡ أَكۡفُرُ‌ۖ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشۡكُرُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦ‌ۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّى غَنِىٌّ۬ كَرِيمٌ۬

Then when he (Sulayman) saw it (Bilqees’s Throne) placed before him, he said: “This is by the Grace of my Lord to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And whoever is grateful, truly, his gratitude is for (the good of) his own self, and whoever is ungrateful, (he is ungrateful only for the loss of his own self). Certainly! My Lord is Ghanee, Kareem. (Footnote a)

فَلَمَّا رَءَاهُ مُسۡتَقِرًّا عِندَهُ

Then when he (Sulayman) saw it (Bilqees’s Throne) placed before him, he praised Allah, The Most High, for ability placed at his disposal, his kingdom and the things facilitated for him. Then he said:

هَـٰذَا مِن فَضۡلِ رَبِّى لِيَبۡلُوَنِىٓ ءَأَشۡكُرُ أَمۡ أَكۡفُرُ‌ۖ

This is by the Grace of my Lord to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful!

Meaning, to test me by way of it. He was not beguiled by his kingdom, authority and power as is the habit of the ignorant kings; rather he knew that this was a test from his Lord, so he was scared of not being thankful for these blessings.

Then he clarified that being grateful to Allah does not benefit Allah; rather its benefits return to the grateful one; so he said:

وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشۡكُرُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦ‌ۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّى غَنِىٌّ۬ كَرِيمٌ۬

And whoever is ungrateful, (he is ungrateful only for the loss of his own self). Certainly! My Lord is Ghanee. Kareem.

Meaning, Allah is not in need of a person’s deeds, and He is generous, bestows abundant good that to both a grateful person and an ungrateful person, except that being grateful for the blessings He bestows leads to more blessings and being ungrateful leads to its decrease. (1)

Footnote a: Al-Ghanee: The Independent One Who is free of all need. The One Who has no need whatsoever of the creation. The One Who is free from any poverty or need. The One in Whose Hand are the treasures of the heavens and the earth, and of this world and the
hereafter.

Al-Kareem: The Bountiful, The Generous One. Abundant in good. The One Who causes and makes easy every good. And Who bestows generously. The One so generous that He even bestows favors upon those who reject His favors, and use them as a means to disobey Him. (2)

(1)An Excerpt from ‘Tayseer Al-Kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan’. By Imam As-Sadi. Slightly paraphrased

(2) An Excerpt from “The Names and Attributes of Allah” by Shaikh Abu Talhah, may Allah have mercy upon him and his wife.