Tabari (1 passage)

1. Full Dutch translation of Tabari's text

   The people of knowledge differed concerning the moment at which Sulaymān said يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا. Some of them said: he said that at the moment the hoopoe brought him the news of the mistress of Sabaʾ and said to him: وَجِئْتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ and informed him that she possessed a tremendous throne. Sulaymān — may Allah bless him and grant him peace — then said to him: سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ — and the test of his truthfulness or falsehood was that he asked these people: which of you will bring me her throne before they come to me as Muslims? They said: Sulaymān sent the letter along with the hoopoe to the woman only after the truthfulness of the hoopoe had been established for him through the arrival of the one who knew her throne to him, in accordance with the hoopoe's description. They said: otherwise it would have been impossible for him to entrust a letter to someone about whom he did not know whether such a person existed in the world or not. They said: moreover — if he had already sent the letter along with him before the arrival of her throne to him, and before his knowledge of the truthfulness of the hoopoe, then his statement to him سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ would have had no meaning; for the non-occurrence of his first report — namely his conveying وَجِئْتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ — would amount to the same as the non-occurrence of his second report, namely whether or not he conveyed the letter to her. They said: if the letter contained for them no proof of his truthfulness over his falsehood, and it was impossible for the prophet of Allah to make an utterance without meaning, while he had nonetheless said سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ, then it is established that the proof of the truthfulness of the hoopoe was the coming of her throne to him, in accordance with the hoopoe's testimony to his truthfulness; and only after that was the letter with him.

   Mention of who said that:

   Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, from his father, from Ibn ʿAbbās: Sulaymān had been granted a kingdom, and he did not believe that anyone else had been granted a kingdom besides him. When he missed the hoopoe, he asked him: where do you come from? And he warned him with a severe warning of killing and punishment. He said: وَجِئْتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ. Sulaymān said: what is this news? The hoopoe said: إِنِّي وَجَدتُّ امْرَأَةً in Sabaʾ تَمْلِكُهُمْ وَأُوتِيَتْ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَلَهَا عَرْشٌ عَظِيمٌ. When the hoopoe informed Sulaymān that he had found a sovereign authority, he did not acknowledge that anyone on earth possessed sovereignty besides him; he said to those who were with him of the jinn and men: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِكَ وَإِنِّي عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِيٌّ أَمِينٌ — Sulaymān said: I want something faster than that. قَالَ الَّذِي عِندَهُ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ — and that was a man of the people who had knowledge of the Book, in which was the Greatest Name of Allah, by which when He is called upon, He answers: أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ — he invoked the Name while it stood before him, and the throne was carried until it was set down before Sulaymān, and Allah accomplished that. When the throne was brought to Sulaymān while they were polytheists who prostrated to the sun and the moon, the hoopoe had informed him of that, so he wrote a letter along with him and sent him to them. When the hoopoe reached the queen, he cast the letter to her. قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ إِنِّي أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ ... up to ... وَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ. She said to her people what she said: وَإِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِم بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ. He said: she sent him slave-girls and slaves, and clothed them in identical clothing so that male could not be distinguished from female. She said: if he distinguishes between them so that male is distinguished from female, and then returns the gift, then he is a prophet; in that case it befits us to relinquish our rule and follow his religion and join him. Sulaymān returned the gift and distinguished, and said: these are boys and these are girls. And he said: أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَا آتَانِيَ اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا آتَاكُم بَلْ أَنتُم بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ ... to the end of the verse.

   It was related to me from al-Ḥusayn, saying: I heard Abū Muʿādh say: ʿUbayd informed us, saying: I heard al-Ḍaḥḥāk say, concerning His word إِنِّي وَجَدتُّ امْرَأَةً تَمْلِكُهُمْ ... the verse; he said: Sulaymān did not acknowledge that anyone on earth possessed sovereignty besides him; he said to those who were with him of the jinn and men: أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا ... the verse.

