سُوْرَةُ النَّمْلِ
Surah An-Naml (27) — Ayah 42
فَلَمَّا جَآءَتْ قِيلَ أَهَـٰكَذَا عَرْشُكِ ۖ قَالَتْ كَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ ۚ وَأُوتِينَا ٱلْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهَا وَكُنَّا مُسْلِمِينَ ﴿42﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
So when she came, it was said (to her): "Is your throne like this?" She said: "(It is) as though it were the very same." And [Sulaimân (Solomon) said]: "Knowledge was bestowed on us before her, and we were submitted to Allâh (in Islâm as Muslims before her)."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَلَمَّا
falammā
So when
جَآءَتْ
jāat
she came
قِيلَ
qīla
it was said
أَهَـٰكَذَا
ahākadhā
Is like this
عَرْشُكِ ۖ
ʿarshuki
your throne
قَالَتْ
qālat
She said
كَأَنَّهُۥ
ka-annahu
It is like
هُوَ ۚ
huwa
it
وَأُوتِينَا
waūtīnā
And we were given
ٱلْعِلْمَ
l-ʿil'ma
the knowledge
مِن
min
before her
قَبْلِهَا
qablihā
before her
وَكُنَّا
wakunnā
and we have been
مُسْلِمِينَ
mus'limīna
Muslims
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
42-1. Since some alteration had occurred in its form and appearance, therefore she did not explicitly admit that it was hers, and despite the alteration, a person still recognizes his own thing, so she did not deny it was hers either. And she said, "It is as if it is the same." In this, there is neither affirmation nor denial. Rather, it is a very cautious answer.
42-2. That is, even before coming here, we had understood that you are Allah's Prophet and we had become obedient and submissive to you. But Imam Ibn Kathir and Shawkani, etc., have considered this to be the statement of Prophet Sulaiman (عليه السلام), that we had already been given the knowledge that the Queen of Sheba would come submissively and obediently into service.
42-2. That is, even before coming here, we had understood that you are Allah's Prophet and we had become obedient and submissive to you. But Imam Ibn Kathir and Shawkani, etc., have considered this to be the statement of Prophet Sulaiman (عليه السلام), that we had already been given the knowledge that the Queen of Sheba would come submissively and obediently into service.
