Tafseer of The Ant · An-Naml · 27:33
They said, "We are men of strength and of great military might, but the command is yours, so see what you will command."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And His saying قَالُوا نَحْنُ أُولُو قُوَّةٍ وَأُولُو بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ: the Exalted says: the nobles of the people of the queen of Sabaʾ said, when she consulted them concerning her affair and the affair of Sulaymān: we are the possessors of strength for combat and of fierce valor in war; but the command is yours, O queen, concerning fighting or refraining from it — so consider what position you deem you should take, and then command us, so that we may obey your command.
In accordance with what we have said concerning this, the people of interpretation also spoke.
Mention of who said that:
Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said: قَالُوا نَحْنُ أُولُو قُوَّةٍ وَأُولُو بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ — they offered her combat, that they would fight on her behalf; but after all this the command is yours: فَانظُرِي مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ.
Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Abū Muʿāwiya related to us, from al-Aʿmash, from Mujāhid, who said: with the queen of Sabaʾ were twelve thousand qayyl — each of the qayyl over a hundred thousand men.
ʿAmr ibn ʿAlī related to us, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, from ʿAṭāʾ ibn al-Sāʾib, from Mujāhid, from Ibn ʿAbbās: with Bilqīs were a hundred thousand qayyl, each of the qayyl over a hundred thousand.
He said: Wakīʿ related to us, saying: al-Aʿmash related to us — he said: I heard Mujāhid say: under the queen of Sabaʾ stood twelve thousand qayyl; the qayyl in their language is the king; under each king stood a hundred thousand fighters.
