The story of the Queen of Sheba | Episode (11) | Rather, you will rejoice with your gift

0:00 The story of the Queen of Sheba.

0:02 “So when (the envoy) came unto Solomon, (the King) said: What! Would ye help me with wealth? But that which Allah hath given me is better than that which He hath given you. Nay it is ye (and not I) who exult in your gift.” (27:36)

0:13 The Queen of Sheba erred in her decision.

0:17 When she decided to present a gift to the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him), to sway his heart.

0:25 Those attached to the worldly life do not understand the psychology of those attached to the Hereafter.

0:31 For a figure like the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him),

0:34 can never be swayed by wealth.

0:37 However, the Queen of Sheba

0:40 dealt with the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him), according to the customs of monarchs,

0:45 who are seduced by wealth,

0:47 who rejoice in it and in what is gifted to them,

0:50 and whose decisions are influenced by it.

0:53 This is because the ultimate ambition of many kings and leaders

0:57 is the accumulation of wealth,

0:58 except for those whom Allah has shown mercy and guided to the straight path.

1:04 The Queen of Sheba wanted to discern the nature of the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him):

1:10 Is he a king like the kings of this world who love wealth,

1:15 or is he a sent Prophet?

1:18 Yet, she erred in her method of discerning the great qualities of the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him).

1:26 When we wish to know the true character of men,

1:29 we should look at their logic and what they speak of,

1:33 for it is evidence of their level of intellect and thought.

1:38 The outward displays of grandeur that some men project through their appearance and attire,

1:44 and their manner of walking and movement,

1:47 may hide beneath them empty minds and trivial preoccupations.

1:52 Therefore, one should not rely on judging men solely by their outward appearance.

1:57 Consider Rustam, the commander of the Persians;

2:00 he rebuked his courtiers when they looked at Rib'i ibn 'Amir

2:04 and judged him based on his clothing and appearance.

2:08 Rustam replied to them, saying:

2:11 "Do not look at his appearance; look at his logic."

2:17 Indeed, there are some men whom, when you see them,

2:20 you are struck by their imposing presence,

2:22 but when they speak and articulate, they fall in the eyes of the wise

2:27 due to the triviality of their minds.

2:30 Triviality has dominated the lives of many of the affluent,

2:34 and those who hold positions and leadership.

2:37 This has been the state of many kings throughout history,

2:41 and it was the very state the Queen of Sheba herself was living in.

2:45 She had been preoccupied with adorning her throne and tending to it,

2:49 to the point that the hoopoe described it as a "great throne."

2:53 Thus, she assumed that the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him),

2:57 was of this same class of kings.

2:59 So, she sent him a gift that was great in her eyes and in the eyes of the people of this world.

3:06 The Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him), disapproved of

3:09 this action by the Queen of Sheba.

3:12 He became angry and said:

3:14 "Do you provide me with wealth?"

3:16 “So when (the envoy) came unto Solomon, (the King) said: What! Would ye help me with wealth? But that which Allah hath given me is better than that which He hath given you. Nay it is ye (and not I) who exult in your gift.” (27:36)

3:21 “So when (the envoy) came unto Solomon, (the King) said: What! Would ye help me with wealth? But that which Allah hath given me is better than that which He hath given you. Nay it is ye (and not I) who exult in your gift.” (27:36)

3:26 The Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him), confronted

3:29 the gift of the Queen of Sheba with three points:

3:33 First, his rejection of the gift in exchange for his call to Islam.

3:39 Second, his mention of Allah’s favor upon him through what He had granted him of religion, prophethood, and sovereignty,

3:46 and the subjection of the jinn and the birds to him,

3:48 and his knowledge of the language of the birds.

3:51 All of this is far greater than the gift of the Queen of Sheba.

3:56 Third, he clarified who it is that is impressed by such gifts,

4:01 noting that it is not part of his character,

4:04 but rather part of theirs, because they are accustomed to it.

4:09 Al-Qushayri (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

4:12 "Do you gift me wealth?"

