Surah Naml ayat 40 Tafsir Quran 27:40

﴿قَالَ الَّذِي عِندَهُ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ ۚ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ مُسْتَقِرًّا عِندَهُ قَالَ هَٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّي لِيَبْلُوَنِي أَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ ۖ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّي غَنِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ﴾
[ النمل: 40]

27:40 Said one who had knowledge from the Scripture, "I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you." And when [Solomon] saw it placed before him, he said, "This is from the favor of my Lord to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful. And whoever is grateful - his gratitude is only for [the benefit of] himself. And whoever is ungrateful - then indeed, my Lord is Free of need and Generous."

The one who had knowledge of the revealed Scripture — and this was one Āsif b. Barkhiyā a righteous individual with knowledge of God’s Greatest Name which when invoked in supplication for something it is immediately granted — said ‘I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you after you look at something. So he the afreet said to him ‘Look up towards the heaven’ which he did and when his glance returned in front of him he found it Bilqīs’ throne placed before him — for in the instance in which Solomon looked up to the heaven Āsif supplicated by invoking the Greatest Name that God bring it thereto; and this was done by having it travel under the earth until it sprung up below Solomon’s seat kursī. Then when he saw it standing still before him he said ‘This bringing it to me is of my Lord’s bounty that He may try me test me whether I give thanks read a-ashkur pronouncing both hamzas; or by replacing the second one with an alif; or by not pronouncing the second one but inserting an alif between the one not pronounced and the other one or without the insertion or am ungrateful for the favour. And whoever gives thanks gives thanks only for his own sake because the reward for his thanks shall be his and whoever is ungrateful for the favour should know then my Lord is surely Independent with no need of his thanks Generous’ by being bounteous to those who are ungrateful for it.

But said he who was imbued with spiritual Knowledge of the Scriptures and with some limitless spiritual power conferred on him by Allah. I will fetch it to you before the time taken in twinkling your eye* And when he -Sulayman- found -the throne- set right there he prayed: This is indeed an instance of the grace of Allah conferred on me to test my inclination whether I will propound gratitude or ingratitude. And he who is actuated with the feeling of gratitude and gratefulness, he but serves his own interest and he who sets himself in defiance of Allah must realize that Allah is Ghaniyun (Independent, Absolute, Self-sufficient) and Karimun (Beneficent)

How the Throne of Bilqis was brought in an Instant Muhammad bin Ishaq reported from Yazid bin Ruman: "When the messengers returned with word of what Sulayman said, she said: `By Allah, I knew he was more than a king, and that we have no power to match him, and that we can gain nothing by being stubborn with him.
So, she sent word to him saying: "I am coming to you with the leaders of my people to see what you will instruct us to do and what you are calling us to of your religion." Then she issued commands that her throne, which was made of gold and inlaid with rubies, chrysolite and pearls, should be placed in the innermost of seven rooms, one within the other, and all the doors should be locked.
Then she told her deputy whom she was leaving in charge, "Take care of my people and my throne, and do not let anyone approach it or see it until I come back to you." Then she set off to meet Sulayman with twelve thousand of her commanders from the leaders of Yemen, under each of whose command were many thousands of men.
Sulayman sent the Jinn to bring him news of her progress and route every day and night, then when she drew near, he gathered together the Jinns and humans who were under his control and said: يأَيُّهَا الْمَلأ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِى بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ ( O chiefs! Which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me surrendering themselves in obedience (as Muslims ))." قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِّن الْجِنِّ ( An `Ifrit from the Jinn said: ) Mujahid said, "A giant Jinn." Abu Salih said, "It was as if he was a mountain." أَنَاْ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِكَ ( I will bring it to you before you rise from your place. ) Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Before you get up from where you are sitting." As-Suddi and others said: "He used to sit to pass judgements and rulings over the people, and to eat, from the beginning of the day until noon." وَإِنِّى عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِىٌّ أَمِينٌ ( And verily, I am indeed strong and trustworthy for such work. ) Ibn `Abbas said: "Strong enough to carry it and trustworthy with the jewels it contains.
Sulayman, upon him be peace, said, "I want it faster than that." From this it seems that Sulayman wanted to bring this throne as a demonstration of the greatness of the power and authority that Allah had bestowed upon him and the troops that He had subjugated to him.
Power such as had never been given to anyone else, before or since, so that this would furnish proof of his prophethood before Bilqis and her people, because this would be a great and wondrous thing, if he brought her throne as if he were in her country, before they could come to it, although it was hidden and protected by so many locked doors.
When Sulayman said, "I want it faster than that, قَالَ الَّذِى عِندَهُ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ الْكِتَـبِ ( One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: ) Ibn `Abbas said, "This was Asif, the scribe of Sulayman." It was also narrated by Muhammad bin Ishaq from Yazid bin Ruman that he was Asif bin Barkhiya' and he was a truthful believer who knew the Greatest Name of Allah.
Qatadah said: "He was a believer among the humans, and his name was Asif." أَنَاْ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ ( I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye! ) Meaning, lift your gaze and look as far as you can, and before you get tired and blink, you will find it before you.
Then he got up, performed ablution and prayed to Allah, may He be exalted.
Mujahid said: "He said, O Owner of majesty and honor." When Sulayman and his chiefs saw it before them, قَالَ هَـذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّى ( he said: "This is by the grace of my Lord..." ) meaning, `this is one of the blessings which Allah has bestowed upon me.' لِيَبْلُوَنِى أَءَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ ( to test whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And whoever is grateful, truly, his gratitude is for himself; ) This is like the Ayat: مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَسَآءَ فَعَلَيْهَا ( Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is for himself; and whosoever does evil, it is against himself. ) ( 41:46 ) وَمَنْ عَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَلاًّنفُسِهِمْ يَمْهَدُونَ ( and whosoever does righteous good deed, then such will prepare a good place for themselves. ) ( 30:44 ). وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّى غَنِىٌّ كَرِيمٌ ( and whoever is ungrateful, certainly my Lord is Rich, Bountiful. ) He has no need of His servants or their worship. كَرِيمٌ ( Bountiful ) He is Bountiful in and of Himself, even if no one were to worship Him.
His greatness does not depend on anyone.
This is like what Musa said: p إِن تَكْفُرُواْ أَنتُمْ وَمَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ جَمِيعًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ ( If you disbelieve, you and all on earth together, then verily, Allah is Rich, Owner of all praise. ) ( 14:8 ).
It is recorded in Sahih Muslim:
«يَقُولُ اللهُ تَعَالَى: يَا عِبَادِي لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى أَتْقَى قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ مَا زَادَ ذَلِكَ فِي مُلْكِي شَيْئًا.
يَا عِبَادِي لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى أَفْجَرِ قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ مَا نَقَصَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مُلْكِي شَيْئًا.
يَا عِبَادِي إِنَّمَا هِيَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ أُحْصِيهَا لَكُمْ ثُمَّ أُوَفِّيكُمْ إِيَّاهَا فَمَنْ وَجَدَ خَيْرًا فَلْيَحْمَدِ اللهَ،وَمَنْ وَجَدَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ فَلَا يَلُومَنَّ إِلَّا نَفْسَه»
( Allah, may He be exalted, says: "O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, mankind and Jinn alike, were all to be as pious as the most pious among you, that would not add to My dominion in the slightest.
O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, mankind and Jinn alike, were all to be as evil as the most evil one among you, that would not detract from My dominion in the slightest.
O My servants, these are deeds which I am recording for you, and I will judge you according to them, so whoever finds something good, let him praise Allah, and whoever finds otherwise, let him blame no one but himself." )

(27:40) He who possessed knowledge of the Book, spoke out, "1 will fetch it to you in the twinkling of an eye. " *47 As soon as Solomon saw the throne placed before him, he exclaimed: "This is by the Grace of my Lord so that He may test me (to see) whether I am grateful or ungratefull! *48 And the one who is grateful is grateful only for the good of his own self; as for the one who is ungrateful, my Lord is All-Sufficient and Self-Exalted. " *49

Said one who had knowledge from the meaning

*47) Nothing is known with certainty as to who this person was, what special knowledge he had and what Book is referred to here, whose knowledge he had.
No explanation of these things has been given either in the Qur'an or in any authentic Hadith.
Some of the commentators say that it was an angel; others say that it was a tnan.
Then they differ as to the identity of the man.
Someone mentions the name of Asaf bin Barchiah, who, according to the rabbinical traditions, was the Prince of Men.
Someone says that he was Khidr; someone mentions some other name; and Imam Razi insists that it was the Prophet Solomon himself.
But none of these has any reliable source for his information, and Imam Razi's opinion does not even fit in with the Qur'anic context.
Likewise, about the Book also the commentators differ.
Someone says that it refers to Lauh-i-Mahfuz ( the Preserved Tablet ) and some other takes it for the Book of Law.
But all this is mere guess-work.
Similar guesses have been made about the knowledge the man had from the Book.
We only know and believe what has been said in the Qur'an, or what becomes evident from its words In any case the person was not from among the jinns, and possibly he was a man.
He possessed some extraordinary knowledge, which had been derived from some Divine Book ( al-Kitab ) .
The jinn had claimed to fetch the throne within a few hours by means of his physical strength; this man fetched it in a moment by the power of his knowledge.

