Taysir al-Latif al-Mannan fi Khulasat Tafsir al-Quran - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (الكتاب/287)

Taysir al-Latif al-Mannan fi Khulasat Tafsir al-QuranAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

She said, “O nobles, advise me in this matter of mine, for I never resolve a decision until you are present” (al-Naml 32). This—‘give me your counsel’—shows her prudence and sound management, for she sought the opinion of her people’s leaders. They replied, “We possess strength and great might, but the command rests with you; so consider what you will command” (al-Naml 33), meaning: we are ready for whatever you decide—war or peace—and we defer the matter to your choice.

Because of her determination, firmness, and far-sightedness she turned away from war and chose peace, yet she did so resolutely. She said, “I shall send him a [splendid, magnificent] gift (1) and then wait to see what answer the envoys bring back” (al-Naml 35):
• If he is one of those kings whose only concern is the world, perhaps the gift will break his power, blunt his resolve, and he will make peace with us and we with him from afar.
• If he is otherwise, the matter will become clear to us.

So she dispatched men endowed with intelligence, resolve, experience, and insight. When they reached Solomon with the gift, he said, “Are you offering me wealth? What Allah has given me is better than what He has granted you; rather, it is you who rejoice in your gift” (al-Naml 36). Thus he made it plain that he had no worldly motive; his aim was to establish the religion and bring Allah’s servants into Islam. He then instructed the envoys, dispensing with the need for another letter, and said to the envoy, “Return to them, for we shall certainly come against them with forces they cannot withstand, and we shall drive them out of it humbled and debased” (al-Naml 37).

Solomon knew that they would yield and embrace Islam, so he said to those in his council, “Which of you will bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?” (al-Naml 38). A mighty jinn said, “I will bring it to you before you rise from your seat; indeed, I am strong and trustworthy concerning it” (al-Naml 39). At that time Solomon was in the lands of al-Shām, and between him and her lay a distance of two months’ travel each way.

(1) This is the reading in manuscript kha; the edition ta reads hadirah (present).

قالتْ: ﴿يَاأَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَفْتُونِي فِي أَمْرِي﴾ أي: أشيرُوا عليَّ، وهذا من حزمِها وحسنِ تدبيرِها استعملَتِ المشورةَ معَ رؤساءِ قومِها، ﴿مَا كُنْتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّى تَشْهَدُونِ (٣٢) قَالُوا نَحْنُ أُولُو قُوَّةٍ وَأُولُو بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ وَالْأَمْرُ إِلَيْكِ فَانْظُرِي مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ (٣٣)﴾ [النمل: ٣٢ - ٣٣] أي: مستعدُّونَ لما تقولِينَ حربًا وسلمًا، وأرجَعْنا الأمرَ إلى ما تختارِينَ. فمن عزمِها وحزمِها وبُعدِ نظرِها عدلَتْ عن الحربِ، واختارَتِ السلمَ، لكنْ بصورةٍ حازمةٍ، فقالتْ: سأهدِي لهُ هديةً [عظيمةً فاخرةً] (١) ﴿فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ﴾ [النمل: ٣٥]: • إنْ كان من الملوكِ الذي ليسَ لهم همٌّ إلا الدنيا، فربما أنَّ الهديةَ كسرَتْ سورتَهُ، وفلَّتْ عزيمتَهُ، وسالَمَنا وسالَمْناهُ من بعيدٍ. • وإنْ كان غيرَ ذلكَ بانَ لنا الأمرُ. فأرسلَتْ أناسًا ذَوِي عقلٍ وحزمٍ وخبرةٍ ومعرفةٍ، فلما جاؤوا لسليمانَ بالهديةِ، قالَ: ﴿أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَا آتَانِيَ اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا آتَاكُمْ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ﴾ [النمل: ٣٦]، فبيَّنَ لهم أنهُ لا غرَضَ لهُ في الدنيا، وإنما غرضهُ إقامةُ الدينِ، ودخولُ عبادِ اللهِ في الإسلامِ، ثم وصَّى الرسلَ، واستغنى بذلكَ عن الكتابِ، وقالَ للرسولِ: ﴿ارْجِعْ إِلَيْهِمْ فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّهُمْ بِجُنُودٍ لَا قِبَلَ لَهُمْ بِهَا وَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُمْ مِنْهَا أَذِلَّةً وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ﴾ [النمل: ٣٧]. وعَلِمَ سليمانُ أنهم سينقادُونَ ويسلمُونَ، فقالَ لأهلِ مجلسهِ: ﴿أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ (٣٨) قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ مَقَامِكَ وَإِنِّي عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِيٌّ أَمِينٌ (٣٩)﴾ [النمل: ٣٢ - ٣٩]، وسليمانُ بالديارِ الشاميةِ، وبينَهُ وبينَها مسافةُ شهرينِ ذهابًا وشهرينِ إيابًا.

(١) كذا في (خ). وفي (ط): حاضرة.