And certainly We gave knowledge to Dawood and Sulaiman, and they both said: Praise be to Allah, Who has made us to excel many of His believing servants. 15 And [in this insight] Solomon was [truly] David's heir; and he would say: "O you people! We have been taught the speech of birds, and have been given [in abundance] of all [good] things: this, behold, is indeed a manifest favour [from God]!" 16 And before Solomon were marshalled his hosts,- of Jinns and men and birds, and they were all kept in order and ranks. 17 Till, when they came to the valley of the ants, one of the ants said: "O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Sulaiman (Solomon) and his hosts crush you, while they perceive not." 18 But he smiled, laughing at its words, and he said, 'My Lord, dispose me that I may be thankful for Thy blessing wherewith Thou hast blessed me and my father and mother, and that I may do righteousness well-pleasing to Thee; and do Thou admit me, by Thy mercy, amongst Thy righteous servants.' 19 Then Solomon inspected the birds, and said, "How is it that I do not see the hoopoe? Is he absent then? 20 I shall surely punish him severely or order him to be executed, unless he gives me a good reason for his absence." 21 But the hoopoe stayed not long, he (came up and) said: "I have grasped (the knowledge of a thing) which you have not grasped and I have come to you from Saba' (Sheba) with true news. 22 "Behold, I found there a woman ruling over them; and she has been given [abundance] of all [good] things, and hers is a mighty throne, 23 I found her and her people adoring the sun instead of Allah, and the Shaitan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them and thus turned them from the way, so they do not go aright 24 Al-La (this word has two interpretations) (A) [As Shaitan (Satan) has barred them from Allah's Way] so that they do not worship (prostrate before) Allah, or (B) So that they may worship (prostrate before) Allah, Who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal. [Tafsir At-Tabari, Vol. 19, Page 149] 25 "Allah!- there is no god but He!- Lord of the Throne Supreme!" ۩ 26 ۞ He replied: 'We shall see if what you have said is true or whether you are among those who lie. 27 "Go you with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them, then draw back from them, and see what (answer) they return." 28 [When the Queen had read Solomon's letter,] she said: "O you nobles! A truly distinguished letter has been conveyed unto me. 29 It is from Solomon and it is "In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful. 30 Do not consider yourselves superior to me but come to me as Muslims (in submission)". 31