Surah Naml ayat 41 Tafsir Quran 27:41

﴿قَالَ نَكِّرُوا لَهَا عَرْشَهَا نَنظُرْ أَتَهْتَدِي أَمْ تَكُونُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ﴾
[ النمل: 41]

27:41 He said, "Disguise for her her throne; we will see whether she will be guided [to truth] or will be of those who is not guided."

He said ‘Disguise her throne for her — in other words transform it such that when she sees it it will be in an unrecognisable form — that we may see whether she will be guided to recognising it or be of those who cannot be guided’ to recognise when things are transformed around them. He Solomon sought thereby to test her mind for it was said to have something wrong with it. Thus they transformed it by adding or taking away certain things and in other ways.

Sulayman then said to his assemblage: Disguise her throne to see whether she will be able to recognize it or she will be one of those who lack insight and do not discern the truth

The Test of Bilqis When Sulayman brought the throne of Bilqis before she and her people arrived, he issued orders that some of its features should be altered, so that he could test her and see whether she recognized it and how composed she would be when she saw it.
Would she hasten to say either that it was her throne or that it was not So he said: نَكِّرُواْ لَهَا عَرْشَهَا نَنظُرْ أَتَهْتَدِى أَمْ تَكُونُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَهْتَدُونَ ( Disguise her throne for her that we may see whether she will be guided, or she will be one of those not guided. ) Ibn `Abbas said: "Remove some of its adornments and parts." Mujahid said: "He issued orders that it should be changed, so whatever was red should be made yellow and vice versa, and whatever was green should be made red, so everything was altered." `Ikrimah said, "They added some things and took some things away." Qatadah said, "It was turned upside down and back to front, and some things were added and some things were taken away." فَلَمَّا جَآءَتْ قِيلَ أَهَكَذَا عَرْشُكِ ( So when she came, it was said: "Is your throne like this" ) Her throne, which had been altered and disguised, with some things added and others taken away, was shown to her.
She was wise and steadfast, intelligent and strong-willed.
She did not hasten to say that this was her throne, because it was far away from her.
Neither did she hasten to say that it was not her throne, when she saw that some things had been altered and changed.
She said, كَأَنَّهُ هُوَ ( (It is ) as though it were the very same.
) This is the ultimate in intelligence and strong resolve. وَأُوتِينَا الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهَا وَكُنَّا مُسْلِمِينَ ( Knowledge was bestowed on us before her, and we had submitted to Allah. ) Mujahid said, "This was spoken by Sulayman." وَصَدَّهَا مَا كَانَت تَّعْبُدُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ مِن قَوْمٍ كَـفِرِينَ ( And Saddaha that which she used to worship besides Allah has prevented her, for she was of a disbelieving people. ) This is a continuation of the words of Sulayman -- according to the opinion of Mujahid and Sa`id bin Jubayr, may Allah be pleased with them both -- i.e., Sulayman said: وَأُوتِينَا الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهَا وَكُنَّا مُسْلِمِينَ ( Knowledge was bestowed on us before her, and we had submitted to Allah. ) and what stopped her from worshipping Allah alone was مَا كَانَت تَّعْبُدُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ مِن قَوْمٍ كَـفِرِينَ ( that which she used to worship besides Allah, for she was of a disbelieving people. ) What Mujahid and Sa`id said is good; it was also the view of Ibn Jarir.
Then Ibn Jarir said, "It could be that the subject of the verb. وَصَدَّهَا ( And Saddaha ) refers to Sulayman or to Allah, so that the phrase now means: مَا كَانَت تَّعْبُدُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ ( She would not worship anything over than Allah. ) إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ مِن قَوْمٍ كَـفِرِينَ ( for she was of a disbelieving people. ) I say: the opinion of Mujahid is supported by the fact that she declared her Islam after she entered the Sarh, as we shall see below. قِيلَ لَهَا ادْخُلِى الصَّرْحَ فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ حَسِبَتْهُ لُجَّةً وَكَشَفَتْ عَن سَاقَيْهَا ( It was said to her: "Enter As-Sarh" but when she saw it, she thought it was a pool, and she (tucked up her clothes ) uncovering her legs.) Sulayman had commanded the Shayatin to build for her a huge palace of glass beneath which water was flowing.
Anyone who did not know the nature of the building would think that it was water, but in fact there was a layer of glass between a person walking and the water. Verily, it is a Sarh Mumarrad of Qawarir Sarh means a palace or any lofty construction. Allah says of Fir`awn -- may Allah curse him -- that he said to his minister Haman: ابْنِ لِى صَرْحاً لَّعَـلِّى أَبْلُغُ الاٌّسْبَـبَ ( Build me a Sarh that I may arrive at the ways. ) ( 40:36-37 ) Sarh is also used to refer to the high constructed palaces in Yemen.
Mumarrad means sturdily constructed and smooth. مِّن قَوارِيرَ ( of Qawarir ) means, made of glass, i.e., it was built with smooth surfaces.
Marid is a fortress in Dawmat Al-Jandal.
What is meant here is that Sulayman built a huge, lofty palace of glass for this queen, in order to show her the greatness of his authority and power.
When she saw for herself what Allah had given him and how majestic his position was, she submitted to the command of Allah and acknowledged that he was a noble Prophet, so she submitted to Allah and said: رَب إِنِّى ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِى ( My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself, ) meaning, by her previous disbelief and Shirk and by the fact that she and her people had worshipped the sun instead of Allah. وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَـنَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ( and I submit, together with Sulayman to Allah, the Lord of all that exists. ) meaning, following the religion of Sulayman, worshipping Allah alone with no partner or associate, Who created everything and measured it exactly according to its due measurements.

