Dalil
العربية

Tarikh (al-Tabari) 274

The story of Sulaymān b. Dāwūd (peace be upon them both)

ذِكْرُ مَا جَرَى لَهُ مَعَ بِلْقِيسَ   نسب بلقيس وملكها نَذْكُرُ أَوَّلًا مَا قِيلَ فِي نَسَبِهَا وَمُلْكِهَا، ثُمَّ مَا جَرَى لَهُ مَعَهَا، فَنَقُولُ قَدِ اخْتَلَفَ الْعُلَمَاءُ فِي اسْمِ آبَائِهَا، فَقِيلَ: إِنَّهَا هِيَ بِلْقَمَةُ ابْنَةُ لَيْشَرَحَ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ قَيْسِ بْنِ صَيْفِيِّ بْنِ سَبَإِ بْنِ يَشْجُبَ بْنِ يَعْرُبَ بْنِ قَحْطَانَ، وَقِيلَ: هِيَ بِلْقَمَةُ ابْنَةُ هَادَدَ، وَاسْمُهُ لَيْشَرَحَ بْنُ تُبَّعٍ ذِي الْأَذْعَارِ بْنِ تُبَّعٍ ذِي الْمَنَارِ بْنِ تُبَّعٍ الرَّايِشِ، وَقِيلَ فِي نَسَبِهَا غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ لَا حَاجَةَ إِلَى ذِكْرِهِ. وَقَدِ اخْتَلَفَ النَّاسُ فِي التَّبَابِعَةِ وَتَقْدِيمِ بَعْضِهِمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَزِيَادَةٍ فِي عَدَدِهِمْ وَنُقْصَانٍ، اخْتِلَافًا لَا يَحْصُلُ النَّاظِرُ فِيهِ عَلَى طَائِلٍ، وَكَذَا أَيْضًا اخْتَلَفُوا فِي نَسَبِهَا اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا، وَقَالَ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ الرُّوَاةِ: إِنَّ أُمَّهَا جِنِّيَّةٌ ابْنَةُ مَلِكِ الْجِنِّ وَاسْمُهَا رَوَاحَةُ بَنَتُ السَّكَنِ. وَقِيلَ: اسْمُ أُمِّهَا يَلْقَمَةُ بِنْتُ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ الْجِنِّيِّ، وَإِنَّمَا نَكَحَ أَبُوهَا إِلَى الْجِنِّ لِأَنَّهُ قَالَ: لَيْسَ فِي الْإِنْسِ لِي كُفُوَةٌ، فَخَطَبَ إِلَى الْجِنِّ فَزَوَّجُوهُ. وَاخْتَلَفُوا فِي سَبَبِ وُصُولِهِ إِلَى الْجِنِّ حَتَّى خَطَبَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُ كَانَ لَهِجًا بِالصَّيْدِ، فَرُبَّمَا اصْطَادَ الْجِنَّ عَلَى صُوَرِ الظِّبَاءِ فَيُخَلِّي عَنْهُنَّ فَظَهَرَ لَهُ مَلَكُ الْجِنِّ وَشَكَرَهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَاتَّخَذَهُ صَدِيقًا، فَخَطَبَ ابْنَتَهُ، فَأَنْكَحَهُ عَلَى أَنْ يُعْطِيَهُ سَاحِلَ الْبَحْرِ مَا بَيْنَ يَبْرِينَ إِلَى عَدَنَ، وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ أَبَاهَا خَرَجَ يَوْمًا مُتَصَيِّدًا فَرَأَى حَيَّتَيْنِ تَقْتَتِلَانِ بَيْضَاءَ وَسَوْدَاءَ وَقَدْ ظَهَرَتِ السَّوْدَاءُ عَلَى الْبَيْضَاءِ فَأَمَرَ بِقَتْلِ السَّوْدَاءِ، وَحَمَلَ الْبَيْضَاءَ وَصَبَّ عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ، فَأَفَاقَتْ، فَأَطْلَقَهَا وَعَادَ إِلَى دَارِهِ وَجَلَسَ مُنْفَرِدًا، وَإِذَا مَعَهُ شَابٌّ جَمِيلٌ، فَذُعِرَ مِنْهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: لَا تَخَفْ أَنَا الْحَيَّةُ الَّتِي أَنْجَيْتَنِي، وَالْأَسْوَدُ الَّذِي قَتَلْتَهُ غُلَامٌ لَنَا تَمَرَّدَ عَلَيْنَا وَقَتَلَ عِدَّةً مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي، وَعَرَضَ عَلَيْهِ الْمَالَ وَعِلْمَ الطِّبِّ، فَقَالَ: أَمَّا الْمَالُ فَلَا حَاجَةَ لِي بِهِ، وَأَمَّا الطِّبُّ فَهُوَ قَبِيحٌ بِالْمَلِكِ، وَلَكِنْ إِنْ كَانَ لَكَ بِنْتٌ فَزَوِّجْنِيهَا، فَزَوَّجَهُ عَلَى شَرْطِ أَنْ لَا يُغَيِّرَ عَلَيْهَا شَيْئًا تَعْمَلُهُ وَمَتَى غَيَّرَ عَلَيْهَا فَارَقَتْهُ، فَأَجَابَهُ إِلَى ذَلِكَ، فَحَمَلَتْ مِنْهُ فَوَلَدَتْ لَهُ غُلَامًا فَأَلْقَتْهُ فِي النَّارِ فَجَزَعَ لِذَلِكَ وَسَكَتَ لِلشَّرْطِ، ثُمَّ حَمَلَتْ مِنْهُ فَوَلَدَتْ جَارِيَةً فَأَلْقَتْهَا إِلَى كَلْبَةٍ فَأَخَذَتْهَا، فَعَظُمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ وَصَبَرَ لِلشَّرْطِ، ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ عَصَى عَلَيْهِ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِهِ فَجَمَعَ عَسْكَرَهُ فَسَارَ إِلَيْهِ لِيُقَاتِلَهُ وَهِيَ مَعَهُ، فَانْتَهَى إِلَى مَفَازَةٍ، فَلَمَّا تَوَسَّطَهَا رَأَى جَمِيعَ مَا مَعَهُمْ مِنَ الزَّادِ يُخْلَطُ بِالتُّرَابِ، وَإِذَا الْمَاءُ يُصَبُّ مِنَ الْقِرَبِ وَالْمَزَاوِدِ. فَأَيْقَنُوا بِالْهَلَاكِ وَعَلِمُوا أَنَّهُ مِنْ فِعَالِ الْجِنِّ عَنْ أَمْرِ زَوْجَتِهِ فَضَاقَ ذَرْعًا عَنْ حَمْلِ ذَلِكَ، فَأَتَاهَا وَجَلَسَ وَأَوْمَأَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَقَالَ: يَا أَرْضُ، صَبَرْتُ لَكِ عَلَى