The Queen of Sheba and a Messenger Bird (Part-01 of 02)

The Queen of Sheba's account is mostly found in the religious books and traditions, such as the Bible and the Quran. According to Islamic mythology, the Queen of Sheba, also known as Bilqis, is a mythical character from antiquity. She is reported to have ruled over the ancient kingdom of Sheba, which is thought to have been on the southern Arabian Peninsula, probably in what is now Yemen.

The Queen of Sheba is mentioned in the Bible (1 Kings 10:1-13 and 2 Chronicles 9:1-12) as a great and affluent monarch who heard of the Prophet and King Solaiman (Peace be Upon Him, PUH) of Israel's intellect and wealth. Intrigued by these claims, Bilqis set out on a voyage to meet the king and put his knowledge to the test with difficult questions. She bestowed spices, gold, and valuable stones on the Kingdom of Solaiman after being impressed by his intellect and the splendour of his reign.

According to the Muslim mythology, the narrative of the Queen of Sheba is also included in the Quran, where she is referred to as Bilqis. The Quranic tale (Surah An-Naml 27:20-44) is comparable to the biblical story.

The narrative begins with the king of Jerusalem and the Prophet Sulaiman (PUH) inspecting the birds. Allah had endowed him with the capacity to comprehend and speak a variety of bird languages. When King Sulaiman (PUH) saw that the Hud-Hud bird was missing from his flock of birds, he inquired of the flock's leader where the Hud-Hud had gone, but the leader responded that the Hud-Hud had departed without notifying anybody. King Sulaiman (PUH) was so enraged that he threatened to severely punish or perhaps kill the Hud-Hud, if he couldn't offer a credible excuse for his absence.

The Hud-Hud bird quickly returned to the King. He had heard of King Sulaiman's rage and the harsh retribution that was on the way. The Hud-Hud approached King Sulaiman, prostrated in front of him, and said that he had given accurate news to King Sulaiman that he was ignorant of. It was located in a rich city named "Saba", in which a queen ruled over her people. The queen sat on a massive and majestic throne encrusted with precious stones, diamonds, and pearls that were supposed to measure 40 metres broad and 40 metres high. The queen and her people, on the other hand, adored the sun. When Sulaiman (PUH) learned of this, he instructed the Hud-Hud and drafted a letter for the Queen of Sheba, which he intended to send with the Hud-Hud.

The Hud-Hud bird flew with King Sulaiman's message and arrived in the majestic City of 'Saba' during the mid-day sleep. The palace was firmly shut, and Queen Bilqees was sleeping within. Her palace was encircled by guards, and her army of 12,000 officers. Every Friday, she would emerge from the palace's deepest recess to address her subjects from her magnificent throne.

The Hud-Hud had trouble finding a way in, but he ultimately got in via an aperture. He arrived at Queen Bilqees, who was still sleeping, after travelling through seven chambers. The letter was dropped near her by Hud Hud. She discovered the letter when she awoke, and to her amazement, it was from King Sulaiman (PUH). "In the Name of Allah, The Most Kind, The Most Merciful," it said. Sulaiman wrote this letter, “Don't defy me and come here”.

Bilqis questioned her guards, who assured her that no one had entered and that all of the doors were secured. She assembled her generals, courtiers, and advisors and read the letter to them, requesting their views. They were prepared for battle, but Bilqees was hesitant, fearful of the damage it would cause.

(You are requested to read part 02 which will be published soon)