27:36 An-Naml (The Ant)

فَلَمَّا جَاءَ سُلَيْمَانَ أي: جاءه الرسل بالهدية قَالَ منكرا عليهم ومتغيظا على عدم إجابتهم: أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَا آتَانِ اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا آتَاكُمْ فليست تقع عندي موقعا ولا أفرح بها قد أغناني الله عنها وأكثر علي النعم، بَلْ أَنْتُمْ بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ لحبكم للدنيا وقلة ما بأيديكم بالنسبة لما أعطاني الله.

ذكر غير واحد من المفسرين من السلف وغيرهم أنها بعثت إليه بهدية عظيمة من ذهب وجواهر ولآلئ وغير ذلك وقال بعضهم أرسلت بلبنة من ذهب والصحيح أنها أرسلت إليه بآنية من ذهب: قال مجاهد وسعيد بن جبير وغيرهما أرسلت جواري في زي الغلمان وغلمان فى زي الجواري فقالت إن عرف هؤلاء من هؤلاء فهو نبي قالوا فأمرهم سليمان فتوضؤا فجعلت الجارية تفرغ على يدها من الماء وجعل الغلام يغترف فميزهم بذلك وقيل بل جعلت الجارية تغسل باطن يدها قبل ظاهرها والغلام بالعكس وقيل بل جعلت الجواري يغسلن من أكفهن إلى مرافقهن والغلمان من مرافقهم إلى كفوفهم ولا منافاة بين ذلك كله والله أعلم: وذكر بعضهم أنها أرسلت إليه بقدح ليملأه ماء رواء لا من السماء ولا من الأرض: فأجرى الخيل حتى عرفت ثم ملأه من ذلك ويخرزة وسلك ليجعله فيها ففعل ذلك والله أعلم أكان ذلك أم لا وأكثره مأخوذ من الإسرائيليات والظاهر أن سليمان عليه السلام لم ينظر إلى ما جاءوا به بالكلية ولا اعتنى به بل أعرض عنه وقال منكرا عليهم "أتمدونن بمال" أي أتصانعونني بمال لأترككم على شرككم وملككم؟ "فما آتاني الله خير مما آتاكم" أي الذي أعطاني الله من الملك والمال والجنود خير مما أنتم فيه "بل أنتم بهديتكم تفرحون" أي أنتم الذين تنقادون للهدايا والتحف وأما أنا فلا أقبل منكم إلا الإسلام أو السيف قال الأعمش عن المنهال بن عمرو عن سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنه: أمر سليمان الشياطين فموهوا له ألف قصر من ذهب وفضة فلما رأت رسلها ذلك قالوا ما يصنع هذا بهديتنا وفي هذا جواز تهيؤ الملوك وإظهارهم الزينة للرسل والقصاد.

The Gift and the Response of Sulayman

More than one of the scholars of Tafsir among the Salaf and others stated that she sent him a huge gift of gold, jewels, pearls and other things. It is apparent that Sulayman, peace be upon him, did not even look at what they brought at all and did not pay any attention to it, but he turned away and said, rebuking them:

أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ

("Will you help me in wealth") meaning, `are you trying to flatter me with wealth so that I will leave you alone with your Shirk and your kingdom'

فَمَآ ءَاتَـنِى اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّآ ءَاتَـكُمْ

(What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you!) means, `what Allah has given to me of power, wealth and troops, is better than that which you have.'

بَلْ أَنتُمْ بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ

(Nay, you rejoice in your gift!) means, `you are the ones who are influenced by gifts and presents; we will accept nothing from you except Islam or the sword.'

ارْجِعْ إِلَيْهِمْ

(Go back to them) means, with their gift,

فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّهُم بِجُنُودٍ لاَّ قِبَلَ لَهُمْ بِهَا

(We verily, shall come to them with armies that they cannot resist,) they have no power to match them or resist them.

وَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُم مِّنْهَآ أَذِلَّةً

(and we shall drive them out from there in disgrace,) `we shall drive them out in disgrace from their land.'

وَهُمْ صَـغِرُونَ

(and they will be abased.) means, humiliated and expelled. When her messengers came back to her with her undelivered gift, and told her what Sulayman said, she and her people paid heed and obeyed him. She came to him with her troops in submission and humility, honoring Sulayman and intending to follow him in Islam. When Sulayman, peace be upon him, realized that they were coming to him, he rejoiced greatly.

But when he the envoy came to Solomon with the gift and the servants he said ‘Are you supplying me with wealth? What God has given me of prophethood and kingship is better than what He has given you of the things of this world. Nay but it is you and not I who exult in your gift for you pride yourselves upon the possession of the ornaments of this world!

Return of the presents of Bilqis by Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام)

قَالَ أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَا آتَانِيَ اللَّـهُ خَيْرٌ‌ مِّمَّا آتَاكُم بَلْ أَنتُم بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَ‌حُونَ

"Are you giving me an aid of wealth? So what Allah has given me is much better than He has given to you. But you yourselves are proud of your gift. 27:36.

When Bilqis's envoys reached the court of Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) with the gifts and presents sent by her, he said to them ` Do you wish to help me with wealth? Whatever wealth and bounties I have been given by Allah is much better than your wealth and material. Therefore, I do not accept your presents of wealth. You better take them away, and enjoy them yourself.

Is it permissible to accept presents from infidels?

Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) did not accept the presents of Queen Bilqis, which indicates that it is not permissible or not preferable to accept presents from infidels. The correct position about this question is that if this may lead to weakening of one's position or that of Muslim community, or is likely to go against the expediency of the national interest, then it is prudent not to accept their presents. (Ruh ul-Ma’ ani). But if the interest of the Muslims is in favour of acceptance, for instance if this gesture may lead the non-Muslims to the acceptance of Islam, or may ward off some impending danger to Islam, in such situations it is permitted. It was the practice of the Holy Prophet ﷺ to accept presents from some infidels and reject them from others. It is reported in ` Umdatul Qari Sharh al-Bukhari (Kitab ul-hibah) and Sharh-As- Siyar-Al-Kabr on the authority of Sayyidna Ka'b ibn Malik (رح) that ` Amir ibn Malik, brother of Bra', went to Madinah on some work, when he was a disbelieving infidel, and presented two horses and two pairs of garments to the Holy Prophet ﷺ . He sent back these presents with the remarks "We do not accept presents from disbelievers". Once ` Iyad ibn Himar al-Mujashi` i presented to him something. The Holy Prophet ﷺ enquired from him whether he was a Muslim, to which he replied in the negative. So he returned his presents, explaining that Allah Ta’ ala has commanded him not to accept presents from the disbelievers.

As against this there are other narrations reporting that the Holy Prophet ﷺ had accepted presents from some disbelievers. In one such narration, it is related that Abu Sufyan had presented to him a piece of leather when he was still a disbeliever, which the Holy Prophet ﷺ had accepted. Another narration has reported that a Christian had presented to him a very shiny piece of fine silk, which was also accepted by him.

Shamsul 'A` immah has commented after citing these narrations that, in his view, the reason of rejection and acceptance of these presents by the Holy Prophet ﷺ was that where he thought that by their rejection the disbeliever would come near Islam, he rejected them, and where he considered that their acceptance will help bring the disbeliever close to Islam he did that. (Umdatul Qari)

Bilqis took the rejection of her presents by Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) as a sign of his prophethood - not because the acceptance of gifts from disbelievers is not permissible - but she had purposefully sent those presents as a bribe, in order to save herself from any attack from him.