4:14 "Is someone like me to be swayed by such actions?"

4:18 "You and your likes are treated with the same treatment you offer."

4:24 And Al-Baghawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

4:27 "What Allah has given me of prophethood, religion, wisdom, and sovereignty

4:32 is better and superior to what He has given you."

4:35 “So when (the envoy) came unto Solomon, (the King) said: What! Would ye help me with wealth? But that which Allah hath given me is better than that which He hath given you. Nay it is ye (and not I) who exult in your gift.” (27:36)

4:38 "Because you are people of boasting and competition in this world,

4:43 rejoicing in gifting one another."

4:46 "As for me,

4:48 I do not rejoice in it, and the world is not among my needs,

4:52 because Allah the Almighty has empowered me within it,

4:55 and has given me what He has not given anyone else."

4:59 "And with that, He has honored me with religion and prophethood."

5:04 Al-Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

5:07 "He demonstrated through these words his lack of concern for that wealth."

5:13 The Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him), knew the reason for sending the gift:

5:18 it was to deter him from his resolve to conquer their lands and call them to Islam.

5:24 Therefore, he did not accept the gift.

5:27 Foresight in understanding the reason why people of wealth, status, and influence offer gifts

5:33 to scholars, callers to Islam, and reformers

5:36 is of great importance,

5:38 because their underlying motive may be far-reaching,

5:42 which the scholar or caller might not perceive if they look at the matter superficially,

5:48 or if they justify to themselves the acceptance of the ruler's gifts.

5:52 What is incumbent upon scholars, callers, and reformers

5:56 is to remain above accepting any gift or offering

6:00 that might one day cast doubt upon their religion,

6:03 to practice asceticism regarding what people possess,

6:06 and to turn to Allah in seeking what they need.

6:10 For His bounties never cease for His servants,

6:13 and He provides for them from where they do not expect.

6:18 The unjust ruler in every age

6:21 confronts scholars and callers to deter them from calling to Allah, spreading knowledge,

6:26 guiding people, and speaking the truth, through two paths:

6:31 The first path:

6:33 Silencing them with offerings, wealth, and gifts,

6:37 and involving them in all his occasions, ceremonies, and receptions.

6:43 The second path:

6:45 Restricting them, pursuing them, and imprisoning them,

6:49 and preventing them from teaching people by any means possible.

6:54 Changing labels does not change the reality of the matter at all.

6:59 The Queen of Sheba said:

7:01 “But lo! I am going to send a present unto them, and to see with what (answer) the messengers return.” (27:35)

7:05 So, did she send a gift or a bribe?

7:09 Swaying people with wealth contains both truth and falsehood.

7:14 As for swaying a disbeliever with wealth so that he may embrace Islam and abandon disbelief,

7:18 this is among the truths permitted by Islam,

7:22 and it has been designated as one of the categories of zakat,

7:25 as in the saying of the Almighty:

7:27 “The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarer; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is Knower, Wise.” (9:60)

7:34 “The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarer; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is Knower, Wise.” (9:60)

7:39 "and for freeing captives, for those in debt,

7:47 for the cause of Allah, and for the wayfarer."

7:52 "An obligation from Allah."

7:57 "And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise."

8:02 This type of swaying, and what resembles it,

8:05 does not involve a personal interest for the one who provides the wealth,

8:09 but rather it is for the benefit of the one given the wealth,

8:12 so that he may adhere to the truth and hold fast to it,

8:15 or enter the religion of Allah,

8:17 or remain steadfast in Islam.

8:19 Just as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

8:23 used to reconcile the hearts of those who embraced Islam during the conquest of Makkah

8:26 by giving them from the spoils so that they would remain steadfast in Islam.

8:30 As for the forbidden swaying,

8:33 it is that which is for the interest of the one who provides the wealth,

8:36 to obtain what he has no right to,

8:39 or to be excused from a right owed by him,

8:43 or to oppress others, or the like.

8:47 This is the forbidden bribe,

8:49 even if it is called a gift.

