Tafseer of Surah An Naml #17 A tricky question

So SubhanAllah

we concluded on the note of the importance

of gratitude and like it is mentioned in,

Tanwirul Azhan

I love these words.

Because gratitude will secure

the bounties you have and it will attract

the bounties you don't have.

So when you have gratitude in place then

that which Allah has endowed, blessed and favoured

you with, you would preserve it. And with

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, it's it's not insurance,

it's assurance.

Allah gives you that absolute assurance.

If you are grateful, surely, definitely I will

increase for you. Look at the kindness of

Allah.

And if you are ungrateful

Allah says, surely, my torment is severe.

Allah didn't say,

I will definitely punish you. Out of His

grace and His kindness, He says, for the

one that is ungrateful,

remember my punishment is severe as well. So

there's a difference in the tone. When it

came to gratitude,

Allah said, absolutely, he will increase.

And that's exactly what Sayidina Sulaiman said.

My lord is.

He is

independent. He's self sufficient.

Karim, he's bountiful.

So,

he will even favor if he chooses

or he will delay

the torment and give respite and grace and

clemency,

to the one that is ungrateful.

And that's the point, we concluded on verse

40 that how when Sayedna Suleiman alaihis salatu

was salam witnessed this, observed this,

you know, that constant,

reminder of gratitude.

So one of the signs of the believers

are they constantly

fear that Allah can seize what he gave.

They don't ever believe they are anchored in

their health, in their wealth, in their fame,

in their bounties, and their privileges because the

the the essence

of of humility is

that,

you know, you don't believe yourself

deserving of what you have, while the essence

of pride is you feel capable and entitled

to what you have. And may Allah save

us from that sense of entitlement.

Said, well, I am skilled and competent. Well,

that's how it is. Given my know how

and my expertise, that's that's what I'm entitled

to.

So,

Hazam in Fadulirabbi,

just to recap, this is the grace and

the mercy of Allah

that the entire throne was relocated,

and Asif, that was this,

jinn, who was the mighty strong jinn, whom

who had the knowledge of Ismul Adam, the

supreme name of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.

And he presented it just in that, batting

of the eyelid.

Before your

gaze is returned to you.

This is the grace of Allah Subhanahu Wa

Ta'ala I'm

reminded

of Surah Quraish.

Allah puts a thought in my mind.

So, in Surah Quresh

Quresh actually is Tasryr, by the way, which

is a diminutive noun of.

Means a fish, a whale actually.

And the children and the offspring of, Nabar

bin Kinana was known as Quraysh because they

were the prominent and the dominant family. Hence,

they were known as the Quraysh. But Quraysh

literally

is a a tasr noun of Quraysh which

means a whale.

So,

The Quraysh used to embark on 2 journeys.

1 is in the winter months and 1

is in the summer.

And when they used to travel, they were

safe and sound.

And people will be generally abducted, looted, kidnapped,

intercepted,

etcetera.

But nobody would harass them in any way.

Why? They would say, these are the custodians

of the Kaaba. These are the people of

the Haram.

So Allah gave them a lot of protection.

Will they not reflect and observe and see

how people around them have been apprehended and

intercepted,

yet the safety and security and amnesty and

protection afforded to them? In Quran, it is

written under under this ayah,

That we learn from this if Allah has

given you fame and prominence

more so associated

to matters of deen, you're a scholar, you're

a, you know,

in charge of an Islamic,

institution or organization,

and because of that Allah has given you

recognition and Allah has given you respect. People

take it their tie their their pride to

welcome you, to entertain you, to host you,

to be in your company.

This should increase you in gratitude, and not

that you feel inflated and conceited

and and proud and arrogant. May Allah save

us from pride and arrogance. May Allah bless

us with humility,

and increase us in the bounties that he

has favored upon us. Ameen.

Subhanallah,

this woman is travelling.

She's left. The narration suggests historical. They were

with a whole army. 1000 of them. Right?

These are historical narrations.

We cannot say with certainty that it is

absolutely correct nor do we suggest otherwise but

there are historical narrations, so we just share

it. So tens of thousands entire entourage and

her army and everyone, they all come in.

So Reym

wanted to further impress her and make her

understand

that he was a Nabi of Allah Subhanahu

Wa Ta'ala

and that the strength Allah gave him was

divine.

So to display a miracle to her, to

add to her understanding in addition to the

letter that he had served to her. Verse

41,

when the throne was relocated and presented, Sayyidina

Sulaiman alayhis salam said to those there, you

know, in his presence in his court,

you know what, change the format of her

throne.

So can you imagine

how,

astonished, how startled, how perplexed,

how impressed she will be,

knowing I left my throne and I came,

and lo and behold, when I arrive here,

my throne is here.

Change it. Disguise it.

You know, just change the format, etcetera.

I want to see I want to examine.

Does she recognize

that this is her throne or is she

from amongst those who fail to identify this

is her own throne?

Bayanur Quran makes the deduction fee.

This ayah gives off the indication of the

basis

that a teacher

can examine a student before enrollment

or a mentor can examine a potential disciple

before embracing

a spiritual relationship with him to say, okay,

I need to ask you 1, 2 questions.

I just want to, you know, find out.

This is the basis of it. Sayyidina Soleiman

almost creates a test here. Let's examine her.

Let's let's see her intellect. Let's see her

wisdom. And the aim, of course, was to

get her more convinced

on the nabua that Allah

had blessed Suleyman alayhi salatu wasalam with. So

again, look at that verse 41, Qala Suleyman

alayhi salam said,

change it. For her. Her throne. Nanzur, we

see, we observe, we monitor.

Does she recognize?

Or is she from amongst those people who

failed to understand? Because it's it's it's it's

a challenge to know your throne has been

relocated

and then you know what?

