Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (6/160)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

they ruin it and reduce its honored people to humiliation”—that is, they debase its nobles and leading men so that authority may be firmly established for them. In this, she warned them of Solomon’s advance against them and his entering their land. The report of her words ends here, and Allah confirmed what she said: “And that is what they do”—that is, they do as she said.

“And indeed, I will send them a gift, and will see what response the envoys bring back.” (35)

She then said: “And indeed, I will send them a gift.” A gift is a present given as a gesture of courtesy. Bilqis was a shrewd woman, seasoned in statecraft and rule, so she said to the eminent ones among her people: “I will send them”—that is, to Solomon and his people—“a gift, by which I may conciliate him in order to protect my kingdom, and test whether he is a king or a prophet. If he is a king, he will accept the gift and depart; but if he is a prophet, he will not accept the gift, and nothing from us will satisfy him except that we follow him in his religion.” This is the meaning of His saying, exalted is He: “and will see what response the envoys bring back.”

[She then sent him] (1) male and female servants. Ibn Abbas (2) said: She dressed them all alike so that the males could not be distinguished from the females. Mujahid said: The boys were dressed in the clothing of girls, and the girls were dressed in the clothing of boys. They differed regarding their number. Ibn Abbas said: One hundred male servants and one hundred female servants. (3) Mujahid and Muqatil (4) said: Two hundred boys and two hundred girls.

Qatadah and Said ibn Jubayr said: She sent him a brick of gold wrapped in silk and brocade. Thabit al-Bunani said: She gave him sheets of gold in brocade vessels. It was also said that there were four bricks of gold. Wahb and others said: Bilqis selected five hundred boys and five hundred girls. She dressed the boys in girls’ clothing, placed gold bracelets on their forearms, gold collars around their necks, and jeweled earrings and ear-pendants in their ears. She dressed the girls in boys’ clothing—coats and belts—and mounted the girls on five hundred mares and the boys on five hundred large horses. Every horse had a gold bridle set with jewels, and coverings of multicolored brocade. She also sent him five hundred bricks of gold and five hundred bricks of silver,

(1) The text within parentheses is omitted in manuscript A. (2) After discussing the reports cited by al-Baghawi, Ibn Kathir stated (3:364): “And Allah knows best whether this actually occurred or not; most of it is derived from Isra'iliyyat (Israelite lore).” Shaykh Muhammad Abu Shahbah said (p. 252): “What kingdom on earth could be spacious enough for a flooring extending nine farsakhs, made of bricks of gold and silver?!” Wahb’s report indicates the source from which these narratives originated, and that those among the Salaf who related them merely took them from converts among the People of the Book. Tafsir works ought to have been kept free from such idle tales and fables, which infiltrated Islamic narrations and harmed them. (3) A female servant. (4) The text within parentheses is omitted in manuscript A. (5) A female mule.

