Verse:15 Commentary Commentary

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ عِلْمًا

And surely We gave knowledge to Dawud and Sulaiman. (27:15)

The knowledge given to Sayyidna Dawud and Sulaiman (علیہما السلام) was obviously the special knowledge normally given to the prophets about their functions and obligations as prophets, but at the same time it may also include other sciences and arts, as Sayyidna Dawud (علیہ السلام) was given the art of making armors. Sayyidna Dawud and Sulaiman (علیہما السلام) enjoyed a special position among the prophets in that they were also bestowed with the empire along with the prophethood. The empire was of a very special nature in that they ruled over not only the humans but also the Jinns and animals. While relating all these graces, knowledge is mentioned first, which is a clear hint that knowledge is superior and paramount among them all. (Qurtubi) Verse:16 Commentary There is no heritage of wealth among the prophets

وَوَرِ‌ثَ سُلَيْمَانُ دَاوُودَ (And Sulaiman inherited Dawud - 27:16). The inheritance mentioned in this verse is not the inheritance of wealth and property, because the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has clearly declared that the prophets do neither inherit the property of anyone nor does their property is inherited by anyone. Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud have reported from Sayyidna Abu darda' ؓ that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said, ` Ulama' (men of knowledge) are the inheritors of prophets, but the prophets did not leave dirhams or dinars (wealth) as their inheritance; instead, they have left knowledge as their heritage. Al-Kulaini, the famous Shiite scholar, has reported from Sayyidna Ja'far As-sadiq that he said, "Sayyidna Sulaiman علیہ السلام was the inheritor of Sayyidna Dawud (علیہ السلام) ، and the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was the inheritor of Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) . (Ruh from al-Kulaini). This statement makes the issue very clear that the inheritance is used here in the sense of heritage of knowledge (because nobody can claim that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم inherited the property of Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) . Rationally speaking also, here inheritance cannot mean wealth, because when Sayyidna Dawud (علیہ السلام) died he had 19 sons, hence if inheritance of wealth was meant to be distributed, then all these sons would have been entitled for the inheritance, and it cannot be exclusive to Sayyidna Sulaiman علیہ السلام alone. It is, therefore, quite clear that the inheritance meant here is the one in which the brothers were not included and only Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) was the inheritor. This could only be the inheritance of knowledge and prophethood. Along with that inheritance, Allah Ta' ala also graced him with the empire of Sayyidna Dawud (علیہ السلام) and furthermore control over the Jinns, birds, animals and the wind. In the light of these proofs, the narration of Tabrasi is proved to be wrong in which he has regarded inheritance as that of wealth on authority of some Imams of Ah1-ul-Bait. (Ruh)

The period between the death of Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) and the birth of the last of the prophets the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was seventeen hundred years, while Jews calculate this period as fourteen hundred years. The life span of Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) was a little over fifty years. (Qurtubi)

It is permissible to use plural form for one's own self, provided it is not out of arrogance

عُلِّمْنَا مَنطِقَ الطَّيْرِ‌ وَأُوتِينَا (27:16). Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) has used plural form for himself as a regal idiom, although he was alone. It was to impress his subjects, so that they do not indulge in indolence in the obedience of Allah Ta' ala and in following him. Similarly, there is no harm if the rulers and officials also use plural form for themselves while they are in the company of their subjects, provided it is for the esteem of the office they are holding and not out of arrogance.

Birds and animals also have sense and intelligence

There is sense and intelligence to some degree in all animals and birds. However, it is not developed to such an extent that they were made to follow any injunctions of the Shari'ah. But the humans and jinns are bestowed with such perfected sense and intelligence that they are made the addressee and followers of the injunctions of Allah Ta' ala. Imam Shafi` i (رح) has said that dove is the cleverest of all the birds, and Ibn ` Atiyyah has said that ant is very intelligent animal; its smelling power is very strong . If it gets hold of a grain it breaks it into two, so that it does not germinate, and thus it stock its food for the winters. (Qurtubi)

Special Note

The expression "speech of birds" is used in the verse because of the incident of the hoopoe which is a bird, otherwise Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) was taught languages of all the beasts, birds and the insects, as mentioned in the next verse about understanding the language of the ant. Imam Qurtubi has mentioned in his Tafsir different incidents in which Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) told the people how different birds chirped and what did they mean. The chirping of each bird was a word of advice.