إِحْرَاقِ ابْنِي وَإِطْعَامِ الْكَلْبَةِ ابْنَتِي، ثُمَّ أَنْتِ الْآنَ قَدْ فَجَعْتِنَا بِالزَّادِ وَالْمَاءِ وَقَدْ أَشْرَفْنَا عَلَى الْهَلَاكِ ! فَقَالَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ: لَوْ صَبَرْتَ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَكَ، وَسَأُخْبِرُكَ: إِنَّ عَدُوَّكَ خَدَعَ وَزِيرَكَ فَجَعَلَ السُّمَّ فِي الْأَزْوَادِ وَالْمِيَاهِ لِيَقْتُلَكَ وَأَصْحَابَكَ، فَمُرْ وَزِيرَكَ لِيَشْرَبَ مِنَ الْمَاءِ وَيَأْكُلَ مِنَ الزَّادِ، فَأَمَرَهُ فَامْتَنَعَ، فَقَتَلَهُ، وَدَلَّتْهُمْ عَلَى الْمَاءِ وَالْمِيرَةِ مِنْ قَرِيبٍ وَقَالَتْ: أَمَّا ابْنُكَ فَدَفَعْتُهُ إِلَى حَاضِنَةٍ تُرَبِّيهِ وَقَدْ مَاتَ، وَأَمَّا ابْنَتُكَ فَهِيَ بَاقِيَةٌ، وَإِذَا بِجُوَيْرِيَةٍ قَدْ خَرَجَتْ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ، وَهِيَ بِلْقِيسُ، وَفَارَقَتْهُ امْرَأَتُهُ وَسَارَ إِلَى عَدُوِّهِ فَظَفِرَ بِهِ. وَقِيلَ فِي سَبَبِ نِكَاحِهِ إِلَيْهِمْ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ، وَالْجَمِيعُ حَدِيثُ خُرَافَةٍ لَا أَصْلَ لَهُ وَلَا حَقِيقَةَ. وَأَمَّا مُلْكُهَا الْيَمَنَ فَقِيلَ: إِنَّ أَبَاهَا فَوَّضَ إِلَيْهَا الْمُلْكَ فَمَلَكَتْ بَعْدَهُ، وَقِيلَ: بَلْ مَاتَ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَصِيَّةٍ بِالْمُلْكِ لِأَحَدٍ فَأَقَامَ النَّاسُ ابْنَ أَخٍ لَهُ، وَكَانَ فَاحِشًا خَبِيثًا فَاسِقًا لَا يَبْلُغُهُ عَنْ بِنْتِ قَيْلٍ وَلَا مَلِكٍ ذَاتِ جَمَالٍ إِلَّا أَحْضَرَهَا وَفَضَحَهَا، حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى بِلْقِيسَ بِنْتِ عَمِّهِ، فَأَرَادَ ذَلِكَ مِنْهَا فَوَعَدَتْهُ أَنْ يَحْضُرَ عِنْدَهَا إِلَى قَصْرِهَا وَأَعَدَّتْ لَهُ رَجُلَيْنِ مِنْ أَقَارِبِهَا وَأَمَرَتْهُمَا بِقَتْلِهِ إِذَا دَخَلَ إِلَيْهَا وَانْفَرَدَ بِهَا، فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ إِلَيْهَا وَثَبَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَتَلَاهُ. فَلَمَّا قُتِلَ أَحْضَرَتْ وُزَرَاءَهُ فَقَرَّعَتْهُمْ، فَقَالَتْ: أَمَا كَانَ فِيكُمْ مَنْ يَأْنَفُ لِكَرِيمَتِهِ، وَكَرَائِمِ عَشِيرَتِهِ ! ثُمَّ أَرَتْهُمْ إِيَّاهُ قَتِيلًا، وَقَالَتِ: اخْتَارُوا رَجُلًا تُمَلِّكُونَهُ. فَقَالُوا: لَا نَرْضَى بِغَيْرِكِ، فَمَلَّكُوهَا. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ أَبَاهَا لَمْ يَكُنْ مَلِكًا، وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ وَزِيرَ الْمَلِكِ، وَكَانَ الْمَلِكُ خَبِيثًا، قَبِيحَ السِّيرَةِ يَأْخُذُ بَنَاتِ الْأَقْيَالِ، وَالْأَعْيَانِ، وَالْأَشْرَافِ، وَإِنَّهَا قَتَلَتْهُ، فَمَلَّكَهَا النَّاسُ عَلَيْهِمْ. وَكَذَلِكَ أَيْضًا عَظَّمُوا مُلْكَهَا وَكَثْرَةِ جُنْدِهَا فَقِيلَ: كَانَ تَحْتَ يَدِهَا أَرْبَعُمِائَةِ مَلِكٍ، كُلُّ مَلِكٍ مِنْهُمْ عَلَى كُورَةٍ، مَعَ كُلِّ مَلِكٍ مِنْهُمْ أَرْبَعَةُ آلَافِ مُقَاتِلٍ، وَكَانَ لَهَا ثَلَاثُمِائَةِ وَزِيرٍ يَتَدَبَّرُونَ مُلْكَهَا، وَكَانَ لَهَا اثْنَا عَشَرَ قَائِدًا يَقُودُ كُلُّ قَائِدٍ مِنْهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ أَلْفَ مُقَاتِلٍ. وَبَالَغَ آخَرُونَ مُبَالَغَةً تَدُلُّ عَلَى سُخْفِ عُقُولِهِمْ وَجَهْلِهِمْ، قَالُوا: كَانَ لَهَا اثْنَا عَشَرَ أَلْفَ قَيْلٍ، تَحْتَ يَدِ كُلِّ قَيْلٍ مِائَةُ أَلْفٍ مُقَاتِلٍ، مَعَ كُلِّ مُقَاتِلٍ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفَ جَيْشٍ، فِي كُلِّ جَيْشٍ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفَ مُبَارِزٍ، لَيْسَ فِيهِمْ إِلَّا أَبْنَاءُ خَمْسٍ وَعِشْرِينَ سَنَةً. وَمَا أَظُنُّ السَّاعَةَ رَاوِي هَذَا الْكَذِبِ الْفَاحِشِ عَرَفَ الْحِسَابَ حَتَّى يَعْلَمَ مِقْدَارَ جَهْلِهِ، وَلَوْ عَرَفَ مَبْلَغَ الْعَدَدِ لَأَقْصَرَ عَنْ إِقْدَامِهِ عَلَى هَذَا الْقَوْلِ السَّخِيفِ، فَإِنَّ أَهْلَ الْأَرْضِ لَا يَبْلُغُونَ جَمِيعُهُمْ، شَبَابُهُمْ وَشُيُوخُهُمْ، وَصِبْيَانُهُمْ وَنِسَاؤُهُمْ هَذَا الْعَدَدَ، فَكَيْفَ أَنْ يَكُونُوا أَبْنَاءَ خَمْسٍ وَعِشْرِينَ سَنَةً ! فَيَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي كَمْ يَكُونُ غَيْرُهُمْ مِمَّنْ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَسْنَانِهِمْ، وَكَمْ تَكُونُ الرَّعِيَّةُ وَأَرْبَابُ الْحِرَفِ وَالْفِلَاحَةِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَإِنَّمَا الْجُنْدُ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْبِلَادِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ الْحَاصِلُ مِنَ الْيَمَنِ قَدْ قَلَّ فِي زَمَانِنَا فَإِنَّ رُقْعَةَ أَرْضِهِ لَمْ تَصْغُرْ، وَهِيَ لَا تَسَعُ هَذَا الْعَدَدَ قِيَامًا كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ إِلَى جَانِبِ الْآخَرِ. ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ قَالُوا: أَنْفَقَتْ عَلَى كُوَّةِ بَيْتِهَا الَّتِي تَدْخُلُ الشَّمْسُ مِنْهَا فَتَسْجُدُ لَهَا ثَلَاثَمِائَةِ أَلْفِ أُوقِيَّةٍ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ، وَقَالُوا غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ، وَذَكَرُوا مِنْ أَمْرِ عَرْشِهَا مَا يُنَاسِبُ كَثْرَةَ جَيْشِهَا، فَلَا نُطَوِّلُ بِذِكْرِهِ. وَقَدْ تَوَاطَئُوا عَلَى الْكَذِبِ وَالتَّلَاعُبِ بِعُقُولِ الْجُهَّالِ وَاسْتَهَانُوا بِمَا يَلْحَقُهُمْ مِنَ اسْتِجْهَالِ الْعُقَلَاءِ لَهُمْ، وَإِنَّمَا ذَكَرْنَا هَذَا عَلَى قُبْحِهِ لِيَقِفَ بَعْضُ مَنْ كَانَ يُصَدِّقُ بِهِ عَلَيْهِ فَيَنْتَهِيَ إِلَى الْحَقِّ. عمل الهدهد وغيابه عن سليمان عليه السلام وَأَمَّا سَبَبُ مَجِيئِهَا إِلَى سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِسْلَامِهَا فَإِنَّهُ طَلَبَ الْهُدْهُدَ فَلَمْ يَرَهُ، وَإِنَّمَا طَلَبَهُ لِأَنَّ الْهُدْهُدَ يَرَى الْمَاءَ مِنْ تَحْتِ الْأَرْضِ فَيَعْلَمُ هَلْ فِي تِلْكَ الْأَرْضِ مَاءٌ أَمْ لَا، وَهَلْ هُوَ قَرِيبٌ أَمْ بَعِيدٌ، فَبَيْنَمَا سُلَيْمَانُ فِي بَعْضِ مَغَازِيهِ احْتَاجَ إِلَى الْمَاءِ فَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ أَحَدٌ مِمَّنْ مَعَهُ بُعْدَهُ، فَطَلَبَ الْهُدْهُدَ لِيَسْأَلَهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَلَمْ يَرَهُ. وَقِيلَ: بَلْ نَزَلَتِ الشَّمْسُ إِلَى سُلَيْمَانَ، فَنَظَرَ لِيَرَى مِنْ أَيْنَ نَزَلَتْ لِأَنَّ الطَّيْرَ كَانَتْ تُظِلُّهُ، فَرَأَى مَوْضِعَ الْهُدْهُدِ فَارِغًا، فَقَالَ: لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لَأَذْبَحَنَّهُ أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ. وَكَانَ الْهُدْهُدُ قَدْ مَرَّ عَلَى قَصْرِ بِلْقِيسَ فَرَأَى بُسْتَانًا لَهَا خَلْفَ قَصْرِهَا، فَمَالَ إِلَى الْخُضْرَةِ، فَرَأَى فِيهِ هُدْهُدًا فَقَالَ لَهُ: أَيْنَ أَنْتَ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ وَمَا تَصْنَعُ هَهُنَا ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ: وَمَنْ سُلَيْمَانُ ؟ فَذَكَرَ لَهُ حَالَهُ وَمَا سُخِّرَ لَهُ مِنَ الطَّيْرِ وَغَيْرِهِ، فَعَجِبَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ هُدْهُدُ سُلَيْمَانَ: وَأَعْجَبُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ كَثْرَةَ هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ تَمْلِكُهُمُ امْرَأَةٌ وَأُوتِيَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَلَهَا عَرْشٌ عَظِيمٌ. وَجَعَلُوا الشُّكْرَ لِلَّهِ أَنْ سَجَدُوا لِلشَّمْسِ مِنْ دُونِهِ، وَكَانَ عَرْشُهَا سَرِيرًا مِنْ ذَهَبٍ، مُكَلَّلٌ بِالْجَوَاهِرِ النَّفِيسَةِ مِنَ الْيَوَاقِيتِ وَالزَّبَرْجَدِ وَاللُّؤْلُؤِ. كتاب سليمان عليه السلام إلى بلقيس ثُمَّ إِنَّ الْهُدْهُدَ عَادَ إِلَى سُلَيْمَانَ فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِعُذْرِهِ فِي تَأْخِيرِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: اذْهَبْ بِكِتَابِي هَذَا فَأَلْقِهِ إِلَيْهَا، فَوَافَاهَا وَهِيَ فِي قَصْرِهَا فَأَلْقَاهُ فِي حِجْرِهَا، فَأَخَذَتْهُ وَقَرَأَتْهُ، وَأَحْضَرَتْ قَوْمَهَا وَقَالَتْ: إِنِّي أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ إِنَّهُ مِنْ سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ الرَّحِيمِ أَلَّا تَعْلُوا عَلَيَّ وَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ يَاأَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ.... مَا كُنْتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّى تَشْهَدُونِ قَالُوا نَحْنُ أُولُو قُوَّةٍ وَأُولُو بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ وَالْأَمْرُ إِلَيْكِ فَانْظُرِي مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ. إرسال بلقيس هدية إلى سليمان عليه السلام قَالَتْ وَإِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِمْ بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَإِنْ قَبِلَهَا فَهُوَ مِنْ مُلُوكِ الدُّنْيَا فَنَحْنُ أَعَزُّ مِنْهُ وَأَقْوَى، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَقْبَلْهَا فَهُوَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ اللَّهِ. فَلَمَّا جَاءَتِ الْهَدِيَّةُ إِلَى سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ لِلرُّسُلِ: أَتُمِدُّونَنِي بِمَالٍ فَمَا آتَانِيَ اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا آتَاكُمْ - إِلَى قَوْلِهِ -: وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ، فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ الرُّسُلُ إِلَيْهَا سَارَتْ إِلَيْهِ وَأَخَذَتْ مَعَهَا الْأَقْيَالَ مِنْ قَوْمِهَا، وَهُمُ الْقُوَّادُ، وَقَدِمَتْ عَلَيْهِ. عرش بلقيس فَلَمَّا قَارَبَتْهُ وَصَارَتْ مِنْهُ عَلَى نَحْوِ فَرْسَخٍ قَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ: أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ قَالَ عِفْريتٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ مَقَامِكَ، يَعْنِي قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ فِي الْوَقْتِ الَّذِي تَقْصِدُ فِيهِ بَيْتَكَ لِلْغَدَاءِ. قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ: أُرِيدُ أَسْرَعَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ. فَـ قَالَ الَّذِي عِنْدَهُ عِلْمٌ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ - وَهُوَ آصَفُ بْنُ بَرْخِيَا، وَكَانَ يَعْرِفُ اسْمَ اللَّهِ الْأَعْظَمَ - أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ، وَقَالَ لَهُ انْظُرْ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَأَدِمِ النَّظَرَ فَلَا تَرُدَّ طَرْفَكَ حَتَّى أُحْضِرَهُ عِنْدَكَ. وَسَجَدَ وَدَعَا، فَرَأَى سُلَيْمَانُ الْعَرْشَ قَدْ نَبَعَ مِنْ تَحْتِ سَرِيرِهِ، فَقَالَ: هَذَا مِنْ فَضْلِ رَبِّي لِيَبْلُوَنِي أَأَشْكُرُ إِذْ أَتَانِي بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيَّ طَرْفِي أَمْ أَكْفُرُ إِذْ جَعَلَ تَحْتَ يَدِي مَنْ هُوَ أَقْدَرُ مِنِّي عَلَى إِحْضَارِهِ. فَلَمَّا جَاءَتْ قِيلَ: أَهَكَذَا عَرْشُكِ قَالَتْ كَأَنَّهُ هُوَ وَلَقَدْ تَرَكْتُهُ فِي حُصُونٍ وَعِنْدَهُ جُنُودٌ تَحْفَظُهُ فَكَيْفَ جَاءَ إِلَى هَهُنَا ؟ بناء صرح تدخل منه بلقيس فَقَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ لِلشَّيَاطِينِ: ابْنُوا لِي صَرْحًا تَدْخُلُ عَلَيَّ فِيهِ بِلْقِيسُ. فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: إِنَّ سُلَيْمَانَ قَدْ سُخِّرَ لَهُ مَا سُخِّرَ وَبِلْقِيسُ مَلِكَةُ سَبَإٍ يَنْكِحُهَا فَتَلِدُ غُلَامًا فَلَا نَنْفَكُّ مِنَ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ أَبَدًا، وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَةً شَعْرَاءَ السَّاقَيْنِ، فَقَالَ لِلشَّيَاطِينِ: ابْنُوا لَهُ بُنْيَانًا يُرَى ذَلِكَ مِنْهَا فَلَا يَتَزَوَّجُهَا، فَبَنَوْا لَهُ صَرْحًا مِنْ قَوَارِيرَ خُضْرٍ وَجَعَلُوا لَهُ طَوَابِيقَ مِنْ قَوَارِيرَ بِيضٍ، فَبَقِيَ كَأَنَّهُ الْمَاءُ، وَجَعَلُوا تَحْتَ الطَّوَابِيقِ صُوَرَ دَوَابِّ الْبَحْرِ مِنَ السَّمَكِ وَغَيْرِهِ، وَقَعَدَ سُلَيْمَانُ عَلَى كُرْسِيٍّ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ فَأُدْخِلَتْ بِلْقِيسُ عَلَيْهِ، فَلَمَّا أَرَادَتْ أَنْ تَدْخُلَهُ وَرَأَتْ صُوَرَ السَّمَكِ وَدَوَابَّ الْمَاءِ حَسِبَتْهُ لُجَّةَ مَاءٍ فَكَشَفَتْ عَنْ سَاقَيْهَا لِتَدْخُلَ، فَلَمَّا رَآهَا سُلَيْمَانُ صَرَفَ نَظَرَهُ عَنْهَا وَقَالَ إِنَّهُ صَرْحٌ مُمَرَّدٌ مِنْ قَوَارِيرَ قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَانَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ. أول ما عملت النورة فَاسْتَشَارَ سُلَيْمَانُ فِي شَيْءٍ يُزِيلُ الشَّعَرَ وَلَا يَضُرُّ الْجَسَدَ، فَعَمِلَ لَهُ الشَّيَاطِينُ النُّورَةَ، فَهِيَ أَوَّلُ مَا عَمِلَتِ النُّورَةَ. زواج سليمان عليه السلام من بلقيس وَنَكَحَهَا سُلَيْمَانُ وَأَحَبَّهَا حُبًّا شَدِيدًا