Question
When Solomon (sws) asked his followers ‘who would bring the throne of Bilqis?’ An ‘Ifrit told him he will bring it before he rises from his place. However, a human being brought it to him in the blink of an eye. Will you please give me details on how the man did this?
Answer
I am afraid I will not be able to present the explanations offered by all the authorities on this matter. I will restrict myself to the most plausible and well-argued stance in this regard. First of all, I quote the relevant verse:
He [Solomon] said: O courtiers! Which of you will bring me her throne before they present themselves humbly before me? An ‘Ifrit [stalwart] from the Jinn said: I will bring it before you before you rise from your place. Lo! I am indeed strong and trustworthy for such work. The man [among the courtiers] who possessed the knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye. And [there it was]. When he [Solomon] saw it set before him, he said: This is boundless bounty of my Lord, that [has been showered upon me] so that He may try me whether I offer thanks or prove ungrateful. Whosoever shows thankfulness only does so for his own benefit: and whosoever is ungrateful [harms his own interest]. For My Lord is Independent, Bountiful. (27:38-40)
From these verses we can see that the Holy Qur’an did not mention the specific method employed by the person for transferring the throne of the queen. Therefore we can only make a conjecture in this regard, something which is never going to be substantiated. The Qur’an, however, has alluded to the fact that the knowledge which was used by the man was the divine guidance contained in the Scripture. It seems that some people had learnt this kind of knowledge, which could be used to make miraculous performances.
At another place in the Holy Qur’an, it is told that two angels were sent to the earth who would teach this kind of supernatural knowledge (Qur’an: 2:102). This knowledge was to be used very cautiously. The angels would clearly indicate that it was a sort of test for the people who learnt it and that it could be used both for positive as well as negative ends. This indicates that there existed in the ancient times knowledge of such powers though the specific mode of operation of this knowledge cannot be elaborated in absence of any divine guidance.
Answered by: Tariq Mahmood Hashmi
Date: 2015-03-23