*48) The words of the Qur'an are very clear in this regard.
This person's claim did not remain a claim like the jinn's, but, in tact, as soon as he made the claim the throne was seen placed before the Prophet Solomon the next moment.
just consider these words: - " The person said, `I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye.' As soon as Solomon saw the throne placed before him.... " Anyone who reads these words, regardless of the extraordinary nature of the event, will surely understand that no sooner did the person utter these words than the event as claimed by him took place forthwith.
There is, therefore, no need to make far-fetched interpretations of this plain matter.
Then, on seeing the throne, the Prophet Solomon's exclaiming, " This is by the Grace of my Lord so that He may test me ( to see ) whether I am grateful or ungrateful! " can be relevant only if the event be extraordinary; otherwise if only a skilful craftsman of the king had hurriedly made or arranged a throne for the queen, it could not be so novel an event at which the Prophet Solomon should have spontaneously exclaimed: " This is by the Grace of my Lord!... " and feared that the prompt arrangement of a throne for the honourable guest might cause him to become ungrateful to Allah instead of being grateful.
After all, there could be no question of a believing ruler's becoming involved in vanity and self-conceit on this small achievement, especially when he was not merely an ordinary believer but a Prophet of AIIah As for the question as to how a royal throne was fetched over a distance of I ,500 miles in the twinkling of an eye, it can be briefly answered thus: " The concepts of time and space, and matter and movement, that we have formed on the basis of our experiments and observations, are only applicable to us.
These concepts are not correct in respect to God, nor is He bound by these.
Not to speak of an ordinary throne, His power can make the sun; and even much larger stars, travel millions of millions of miles in the matter of moments.
The God Who by His one Command brought this huge universe into being, had the power to have moved the throne of the queen of Sheba at a speed greater than the speed of light.
In this very Qur'an it has been stated that AIIah, by His powers, took his servant Muhammad ( may Allah's peace be upon him ) from Makkah to Jerusalem and also brought him back in the same night.

*49) That is.
He dces not stand in need of somebody's gratefulness.
His Godhead is neither enhanced by an iota by somebody's gratefulness nor diminished by that amount by somebody's ingratitude or thanklessness.
He is a Sovereign in His own right.
His Sovereignty is not dependent on His creation's acknowledgement or rejection.
The same thing has been expressed in the Qur'an through the Prophet Moses: "If you prove thankless, you and all the dwellers of the earth, ( you should know that ) AIIah is All-Sufficient and worthy of all praise by Himself." ( Ibrahim: 8 ).
The same theme is contained in a Hadith Qudsi related in Muslims saying: "AIIah says: O My servants, if you all men and jinns, from the beginning to the end, together become like the heart of the most righteous person among you, it will not cause any increase in My Kingdom; and O My servants, if you aII men and jinns, from the beginning to the end, together become like the heart of the most sinful person among you, it will not cause any decrease in My Kingdom.
O My servants, it is your own deeds which I credit to your account, and then fully recompense you for them.
So, whoever receives something good, Iet him be grateful to AIIah, and whoever receives something else, let him curse his own self only".

 

