(Solomon) said: 'We shall see if you speak the truth or you are a liar.
Said Sulaiman, “We shall now see whether you spoke the truth or are among the liars.”
Said he, 'Now We will see whether thou hast spoken truly, or whether thou art amongst those that lie.
Said [Solomon]: “We shall see whether thou hast told the truth or art one of the liars!
Sulaiman said: we shall see now whether thou hast spoken the truth or whether thou art of the liars.
[Sulaiman (Solomon)] said: "We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are (one) of the liars.
He said, “We will see, whether you have spoken the truth, or whether you are a liar.
Solomon said: "Soon shall we see whether you have spoken the truth or are one of those that lie.
(Sulayman) said: "We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are (one) of the liars."
(Solomon) said: We shall see whether thou speakest truth or whether thou art of the liars.
He said, ‘We shall see whether you are truthful, or if you are one of the liars.
He replied: 'We shall see if what you have said is true or whether you are among those who lie.
[Solomon] said, "We will see whether you were truthful or were of the liars.
Solomon said, "We shall see whether you are truthful or a liar.
He said: We will see whether you have told the truth or whether you are of the liars:
Q<u>a</u>la sanan<i><u>th</u></i>uru a<u>s</u>adaqta am kunta mina alk<u>ath</u>ibeen<b>a</b>
Solomon said, "We shall soon see whether you have spoken the truth, or whether you are a liar.
(Solomon) said: "Soon shall we see whether thou hast told the truth or lied!
قَالَ سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ
[Solomon] said, "I will see whether you were truthful or were of the liars. Solomon (peace be upon him) said to the hoopoe: “I shall see if you are truthful in what you claim or were you amongst the liars”.
[Solomon] said, "I will see whether you were truthful or were of the liars. Solomon (peace be upon him) said to the hoopoe: “I shall see if you are truthful in what you claim or were you amongst the liars”.
<h2 class="title">Sulayman's Letter to Bilqis</h2><p>Allah tells us what Sulayman said to the hoopoe when he told him about the people of Saba' and their queen:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">قَالَ سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْكَـذِبِينَ </div><p>((Sulayman) said: "We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are (one) of the liars.") meaning, `are you telling the truth'</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْكَـذِبِينَ</div><p>(or you are (one) of the liars.) meaning, `or are you telling a lie in order to save yourself from the threat I made against you'</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">اذْهَب بِّكِتَابِى هَـذَا فَأَلْقِهْ إِلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا يَرْجِعُونَ </div><p>(Go you with this letter of mine and deliver it to them then draw back from them and see what they return.) Sulayman wrote a letter to Bilqis and her people and gave it to the hoopoe to deliver. It was said that he carried it on his wings, as is the way with birds, or that he carried it in his beak. He went to their land and found the palace of Bilqis, then he went to her private chambers and threw the letter through a small window, then he stepped to one side out of good manners. Bilqis was amazed and confused when she saw that, then she went and picked up the letter, opened its seal and read it. The letter said:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ - أَلاَّ تَعْلُواْ عَلَىَّ وَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ </div><p>(it is from Sulayman, and it (reads): `In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; Be you not exalted against me, but come to me submitting (as Muslims).') So she gathered her commanders and ministers and the leaders of her land, and said to them:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">يأَيُّهَا الْمَلأُ إِنَّى أُلْقِىَ إِلَىَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ</div><p>("O chiefs! Verily, here is delivered to me a noble letter.") She described it as such because of the wondrous things she had seen, that it was delivered by a bird who threw it to her, then stood aside out of good manners. This was something that no king could do. Then she read the letter to them:</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ - أَلاَّ تَعْلُواْ عَلَىَّ وَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ </div><p>(Verily, it is from Sulayman, and it (reads): `In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; Be you not exalted against me, but come to me submitting (as Muslims).') Thus they knew that it was from Allah's Prophet Sulayman, upon him be peace, and that they could not match him. This letter was the utmost in brevity and eloquence, coming straight to the point.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">أَلاَّ تَعْلُواْ عَلَىَّ</div><p>(Be you not exalted against me,) Qatadah said: "Do not be arrogant with me.</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ</div><p>(but come to me submitting (as Muslims). )" `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said: "Do not refuse or be too arrogant to come to me</p><div class="text_uthmani arabic">وَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ</div><p>(but come to me submitting (as Muslims).)"</p>
Sulayman's Letter to BilqisAllah tells us what Sulayman said to the hoopoe when he told him about the people of Saba' and their queen:قَالَ سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْكَـذِبِينَ ((Sulayman) said: "We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are (one) of the liars.") meaning, `are you telling the truth'أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْكَـذِبِينَ(or you are (one) of the liars.) meaning, `or are you telling a lie in order to save yourself from the threat I made against you'اذْهَب بِّكِتَابِى هَـذَا فَأَلْقِهْ إِلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا يَرْجِعُونَ (Go you with this letter of mine and deliver it to them then draw back from them and see what they return.) Sulayman wrote a letter to Bilqis and her people and gave it to the hoopoe to deliver. It was said that he carried it on his wings, as is the way with birds, or that he carried it in his beak. He went to their land and found the palace of Bilqis, then he went to her private chambers and threw the letter through a small window, then he stepped to one side out of good manners. Bilqis was amazed and confused when she saw that, then she went and picked up the letter, opened its seal and read it. The letter said:إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ - أَلاَّ تَعْلُواْ عَلَىَّ وَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ (it is from Sulayman, and it (reads): `In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; Be you not exalted against me, but come to me submitting (as Muslims).') So she gathered her commanders and ministers and the leaders of her land, and said to them:يأَيُّهَا الْمَلأُ إِنَّى أُلْقِىَ إِلَىَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ("O chiefs! Verily, here is delivered to me a noble letter.") She described it as such because of the wondrous things she had seen, that it was delivered by a bird who threw it to her, then stood aside out of good manners. This was something that no king could do. Then she read the letter to them:إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ - أَلاَّ تَعْلُواْ عَلَىَّ وَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ (Verily, it is from Sulayman, and it (reads): `In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; Be you not exalted against me, but come to me submitting (as Muslims).') Thus they knew that it was from Allah's Prophet Sulayman, upon him be peace, and that they could not match him. This letter was the utmost in brevity and eloquence, coming straight to the point.أَلاَّ تَعْلُواْ عَلَىَّ(Be you not exalted against me,) Qatadah said: "Do not be arrogant with me.وَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ(but come to me submitting (as Muslims). )" `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said: "Do not refuse or be too arrogant to come to meوَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ(but come to me submitting (as Muslims).)"