﴿أَفْسَدُوهَا﴾ خَرَّبُوهَا، ﴿وَجَعَلُوا أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَا أَذِلَّةً﴾ أَيْ: أَهَانُوا أَشْرَافَهَا وَكُبَرَاءَهَا، كَيْ يَسْتَقِيمَ لَهُمُ الْأَمْرُ، تُحَذِّرُهُمْ مَسِيرَ سُلَيْمَانَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَدُخُولَهُ بِلَادَهُمْ، وَتَنَاهَى الْخَبَرُ عَنْهَا هَاهُنَا، فَصَدَّقَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَهَا فَقَالَ: ﴿وَكَذَلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ﴾ أَيْ: كَمَا قَالَتْ هِيَ يَفْعَلُونَ. ﴿وَإِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِمْ بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ (٣٥) ﴾ ثُمَّ قَالَتْ: ﴿وَإِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِمْ بِهَدِيَّةٍ﴾ وَالْهَدِيَّةُ هِيَ: الْعَطِيَّةُ عَلَى طَرِيقِ الْمُلَاطَفَةِ. وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ بِلْقِيسَ كَانَتِ امْرَأَةً لَبِيبَةً قَدْ سَيِسَتْ وَسَاسَتْ، فَقَالَتْ لِلْمَلَأِ مِنْ قَوْمِهَا: إِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِمْ، أَيْ: إِلَى سُلَيْمَانَ وَقَوْمِهِ، بِهَدِيَّةٍ أُصَانِعُهُ بِهَا عَنْ مُلْكِي وَأَخْتَبِرُهُ بِهَا أَمَلِكٌ هُوَ أَمْ نَبِيٌّ؟ فَإِنْ يَكُنْ مَلِكًا قَبِلَ الْهَدِيَّةَ وَانْصَرَفَ، وَإِنْ كَانَ نَبيًا لَمْ يَقْبَلِ الْهَدِيَّةَ وَلَمْ يُرْضِهِ مِنَّا إِلَّا أَنْ نَتَّبِعَهُ عَلَى دِينِهِ، فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ﴾ [فَأَهْدَتْ إِلَيْهِ] (١) وُصَفَاءَ وَوَصَائِفَ، قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ (٢) أَلْبَسَتْهُمْ لِبَاسًا وَاحِدًا كَيْ لَا يُعْرَفَ ذَكَرٌ مِنْ أُنْثَى. وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: أُلْبِسَ الْغِلْمَانُ لِبَاسَ الْجَوَارِي وَأُلْبِسَ الْجَوَارِي لِبَاسَ الْغِلْمَانِ. وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي عَدَدِهِمْ، فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: مِائَةُ وَصِيفٍ وَمِائَةُ وَصِيفَةٍ (٣) وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ: [وَمُقَاتِلٌ] (٤) مِائَتَا غُلَامٍ وَمِائَتَا جَارِيَةٍ. وَقَالَ قَتَادَةُ، وَسَعِيدُ بْنُ جُبَيْرٍ: أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِ بِلَبِنَةٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ فِي حَرِيرٍ وَدِيبَاجٍ. وَقَالَ ثَابِتٌ الْبُنَانِيُّ: أَهْدَتْ إِلَيْهِ صَفَائِحَ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ فِي أَوْعِيَةِ الدِّيبَاجِ. وَقِيلَ: كَانَتْ أَرْبَعَ لَبِنَاتٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ. وَقَالَ وَهْبٌ وَغَيْرُهُ: عَمَدَتْ بِلْقِيسُ إِلَى خَمْسِمِائَةِ غُلَامٍ وَخَمْسِمِائَةِ جَارِيَةٍ، فَأَلْبَسَتِ الْغِلْمَانَ لِبَاسَ الْجَوَارِي، وَجَعَلَتْ فِي سَوَاعِدِهِمْ أَسَاوِرَ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ، وَفِي أَعْنَاقِهِمْ أَطْوَاقًا مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَفِي آذَانِهِمْ أَقْرَاطًا وَشُنُوفًا مُرَصَّعَاتٍ بِأَنْوَاعِ الْجَوَاهِرِ، وَأَلْبَسَتِ الْجَوَارِيَ لِبَاسَ الْغِلْمَانِ؛ الْأَقْبِيَةَ وَالْمَنَاطِقَ، وَحَمَلَتِ الْجَوَارِيَ عَلَى خَمْسِمِائَةِ رَمَكَةٍ (٥) وَالْغِلْمَانَ عَلَى خَمْسِمِائَةِ بِرْذَوْنٍ، عَلَى كُلِّ فَرَسٍ لِجَامٌ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ مُرَصَّعٌ بِالْجَوَاهِرِ وَغَوَاشِيهَا مِنَ الدِّيبَاجِ الْمُلَوَّنِ، وَبَعَثَتْ إِلَيْهِ خَمْسَمِائَةِ لَبِنَةٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَخَمْسَمِائَةِ لَبِنَةٍ مِنْ فِضَّةٍ،

(١) ما بين القوسين ساقط من "أ". (٢) بعد أن عرض ابن كثير لهذه الروايات التي ساقها البغوي قال: (٣ / ٣٦٤) "والله أعلم أكان ذلك أم لا؟ وأكثره مأخوذ من الإسرائيليات"، وقال الشيخ محمد أبو شهبة ص (٢٥٢) : وأي ملك في الدنيا يتسع لفرش تسع فراسخ بلبنات الذهب والفضة؟!! وفي رواية وهب ما يدل على الأصل الذي جاءت منه هذه المرويات، وأن من روى ذلك من السف فإنما أخذه عن مسلمة أهل الكتاب وما كان أجدر كتب التفسير أن تنزه عن مثل هذا اللغو والخرافات التي تدسست إلى الرواية الإسلامية فأساءت إليها. (٣) الوصيفة: الجارية. (٤) ما بين القوسين ساقط من "أ". (٥) أنثى البغال.