وَأُوتِينَا مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ (and we have been given of everything -16). The word كُلِّ (every) applies to everything of a kind, but sometimes its application is not universal but pertains to a specific purpose. Here also it is used in that sense and "everything" refers to those things only which are needed by the government or an empire. Otherwise it is obvious that they did not have aeroplanes, motor cars or railways in those days.

رَ‌بِّ أَوْزِعْنِي (My Lord, enable me - 27:19). It is derived from ) وَزع (waz' ), which lexically means to stop or restrain. Here it means ` enable me with Divine help so that I should have the trait of gratitude with me all the time and do not part with it ever', which will result in restraint. In the earlier verse فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ (27:17) (translated as "kept under control" it was also used in the same sense, that in order to save them from confusion because of their large number the armies were restrained. Verse:17 Commentary - - - Verse:18 Commentary - - - Verse:19 Commentary وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْ‌ضَاهُ (and that I do the good deeds You like - 27:19). Here رضا (liking) means acceptance. Thus the meaning is ` Ya Allah! Grace me with Divine help for such righteous deeds which are acceptable to You'. From this it is argued in Ruh ul-Ma' ani that it is not necessary for the righteous deeds to be accepted, but their acceptance is dependent on certain conditions. It is further explained that there is no relation between righteousness and acceptance either rationally or in religious law. It is for this reason that the prophets used to pray for the acceptance of their righteous deeds. Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) and Ismail (علیہ السلام) prayed while constructing the House of Allah رَ‌بَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا (Our Lord accept from us - 2:127). It shows that after doing a good deed, one should not be complacent, but should pray to Allah for its acceptance.

Despite having done good deeds and their acceptance the entry into Paradise will not be possible without the grace of Allah

وَأَدْخِلْنِي بِرَ‌حْمَتِكَ فِي عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ (And admit me, by your mercy, among your righteous slaves - 27:19). Despite having performed good deeds and their acceptance, the entry into Paradise will depend on the grace and kindness of Allah Ta' ala. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said that no one will enter into Paradise relying only on his deeds. So the companions enquired from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم "Even you too?", and he answered "Yes, me too, but I am surrounded by Allah's favour and grace". (Ruh u1-Ma' ani)

Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) was also praying for the grace of Allah for the entry into Paradise in these words ` O Allah, grace me also with your favour so that I become entitled to enter Paradise'. Verse:20 Commentary Commentary

وَتَفَقَّدَ الطَّيْرَ‌ (And he checked the birds - 27:20). The word تَفَقَّدَ (tafaqqud) means to verify about the presence or absence of some people. Hence it is translated as to check. Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) was bestowed by Allah Ta' ala the rule over Jinns, the beasts and the birds, apart from humans. As it is customary for the ruler to look after and take care of all of his subjects, it is stated in this verse وَتَفَقَّدَ الطَّيْرَ‌ That is Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) inspected the birds from his subjects, and made a note of the presence and absence of them all. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم also had the habit to keep himself informed about the wellbeing of his companions. If someone was absent, he used to go to his house to find out his welfare. If anyone was sick, he would go and visit him and do the needful nursing. If someone was afflicted with any trouble, he would make the effort to remove it.

It is necessary for the rulers to take care of their subjects and for the saints of their disciples and students

This verse has proved that Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) used to keep an eye on all types of his subjects, and used to keep himself fully informed about them, so much so that the absence of a small and weak bird like a hoopoe which has a small population compared to other birds, did not go unnoticed from him. It is also possible that his specific enquiry about the hoopoe was due to its small population and weak make-up among the species of birds. Therefore, he made special effort to keep his eyes on the weaker section of his subjects.

Among the companions, Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ established the traditions of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in totality during his tenure as caliph. He used to go round the streets of Madinah during the nights to keep him fully abreast with the state of affairs. If he found any one in distress or need, he would help him out. A number of such incidents are related in his biography: He used to say "If a wolf kills a lamb by the side of river Euphrates, for that too Umar will be answerable". (Qurtubi)

Such were the principles of rule and administration, which were taught by the prophets and practically demonstrated by the revered companions of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . Because of these practices, the entire populace, both Muslims and non-Muslims, used to live in complete harmony and tranquility. Such justice and fair play, composure and tranquility were never witnessed ever in the whole world after their time.