وَرَدَّهَا إِلَى مُلْكِهَا بِالْيَمَنِ، فَكَانَ يَزُورُهَا كُلَّ شَهْرٍ مَرَّةً يُقِيمُ عِنْدَهَا ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّهُ أَمَرَهَا أَنْ تَنْكِحَ رَجُلًا مِنْ قَوْمِهَا فَامْتَنَعَتْ وَأَنِفَتْ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ: لَا يَكُونُ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ إِلَّا ذَلِكَ. فَقَالَتْ: إِنْ كَانَ لَا بُدَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَزَوِّجْنِي ذَا تُبَّعٍ مَلِكَ هَمْدَانَ، فَزَوَّجَهُ إِيَّاهَا ثُمَّ رَدَّهَا إِلَى الْيَمَنِ، وَسَلَّطَ زَوْجَهَا ذَا تُبَّعٍ عَلَى الْمُلْكِ، وَأَمَرَ الْجِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ بِطَاعَتِهِ، فَاسْتَعْمَلَهُمْ ذُو تُبَّعٍ، فَعَمِلُوا لَهُ عِدَّةَ حُصُونٍ بِالْيَمَنِ، مِنْهَا سَلَحِينُ، وَمَرَاوِحُ، وَفِلْيُونُ، وَهُنَيْدَةُ، وَغَيْرُهَا، فَلَمَّا مَاتَ سُلَيْمَانُ لَمْ يُطِيعُوا ذَا تُبَّعٍ وَانْقَضَى مُلْكُ ذِي تُبَّعٍ، وَمُلْكُ بِلْقِيسَ مَعَ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ. وفاة بلقيس وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ بِلْقِيسَ مَاتَتْ قَبْلَ سُلَيْمَانَ بِالشَّامِ وَإِنَّهُ دَفَنَهَا بِتَدْمُرَ، وَأَخْفَى قَبْرَهَا.

Translation

✧ Mention of what took place between him and Bilqīs Her genealogy and her kingdom We mention first what has been said about her genealogy and her kingdom, then what took place between him and her. So we say: The scholars have disagreed about the names of her fathers. It is said: She is Bilqamah daughter of Laysharaḥ b. al-Ḥārith b. Qays b. Ṣayfī b. Sabaʾ b. Yashjub b. Yaʿrub b. Qaḥṭān. It is also said: She is Bilqamah daughter of Hādad, whose name was Laysharaḥ b. Tubbaʿ Dhī al-Adhʿār b. Tubbaʿ Dhī al-Manār b. Tubbaʿ al-Rāyish. Other things have been said about her genealogy that there is no need to mention. People have differed concerning the Tubbaʿ kings, in giving some of them precedence over others, and in increasing or decreasing their number, in a disagreement from which the examiner obtains no benefit. So too they have differed greatly about her genealogy. Many of the transmitters said: Her mother was a jinnī, daughter of the king of the jinn, and her name was Rawāḥah bt. al-Sakan. It is also said: Her mother's name was Yalqamah bt. ʿAmr b. ʿUmayr al-Jinnī. Her father married into the jinn only because he said, "Among humans there is none equal to me," so he sought marriage among the jinn, and they married him. They differed about the reason for his reaching the jinn until he sought marriage among them. It is said: He was fond of hunting, and sometimes he would capture jinn in the forms of gazelles and then release them. The king of the jinn appeared to him and thanked him for that, and took him as a friend. Then he sought the hand of his daughter, and he married him to her on condition that he give him the sea coast between Yabrīn and ʿAdan. It is also said: Her father went out one day hunting and saw two serpents fighting, one white and one black, with the black gaining the upper hand over the white. He ordered the black one killed, picked up the white one and poured water over it, and it revived. He released it and returned to his house and sat alone. Suddenly a handsome young man was with him, and he was startled by him. He said to him, "Do not fear; I am the serpent whom you saved. The black one whom you killed was a servant of ours who rebelled against us and killed several members of my household." He offered him wealth and the knowledge of medicine. He said, "As for wealth, I have no need of it. As for medicine, it is unbecoming for a king. But if you have a daughter, marry her to me." So he married him to her on condition that he would not object to anything she did, and if he objected to anything, she would part from him. He agreed to that. She became pregnant by him and bore him a boy, and she threw him into the fire. He grieved at that but kept silent because of the condition. Then she became pregnant by him and bore a girl, and she threw her to a bitch, which took her. That distressed him greatly, but he bore it patiently because of the condition. Then some of his companions rebelled against him, so he gathered his army and marched to fight them, and she was with him. He reached a desert. When he was in its midst, he saw all the provisions they had being mixed with dust, and water being poured out of the waterskins and vessels. They were certain of destruction and knew it was from the deeds of the jinn at the command of his wife. He was unable to bear that, so he went to her, sat down, pointed to the ground, and said, "O earth, I bore patiently your burning of my son and the bitch's devouring of my daughter, and now you have afflicted us with the loss of provisions and water, and we are on the brink of destruction!" The woman said, "If you had been patient, it would have been better for you. I will tell you: Your enemy deceived your vizier and put poison in the provisions and water to kill you and your companions. Command your vizier to drink from the water and eat from the provisions." He commanded him, but he refused, so he killed him. She directed them to water and supplies nearby and said, "As for your son, I handed him to a nurse to raise, and he has died. As for your daughter, she is still alive." And there was a little girl who came out of the ground, and she was Bilqīs. His wife parted from him, and he marched against his enemy and triumphed over him. Other reasons have been given for his marriage to them, and all of it is fanciful talk with no basis and no truth. As for her rule over Yemen, it is said: Her father delegated the kingdom to her, and she ruled after him. It is also said: He died without bequeathing the kingdom to anyone, so the people appointed a nephew of his, and he was obscene, wicked, and dissolute. He would not hear of the daughter of any qayl or king possessed of beauty but he would summon her and disgrace her, until it reached Bilqīs, the daughter of his paternal uncle. He desired that from her, so she promised him that he should come to her palace, and she prepared two men from her relatives and ordered them to kill him when he entered upon her and was alone with her. When he entered upon her, they sprang upon him and killed him. When he was killed, she summoned his viziers and rebuked them, saying, "Was there none among you who felt protective jealousy for his honored woman and the honored women of his clan?" Then she showed him to them slain, and said, "Choose a man whom you will make king." They said, "We will accept none but you," so they made her queen. It is also said: Her father was not a king but only the king's vizier, and the king was wicked and of evil conduct, taking the daughters of the qayls, notables, and nobles, and she killed him, so the people made her queen over them. They likewise exaggerated her kingdom and the number of her troops. It is said: Under her authority were four hundred kings, each king over a province, each of those kings having four thousand fighting men. She had three hundred viziers who managed her kingdom, and she had twelve commanders, each commander leading twelve thousand fighting men. Others went to extremes that indicate the feebleness of their minds and their ignorance. They said: She had twelve thousand qayls, under each qayl a hundred thousand fighting men, with each fighting man seventy thousand armies, in each army seventy thousand champions, among them none but sons of twenty-five years. I do not think the narrator of this gross lie knew arithmetic, or he would have realized the