(27:41) Solomon said, *50 "Se her throne before her casually; let us see whether she reaches the truth, or she is one of those who are not guided aright. " *51

He said, "Disguise for her her throne; meaning

*50) As to how the queen reached Jerusalem and how she was received, has been omitted.
The story is resumed from the time when she had arrived at the palace to see Prophet Solomon .

*51) This is a meaningful sentence, which means: ( 1 ) " Whether she understands or not that it is her own throne which has been fetched in no time from her capital to distant place like Jerusalem; " and also ( 2 ) " whether she is guided aright after seeing this wonderful miracle, or persists in her error. " This ref utes the wrong idea of the people who say that the Prophet Solomon intended to take possession of the throne.
Here he himself clearly says that he had done this in order to help the queen see Guidance.

 

The Test of Bilqis When Sulayman brought the throne of Bilqis before she and her people arrived, he issued orders that some of its features should be altered, so that he could test her and see whether she recognized it and how composed she would be when she saw it.
Would she hasten to say either that it was her throne or that it was not So he said: نَكِّرُواْ لَهَا عَرْشَهَا نَنظُرْ أَتَهْتَدِى أَمْ تَكُونُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَهْتَدُونَ ( Disguise her throne for her that we may see whether she will be guided, or she will be one of those not guided. ) Ibn `Abbas said: "Remove some of its adornments and parts." Mujahid said: "He issued orders that it should be changed, so whatever was red should be made yellow and vice versa, and whatever was green should be made red, so everything was altered." `Ikrimah said, "They added some things and took some things away." Qatadah said, "It was turned upside down and back to front, and some things were added and some things were taken away." فَلَمَّا جَآءَتْ قِيلَ أَهَكَذَا عَرْشُكِ ( So when she came, it was said: "Is your throne like this" ) Her throne, which had been altered and disguised, with some things added and others taken away, was shown to her.
She was wise and steadfast, intelligent and strong-willed.
She did not hasten to say that this was her throne, because it was far away from her.
Neither did she hasten to say that it was not her throne, when she saw that some things had been altered and changed.
She said, كَأَنَّهُ هُوَ ( (It is ) as though it were the very same.
) This is the ultimate in intelligence and strong resolve. وَأُوتِينَا الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهَا وَكُنَّا مُسْلِمِينَ ( Knowledge was bestowed on us before her, and we had submitted to Allah. ) Mujahid said, "This was spoken by Sulayman." وَصَدَّهَا مَا كَانَت تَّعْبُدُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ مِن قَوْمٍ كَـفِرِينَ ( And Saddaha that which she used to worship besides Allah has prevented her, for she was of a disbelieving people. ) This is a continuation of the words of Sulayman -- according to the opinion of Mujahid and Sa`id bin Jubayr, may Allah be pleased with them both -- i.e., Sulayman said: وَأُوتِينَا الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهَا وَكُنَّا مُسْلِمِينَ ( Knowledge was bestowed on us before her, and we had submitted to Allah. ) and what stopped her from worshipping Allah alone was مَا كَانَت تَّعْبُدُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ مِن قَوْمٍ كَـفِرِينَ ( that which she used to worship besides Allah, for she was of a disbelieving people. ) What Mujahid and Sa`id said is good; it was also the view of Ibn Jarir.