مَا لِيَ لَا أَرَ‌ى الْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ الْغَائِبِينَ

"What is wrong with me that I do not see the hoopoe; rather he has disappeared? - 27:20

Taking account of one's own Self

Apparently Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) should have said at this occasion, " What is wrong with the hoopoe that he is absent?" But Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) asked about his own wrong when he said, "What is wrong with me?" Perhaps, it was because the hoopoe and all other birds were put under his control as a special reward. Initially it crossed his mind momentarily that probably His blessings have been curtailed for some slip on his part that a species of birds (the hoopoe) was not present. So, he made some soul searching to find out what could have been the reason for its absence? It was a case similar to that of the mystic saints who make enquiries from their Self before looking into the material causes for the relief of any distress, or when any blessing is reduced for them. It is their practice to take into account of any possible slips on their part in paying gratitude to Allah Ta' ala for His bounties, which might have caused the withdrawal of the blessings from them. Qurtubi has quoted here the practice of these saints on the authority of Ibn al-` Arabi in the following words:

اِذا فقدوا امالھم تفقّدوا اعمالھم That is ` when these saints do not succeed in their objectives, they take stock of their deeds to find out where have they committed the mistake'.

After this initial stock-taking of Self and due considerations and deliberations it is said أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ الْغَائِبِينَ (rather, he has disappeared - 27:20). Here the word اَم is used for the meaning of the word بَل (rather) (Qurtubi). Therefore, the meaning of the sentence is ` It is not that my sight has faltered in locating the hoopoe, but in fact it is not present'.

Reason for picking up hoopoe from among the birds, and an important warning

Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas ؓ was asked as to what was the reason that the hoopoe was picked up from all the birds. He replied that Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) had camped at a place where there was no water, and Allah Ta' ala has bestowed such a peculiar instinct to hoopoe that it can see things under the ground and can also locate the underground water. Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) wanted to find out, through the proficiency of the hoopoe, the depth and extent of the underground water. Having known the location of the underground water, he would have commanded the Jinns to excavate the ground to bring the water up - a task they would have performed very quickly. Paradoxically, despite having the piercing sight, the hoopoe gets entrapped in the nets of the hunters. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has commented on this:

قف یا وقّاف کیف یری الھدھد باطن الارض وھو لا یرٰی الفخّ حین یقع فیہ (قرطبی)

` 0 the people of knowledge! try to understand this fact that the hoopoe has the ability to see things under the ground, but the net spread out over the ground gets obscured from its sight, and hence it gets entrapped in that'.

The bottom line to understand is that whatever is destined for a person through the divine decree, whether it is trouble or comfort, has to be enforced, and no one can escape from it by his wisdom, insight or through the use of force or money. Verse:21 Commentary لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لَأَذْبَحَنَّهُ

I will punish him with a severe punishment - 27:21

It is part of the political sagacity to punish the absentee after making due scrutiny.

It is permissible to punish a lethargic animal moderately

Allah Ta' ala had permitted Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) to punish the animals in the same way, as He had permitted people of all ages, a permission which is still valid, to slaughter them to make use of their flesh, bones, skin etc. Similarly, if the domestic animals, such as cow, horse, camel, donkey etc., do not perform their normal duty, then it is permissible even now to punish them moderately for disciplining. Punishing animals, other than domestic, is not permissible under Islamic law. (Qurtubi)

أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ

Unless he brings to me a clear plea. - 27:21

That is, if the hoopoe offers a plausible excuse for its absence, then it will be saved from the punishment. There is a subtle hint in it that it is expected of a ruler or an administrator that if someone falters doing something, then it should be thoroughly investigated before punishing him. The punishment should be enforced only when the guilt is established, otherwise he should be forgiven. Verse:22 Commentary أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ (I have discovered what you did not - 27:22). That is, the hoopoe. said while offering its excuse that it knew something which he did not know. What it meant was that it had brought information, which he (Sulaiman علیہ السلام) did not know before.

The prophets do not have the knowledge of the unknown

Imam Qurtubi has deduced from this incident that the prophets do not have the knowledge of the unseen (` Ilm ul-ghayb), so that they could know all about everything. It is quite evident from this verse.

وَجِئْتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ

"And have brought to you a sure information from Saba' (Sheba) ". 27:22

Saba' (Sheba) (سَبَاء) is a well-known city of Yemen, and its other name is Ma'arib (مَآرِب). The distance between San` a', the capital of Yemen, and Saba' is three day's journey.

Is it proper for a junior to say to his senior that he knows more than him?

