HUDHUD AND PROPHET SULAYMAN (A.S.)

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Prophet Sulayman (a.s.) was a great king.

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Salaamun ‘alaykum dear children,The hoopoe is a light yellow bird with a crest on his head. It is referred to as Hudhud in the Holy Qur’an. Prophet Sulayman (a.s.) was given the ability by Allah (s.w.t.) to talk to the birds, animals, jinn and the human beings.

One day, as Prophet Sulayman (a.s.) was checking his army of birds, he noticed that Hudhud was missing. He had gone searching for water without permission.

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When Hudhud returned, he explained Prophet Sulayman (a.s.) what he had seen. “I found a woman ruling over the people. She has been given many blessings and has a mighty throne. She and her people are worshipping the sun instead of Allah (s.w.t.)!”

When Prophet Sulayman (a.s.) heard about Queen Bilqis and the City of Saba’, he was very surprised, and decided to find out if what the bird said was true.

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This was Queen Bilqis

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Prophet Sulayman (a.s.) wrote a letter to Queen Bilqis telling her to worship Allah (s.w.t.) and to stop worshipping the sun.

He sent Hudhud back to the queen and waited to see her response.

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Hudhud carried the letter carefully in his beak. Queen Bilqis was very surprised

when she saw the bird with a letter in his beak.

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When she read the letter, she didn’t know what to do. After consulting with her ministers, she decided to send some gifts to Prophet Sulayman (a.s.).

He refused to accept the gifts because Allah (s.w.t.) had already given him so much more than what she had to offer. And also, what he wanted was, that she should believe in Allah (s.w.t.).

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Here we see the gifts being sent by Queen Bilqis to Prophet Sulayman (a.s.).

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When Prophet Sulayman (a.s.) turned down her gifts, she decided to visit him. When he heard that she was coming, he asked if anyone from his subjects could bring him her throne. One of his viziers who was a learned man, offered to bring her throne to him before he blinked his eyes, even though Palestine and Yemen were very far apart.

Prophet Sulayman (a.s.) thanked Allah (s.w.t.) when he saw all this. He then ordered that a palace should be built and its floor be made of clear glass.

When Queen Bilqis entered the palace, she walked slowly and carefully thinking that it was all water.

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When Prophet Sulayman (a.s.) told her the truth, she realized that Allah (s.w.t.) was the Most powerful and The Most Glorious. She immediately submitted herself to Allah (s.w.t.).

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F. T. Jaffer