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| 36. So when the Queen's envoy came to Solomon, he said, `Do you presume to help me with your wealth ? But that which ALLAH has given me is better than that which HE has given you. Nay, you take pride in your gift; 37. `Go back to them, for we shall surely come to them with hosts against which they will have no power of resistance, and we shall drive them out of their land disgraced, and they will be humbled.' 38. He said, `O nobles, which of you will bring me her throne before they come to me submitting ?' 39. A powerful chieftain from among the jinn said, `I will bring it to thee before thou strikest thy camp; and indeed I possess power therefor and I am trustworthy.' 40. Said one who had knowledge of the book, `I will bring it to thee before thy noble envoy returns to thee.' And when he saw it set before him, he said, `This is of the grace of my Lord, that HE may try me whether I am grateful or ungrateful. And whosoever is grateful is grateful for the good of his own soul; but whosoever is ungrateful, truly, my Lord is Self-Sufficient, Gracious.' 41. He said, `Make the throne so beautiful as to make her own throne appear quite ordinary to her, and let us see whether she follows the right way or whether she is one of those who follow not the right way.' 42. And when she came, it was said to her, `Is thy throne like this ?' She replied, `It is as though it were the same. And we had been given knowledge before this, and we have already submitted.' 43. And that which she used to worship beside ALLAH prevented her from believing; for she came of a disbelieving people. 44. It was said to her, `Enter the palace.' And when she saw it, she thought it to be a great expanse of water, and she bared her shanks. Solomon said, `It is a palace paved smooth with slabs of glass.' She said, `My Lord, indeed I have wronged my soul; and I submit myself with Solomon to ALLAH, the Lord of the worlds.' |
