The Majestic Quran

When the Hoopoe told Solomon about the Queen of Sheba, Solomon dispatched a letter inviting her to become a believer and give up her idolatry. The Queen, after consulting her advisers, decided to play it safe, and to pacify Solomon sent him precious gifts and waited for her envoys to bring news about him. Solomon refused to accept her gifts, which convinced her that this was no king in pursuit of worldly gains. She travelled from Yemen to Jerusalem. Solomon, in the meantime, decided to receive her: “Who can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?” (38). One of his knowledgeable followers was able to bring it in the “blink of an eye.” The transportation of the queen’s throne from Yemen to his palace in Jerusalem hints at the ephemeral, fleeting nature of material power. The throne is a metonym for power and sovereignty: It appears that Solomon intends to confront his guest with an image of her worldly power, and thus to convince her that her throne is as nothing when compared with the awesome almightiness of God (Asad). In the story of the Hoopoe, the Quran teaches a powerful lesson: the lowliest being can sometimes have knowledge of things that even experts may lack. This is a clear reminder counteracting arrogance and self-deceit. Similarly, the story of the Queen of Sheba entering the hall of Solomon is a symbol of a woman confronting something new. She is full of fear, and does not wish to abandon the realm of what she finds familiar, comforting and secure in favour of venturing into the unknown. Yet the Queen of Sheba takes the leap, and sees that the floor of the hall is not dangerous: It is a glass-clear light of truth: and with her perception of the ever[-]existing difference between appearance and reality …