 Short Essay Competition 2008 (Teen Category)
Posted byadministrator on Wednesday, December 31 @ 10:37:40 AST
Contributed by administrator
Queen Bilqis
There have been mentioned in the Quran a number of stories about the Ummas before us. Some were mentioned with honor, while others have been cursed until the Day of Judgment. And from those who earned Allah Almighty’s praise is one of few women whose story was mentioned, the queen of Saba, Queen Bilqis.
The queen of Saba, which is now known as Yemen, was recognized for her beauty, knowledge and wisdom, and so, was loved by her people. However, for all her majesty and intelligence, she along with her tribe were non believers, for they worshiped the sun, instead of the Great and Sole creator.
Fortunately for Bilqis, there lived a more powerful and yet humble ruler during her time, the prophet Suleiman( السلام عليه). Suleiman ( السلام عليه)had been bestowed many great gifts from Allah(سُبحانه وَتعالى)including the ability to communicate with animals and command the Jinn. It happened one day that Suleiman( السلام عليه)marshaled his subjects, in which it was their duty to appear before the great king. However, when he took a muster of the birds, he found that one particular subject, the Hoopoe, was not present. Outraged, he demanded to know the cause of his absence on such an important day, and threatened to punish him severely if he didn’t bring a clear reason for his nonattendance.
When the Hoopoe finally appeared, he explained to Suleiman( السلام عليه)his actions as mentioned in the Quranic verses,
“I have compassed territory which you have not compassed, and I have come to you from Saba with true tidings.”
“I found there a women ruling over them and provided with every requisite; and she has a magnificent throne”
“I found her and her people worshipping the sun besides Allah: Shaytan has made their deeds seem pleasing in their eyes, and has kept them away from the path- so they receive no guidance”
Upon hearing this news, Suleiman( السلام عليه)sent with the Hoopoe a letter to the queen which read:
“In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful”
“You be not arrogant against me, but come to me in submission to the true religion”
When queen Bilqis received and read the contents of the letter, she gathered around her trusted chieftains to discuss what should be done about their predicament. And in this gesture, Allah shows us what a fair and just queen she was, in including her chiefs in all matters of the country, instead of acting at her own free will.
After hearing her out, the chiefs replied in an equal manner of courtesy:
“They said: We are endued with strength, and given to vehement war, but the command is with you; so consider what you will command.”
She told them that when kings entered a country, they despoiled it and made the greatest people the lowest, so she would try and reason with Suleiman( السلام عليه)and send him a gift, then see what he did next.
When the queen’s ambassador reached the prophet( السلام عليه)with the gift from the queen of Saba, Suleiman( السلام عليه)rejected the gift telling the messenger that he had no need for gifts, for Allah had given him many times better than what they could ever offer him. He informed him to tell his queen that if she did not come to him in submission, he would make sure to go to them and take away everything they had, expelling them to disgrace.
This gave Bilqis her answer, and she proceeded to journey to the ruler. As she travelled on her way, Suleiman( السلام عليه)gave his court members a proposition. He asked them which one would be able to bring him the queen’s great throne before she and her people came to him.
One member of the Jinn told him that he would bring it before Suleiman( السلام عليه)rose from his council. Then someone unknown to us, but who we are told had the knowledge of the book of that period, reported that he could bring it to him before he blinked his eyes. True to his words, the throne suddenly stood before him, and Suleiman( السلام عليه)felt compelled to thank Allah who had bestowed upon him such bounties, and he wondered how anyone could disbelieve in Allah at all.
Before the queen’s arrival, the prophet( السلام عليه)ordered her throne to be changed a bit, so as to see what her reaction would be when presented to her.
When the queen finally arrived, she was shown her throne, and was asked if it was hers. She replied “It is as though it were the very one”.
This might seem a simple sentence, but it is actually a phrase of wisdom, for as explained by scholars, an average person would have either denied it, or agreed.
She was thereafter asked to enter the palace. However, she saw the floor and thinking it was a lake, picked up her garments to prevent soiling them. Seeing her actions Suleiman( السلام عليه)informed her that it was not water, but actually a palace paved smooth with slabs of glass, made to look like water. Hearing this, queen Bilqis could deny no longer and immediately said her famous words, as quoted in the Quranic verse “Oh my Lord, I have indeed wronged my soul and I do now submit with Suleiman to the Lord of the worlds”.
We do not really know what happened after, for that is as much as Allah chose to inform us in His Holy Book. Some people claim that Suleiman( السلام عليه)and Bilqis(رضي الله عنها)got married, but there is no strong evidence for it. But whether they did or not isn’t of much benefit for us, for if it was, Allah would have notified us of it in the Quran. What is important is that we know her story, what a great women she was, and try to learn her great qualities of wisdom, compassion, and justice.
Congratulations to sister M.M.!! She has been awarded a gift voucher.
A BIG jazakunna Allahu khairan to Sister MotherDove, who organized the competition, and to Sister Kamillah, Chairperson of The Voting Committee and her team, Sisters Samiraaa, Nadia (MissMe), Lovin Niqaab, Aleesa, devoted.
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Average Score: 4.8
Votes: 5
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