   Others said: Sulaymān tested the truthfulness of the hoopoe by the letter, and asked those who were with him to bring her throne only after her envoys had departed from him and after the woman had set out on her way to him.

   Mention of who said that:

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, from Ibn Isḥāq, from one of the people of knowledge, from Wahb ibn Munabbih: when the envoys returned to her with what Sulaymān had said, she said: by Allah, I know that this is no kingly rule, and we can undertake nothing against him by surpassing in numbers. She sent word: I am coming to you with the kings of my people to see what your affair is and to what you summon in your religion. Then she gave orders concerning the seat of her kingship upon which she sat — and it was of gold, set with rubies, emeralds and pearls — and it was placed within seven chambers, one inside the other, then she locked the doors upon it. She was served only by women; six hundred women served her. Then she said to those whom she left over her rule: guard what is with you, and my royal seat — let none of Allah's servants approach it, and let no one see it until I return to you. Then she set out to Sulaymān with twelve thousand qayyl of the kings of Yemen, under each of them countless thousands of men. Sulaymān kept sending the jinn and they brought him news of her march and her resting-place every day and night, until she was near. He gathered those who were with him of the jinn and men, of those who were under his command, and said: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ.

   The explanation of the words is: Sulaymān said to the nobles of his present host, of jinn and men: يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا — he means: her seat.

   As Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us; and al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: al-Ḥasan related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us — both — from Ibn Abī Najīḥ, from Mujāhid, concerning His word أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا: he said: a seat in a couch.

   Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me, from Ibn Jurayj, from Mujāhid: her throne was a seat in a couch. Ibn Jurayj said: a seat of gold, with legs of precious stones and pearls.

   Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, from Ibn Isḥāq, from one of the people of knowledge, from Wahb ibn Munabbih: أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا — her seat.

   And Ibn Zayd said concerning this what Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said, concerning His word أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا: he said: her sitting-place.

   The people of knowledge differed concerning the reason why Sulaymān, in his questioning of the nobles of his host, asked specifically for the bringing of her throne above all her other possessions, before they came as Muslims. Some of them said: he did that because it had captivated him when the hoopoe described it to him, and he feared that if she were to become Muslim it would be forbidden to him — for he wished to take her seat before it became forbidden to him by her conversion.

   Mention of who said that:

   Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Abū Sufyān related to us, from Maʿmar, from Qatāda: he said: the hoopoe informed Sulaymān that she was on her way to come to him, and reported to him about her throne and it captivated him — it was of gold with legs of precious stones, set with pearls — and he understood that if they came as Muslims their property could not be taken from them; so he said to the jinn: أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ.

   Others said: Sulaymān did that in order to confront her with it and test her intelligence — would she recognize it if she saw it, or would she deny it?

   Mention of who said that:

   Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Ibn Zayd said: Allah had let Sulaymān know that she would come to him; he said: أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ — to confront her with it; kings used to confront one another with knowledge.

   The people of interpretation differed concerning the explanation of His word قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ. Some of them said: the meaning is: before they come to me as those who submit voluntarily.

   Mention of who said that:

   ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, from ʿAlī, from Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ: he says: voluntarily obedient.

   Others said: the meaning is: before they come to me with the Islam that is the religion of Allah.

   Mention of who said that:

   Al-Qāsim related to us, saying: al-Ḥusayn related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj related to me — Ibn Jurayj said: أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ — because of the sanctity of Islam, by which it would protect them and their property — that is to say: Islam protects them.

   Abū Jaʿfar said: the most correct view concerning the reason why Sulaymān, in his questioning of the nobles of his host, singled out the throne of this woman above the rest of her property, in our opinion, is that he did that in order to furnish her thereby with proof of his prophethood, and to make known to her thereby the power of Allah and the greatness of His affair — for she had locked it up in a chamber in the midst of chambers, one within the other, shut and locked; yet Allah brought it out from all of that without the opening of locks and bolts, until He delivered it to one of His creatures who saw it and received it. Thus it was for her the greatest proof of the reality of what Sulaymān had proclaimed to her, and of the truthfulness of Sulaymān in what he had let her know of his prophethood.

