THE THRONE, THE PALACE, AND CIVILIZATION IN THE STORY OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA
THE THRONE, THE PALACE, AND CIVILIZATION IN THE STORY OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA: THE TRIUMPH OF KNOWLEDGE OVER BRUTE FORCE
Introduction
One of the longest and most dramatic narratives in the Qur'an is the story of the Queen of Sheba and Prophet Solomon in Surah An-Naml. In traditional exegesis and popular culture, this account has often been confined to the framework of "extraordinary miracles," "instant transportation," or the magnificence of a great kingdom. Exaggerated interpretations, frequently influenced by Isra'iliyyat traditions, have led many readers to focus on supernatural elements while overlooking the profound socio-political, epistemological, and civilizational dimensions embedded within the text.
However, when the semantic structure of the verses and the chronology of events are examined carefully, what emerges is not a conventional conflict between two rulers, but rather a confrontation between two distinct paradigms of civilization. On one side stands the civilization of Sheba, deriving its legitimacy from a cosmic power—the worship of the sun—and from military and economic strength. On the other side stands the Solomonic model of governance, which views authority as a transcendent trust and knowledge as the highest source of legitimacy.
This narrative contains neither a bloody conquest nor the plundering of cities, nor the imposition of power through coercion. Instead, the process unfolds through diplomacy, consultation, intelligence gathering, architecture, aesthetics, and technological superiority—forming what may be described as an operation of persuasion and intellectual transformation. In this sense, the story revolves around one of humanity’s oldest questions:
What truly determines power and superiority: brute force and military mobilization, or knowledge, wisdom, and aesthetics?
1. Hudhud's Report and the Concept of the Throne ('Arsh): The Symbolism of Material Power and Authority
The story begins with a strategic intelligence report delivered by Hudhud (the hoopoe), a bird functioning as part of Solomon's information network. In describing the society of Sheba, Hudhud presents three fundamental characteristics that would be recognized today within the field of political sociology:
- A female ruler (political authority),
- A prosperous society (economic power),
- Sun worship (ideological and theological legitimacy).
He concludes his report with a striking observation:
"She has been given a magnificent throne." (Qur'an 27:23)
In Arabic semantics, the term 'arsh (throne) signifies far more than a piece of furniture. It represents the center of sovereignty, institutionalized political authority, state continuity, and the material grandeur produced by a civilization. Hudhud's description of Sheba through the metaphor of a "great throne" is therefore highly significant. Sheba's superiority and legitimacy were rooted in this symbol of military and economic hegemony.
Consequently, when the throne becomes the focal point of the subsequent events, the narrative is effectively addressing the underlying codes of sovereignty and the worldview upon which an entire civilization rests.
2. The Ifrit and the Man of Knowledge: The Conflict Between Hard Power and Intelligent Power
When Prophet Solomon asks:
"O chiefs! Which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?" (Qur'an 27:38)
the narrative reaches one of its most dramatic turning points.
The responses he receives embody two contrasting models of power.
A. The Model of the Ifrit: Brute Force and Temporal Dependence (Hard Power)
An Ifrit from among the jinn says:
"I will bring it to you before you rise from your place. Indeed, I am strong and trustworthy for this task." (Qur'an 27:39)
The Ifrit represents raw physical power. His capability remains bound to time and space, measured by the duration of Solomon's sitting. His confidence rests entirely upon strength and physical capacity.
In modern political terminology, this resembles the model of Hard Power, where authority is exercised through coercion, military capability, and material force.
B. The Model of the One Possessing Knowledge: Information, Systems, and Transcending Limits (Smart Power)
Another individual responds:
"I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you." (Qur'an 27:40)
Remarkably, the Qur'an does not mention this person's name, ethnicity, or social status. His only defining characteristic is that he possesses:
"knowledge from the Book" ('ilm min al-kitab).
The focus is not on the individual but on knowledge itself.
Where the Ifrit remains constrained by physical limitations, the possessor of knowledge effectively reduces time to the duration of a blink. The narrative demonstrates the superiority of systematic knowledge over raw energy.
In contemporary terms, the triumph belongs not to physical force but to information, science, and technology.
Equally significant is Solomon's response:
"This is from the favor of my Lord."
He refuses to transform technological superiority into a source of arrogance, grounding power instead in a moral and transcendent framework.