extent of his ignorance. If he had known the sum of the number, he would have refrained from uttering this foolish statement. For the people of the earth altogether—their young and their old, their children and their women—do not reach this number, so how could they all be sons of twenty-five years? Would that I knew how many others there would be besides them who were not of those ages, and how many subjects, craftsmen, farmers, and others there would be. The army is only a part of the people of a land. Even if what comes from Yemen in our time has become small, the area of its land has not shrunk, and it could not contain this number standing each one beside the next. Then they said: She spent on the opening of her house through which the sun entered and to which it prostrated three hundred thousand ūqiyyahs of gold. They said other things too, and they mentioned the matter of her throne in a way matching the great number of her troops, but we will not lengthen this by mentioning it. They have conspired together in falsehood and in toying with the minds of the ignorant, and they have made light of the foolishness that rational people will attribute to them. We have mentioned this despite its ugliness only so that some of those who believed it may become aware of it and turn to the truth. The action of the hoopoe and his absence from Sulaymān ﷺ As for the reason for her coming to Sulaymān and her submission: he sought the hoopoe and did not see it. He sought it because the hoopoe sees water beneath the ground and knows whether there is water in that land or not, and whether it is near or far. While Sulaymān was on one of his campaigns, he needed water, and no one with him knew how far away it was, so he sought the hoopoe to ask it about that, but he did not see it. It is also said: Rather, the sun descended upon Sulaymān, and he looked to see from where it had descended because the birds used to shade him. He saw the hoopoe's place empty, so he said, "I shall certainly punish it with a severe punishment, or slaughter it, or it shall bring me a clear authority." The hoopoe had passed by the palace of Bilqīs and seen a garden of hers behind her palace. It inclined toward the greenery and saw a hoopoe there. It said to it, "Where are you with respect to Sulaymān, and what are you doing here?" It said to it, "And who is Sulaymān?" It told it of his situation and what had been subjected to him of birds and other things, and it marveled at that. Sulaymān's hoopoe said, "More wondrous than that is that this great people is ruled by a woman, and she has been given of everything, and she has a mighty throne." They made gratitude to God by prostrating to the sun instead of Him. Her throne was a couch of gold, crowned with precious jewels of rubies, chrysolite, and pearls. Sulaymān's ﷺ letter to Bilqīs Then the hoopoe returned to Sulaymān and told him its excuse for its delay. He said to it, "Go with this letter of mine and cast it to her." It met her while she was in her palace and cast it into her lap. She took it and read it, and summoned her people and said, "A noble letter has been cast to me. It is from Sulaymān, and it is: In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Exalt not yourselves against me, but come to me in submission." "O assembly... I do not decide a matter until you bear witness." They said, "We possess strength and great might, but the command is yours, so consider what you will command." Bilqīs sends a gift to Sulaymān ﷺ She said, "I shall send them a gift. If he accepts it, he is one of the kings of this world, and we are mightier and stronger than he. If he does not accept it, he is a prophet from God." When the gift came to Sulaymān, he said to the messengers, "Do you provide me with