Quranic theme
Saba
سبأ
21 verses
A solitary hoopoe brings a prophet-king unexpected intelligence from the south: "I come to you from Sheba with firm news" (27:22). The historical footprint of this civilization traces back to a specific patriarch. As al-Wahidi notes (Al-Tafsir al-Basit, 17/205), Saba was originally the name of a man—Saba ibn Yashjub ibn Ya'rub ibn Qahtan—whose name was later applied to the settlement itself. In the Quranic text, this realm enters the narrative through a moment of discovery, characterized by immense material wealth, female leadership, and misguided devotion. The bird reports finding a woman ruling over the people, possessing a "magnificent throne" and a share of everything, yet she and her subjects prostrate to the sun instead of God (27:23-24).
How did the Queen of Sheba govern?
The text details a kingdom defined by both opulence and political consultation. The hoopoe identifies the Queen's singular status through her magnificent throne and the vast resources at her disposal (27:23). Yet, when a foreign letter arrives, she does not act as an absolute autocrat. She gathers her advisors, declaring, "I only ever decide on matters in your presence" (27:32). Her council responds by affirming their military readiness—boasting of "great force and power in war"—but they ultimately defer to her judgment, telling her to "consider what orders to give us" (27:33). This exchange depicts a ruler who balances military strength with calculated statecraft, carefully weighing correspondence from an unknown power before committing her forces.
What did Solomon demand of Saba?
The central conflict in the account of Saba is theological, not territorial. The hoopoe observes that Satan had made the sun-worship of the Shebans seem alluring, diverting them from the Creator "who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and earth" (27:24-25). Rather than immediately dispatching his armies, Solomon tests the bird's intelligence. He commands the hoopoe to deliver a letter, then withdraw and observe the court's reaction (27:27-28). The Queen reads the "gracious letter" to her council. Its contents are brief and absolute: "In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy, do not put yourselves above me, and come to me in submission to God" (27:30-31). The demand strips away the complexities of international diplomacy, requiring an immediate recognition of monotheism.
How is Saba remembered in Arabic tradition?
While the narrative of Solomon and the Queen highlights the kingdom at its apex, classical commentators note the eventual fate of the broader civilization of Saba. Their later dispersal became so absolute that it entered the Arabic language as an idiom for total fragmentation. As al-Zamakhshari records (Tafsir al-Kashshaf, 3/578), the catastrophic scattering of its people gave rise to the proverb "they dispersed like the hands of Saba" (ayadi Saba), invoked whenever a group is irreparably fractured and scattered in every direction.
The Quranic encounter with Saba turns entirely on the recognition of sovereignty. The sun, worshipped by a wealthy nation and a powerful queen, is merely a creation, while true allegiance is owed to the One "who knows both what you people conceal and what you declare" (27:25). The kingdom's vast military might and its ruler's magnificent throne ultimately stand under a single, overarching reality: "He is God, there is no god but Him, the Lord of the mighty throne" (27:26).
Verses
All 21 verses, in mushaf order.
فَمَكَثَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ فَقَالَ أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِۦ وَجِئْتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍۭ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ
But the hoopoe did not stay away long: he came and said, ‘I have learned something you did not know: I come to you from Sheba with firm news.
إِنِّى وَجَدتُّ ٱمْرَأَةً تَمْلِكُهُمْ وَأُوتِيَتْ مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَلَهَا عَرْشٌ عَظِيمٌ
I found a woman ruling over the people, who has been given a share of everything- she has a magnificent throne-
وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوْمَهَا يَسْجُدُونَ لِلشَّمْسِ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ فَهُمْ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ
[but] I found that she and her people worshipped the sun instead of God. Satan has made their deeds seem alluring to them, and diverted them from the right path: they cannot find the right path.
أَلَّا يَسْجُدُوا۟ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى يُخْرِجُ ٱلْخَبْءَ فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُخْفُونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ
Should they not worship God, who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and earth and knows both what you people conceal and what you declare?
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْعَظِيمِ ۩
He is God, there is no god but Him, the Lord of the mighty throne.’
۞ قَالَ سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ
Solomon said, ‘We shall see whether you are telling the truth or lying.
ٱذْهَب بِّكِتَـٰبِى هَـٰذَا فَأَلْقِهْ إِلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَٱنظُرْ مَاذَا يَرْجِعُونَ
Take this letter of mine and deliver it to them, then withdraw and see what answer they send back.’
قَالَتْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَؤُا۟ إِنِّىٓ أُلْقِىَ إِلَىَّ كِتَـٰبٌ كَرِيمٌ
The Queen of Sheba said, ‘Counsellors, a gracious letter has been delivered to me.
إِنَّهُۥ مِن سُلَيْمَـٰنَ وَإِنَّهُۥ بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
It is from Solomon, and it says, “In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy,
أَلَّا تَعْلُوا۟ عَلَىَّ وَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ
do not put yourselves above me, and come to me in submission to God.”’
قَالَتْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَؤُا۟ أَفْتُونِى فِىٓ أَمْرِى مَا كُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشْهَدُونِ
She said, ‘Counsellors, give me your counsel in the matter I now face: I only ever decide on matters in your presence.’
قَالُوا۟ نَحْنُ أُو۟لُوا۟ قُوَّةٍ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ وَٱلْأَمْرُ إِلَيْكِ فَٱنظُرِى مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ
They replied, ‘We possess great force and power in war, but you are in command, so consider what orders to give us.’
قَالَتْ إِنَّ ٱلْمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا۟ قَرْيَةً أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوٓا۟ أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَآ أَذِلَّةً ۖ وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ
She said, ‘Whenever kings go into a city, they ruin it and humiliate its leaders- that is what they do-
وَإِنِّى مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِم بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌۢ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ
but I am going to send them a gift, then see what answer my envoys bring back.’
فَلَمَّا جَآءَ سُلَيْمَـٰنَ قَالَ أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَآ ءَاتَىٰنِۦَ ٱللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّآ ءَاتَىٰكُم بَلْ أَنتُم بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ
When her envoy came to Solomon, Solomon said, ‘What! Are you offering me wealth? What God has given me is better than what He has given you, though you rejoice in this gift of yours.
ٱرْجِعْ إِلَيْهِمْ فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّهُم بِجُنُودٍ لَّا قِبَلَ لَهُم بِهَا وَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُم مِّنْهَآ أَذِلَّةً وَهُمْ صَـٰغِرُونَ
Go back to your people: we shall certainly come upon them with irresistible forces, and drive them, disgraced and humbled, from their land.’
قَالَ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَؤُا۟ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِى بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ
Then he said, ‘Counsellors, which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?’
قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ أَنَا۠ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبْلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِكَ ۖ وَإِنِّى عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِىٌّ أَمِينٌ
A powerful and crafty jinn replied, ‘I will bring it to you before you can even rise from your place. I am strong and trustworthy enough,’
قَالَ ٱلَّذِى عِندَهُۥ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أَنَا۠ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبْلَ أَن يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ ۚ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهُ مُسْتَقِرًّا عِندَهُۥ قَالَ هَـٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّى لِيَبْلُوَنِىٓ ءَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ ۖ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّى غَنِىٌّ كَرِيمٌ
but one of them who had some knowledge of the Scripture said, ‘I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye.’ When Solomon saw it set before him, he said, ‘This is a favour from my Lord, to test whether I am grateful or not: if anyone is grateful, it is for his own good, if anyone is ungrateful, then my Lord is self-sufficient and most generous.’
قَالَ نَكِّرُوا۟ لَهَا عَرْشَهَا نَنظُرْ أَتَهْتَدِىٓ أَمْ تَكُونُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ
Then he said, ‘Disguise her throne, and we shall see whether or not she recognizes it.’
لَقَدْ كَانَ لِسَبَإٍ فِى مَسْكَنِهِمْ ءَايَةٌ ۖ جَنَّتَانِ عَن يَمِينٍ وَشِمَالٍ ۖ كُلُوا۟ مِن رِّزْقِ رَبِّكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لَهُۥ ۚ بَلْدَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ وَرَبٌّ غَفُورٌ
There was a sign for the people of Sheba, too, in their dwelling place: two gardens, one on the right, one on the left: ‘Eat from what your Lord has provided for you and give Him thanks, for your land is good, and your Lord most forgiving.’