3. The Command "Nakkiru Lahā": Reconstruction and Innovation
After the throne is brought, Solomon issues an intriguing command:
"Alter her throne for her; let us see whether she will be guided or be among those who are not guided." (Qur'an 27:41)
The Arabic verb nakkirū does not imply destruction. Rather, it means to modify, transform, or render something unfamiliar through alteration.
If the purpose had merely been identification, covering the throne would have sufficed. Instead, the command suggests a process of redesign and innovation.
Surah Saba (34:13) describes the remarkable production capabilities available to Solomon, including fortresses, statues, large basins, and fixed cauldrons. In light of this technological and architectural capacity, the command may indicate that Sheba's throne—the symbol of its civilizational pride—was rapidly reconstructed and enhanced through Solomonic engineering and aesthetics.
The message conveyed to the Queen is profound:
"The symbol of sovereignty that your civilization regards as unparalleled can be redesigned and improved here through knowledge and creativity."
4. "It Is As Though It Were the Same": Rational Recognition
Upon arriving and seeing the throne, the Queen is asked:
"Is your throne like this?" (Qur'an 27:42)
The question is carefully framed. She is not confronted with a blunt demand for confirmation. Instead, her rational faculties are invited into the process.
Her response reveals remarkable intellectual maturity:
"It is as though it were the same."
This answer avoids two extremes:
- Blind denial,
- Uncritical acceptance.
She recognizes the similarity while acknowledging the extraordinary circumstances. The throne appears identical to the one left behind under heavy protection, yet it now stands before her in a more advanced form.
Her statement reflects analytical reasoning rather than emotional reaction. The narrative implicitly commends her intellectual honesty and prepares the reader for her later transformation.
5. The Palace (Sarh) and the Psychology of Perception
Immediately after the throne episode, the Queen is invited into a magnificent structure:
"She was told, 'Enter the palace.' When she saw it, she thought it was a body of water and uncovered her legs. Solomon said, 'It is a palace paved with transparent glass.'" (Qur'an 27:44)
The Arabic word sarh refers to an elevated, magnificent, and architecturally refined structure.
The Queen mistakes the transparent floor for water and responds according to sensory perception. Her senses deceive her.
Solomon's clarification serves not merely as an architectural explanation but as a profound theological metaphor.
It is as though he is saying:
"Just as your eyes deceived you regarding this palace floor, they have also deceived you regarding the sun. You mistook a created sign for ultimate reality. The sun, like this transparent floor, merely points beyond itself to its Creator."
The lesson extends beyond architecture into epistemology and theology. Human perception alone is insufficient to grasp ultimate truth.
6. A Conquest Without War: The Victory of Diplomacy and Intellectual Superiority
Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of the narrative is that it constitutes a conquest achieved entirely through soft power.
Earlier, the Queen accurately describes the nature of conventional imperial expansion:
"Indeed, when kings enter a city, they ruin it and make the honored among its people humiliated." (Qur'an 27:34)
This statement summarizes the destructive logic of conquest throughout human history.
Expecting Solomon to behave similarly, she attempts to appease him through gifts.
Yet Solomon rejects this paradigm entirely.
He does not besiege cities.
He does not mobilize armies for invasion.
He does not seek domination through violence.
Instead, he employs:
- Written communication and diplomacy,
- Intelligence and psychological insight,
- Scientific and technological superiority,
- Architectural and aesthetic excellence.
His objective is not the subjugation of bodies but the persuasion of minds.
What war destroys, persuasion builds.
Conclusion: The Conquest of the Mind and the Nature of Submission
The story of the Queen of Sheba in Surah An-Naml is far more than a collection of miraculous events. It is a manifesto proclaiming the victory of knowledge, wisdom, technology, and aesthetics over brute force.
The raw power represented by the Ifrit is ultimately surpassed by the systematic knowledge embodied in the unnamed possessor of learning from the Book.
The Solomonic model offers an alternative to worldly empires founded upon military domination. It presents a civilization centered on knowledge, justice, creativity, and moral responsibility.
The climax of the narrative arrives when the Queen reaches a moment of profound realization. She does not lose her throne, nor is she stripped of her crown. Rather, she dismantles the idols within her own understanding:
"My Lord, I have wronged myself. I now submit, together with Solomon, to Allah, the Lord of all worlds." (Qur'an 27:44)
The phrase is not "I submit to Solomon," but:
"I submit together with Solomon."
This is not political surrender. It is the recognition of a shared truth.
Ultimately, the narrative teaches that the greatest conquest is not the conquest of land, but the liberation of the human mind from ignorance, illusion, and the dominance of brute force through knowledge, wisdom, and truth.
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