8:52 Most of the offerings of sultans, kings, and leaders

8:55 are of this category,

8:57 either to silence poets or speakers,

9:00 or to manufacture "scholars of evil"

9:03 to permit for them what Allah has forbidden,

9:06 or to validate their actions,

9:08 even if they contradict the Sharia.

9:11 The fundamental principle of a gift is desirability,

9:14 for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

9:18 "Exchange gifts, and you will love one another."

9:20 Narrated by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad.

9:24 The Prophet (peace be upon him)

9:26 used to accept gifts,

9:28 and it is a righteous deed among Muslims

9:31 if they seek through it the countenance of Allah the Almighty.

9:35 But if the gift is not for the sake of Allah,

9:39 or is intended to prevent the establishment of the law of Allah,

9:42 or to turn a person away from the obedience of Allah,

9:45 or is for a forbidden purpose,

9:47 such as relationships between young men and women,

9:50 or the gifting of flowers and the like on Valentine's Day, as they claim,

9:55 or on any other occasion,

9:57 then these are among the forbidden gifts.

10:00 And what the Queen of Sheba sent

10:03 is of this forbidden type,

10:05 for she wanted to prevent the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him),

10:09 from conquering her land, bringing them into the religion of Allah,

10:13 and having them submit to his rule.

10:16 And the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him),

10:19 only acts for the sake of Allah,

10:22 to spread the religion of Allah,

10:23 for the word of Allah to be supreme on earth,

10:26 and to save them from the worship of the sun to the worship of Allah, the One, the Subduer,

10:32 and for people to surrender to the Lord of the Worlds.

10:36 Thus, obstructing this great purpose with gifts and wealth

10:41 is nothing but an obstruction from the path of Allah.

10:44 Therefore, the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him), did not accept it,

10:49 and said: "Return to them."

10:52 “Return unto them. We verily shall come unto them with hosts that they cannot resist, and we shall drive them out from thence with shame, and they will be abased.” (27:37)

10:57 “Return unto them. We verily shall come unto them with hosts that they cannot resist, and we shall drive them out from thence with shame, and they will be abased.” (27:37)

11:02 The response was firm:

11:04 to wage war against the people of the kingdom of Sheba,

11:07 to bring them into the religion of Allah the Almighty,

11:10 and to distance them from the worship of other than Allah,

11:13 as a means of saving them from eternal punishment in the Fire.

11:17 This is one of the forms of jihad in the path of Allah.

11:21 When the news reached the Queen of Sheba,

11:24 she submitted to the command of the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him),

11:28 and set out herself, along with the nobles of her people,

11:31 to the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him),

11:35 to submit to his rule voluntarily,

11:38 and to spare the blood of her people from being shed in the streets.

11:43 This demonstrates the soundness of her intellect

11:45 in protecting her people from entering into a losing war

11:49 by all measures.

11:51 And it is no shame for her to surrender to the truth,

11:55 for yielding to the truth

11:57 is better than persisting in falsehood.

12:00 This is what is incumbent upon every rational person:

12:03 to yield to the truth once it becomes clear to them,

12:06 and to distance themselves from entering into battles,

12:09 verbal exchanges, or futile arguments,

12:12 just to prove their point,

12:13 when it has become clear to them that the truth lies with others.

12:18 Wasting time and effort

12:20 in battles that have no benefit

12:23 is a type of foolishness that does not befit the intellect.

12:27 This is what the Queen of Sheba did;

12:30 she shortened the time and the path

12:32 after it became clear to her that what she had done was wrong.

12:35 So she went herself

12:37 to the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman (peace be upon him),

12:40 surrendering to the truth.

12:44 But what happened in her kingdom

12:47 While she was on her way

12:49 to the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman, peace be upon him,

12:53 we shall continue in our next meeting, insha'Allah.

12:57 And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

13:01 The story of the Queen of Sheba

13:04 with the Prophet of Allah, Sulayman, peace be upon him.

The story of the Queen of Sheba | Episode (11) | Rather, you will rejoice with your gift

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