Overall meaning : Allah Almighty says: The Queen of Sheba said to the nobles amongst her people after having read Solomon’s letter, ‘Council, a gracious letter has been delivered to me. It is from Solomon, and it reads: In the name of Allah, the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful. Do not exalt yourselves above me, but obey my commands and come to me in total submission to Allah.’ She added, ‘Council, give me your opinion about this matter. I would never make a decision without your consent.’
They said, ‘We are endowed with strength and with immense military vigour and mighty prowess in battle, and the decision is yours as to whether to fight Solomon or make peace with him. Consider, then, what you will command; we are prepared to follow your orders.’
She said, ‘When kings invade a city, they lay waste to it and humiliate its noblest inhabitants. Thus do they always behave. But I will send Solomon and his people a magnificent gift and see what response my envoys will bring back.’
When her envoys came to Solomon with the gifts, he disapprovingly said to them, ‘Do you offer me wealth so that I would let you continue worshipping other than Allah? What Allah has bestowed on me is far better than what He has given you. It is only people like you who would rejoice in such gifts.’ Then he threateningly said to the chief envoy, ‘You and your aides go back to your people. If they do not come to me in complete submission to Allah, I swear by Allah we will come upon them forces they cannot oppose and we will expel them from their land abased and humiliated!’