to alight there, pray, and take his midday meal. When Solomon alighted, the hoopoe said, “Solomon is occupied with alighting, so rise toward the sky and look over the length and breadth of the earth.” He did so, looking right and left, until he saw one of Bilqis’s gardens. Drawn by its greenery, he alighted in it and found another hoopoe there, who descended upon him. Solomon’s hoopoe was named Ya‘fur, while the hoopoe of Yemen was named Anfir.

Anfir of Yemen said to Ya‘fur of Solomon, “Where have you come from, and where are you heading?” He replied, “I have come from Syria with my master, Solomon son of David.” He asked, “And who is Solomon?” He replied, “The king over the jinn, mankind, devils, birds, wild beasts, and the winds. And where are you from?” He said, “I am from this land.” He asked, “And who is its ruler?” He replied, “A woman called Bilqis. Your master has a great dominion, but Bilqis’s kingdom is not inferior to his; for she is queen over all Yemen. Under her command are twelve thousand (1) commanders, and under the command of each commander are one hundred thousand fighters. Will you come with me, so that you may see her kingdom?”

He said, “I fear that Solomon may miss me at the time of prayer, when he needs water.” The Yemeni hoopoe said, “Your master will be pleased if you bring him news of this queen.” So he went with him and saw Bilqis and her kingdom. He did not return to Solomon until the afternoon.

It is related that when Solomon alighted and the time for prayer came upon him, he had stopped at a place without water. He asked the men, jinn, and devils about water, but they did not know. He then inspected the birds and found the hoopoe missing. So he summoned the superintendent of the birds—the vulture—and asked him about the hoopoe. He replied, “May Allah set the king aright, I do not know where he is, nor did I send him anywhere.” Solomon became angry at this and said, “I will certainly punish him severely…”—the verse.

He then summoned the eagle, the chief of the birds, and said, “Bring me the hoopoe at once.” The eagle rose toward the sky until he was suspended in the air, and he saw the world as though it were a bowl before one of you. Then he looked right and left, and there was the hoopoe approaching from the direction of Yemen. The eagle swooped down toward him, intending to seize him. When the hoopoe saw this, he knew that the eagle intended him harm, so he pleaded with him, saying, “By Allah, who has strengthened you and given you power over me, have mercy on me and do not harm me.”

The eagle turned away from him and said, “Woe to you—may your mother be bereaved of you! The Prophet of Allah has sworn that he will punish you or slaughter you.” Then the two flew toward Solomon. When they reached the camp, the vulture and the other birds came out to meet him and said, “Woe to you! Where have you been absent this day? The Prophet of Allah has threatened you.” They informed him of what Solomon had said. The hoopoe replied, “Did not the Messenger of Allah make an exception?” They said, “Indeed he did.” He said, “Or else he brings me clear authority.” He said, “Then I am safe.”

The eagle and the hoopoe then flew until they came to Solomon, who was seated upon his throne. The eagle said, “O Prophet of Allah, I have brought him to you.” As the hoopoe drew near, he lowered his head and let his tail and wings hang, dragging them upon the ground in humility before Solomon. When he came close, Solomon seized him by the head, drew it toward himself, and said, “Where have you been? I will certainly punish you severely.” The hoopoe said, “O Prophet of Allah, remember your standing before Allah Most High.” When Solomon heard this, he trembled and pardoned him. He then asked him, “What kept you from me?” The hoopoe then related what Allah tells of him in His words:

“But he stayed not long, and said, ‘I have encompassed in knowledge that which you have not encompassed, and I have come to you from Sheba with certain news.’” (22)