When Sulayman brought the throne of Bilqis before she and her people arrived, he issued orders that some of its features should be altered, so that he could test her and see whether she recognized it and how composed she would be when she saw it. Would she hasten to say either that it was her throne or that it was not So he said:

﴿ظ†ظژظƒظ‘ظگط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ„ظژظ‡ظژط§ ط¹ظژط±ظ’ط´ظژظ‡ظژط§ ظ†ظژظ†ط¸ظڈط±ظ’ ط£ظژطھظژظ‡ظ’طھظژط¯ظگظ‰ ط£ظژظ…ظ’ طھظژظƒظڈظˆظ†ظڈ ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژظ‡ظ’طھظژط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(Disguise her throne for her that we may see whether she will be guided, or she will be one of those not guided.) Ibn `Abbas said: "Remove some of its adornments and parts.'' Mujahid said: "He issued orders that it should be changed, so whatever was red should be made yellow and vice versa, and whatever was green should be made red, so everything was altered.'' `Ikrimah said, "They added some things and took some things away.'' Qatadah said, "It was turned upside down and back to front, and some things were added and some things were taken away.''

﴿ظپظژظ„ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ط¬ظژط¢ط،ظژطھظ’ ظ‚ظگظٹظ„ظژ ط£ظژظ‡ظژظƒظژط°ظژط§ ط¹ظژط±ظ’ط´ظڈظƒظگ﴾

(So when she came, it was said: "Is your throne like this'') Her throne, which had been altered and disguised, with some things added and others taken away, was shown to her. She was wise and steadfast, intelligent and strong-willed. She did not hasten to say that this was her throne, because it was far away from her. Neither did she hasten to say that it was not her throne, when she saw that some things had been altered and changed. She said,

﴿ظƒظژط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ‡ظڈظˆظژ﴾

((It is) as though it were the very same. ) This is the ultimate in intelligence and strong resolve.

﴿ظˆظژط£ظڈظˆطھظگظٹظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظگظ„ظ’ظ…ظژ ظ…ظگظ† ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظگظ‡ظژط§ ظˆظژظƒظڈظ†ظ‘ظژط§ ظ…ظڈط³ظ’ظ„ظگظ…ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(Knowledge was bestowed on us before her, and we had submitted to Allah.) Mujahid said, "This was spoken by Sulayman.''

﴿ظˆظژطµظژط¯ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ ظ…ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژطھ طھظ‘ظژط¹ظ’ط¨ظڈط¯ظڈ ظ…ظگظ† ط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظگ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژطھظ’ ظ…ظگظ† ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظچ ظƒظژظ€ظپظگط±ظگظٹظ†ظژ ﴾

(And Saddaha that which she used to worship besides Allah has prevented her, for she was of a disbelieving people.) This is a continuation of the words of Sulayman -- according to the opinion of Mujahid and Sa`id bin Jubayr, may Allah be pleased with them both -- i.e., Sulayman said:

﴿ظˆظژط£ظڈظˆطھظگظٹظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظگظ„ظ’ظ…ظژ ظ…ظگظ† ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظگظ‡ظژط§ ظˆظژظƒظڈظ†ظ‘ظژط§ ظ…ظڈط³ظ’ظ„ظگظ…ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(Knowledge was bestowed on us before her, and we had submitted to Allah.) and what stopped her from worshipping Allah alone was

﴿ظ…ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژطھ طھظ‘ظژط¹ظ’ط¨ظڈط¯ظڈ ظ…ظگظ† ط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظگ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژطھظ’ ظ…ظگظ† ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظچ ظƒظژظ€ظپظگط±ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(that which she used to worship besides Allah, for she was of a disbelieving people.) What Mujahid and Sa`id said is good; it was also the view of Ibn Jarir. Then Ibn Jarir said, "It could be that the subject of the verb.

﴿ظˆظژطµظژط¯ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§﴾

(And Saddaha) refers to Sulayman or to Allah, so that the phrase now means:

﴿ظ…ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژطھ طھظ‘ظژط¹ظ’ط¨ظڈط¯ظڈ ظ…ظگظ† ط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظگ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ﴾

(She would not worship anything over than Allah.)

﴿ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژطھظ’ ظ…ظگظ† ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظچ ظƒظژظ€ظپظگط±ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(for she was of a disbelieving people.) I say: the opinion of Mujahid is supported by the fact that she declared her Islam after she entered the Sarh, as we shall see below.

﴿ظ‚ظگظٹظ„ظژ ظ„ظژظ‡ظژط§ ط§ط¯ظ’ط®ظڈظ„ظگظ‰ ط§ظ„طµظ‘ظژط±ظ’ط­ظژ ظپظژظ„ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ط±ظژط£ظژطھظ’ظ‡ظڈ ط­ظژط³ظگط¨ظژطھظ’ظ‡ظڈ ظ„ظڈط¬ظ‘ظژط©ظ‹ ظˆظژظƒظژط´ظژظپظژطھظ’ ط¹ظژظ† ط³ظژط§ظ‚ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظژط§﴾

(It was said to her: "Enter As-Sarh'' but when she saw it, she thought it was a pool, and she (tucked up her clothes) uncovering her legs.) Sulayman had commanded the Shayatin to build for her a huge palace of glass beneath which water was flowing. Anyone who did not know the nature of the building would think that it was water, but in fact there was a layer of glass between a person walking and the water.