   As for the most correct of the two opinions concerning the explanation of قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ, it is the statement of Ibn ʿAbbās which we mentioned earlier, that the meaning is "as those who submit voluntarily" — for the woman had not come to Sulaymān as a Muslim when she arrived; she became Muslim only after her arrival at his place, after an exchange that took place between them and questioning.

   And His word قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ: the Exalted says: a mighty leader of the jinn, a powerful rebel, said. The Arabs have two dialectal forms for it: ʿifrīt and ʿifriya; whoever says "ʿifriya" makes the plural ʿafārī; whoever says "ʿifrīt" makes the plural ʿafārīt.

   In accordance with what we have said concerning this, the people of interpretation also spoke.

   Mention of who said that:

   Show original Arabic

   اختلف أهل العلم في الحين الذي قال فيه سليمان (يَاأَيُّهَا الْمَلأ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا ) فقال بعضهم: قال ذلك حين أتاه الهدهد بنبأ صاحبة سبأ, وقال له: وَجِئْتُكَ مِنْ سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ وأخبره أن لها عرشا عظيما, فقال له سليمان صلى الله عليه وسلم: سَنَنْظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ فكان اختباره صدقه من كذبه بأن قال لهؤلاء: أيكم يأتيني بعرش هذه المرأة قبل أن يأتوني مسلمين. وقالوا إنما كتب سليمان الكتاب مع الهدهد إلى المرأة بعد ما صحّ عنده صدق الهدهد بمجيء العالم بعرشها إليه على ما وصفه به الهدهد, قالوا: ولولا ذلك كان محالا أن يكتب معه كتابا إلى من لا يدري, هل هو في الدنيا أم لا؟ قالوا: وأخرى أنه لو كان كتب مع الهدهد كتابا إلى المرأة قبل مجيء عرشها إليه, وقبل علمه صدق الهدهد بذلك, لم يكن لقوله له سَنَنْظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ معنى؛ لأنه لا يُلِم بخبره الثاني من إبلاغه إياها الكتاب, أو ترك إبلاغه إياها ذلك, إلا نحو الذي علم بخبره الأوّل حين قال له: وَجِئْتُكَ مِنْ سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ قالوا: وإن لم يكن في الكتاب معهم امتحان صدقه من كذبه, وكان محالا أن يقول نبي الله قولا لا معنى له وقد قال: سَنَنْظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ علم أن الذي امتحن به صدق الهدهد من كذبه هو مصير عرش المرأة إليه, على ما أخبره به الهدهد الشاهد على صدقه, ثم كان الكتاب معه بعد ذلك إليها. *ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني محمد بن سعد, قال: ثني أبي, قال: ثني عمي, قال: ثني أبي, عن أبيه, عن ابن عباس قال: إن سليمان أوتي ملكا, وكان لا يعلم أن أحدا أوتي ملكا غيره; فلما فقد الهدهد سأله: من أين جئت؟ ووعده وعيدا شديدا بالقتل والعذاب, قال: وَجِئْتُكَ مِنْ سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ قال له سليمان: ما هذا النبأ؟ قال الهدهد: إِنِّي وَجَدْتُ امْرَأَةً بسبأ تَمْلِكُهُمْ وَأُوتِيَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَلَهَا عَرْشٌ عَظِيمٌ فلما أخبر الهدهد سليمان أنه وجد سلطانا, أنكر أن يكون لأحد في الأرض سلطان غيره, فقال لمن عنده من الجنّ والإنس: ( يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلأ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ قَالَ عِفْريتٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ مَقَامِكَ وَإِنِّي عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِيٌّ أَمِينٌ ) قال سليمان: أريد أعجل من ذلك (قَالَ الَّذِي عِنْدَهُ عِلْمٌ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ ) وهو رجل من الإنس عنده علم من الكتاب فيه اسم الله الأكبر, الذي إذا دعي به أجاب: (أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ ) فدعا بالاسم وهو عنده قائم, فاحتمل العرش احتمالا حتى وُضع بين يدي سليمان, والله صنع ذلك; فلما أتى سليمان بالعرش وهم مشركون, يسجدون للشمس والقمر, أخبره الهدهد بذلك, فكتب معه كتابًا ثم بعثه إليهم, حتى إذا جاء الهدهد الملكة ألقى إليها الكتاب قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلأُ إِنِّي أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ ... إلى وَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ فقالت لقومها ما قالت وَإِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِمْ بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ قال: وبعثت إليه بوصائف ووصفاء, وألبستهم لباسا واحدا, حتى لا يعرف ذكر من أنثى, فقالت: إن زيل بينهم حتى يعرف الذكر من الأنثى, ثم رد الهدية, فإنه نبي, وينبغي لنا أن نترك ملكنا ونتبع دينه ونلحق به, فردّ سليمان الهدية وزيل بينهم, فقال: هؤلاء غلمان وهؤلاء جوار وقال: أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَا آتَانِ اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا آتَاكُمْ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ ... إلى آخر الآية. حُدثت عن الحسين, قال: سمعت أبا معاذ يقول: أخبرنا عبيد, قال: سمعت الضحاك يقول في قوله: إِنِّي وَجَدْتُ امْرَأَةً تَمْلِكُهُمْ ... الآية; قال: وأنكر سليمان أن يكون لأحد على الأرض سلطان غيره, قال لمن حوله من الجنّ والإنس: (أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا )... الآية. وقال آخرون: بل إنما اختبر صدق الهدهد سليمان بالكتاب, وإنما سأل من عنده إحضاره عرش المرأة بعد ما خرجت رسلها من عنده, وبعد أن أقبلت المرأة إليه. *ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا ابن حميد: ثنا سلمة, عن ابن إسحاق, عن بعض أهل العلم, عن وهب بن منبه, قال: لما رجعت إليها الرسل بما قال سليمان: قالت: والله عرفت ما هذا بملك, وما لنا به طاقة, وما نصنع بمكاثرته شيئا, وبعثت: إني قادمة عليك بملوك قومي, حتى أنظر ما أمرك, وما تدعو إليه من دينك؟ ثم أمرت بسرير ملكها, الذي كانت تجلس عليه, وكان من ذهب مفصص بالياقوت والزبرجد واللؤلؤ, فجعل في سبعة أبيات بعضها &; 19-462 &; في بعض, ثم أقفلت عليه الأبواب. وكانت إنما يخدمها النساء, معها ستّمائة امرأة يخدمنها; ثم قالت لمن خلفت على سلطانها, احتفظ بما قِبَلك, وبسرير ملكي, فلا يخلص إليه أحد من عباد الله, ولا يرينه أحد حتى آتيك; ثم شخصت إلى سليمان في اثني عشر ألف قَيْلِ معها من ملوك اليمن, تحت يد كلّ قَيْلِ منهم ألوف كثيرة, فجعل سليمان يبعث الجنّ, فيأتونه بمسيرها ومنتهاها كلّ يوم وليلة, حتى إذا دنت جمع من عنده من الجنّ والإنس ممن تحت يده, فقال: (يَاأَيُّهَا الْمَلأ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ ). وتأويل الكلام: قال سليمان لأشراف من حضره من جنده من الجن والإنس: (يَاأَيُّهَا الْمَلأ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا ) يعني سريرها. كما حدثني محمد بن عمرو, قال: ثنا أبو عاصم, قال: ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحارث, قال: ثنا الحسن قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعا, عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد قوله: (أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا ) قال: سرير في أريكة. حدثنا القاسم, قال: ثنا الحسين, قال: ثني حجاج, عن ابن جُرَيج, عن مجاهد, قال: عرشها سرير في أريكة. قال ابن جُرَيج: سرير من ذهب, قوائمه من جوهر ولؤلؤ. حدثنا ابن حميد, قال: ثنا سلمة, عن ابن إسحاق, عن بعض أهل العلم, عن وهب بن منبه: (أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا ) بسريرها. وقال ابن زيد في ذلك ما حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب, قال: قال ابن زيد, في قوله: (أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا ) قال: مجلسها. واختلف أهل العلم في السبب الذي من أجله خصّ سليمان مسألة الملأ من جنده إحضار عرش هذه المرأة من بين أملاكها قبل إسلامها, فقال بعضهم: إنما فعل ذلك لأنه أعجبه حين وصف له الهدهد صفته, وخشي أن تسلم فيحرُم عليه مالها, فأراد أن يأخذ سريرها ذلك قبل أن يحرُم عليه أخذه بإسلامها. *ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا القاسم, قال: ثنا الحسين, قال: ثنا أبو سفيان, عن معمر, عن قَتادة, قال: أخبر سليمانَ الهدهدُ أنها قد خرجت لتأتيه, وأخبر بعرشها فأعجبه. كان من ذهب وقوائمه من جوهر مكلَّل باللؤلؤ, فعرف أنهم إن جاءوه مسلمين لم تحلّ لهم أموالهم, فقال للجنّ: (أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ ). وقال آخرون: بل فعل ذلك سليمان ليعاتبها به, ويختبر به عقلها, هل تثبته إذا رأته, أم تنكره؟ *ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب, قال: قال ابن زيد: أعلم الله سليمان أنها ستأتيه, فقال: (أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ ) حتى يعاتبها, وكانت الملوك يتعاتبون بالعلم. واختلف أهل التأويل في تأويل قوله (قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ )فقال بعضهم: معناه: قبل أن يأتوني مستسلمين طوعا. *ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثني عليّ, قال: ثنا أبو صالح, قال: ثني معاوية, عن علي, عن ابن عباس, قوله: (قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ ) يقول: طائعين. وقال آخرون: بل معنى ذلك: قبل أن يأتوني مسلمين الإسلام الذي هو دين الله. *ذكر من قال ذلك: حدثنا القاسم, قال: ثنا الحسين, قال: ثني حجاج, قال: قال ابن جُرَيج: (أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ ) بحرمة الإسلام فيمنعهم وأموالهم, يعني الإسلام يمنعهم. قال أبو جعفر: وأولى الأقوال بالصواب في السبب الذي من أجله خصّ سليمان بسؤاله الملأ من جنده بإحضاره عرش هذه المرأة دون سائر ملكها عندنا, ليجعل ذلك حجة عليها في نبوته, ويعرفها بذلك قدرة الله وعظيم شأنه, أنها خلَّفته في بيت في جوف أبيات, بعضها في جوف بعض, مغلق مقفل عليها, فأخرجه الله من ذلك كله, بغير فتح أغلاق وأقفال, حتى أوصله إلى ولية من خلقه, وسلمه إليه, فكان لها في ذلك أعظم حجة, على حقيقة ما دعاها إليه سليمان, وعلى صدق سليمان فيما أعلمها من نبوّته. فأما الذي هو أولى التأويلين في قوله (قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ ) بتأويله, فقول ابن عباس الذي ذكرناه قبل, من أن معناه طائعين, لأن المرأة لم تأت سليمان إذ أتته مسلمة, وإنما أسلمت بعد مقدمها عليه وبعد محاورة جرت بينهما ومساءلة. وقوله: (قَالَ عِفْريتٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: قال رئيس من الجنّ مارد قويّ. وللعرب فيه لغتان: عفريت, وعفرية; فمن قال: عفرية, جمعه: عفاري; ومن قال: عفريت, جمعه: عفاريت. وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل. *ذكر من قال ذلك: