She said: 'O Council, let me hear your counsel, concerning my affairs, for I am not used to deciding an affair until you bear me witness' 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, "Indeed kings - when they enter a city, they ruin it and render the honored of its people humbled. And thus do they do. 34 Hence, behold, I am going to send a gift to those [people,] and await whatever [answer] the envoys bring back." 35 So when [the envoy] came to Solomon he said, "What! Are you offering me wealth? But that which God has given me is better than that which He has given you. Yet you rejoice in your gift. 36 [Then Sulaiman (Solomon) said to the chief of her messengers who brought the present]: "Go back to them. We verily shall come to them with hosts that they cannot resist, and we shall drive them out from there in disgrace, and they will be abased." 37 Solomon then said, "O Counsellors, which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission? 38 An efreet (an extremely strong jinn) among the jinn replied: 'I will bring it to you before you rise from your place; I have the strength and am trustworthy' 39 And he who had some knowledge of the Book said: "I will bring it before the twinkling of your eye." When Solomon saw the throne placed firmly beside him, he cried out: "This is by the grace of my Lord so that He may test me whether I give thanks for (His Bounty) or act with ingratitude. Whoever is grateful is so to his own good; and whoever is ungrateful, let him know that my Lord is Immensely Resourceful, Most Bountiful." 40 (Then) he said: 'Let her throne be disguised, so that we can see whether she is guided or if she is among those who are not guided' 41 So when she arrived, she was asked, "Is this thy throne?" She said, "It was just like this; and knowledge was bestowed on us in advance of this, and we have submitted to Allah (in Islam)." 42 And that which she used to worship beside God had stopped her [from believing]; for she came of a disbelieving people. 43 She was told: "Enter the palace." But when she saw it, she thought it was a pool of water and she bared both her calves (to enter into it). Solomon said: "This is a slippery floor of crystal." Thereupon she cried out: "My Lord, I have been inflicting much wrong on myself. Now I submit myself with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of the whole Universe." 44