How Did Prophet Solomon Invite the Queen of Sheba to Tawheed?
كيف دعا سليمان عليه السلام ملكة سبأ إلى التوحيد؟
Allah aided Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) with knowledge and with expertise of construction. Prophet Sulaiman invited the queen of Sheba, and her own throne was brought to him and disguised, to test whether she would recognize it. (Corrected here from the original published wording, which said a throne identical to hers was made; the Quran states that her own throne was brought (27:38-40) and then disguised (27:41).) They also constructed a hall made of smooth glass. It was made so perfectly that when the queen saw it, she thought it was a pool of water. The queen was moved and she immediately realized that such perfection of work can only come with the help of Allah, and she embraced Tawheed. "Solomon said, 'Disguise her throne for her so we may see whether she will recognize it or she will not be able to.' So when she arrived, it was said to her, 'Is your throne like this?' She replied, 'It looks to be the same. We have already received knowledge of Solomon's prophethood before this miracle, and have submitted to Allah'" (Surah An-Naml 27:41-42).
أيد الله النبي سليمان عليه السلام بالعلم وخبرة البناء. دعا سليمان ملكة سبأ، وأُحضر عرشها نفسه إليه ونُكِّر لها لتُختبر في معرفته. (صُحّحت هنا العبارة الواردة في النص المنشور سابقًا، التي ذكرت أن عرشًا مطابقًا لعرشها صُنع؛ والقرآن ينص على أن عرشها نفسه أُحضر (النمل 27: 38-40) ثم نُكِّر لها (النمل 27: 41).) كما بُنيت قاعة من زجاج أملس، أُتقن صنعها حتى ظنتها الملكة بركة ماء عندما رأتها. تأثرت الملكة وأدركت فورا أن هذا الإتقان لا يكون إلا بمعونة الله، فاعتنقت التوحيد، قال الله تعالى: قَالَ نَكِّرُوا لَهَا عَرْشَهَا نَنظُرْ أَتَهْتَدِي أَمْ تَكُونُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ فَلَمَّا جَاءَتْ قِيلَ أَهَكَذَا عَرْشُكِ ۖ قَالَتْ كَأَنَّهُ هُوَ ۚ وَأُوتِينَا الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهَا وَكُنَّا مُسْلِمِينَ (سورة النمل: 41-42).
1. A Da'wah Built on Evidence, Not Argument | دعوةٌ بالبرهان لا بالجدال
Rather than debating the Queen of Sheba about Tawheed, Sulaiman built experiences that let her draw the conclusion herself. Recognizing her own transformed throne and mistaking a glass floor for water were demonstrations of a power and precision beyond ordinary human ability, leading her to connect that power directly to the source of Sulaiman's prophethood.
لم يجادل سليمان عليه السلام ملكة سبأ في التوحيد، بل أراها من الآيات ما تبلغ به الحق بنفسها. فمعرفتها عرشها بعد تنكيره، وحسبانها صرح الزجاج ماءً، كانا شاهدين على قدرة وإتقان يفوقان طاقة البشر، فقادها ذلك إلى أن تربط هذه القدرة بمصدر نبوة سليمان.
2. The Hoopoe Bird That Started It All | بدأت القصة بالهدهد
This encounter began earlier in Surah An-Naml, when Sulaiman's hoopoe bird returned from Sheba reporting that its people worshipped the sun instead of Allah. Sulaiman responded not with an army but with a letter inviting the Queen to Islam, showing that the episode began with invitation and evidence, not with an army, although his later reply to her gift did warn of military force (27:37). That letter opened with In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful (27:30), as explained in who was the first to write Bismillah.
وبدأت القصة قبل ذلك في سورة النمل حين عاد الهدهد من سبأ يخبر سليمان أن قومها يسجدون للشمس من دون الله، فلم يبعث إليهم جيشًا، بل كتب إلى الملكة كتابًا يدعوها فيه إلى الإسلام، فكانت البداية بالدعوة والحجة لا بالجيش، وإن كان ردّه بعد ذلك على هديتها قد تضمّن الوعيد بالجنود (النمل 27: 37). وقد افتُتح ذلك الكتاب بقوله: (إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ) (النمل 27: 30)، كما بيّنا في جواب أول من كتب البسملة.
3. A Kingdom Granted Unmatched Power | مُلكٌ لم يُعطَ لأحد من بعده
The abilities Sulaiman displayed here fit the wider Quranic account of the extraordinary kingdom Allah granted him, including command over the wind and jinn. His response to seeing her throne brought before him was immediate humility, attributing every capability to Allah's favor rather than his own power, a pattern consistent with how the Quran presents every Prophet's success as ultimately belonging to Allah.
وما أظهره سليمان عليه السلام هنا يوافق ما وصف به القرآن المُلك العظيم الذي آتاه الله إياه، ومنه تسخير الريح والجن. ولما رأى عرشها مستقرًّا عنده بادر إلى التواضع، فنسب ذلك كله إلى فضل ربه لا إلى قوته: (هَٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّي لِيَبْلُوَنِي أَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ) (النمل 27: 40)، وهذا شأن الأنبياء في القرآن: ما بلغوه من نجاح فهو من الله.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
How did Sulaiman test the Queen of Sheba?
With a disguised version of her own throne and a glass-floored hall she mistook for a pool of water.
What led to Sulaiman first contacting the Queen of Sheba?
His hoopoe bird reported that her people worshipped the sun instead of Allah, and he sent her a letter inviting her to Islam.
What was the Queen's response after recognizing the miracles?
She acknowledged Sulaiman's prophethood and submitted to Allah.