Bilqis: the story in the Quran

The story

1. 1

   The news brought by the hoopoe

   When Sulayman (peace be upon him) was checking on the birds, he noticed the hoopoe was not in its place. Before long the hoopoe returned and said: "I have learned something you did not know, and I have brought you certain news from Sheba" (An-Naml, 22).

   The bird reported that a woman ruled that land, that she had been given every kind of blessing, and that she had a magnificent throne; but she and her people worshipped the sun instead of Allah. Satan had made their deeds appear good to them and had led them astray from the right path (An-Naml, 23-24).

2. 2

   Sulayman's letter

   Sulayman (peace be upon him) sent a letter with the hoopoe to test whether it had spoken the truth. The queen gathered her counselors and told them a noble letter had reached her; it began with "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful" and called on them not to be arrogant but to come in submission (An-Naml, 30-31).

   The queen did not rush. Instead of war, she acted with wisdom and sent Sulayman gifts to test his intention. But Sulayman did not accept the gifts: the prophethood and dominion Allah had given him were superior to any worldly wealth (An-Naml, 35-37).

3. 3

   The throne is brought

   Before the queen's arrival, Sulayman (peace be upon him) asked that her throne be brought to him. One of those with him, who had knowledge from the Scripture, said he could bring it in the blink of an eye. The throne appeared before Sulayman in an instant.

   Seeing this, Sulayman did not boast; instead he said: "This is from the favor of my Lord, to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful. Whoever is grateful is grateful for his own good" (An-Naml, 40). This is one of the central lessons of the story: power and blessing should be a cause for gratitude, not arrogance.

4. 4

   The crystal palace and submission

   When the queen arrived, she saw a throne resembling hers, and was then invited into a palace paved smooth with glass. She took its floor for water and lifted her garment; Sulayman told her it was a palace built of crystal (An-Naml, 44).

   At that moment the queen set aside her pride and acknowledged the truth: "My Lord, I have wronged myself; now, together with Sulayman, I submit to Allah, the Lord of the worlds." Thus the account ends with a ruler's transition from worshipping the sun to submitting to Allah.

The account of the Queen of Sheba is narrated mainly in Surah An-Naml (20-44). The Quran does not name her; the name Bilqis does not appear in the Quran but comes from later narration and tradition. The account highlights Sulayman's (peace be upon him) wise invitation, meeting power with gratitude, and an intelligent ruler accepting the truth once she saw the evidence.

• True sovereignty lies in submitting to Allah with humility.
• An intelligent person sets aside pride and accepts the truth upon seeing the evidence.
• Blessing and power should lead a person to gratitude, not arrogance (An-Naml, 40).
• Invitation to faith must be carried out with wisdom; Sulayman began his letter with the name of Allah.
• Not rushing and acting through consultation are marks of wise leadership.

References are drawn from Quran verses, available authentic hadith and reliable scholarship.

• QuranSurah An-Naml, 22

  This verse contains the news the hoopoe brought from the land of Sheba.

• QuranSurah An-Naml, 30

  This verse narrates Sulayman's (peace be upon him) letter beginning with the name of Allah.

• QuranSurah An-Naml, 44

  This verse states that the queen realized the truth in the crystal palace and submitted to Allah.

• Scholarly sourceTDV İslam Ansiklopedisi, "Belkıs"

  Referenced for the Quranic text and traditional information about the Queen of Sheba.

Other narratives found in the Quran.

• The Messengers of Ya-Sin

  Three messengers sent to a town, and the believer who ran from afar

• Sulayman

Common questions about this story.

• What is the story of Bilqis about?

  The story of Bilqis tells of the Queen of Sheba's account: the news brought by the hoopoe, Sulayman's (peace be upon him) letter, the bringing of her throne, and finally her realizing the truth in the crystal palace and submitting to Allah (An-Naml, 20-44).

• Does the name Bilqis appear in the Quran?

  No. The Quran presents her only as a woman (queen) who ruled the land of Sheba, without naming her. The name Bilqis comes from later narration and tradition.

• Who was Bilqis?

  Bilqis is the name tradition gives to the Queen of Sheba. She was a ruler of a powerful and wealthy land who, along with her people, worshipped the sun at first, and then, after meeting Sulayman (peace be upon him), submitted to Allah.

• What was the hoopoe's role in this story?

  The hoopoe brought Sulayman news from the land of Sheba and reported the sun worship there. Sulayman then sent the queen a letter inviting her to Tawhid through the hoopoe (An-Naml, 22-28).

• Why did Bilqis submit to Allah?

  Seeing Sulayman's power, the instant appearance of her throne, and the crystal palace, she realized these things were not possible through ordinary rule, so she set aside her pride and submitted to Allah, the Lord of the worlds (An-Naml, 44).