She said, “O chieftains, advise me in this matter of mine; I do not give a final decision until you are present with me.” 32 They said: we are owners of power and owners of great violence, but the command is with thee; see then whatsoever thou shalt command. 33 She said: 'When kings enter a village, they ruin it and humiliate its nobles. And this they will do. 34 But lo! I am going to send a present unto them, and to see with what (answer) the messengers return. 35 So when (the messengers with the present) came to Sulaiman (Solomon), he said: "Will you help me in wealth? What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay, you rejoice in your gift!" 36 Go back to your people and we shall soon come there with an army which they will not be able to face. We shall drive them from their town, humble, and disgraced." 37 Solomon said: "My nobles, which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?" 38 An extremely evil jinn said, “I will bring it in your presence before you disperse the assembly; and I am indeed strong and trustworthy upon it.” 39 The one who had some knowledge of the Book said: I shall bring it unto thee ere thy eye twinkleth. Then when he saw it placed before him, he said: this is of the grace of my Lord that He may prove me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for his own soul; and whosoever is ungrateful then verily my Lord is Self-Sufficient, Munificent. 40 Then he said, "Make a few changes to her throne and let us see whether she will recognize it or not." 41 And so, as soon as she arrived, she was asked: "Is thy throne like this?" She answered: "It is as though it were the same!" [And Solomon said to his nobles: "She has arrived at the truth without any help from us,] although it is we who have been given [divine] knowledge before her, and have [long ago] surrendered ourselves unto God! 42 What prevented her (from accepting the True Faith) was her worshipping deities other than Allah, for she belonged to an unbelieving people. 43 She was asked to enter the lofty Palace: but when she saw it, she thought it was a lake of water, and she (tucked up her skirts), uncovering her legs. He said: "This is but a palace paved smooth with slabs of glass." She said: "O my Lord! I have indeed wronged my soul: I do (now) submit (in Islam), with Solomon, to the Lord of the Worlds." 44