سُوْرَةُ النَّمْلِ
Surah An-Naml (27) — Ayah 35
وَإِنِّى مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِم بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌۢ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ ﴿35﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"But verily! I am going to send him a present, and see with what (answer) the messengers return."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَإِنِّى
wa-innī
But indeed, I am
مُرْسِلَةٌ
mur'silatun
going to send
إِلَيْهِم
ilayhim
to them
بِهَدِيَّةٍۢ
bihadiyyatin
a gift
فَنَاظِرَةٌۢ
fanāẓiratun
and see
بِمَ
bima
with what
يَرْجِعُ
yarjiʿu
return
ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ
l-mur'salūna
the messengers
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 35) {وَ اِنِّيْ مُرْسِلَةٌ اِلَيْهِمْ بِهَدِيَّةٍ …:} After that, she decided to keep assessing the situation and to make peace by agreeing with Sulayman (peace be upon him). So she said to her chiefs that she would send a gift to him befitting his status, and then see what response her envoys would bring back. It was quite possible that he would accept the gift, and then every year they could send some money as tribute, and he would abandon the idea of attacking them. This woman was very intelligent both in her state of polytheism and in Islam. She knew that a gift, according to someone’s desire, is something that can soften even iron, and she also wanted to test whether he would accept their wealth or not. If he accepted it, then it would be understood that he was a king, and there would be no harm in confronting him. But if he returned it, then there would be no doubt about his prophethood, and confrontation would be utterly useless and even harmful. The commentators have mentioned strange and wonderful details about these gifts, all of which are from Isra’iliyat, and not a single one of them is established.
