Is Your Throne Like This?

Sulaymān said: nakkirū lahā ʿarshahā — disguise her throne for her. Change the outlook of the throne a little bit; make some alterations to it. Why? Nanẓur a-tahtadī am takūnu min alladhīna lā yahtadūn — to see whether she will be one of those who recognise it, or she would be one of those who would not.

So they made some alterations to her throne; they changed the way it looked, a little bit. But the essence of it was the same; the uniqueness and the greatness of that throne was untouched.

Fa-lammā jāʾat qīla a-hākadhā ʿarshuk — so when she came, it was said to her: is your throne like this? This is a straightforward question — a yes or no question. Is this your throne? What should the answer be: yes or no?

Now, if she said yes — it looks like her throne, but it is a little bit different. And if she said no — it is true that there are some alterations to it, but it is very, very similar to her throne. So she avoided the yes and no answer, and she said: qālat ka-annahu huwa — a very diplomatic answer. She said: it is as though it were the very same. So it is not a yes answer, and it is not a no answer — and this is part of her wisdom and ḥikmah. She did not give a straight answer of yes or no; she made her answer right in between, because it looks like her throne, but it is a little bit different.

Allah (swt) says: wa ūtīnā al-ʿilma min qablihā wa kunnā muslimīn — Sulaymān said: knowledge was bestowed on us before her, and we were submitting to Allah. And that which she used to worship besides Allah has prevented her from Islam, for she was of a disbelieving people. Allah (swt) is saying: what prevented her from being a Muslim is the way she was brought up.

Refusing the gift was one step for her towards Islam. Bringing the throne was a second step for her towards Islam.