How the Throne of Bilqis was brought in an Instant Muhammad bin Ishaq reported from Yazid bin Ruman: "When the messengers returned with word of what Sulayman said, she said: `By Allah, I knew he was more than a king, and that we have no power to match him, and that we can gain nothing by being stubborn with him.
So, she sent word to him saying: "I am coming to you with the leaders of my people to see what you will instruct us to do and what you are calling us to of your religion." Then she issued commands that her throne, which was made of gold and inlaid with rubies, chrysolite and pearls, should be placed in the innermost of seven rooms, one within the other, and all the doors should be locked.
Then she told her deputy whom she was leaving in charge, "Take care of my people and my throne, and do not let anyone approach it or see it until I come back to you." Then she set off to meet Sulayman with twelve thousand of her commanders from the leaders of Yemen, under each of whose command were many thousands of men.
Sulayman sent the Jinn to bring him news of her progress and route every day and night, then when she drew near, he gathered together the Jinns and humans who were under his control and said: يأَيُّهَا الْمَلأ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِى بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ ( O chiefs! Which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me surrendering themselves in obedience (as Muslims ))." قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِّن الْجِنِّ ( An `Ifrit from the Jinn said: ) Mujahid said, "A giant Jinn." Abu Salih said, "It was as if he was a mountain." أَنَاْ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِكَ ( I will bring it to you before you rise from your place. ) Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Before you get up from where you are sitting." As-Suddi and others said: "He used to sit to pass judgements and rulings over the people, and to eat, from the beginning of the day until noon." وَإِنِّى عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِىٌّ أَمِينٌ ( And verily, I am indeed strong and trustworthy for such work. ) Ibn `Abbas said: "Strong enough to carry it and trustworthy with the jewels it contains.
Sulayman, upon him be peace, said, "I want it faster than that." From this it seems that Sulayman wanted to bring this throne as a demonstration of the greatness of the power and authority that Allah had bestowed upon him and the troops that He had subjugated to him.
Power such as had never been given to anyone else, before or since, so that this would furnish proof of his prophethood before Bilqis and her people, because this would be a great and wondrous thing, if he brought her throne as if he were in her country, before they could come to it, although it was hidden and protected by so many locked doors.
When Sulayman said, "I want it faster than that, قَالَ الَّذِى عِندَهُ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ الْكِتَـبِ ( One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: ) Ibn `Abbas said, "This was Asif, the scribe of Sulayman." It was also narrated by Muhammad bin Ishaq from Yazid bin Ruman that he was Asif bin Barkhiya' and he was a truthful believer who knew the Greatest Name of Allah.
Qatadah said: "He was a believer among the humans, and his name was Asif." أَنَاْ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ ( I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye! ) Meaning, lift your gaze and look as far as you can, and before you get tired and blink, you will find it before you.
Then he got up, performed ablution and prayed to Allah, may He be exalted.
Mujahid said: "He said, O Owner of majesty and honor." When Sulayman and his chiefs saw it before them, قَالَ هَـذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّى ( he said: "This is by the grace of my Lord..." ) meaning, `this is one of the blessings which Allah has bestowed upon me.' لِيَبْلُوَنِى أَءَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ ( to test whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And whoever is grateful, truly, his gratitude is for himself; ) This is like the Ayat: مَّنْ عَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَسَآءَ فَعَلَيْهَا ( Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is for himself; and whosoever does evil, it is against himself. ) ( 41:46 ) وَمَنْ عَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَلاًّنفُسِهِمْ يَمْهَدُونَ ( and whosoever does righteous good deed, then such will prepare a good place for themselves. ) ( 30:44 ). وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّى غَنِىٌّ كَرِيمٌ ( and whoever is ungrateful, certainly my Lord is Rich, Bountiful. ) He has no need of His servants or their worship. كَرِيمٌ ( Bountiful ) He is Bountiful in and of Himself, even if no one were to worship Him.
His greatness does not depend on anyone.
This is like what Musa said: p إِن تَكْفُرُواْ أَنتُمْ وَمَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ جَمِيعًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِىٌّ حَمِيدٌ ( If you disbelieve, you and all on earth together, then verily, Allah is Rich, Owner of all praise. ) ( 14:8 ).
It is recorded in Sahih Muslim: «يَقُولُ اللهُ تَعَالَى: يَا عِبَادِي لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى أَتْقَى قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ مَا زَادَ ذَلِكَ فِي مُلْكِي شَيْئًا.
يَا عِبَادِي لَوْ أَنَّ أَوَّلَكُمْ وَآخِرَكُمْ وَإِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ كَانُوا عَلَى أَفْجَرِ قَلْبِ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ مَا نَقَصَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مُلْكِي شَيْئًا.
يَا عِبَادِي إِنَّمَا هِيَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ أُحْصِيهَا لَكُمْ ثُمَّ أُوَفِّيكُمْ إِيَّاهَا فَمَنْ وَجَدَ خَيْرًا فَلْيَحْمَدِ اللهَ،وَمَنْ وَجَدَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ فَلَا يَلُومَنَّ إِلَّا نَفْسَه» ( Allah, may He be exalted, says: "O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, mankind and Jinn alike, were all to be as pious as the most pious among you, that would not add to My dominion in the slightest.
O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, mankind and Jinn alike, were all to be as evil as the most evil one among you, that would not detract from My dominion in the slightest.
O My servants, these are deeds which I am recording for you, and I will judge you according to them, so whoever finds something good, let him praise Allah, and whoever finds otherwise, let him blame no one but himself." )

Solomon said: I want it even quicker than that. ( One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture ) one who knew Allah’s greatest name, O Living, O Subsistent, who was called Asaf Ibn Barkhiyya ( said: I will bring it thee before thy gaze returneth unto thee ) before that thing which you see from far reaches you. ( And when he saw it set in his presence ) i.e. when he saw her throne next to his, ( Solomon said ) to Asaf: ( This is of the bounty of my Lord ) this is of the favour of my Lord, ( that He may try me whether I give thanks ) for his blessings ( or am ungrateful ) or whether I abstain from being grateful for His blessings. ( Whosoever giveth thanks ) for Allah’s blessings ( he only giveth thanks for (the good of ) his own soul) for the reward of his Lord: ( and whosoever is ungrateful ) for the blessing of His Lord, he harms only his soul. ( For lo! my Lord is Absolute in independence ) of his gratitude, ( Bountiful ) He forgives whoever repents, and He does not hasten his punishment.

One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: "I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!" then when [Sulaiman (Solomon)] saw it 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 ownself, and whoever is ungrateful, (he is ungrateful only for the loss of his ownself). Certainly! My Lord is Rich (Free of all wants), Bountiful."

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