Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hasan narrates that when the wind was subjected to the service of Sulaiman bin Dawud (peace be upon him), he would set out from Bayt al-Maqdis in the morning and take a midday rest in Fizirah, and then travel in the evening and spend the night in Kabul.

Hazrat Saeed bin Jubair narrates that six hundred thousand chairs were arranged for Hazrat Sulaiman (peace be upon him).

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that for Hazrat Sulaiman bin Dawood (peace be upon him), six hundred thousand chairs would be arranged, then the nobles from among the humans would come and sit on the right side, and then the nobles from among the jinn would come and sit on the left side. Then he would call the birds and they would provide shade over them, then he would call the wind and it would lift them up, and he would cover a month's journey in a single morning. One day, while he was traveling in this manner in a field, he needed water. He called the hoopoe, it came and struck its beak into the ground and indicated the place of water. Then the devils came to that place and dug it up just as a goat's skin is removed, and they extracted water from that place. It is said that upon this, Nafi' bin Azraq said, "O one who is narrating, stop for a moment! You say that the hoopoe came and struck its beak into the ground and indicated the place of water—how does it see this, when it cannot even see the net that comes and falls upon its neck?" Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) replied, "Woe to you! Destiny comes between the eyes and what they see."

Hazrat Abdullah bin Shaddad narrates that the throne of Hazrat Sulaiman (peace be upon him) used to be placed on the wind, and along with it, the thrones of those jinn and humans whom he wished would also be placed. He needed water, but the people were unaware of it. So, at that time, he searched for the birds but did not find the hoopoe. He threatened it, and its punishment was that its feathers would be plucked and it would be placed in the sun. When it returned, the birds met it and said that Hazrat Sulaiman (peace be upon him) had announced a punishment for you. The hoopoe asked, "Did he make any exception?" They replied, "Yes! If you present an excuse." And its excuse was that it had gone to see the story of the Queen of Sheba. So Sulaiman (peace be upon him) wrote to them {إِنَّہُ مِن سُلَیْمَانَ وَإِنَّہُ بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِیمِ ، أَلاَّ تَعْلُوا عَلَیَّ وَأْتُونِی مُسْلِمِینَ }. It is said that Bilqis set out, and when she was at a distance of one farsakh, Sulaiman (peace be upon him) said { أَیُّکُمْ یَأْتِینِی بِعَرْشِہَا قَبْلَ أَن یَأْتُونِی مُسْلِمِینَ ، قَالَ عِفْریتٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِیکَ بِہِ قَبْلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِکَ وَإِنِّی عَلَیْہِ لَقَوِیٌّ أَمِینٌ}. Hazrat Sulaiman (peace be upon him) said, "I want it even faster," { قَالَ الَّذِی عِندَہُ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ الْکِتَابِ أَنَا آتِیکَ بِہِ قَبْلَ أَن یَرْتَدَّ إِلَیْکَ طَرْفُکَ }. It is said that Mansur narrated from Mujahid that he entered a tunnel under the earth and brought it. Hazrat Sulaiman (peace be upon him) said, "Change it." { قِیلَ لَہَا ادْخُلِی الصَّرْحَ فَلَمَّا رَأَتْہُ حَسِبَتْہُ لُجَّۃً وَکَشَفَتْ عَنْ سَاقَیْہَا }. So it was seen that she was a very hairy woman. Hazrat Sulaiman (peace be upon him) said, "What will remove this?" The people said, "Lime." So at that time, lime was used.

Mujahid says that when the jinn said { أَنَا آتِیک بِہِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ مَقَامِک }, he said that I want it even faster than that, so { قَالَ الَّذِی عِنْدَہُ عِلْمٌ مِنَ الْکِتَابِ أَنَا آتِیک بِہِ قَبْلَ أَنْ یَرْتَدَّ إلَیْک طَرْفُک } says that its throne came out from an underground tunnel.

Mujahid narrates from Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) regarding the explanation of Allah's command { قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ مَقَامِک } that its meaning is that a man's gathering in which he sits until the attendees disperse.

Abdullah bin Ma'bad Zimmani says that { بسم اللہ الرَّحْمَن الرحیم } was not revealed anywhere in the Holy Qur'an except in Surah An-Naml; it was stated {إِنَّہُ مِنْ سُلَیْمَانَ وَإِنَّہُ بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمَن الرَّحِیمِ }.

Hazrat Saeed bin Jubair says that the explanation of { قَبْلَ أَنْ یَرْتَدَّ إلَیْک طَرْفُک } is that he raised his gaze upwards, and before his gaze could lower, he saw the throne in front of him.

Hazrat Abu Salih says that the explanation of { وَإِنِّی مُرْسِلَۃٌ إلَیْہِمْ بِہَدِیَّۃٍ } is that they had gifted gold bricks.

Saeed bin Jubair narrates from Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that her name was Bilqis bint Dhi Sharah and she was very hairy.

Hakam narrates from Hazrat Mujahid that the queen of the people of Saba was named jinniyah and she was very hairy.

Saeed bin Jubair narrates from Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) regarding { وَإِنِّی مُرْسِلَۃٌ إلَیْہِمْ بِہَدِیَّۃٍ }, he said that they sent a gift of gold bricks. When they arrived with them, they saw that the walls of the city were made of gold. This is the meaning of Allah's statement { أَتُمِدُّونَنِی بِمَالٍ فَمَا أَتَانِی اللَّہُ خَیْرٌ مِمَّا آتَاکُمْ } etc.