One of the most mysterious moments in Surah An-Naml is the arrival of the throne of Bilqis, the Queen of Sheba, before Prophet Sulayman, peace be upon him.
The Qur’an describes the event in a few powerful verses. Sulayman asked his gathering:
“O assembly, which of you will bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?”
A powerful jinn offered to bring it before Sulayman rose from his place. Then another figure, described as “one who had knowledge from the Scripture”, said he could bring it before Sulayman’s glance returned to him. Moments later, Sulayman saw the throne placed before him and said:
“This is from the favour of my Lord to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful.”
Surah An-Naml 27:38-40
That is the core of the event.
No theatre. No mythology. No unnecessary speculation.
The Qur’an presents it as a sign of Allah’s favour upon Sulayman and a test of gratitude.
The Context: Bilqis Was Coming to Sulayman
The story begins earlier in Surah An-Naml when the hoopoe reports to Sulayman that it found a woman ruling over Sheba, possessing a great throne, while her people worshipped the sun instead of Allah.
Sulayman sent her a letter calling her and her people to submission to Allah. After consultation with her chiefs, Bilqis chose diplomacy. She sent gifts, but Sulayman rejected them and made clear that what Allah had given him was better than worldly wealth.
When Bilqis began coming toward Sulayman, he asked who could bring her throne before she arrived in submission.
The throne was not a random object. It represented her power, kingdom and worldly authority.
The Jinn’s Offer
The first answer came from a powerful jinn.
The Qur’an says:
“A powerful one from among the jinn said, ‘I will bring it to you before you rise from your place, and indeed, I am for this task strong and trustworthy.’”
Surah An-Naml 27:39
This offer was extraordinary. It showed the strength of the jinn who were under Sulayman’s command by Allah’s permission.
But Sulayman wanted something even faster.
Ibn Kathir explains that Sulayman wanted the throne brought as a demonstration of the authority and power Allah had granted him, and as a proof before Bilqis and her people. Her throne was hidden and heavily protected, yet it would appear before Sulayman without an army or battle.
The One Who Had Knowledge of the Book
Then came the second offer.
The Qur’an does not name this person. It only says:
“Said one who had knowledge from the Scripture, ‘I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you.’”
Surah An-Naml 27:40
This is the key phrase.
The Qur’an does not say he was a jinn. It does not explicitly name him. It does not describe a machine, portal or physical method.
It simply says he had knowledge from the Book.
Ibn Kathir reports from Ibn Abbas that this person was Asif, the scribe of Sulayman. He also mentions reports that Asif ibn Barkhiya was a truthful believer who knew the Greatest Name of Allah. Qatadah said he was a believing human named Asif.
Al-Tabari also records the view that the one who had knowledge from the Book was a man from the children of Adam, meaning a human being, not a jinn.
The safest wording is therefore this: many Sunni tafsir reports identify him as Asif ibn Barkhiya, a righteous man connected to Sulayman’s court, but the Qur’an itself leaves him unnamed.
How Was the Throne Brought?
The Qur’an gives the answer without giving technical details.
It was brought by Allah’s permission through someone who had knowledge from the Book.
That is enough.
Some tafsir reports mention that he supplicated to Allah. Ibn Kathir records that he rose, performed ablution, prayed to Allah, and then the throne appeared. He also cites Mujahid’s report that he invoked Allah by saying words connected to majesty and honour.
But the Qur’an does not reduce the event to a technique. It is not presented as magic. It is not sorcery. It is not a jinn trick.
It is a sign granted by Allah.
The difference matters. Magic seeks power through forbidden means. This event occurred within prophethood, obedience and divine permission.
Why Did Sulayman Ask for the Throne?
Sunni scholars mentioned several reasons.
Al-Qurtubi records that scholars differed over why Sulayman requested the throne. Among the explanations: he wanted to show Bilqis a sign of power from Allah and make it a proof of his prophethood; he wanted to test her intelligence after disguising the throne; and he wanted to confirm what the hoopoe had reported about her great throne.
The strongest Qur’anic flow supports two major purposes.
First, the throne was a sign. Bilqis would see that Sulayman was not merely a king. Allah had given him a kingdom beyond ordinary human authority.
Second, it was a test. Sulayman ordered the throne to be altered so they could see whether Bilqis would recognise it.
The Qur’an says:
“Disguise for her her throne; we will see whether she will be guided or will be of those who are not guided.”
Surah An-Naml 27:41
When she arrived, she was asked whether the throne was like hers. She answered carefully:
“It is as though it was it.”
Surah An-Naml 27:42
Her answer showed intelligence, caution and recognition.
Sulayman’s Reaction
The most important part of the story is not the speed of the miracle.
It is Sulayman’s reaction.
When he saw the throne settled before him, he did not boast. He did not praise himself. He did not glorify the one who brought it.
He said:
“This is from the favour of my Lord to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful.”
Surah An-Naml 27:40
This is the heart of the entire episode.
Power is a test.
Knowledge is a test.
Miracles are a test.
Kingdom is a test.
Sulayman knew that the throne’s arrival was not about personal greatness. It was a favour from Allah, and every favour demands gratitude.
What Happened to Bilqis?
The story ends with Bilqis entering Sulayman’s palace. She saw its smooth glass floor and thought it was water. Sulayman clarified that it was a palace made smooth with glass.
At that moment, Bilqis said:
“My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, and I submit with Solomon to Allah, Lord of the worlds.”
Surah An-Naml 27:44
The throne was part of a wider transformation.
Bilqis moved from sun worship to submission to Allah.
That is the real victory in the story.
Not the throne.
Not the palace.
Not the speed.
Guidance.
What We Should Avoid
This story has attracted many theories.
Some people try to explain it through hidden technology. Others turn it into fantasy. Others overstate details that the Qur’an did not mention.
A disciplined Sunni approach avoids all of that.
We affirm what the Qur’an says.
We benefit from reliable tafsir.
We mention transmitted explanations with caution.
We do not claim certainty where revelation stayed silent.
The Qur’an did not tell us the exact mechanism because the mechanism is not the lesson.
The lesson is that Allah grants power to whom He wills, knowledge is superior to brute force, and the greatest response to divine favour is gratitude.
Conclusion
The throne of Bilqis was brought before Sulayman in a way that stunned ordinary expectation.
A powerful jinn offered to bring it before Sulayman rose from his place. But the one who had knowledge from the Book brought it before Sulayman’s glance returned.
Sunni tafsir reports commonly identify this figure as Asif ibn Barkhiya, a righteous man from Sulayman’s court, though the Qur’an itself leaves him unnamed.
The event was not magic. It was a sign from Allah.
And Sulayman’s response remains the clearest lesson:
“This is from the favour of my Lord.”
A throne crossed distance in an instant.
But the real miracle was not the throne’s movement.
It was the movement of Bilqis from false worship to submission to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