You're surprising someone, you give him the car

to a panel beater,

you you know what,

body shop as they would say,

attend to it and then spray it again

and then you surprise him and you give

him the car. Now

is this a new car? Is this my

car? Is this that same car changed, refurbished,

and now he's like, okay. Wait. What's happening

here? You you can appreciate the the confusion

and the aim of Surayman alaihis salaam is

nothing more than to impress upon her the

strength that Allah has given him. This is

divine divine. Understand when it's divine? Like one

person came to Mufti Mahmud Rahimahullah

and he asked him, is the questioning in

the grave possible?

So he said, possible for me? Possible for

you? Or possible for Allah?

Is the questioning in the grave possible? Like,

is it possible a person dies and then

he'll be questioned? Is it possible for you?

Obviously impossible.

Possible for me? Obviously impossible. Possible for Allah?

If you don't believe that there's no iman.

Everything is possible for Allah. In fact, the

Quran says

in in, Bani Israel.

Allah says after someone dies, make him into

stone, put him into steel, or put him

into a position where you think resurrection is

more remote and impossible,

and then see how I recreate him and

how I I I I revive him and

resurrect him. So,

at verse 42, she finally

arrives with her entire presence, etcetera. Can you

imagine the spectacle? Some historical narrations say there

was almost like a cloud of dust,

Soleiman

asked the people, who's this? And they said,

this is Bilqis,

and she's coming with her entire army. So

it was again a spectacle that she came

with her entire

army.

When she came, verse 42,

it was said to her,

Is your throne similar to this?

Now reflect over the words. She was not

asked,

is this your throne?

And this is mentioned

in because if she was told,

is this your throne? Then in a subtle

note that was kinda giving it away that

it is,

because it had the same type of format,

etcetera. Now she was convinced on the strength

and the naboo of of Suleiman alayhis salaam,

and then been asked, is this your,

is this your throne?

That wasn't asked to her. But to add

to the question,

there was a twist to it,

and it was asked to her, is your

throne like this? Is your throne like this?

Right? And I'm reminded of the academic discussion,

which is mentioned in Hamda Tulkari, which is

the commentary of Bukhari. When a person will

be lowered into his grave, may Allah make

it easy for us all. And then he

will be asked,

What is your opinion regarding this person? Now

a lot of people assume

that when he will be asked or she

will be asked or the occupant or the

dweller of the grave will be asked, what's

your opinion regarding this this person?

People assume

that the messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam's image will

be presented

and that is the furthest from the truth.

Hafiz ibn Hajar has written this year.

There's a and I've read it,

you know,

a detailed answer to a mysterious question.

And he says that there is no proof

to support this year that

Nabi alai salatu wa salam's image would be

presented in any way. But as we would

refer in Arabic language, what is your opinion

of this person

that is

it's in your mind.

Knowing that person because our life is in

following the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. So

in Alhamdul Qari it is written, if someone

were to raise the question and say,

but that's such,

an abrupt tone. What's your opinion of this

man?

And it doesn't incorporate the necessary

protocol

and reverence in referring or addressing

to the Prophet

because obviously the reference is to the messenger

And the answer given is,

The reason why it's been asked like this

because it's a question. If a person in

the grave was asked, what is your opinion

on the greatest human, on the most amazing

human,

the most honorable, venerable, august, prominent human to

ever come on earth, then that itself is

giving the answer.

So the question is quite base and simple

and straightforward

and outwardly abrupt. But the aim is, of

course, the test.

So here she was tested, a Hakadah Arshuk,

is your throne like this? And she was

smart. She was wise. She was intelligent. There

is no doubt about that. As we follow

through and we come to the culmination of

this, you will realize this.

So her response

was she reciprocated in a similar way. She

said,

Almost the same, if not the same.

Looks like it's the same one.

As the scholars say, they came with a

twist, so she also came with a twist

but indicating to that. So they didn't ask

her. It's it was asked to her, is

your throne like this?

And she was not asked, is this your

throne? So she didn't say, this is my

throne because remember it was readjusted.

She said, it looks like the same

as if it's the same.

And then she said,

the truth be told, oh, Soleiman, I was

convinced on the veracity of your prophethood before

the display of this miracle.

Honestly, I knew with certainty you are a

prophet.

I mean, I appreciate this display

and, you know, it's unique and it's great

and it's wonderful. But even prior to this,

I was

convinced.

And we were given the knowledge.

Prior to this,

display of this miracle,

and we had submitted.

In principle,

when I received your letter and then the

subsequent returning of the gifts, I was convinced

without doubt,

and and this obviously just added to it,

just added to it. I mean, how many

companions who had studied the books and who

had heard about the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam

were convinced. And then, of course, when they

met the messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam,

it was just another level

of further

adding to that,

conviction that was established,

you know, prior to this as well.

Now Allah

the worship of the sun and the worship

of other things

prevented her from worshiping Allah.

Surely, she was from a nation that would

disbelieve. And because of her exposure to that

atmosphere and that environment, that became a blockage

and that became an obstacle and a hindrance

and impediment

to the truth. But no sooner was she,

exposed to the truth and she seen the

light,

then, you know, what things changed immediately positively.

We leave it on that note. She has

arrived there. Can you imagine this year, Suleiman

in his might and grandeur? She thought she

was great and amazing. She had a great

throne. She had a great following. But, of

course, nothing. Everything pales before the strength and

the cloud and what Allah has given to

a Nabi.

But it doesn't end here. It doesn't end

Surayman alayhi salaam displayed this one miracle by

the relocation of her throne and the readjustment

of her throne. Well, there's another surprise that

awaits you, which Surayman showed her

to add even further to her conviction

and see what that surprise is.

and see what that surprise is.