Then Ibn Jarir said, "It could be that the subject of the verb. وَصَدَّهَا ( And Saddaha ) refers to Sulayman or to Allah, so that the phrase now means: مَا كَانَت تَّعْبُدُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ ( She would not worship anything over than Allah. ) إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ مِن قَوْمٍ كَـفِرِينَ ( for she was of a disbelieving people. ) I say: the opinion of Mujahid is supported by the fact that she declared her Islam after she entered the Sarh, as we shall see below. قِيلَ لَهَا ادْخُلِى الصَّرْحَ فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ حَسِبَتْهُ لُجَّةً وَكَشَفَتْ عَن سَاقَيْهَا ( It was said to her: "Enter As-Sarh" but when she saw it, she thought it was a pool, and she (tucked up her clothes ) uncovering her legs.) Sulayman had commanded the Shayatin to build for her a huge palace of glass beneath which water was flowing.
Anyone who did not know the nature of the building would think that it was water, but in fact there was a layer of glass between a person walking and the water. Verily, it is a Sarh Mumarrad of Qawarir Sarh means a palace or any lofty construction. Allah says of Fir`awn -- may Allah curse him -- that he said to his minister Haman: ابْنِ لِى صَرْحاً لَّعَـلِّى أَبْلُغُ الاٌّسْبَـبَ ( Build me a Sarh that I may arrive at the ways. ) ( 40:36-37 ) Sarh is also used to refer to the high constructed palaces in Yemen.
Mumarrad means sturdily constructed and smooth. مِّن قَوارِيرَ ( of Qawarir ) means, made of glass, i.e., it was built with smooth surfaces.
Marid is a fortress in Dawmat Al-Jandal.
What is meant here is that Sulayman built a huge, lofty palace of glass for this queen, in order to show her the greatness of his authority and power.
When she saw for herself what Allah had given him and how majestic his position was, she submitted to the command of Allah and acknowledged that he was a noble Prophet, so she submitted to Allah and said: رَب إِنِّى ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِى ( My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself, ) meaning, by her previous disbelief and Shirk and by the fact that she and her people had worshipped the sun instead of Allah. وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَـنَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ ( and I submit, together with Sulayman to Allah, the Lord of all that exists. ) meaning, following the religion of Sulayman, worshipping Allah alone with no partner or associate, Who created everything and measured it exactly according to its due measurements.

( He said: Disguise her throne for her ) add to her throne and take away from it ( that we may see whether she will go aright ) whether she will know ( or be of those not rightly guided ) or whether she will not know.

He said: "Disguise her throne for her that we may see whether she will be guided (to recognise her throne), or she will be one of those not guided."

Page 380 English transliteration