wealth? What God has given me is better than what He has given you... and they shall be humbled." When the messengers returned to her, she marched to him, taking with her the qayls of her people, that is, the commanders, and she came to him. The throne of Bilqīs When she drew near to him and was about a parasang away, he said to his companions, "Which of you will bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?" An ʿifrīt of the jinn said, "I will bring it to you before you rise from your place," meaning before he rose at the time when he intended to go to his house for the midday meal. Sulaymān said, "I want faster than that." Then the one who had knowledge of the Book—who was Āṣaf b. Barkhiyā, and he knew the greatest name of God—said, "I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you." He said to him, "Look at the sky and keep looking, and do not turn back your glance until I bring it before you." He prostrated and supplicated, and Sulaymān saw the throne spring up from beneath his couch. He said, "This is of my Lord's bounty, to test me whether I give thanks—since He brought it to me before my glance returned—or am ungrateful—since He placed under my authority one more capable than I of bringing it." When she came, it was said, "Is your throne like this?" She said, "It is as though it were the very one. I left it in fortresses with troops guarding it, so how did it come here?" The building of a palace into which Bilqīs enters Sulaymān said to the devils, "Build me a palace into which Bilqīs may enter upon me." Some of them said: Sulaymān has had subjected to him what has been subjected, and Bilqīs is queen of Sabaʾ. If he marries her, she will bear a boy, and we shall never be free of servitude. She was a woman with hairy legs, so he said to the devils, "Build him a structure through which that will be seen from her, so that he will not marry her." They built him a palace of green glass and made for it paving slabs of white glass, so that it remained like water, and they placed beneath the slabs images of sea creatures, of fish and other things. Sulaymān sat on a throne, then he ordered Bilqīs to be brought in before him. When she wanted to enter and saw the images of fish and water creatures, she thought it was a pool of water, so she uncovered her legs to enter. When Sulaymān saw her, he turned his gaze away from her and said, "It is a palace paved smooth with glass." She said, "My Lord, I have wronged myself, and I submit with Sulaymān to God, Lord of the worlds." The first time nūrah was made Sulaymān consulted about something that would remove hair without harming the body, and the devils made nūrah for him. That was the first time nūrah was made. The marriage of Sulaymān ﷺ to Bilqīs Sulaymān married her and loved her greatly, and returned her to her kingdom in Yemen. He used to visit her once every month, staying with her for three days. It is also said: He commanded her to marry a man of her people, but she refused and disdained that. He said, "In Islam there can be nothing but that." She said, "If it must be so, marry me to Dhū Tubbaʿ, king of Hamdān." So he married him to her, then returned her to Yemen, and gave her husband Dhū Tubbaʿ authority over the kingdom, and commanded the jinn of the people of Yemen to obey him. Dhū Tubbaʿ employed them, and they built for him several fortresses in Yemen, among them Salaḥīn, Marāwiḥ, Filyūn, Hunaydah, and others. When Sulaymān died, they no longer obeyed Dhū Tubbaʿ, and the rule of Dhū Tubbaʿ came to an end, as did the rule of Bilqīs along with the rule of Sulaymān. The death of Bilqīs It is said: Bilqīs died before Sulaymān in Syria, and he buried her in Tadmor and concealed her grave.

Grades by grader

No grade is recorded for this wording.