قِيلَ لَهَا ٱدْخُلِى ٱلصَّرْحَ ۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ حَسِبَتْهُ لُجَّةً وَكَشَفَتْ عَن سَاقَيْهَا ۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ صَرْحٌ مُّمَرَّدٌ مِّن قَوَارِيرَ ۗ قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّى ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِى وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَـٰنَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ 44
Translations
She was told, "Enter the palace." But when she saw it, she thought it was a body of water and uncovered her shins [to wade through]. He said, "Indeed, it is a palace [whose floor is] made smooth with glass." She said, "My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, and I submit with Solomon to Allāh, Lord of the worlds."
Transliteration
Qila laha idkhuli as-sarh, falamma raatuhu hasibathu lujjatan wa kashafat an saqayha, qala innahu sarh mummarradun min qawareer, qalat rabbi inni zalamtu nafsee wa aslamtu ma'a sulaymana lillahi rabbi al-alamin.
Tafsir (Explanation)
When the Queen of Sheba was invited to enter Solomon's palace with its magnificent glass floor, she mistook the transparent floor for a pool of water and lifted her garments in astonishment. Solomon explained that the floor was made of polished glass, upon which the Queen recognized the greatness of God's power and immediately submitted herself and her kingdom to Allah alongside Solomon. This verse illustrates how witnessing divine signs can lead to sincere repentance and submission, as emphasized by classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir who note this as a moment of the Queen's spiritual awakening and acceptance of monotheism.
Revelation Context
This ayah concludes the narrative of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba within Surah An-Naml, which focuses on Solomon's extraordinary authority and the miracles granted to him. The story illustrates how wisdom and divine power can guide even distant nations toward monotheism, fitting the broader Meccan theme of establishing Allah's sovereignty.
Related Hadiths
While there is no specific hadith directly narrating this incident (as it is a Quranic account of events before the Prophet Muhammad's time), the principle of sincere repentance (tawbah) is extensively documented in hadith, such as the hadith in Sahih Muslim: 'The one who repents from sin is like one who has no sin.' This reflects the Queen's immediate submission and repentance.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that genuine spiritual transformation occurs when one recognizes divine signs and responds with sincere humility and submission to Allah. For modern believers, it emphasizes that no one is too far from guidance, and that witnessing or understanding divine truth should immediately move us to repentance and devoted worship of God alone.