On the basis of this conversation by the hoopoe, some people have deduced that it is appropriate for a pupil to say to his teacher or for a common man to say to a knowledgeable person that he knows more than the latter on the subject, provided he is absolutely confident that his knowledge on that subject is really more than others. But it is argued in Ruh ul-Ma' ani that such an assertion before the elders and scholars is against the etiquettes, and should be avoided. This argument, however, does not apply to the conversation of the hoopoe, because it made that statement to save itself from the punishment and to justify its excuse for the absence. The hoopoe actually wanted to place before Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) the exact position, so that he could understand the reason for its absence. In such situations it is not improper if something is said against the normal etiquettes. Verse:23 Commentary إِنِّي وَجَدتُّ امْرَ‌أَةً تَمْلِكُهُمْ

I have found a woman ruling over them, - 27:23

The name of this woman is given in the history as Bilqis, daughter of Sharahil. But in some other narrations, it is mentioned that her mother was a jinni whose name was Bal'amah, daughter of Shisan. (Wuhaib b. Jarir has reported this from Khalil Ibn Ahmad, Qurtubi) Her grandfather, Hudahud, was a great king and controlled the entire land of Yemen. He had forty sons. All these sons became kings. Her father, Surah, had married a jinni woman, who gave birth to her (Bilqis). Different reasons are given for his marriage to a jinni. One of them being that he used to say with arrogance "No one from you is a match for me; hence I will not marry. It is because I do not like marrying outside my matching clan". As a result of this, people got him married to a jinni woman. (Qurtubi) Perhaps it was his conceit that he deemed his own people as not his equal. This did not go well with the Divine writ and he was made to marry a jinni woman, who was neither from his family nor his kind or race.

Is it permissible to marry a jinni?

Some people have expressed doubt on the question, because they thought the jinns are not capable of reproducing like the humans. Ibn-al-` Arabi has opined in his commentary that this is a wrong conception. It is established through authentic ahadith that jinns also possess all the requisites of reproduction and the essentials of male and female, as in humans.

There is another aspect to this question from the angle of Islamic law. That is, whether it is permissible for a man to marry a jinni woman? On this aspect there are different views of the Islamic jurists. Some have ruled that it is permissible, while others have ruled it out, because of their different kind, like the animals. In the book named as (آکام المرجان فی أحکام الجانّ ) this subject is discussed in detail, where some incidents are quoted mentioning that Muslim men married Muslim jinni women, and they also gave birth to children. Here this subject is irrelevant, because the father of Bilqis, who married the jinni woman, was not a Muslim. Hence, the question of permissibility does not arise here. In Islamic law the lineage is based on father, and the father of Bilqis was a human. Therefore, Bilqis would also be regarded as a human. In some narrations, marriage of Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) with Bilqis is mentioned. Even if these narrations are correct, it does not corroborate permissibility to marry a jinni woman, because Bilqis herself was not a jinni, though her mother might have been one. Only Allah knows best. The marriage of Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) will be discussed later in this commentary.

Is it permissible for a woman to be king or the head or Imam of a people?

It is reported in Sahih al-Bukhari on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، that when the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم learnt that the people of Persia have made the daughter of Kisra as their queen, he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said لَن یُّفلِحَ قَومُ وَلَّوا اَمرَھُم اِمرأَۃً . That is, "Those people will never prosper who give control of authority to a woman". It is for this verdict that scholars are unanimous on the point that the control of a government, an empire or caliphate cannot be assigned to a woman. Rather the greater imamah (al-imamah al-kubra) is also allowed only to men folk, like the Imamah for prayers. As for Bilqis being the queen of Saba', it does not make it to be a religious decree, unless it is proven that Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) had married her, and then retained her as the queen. This assumption is not proven by any authentic narration, which could be trusted for the purpose of legislation of religious laws.

وَأُوتِيَتْ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ

She has been given of everything - 23

It means that whatever services are needed to a king or an aristocrat according to their time, they all were available to her. It is, however, obvious that those things that were not invented by then, their unavailability is not in conflict with this verse.

وَلَهَا عَرْ‌شٌ عَظِيمٌ (And she has a great throne - 23) Literal meaning of ` Arsh (عَرش) is throne of the empire. A narration is attributed to Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، ' that the length of the throne of Bilqis was eighty yards, its breadth was forty yards and height thirty yards. It was profusely decorated with pearls, red rubies, topaz and olivine, and its legs were studded with precious stones and pearls. Its curtains were made of silk and fine cloth. The throne was secured within seven buildings, one within the other, all well protected and locked. Verse:24 Commentary وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوْمَهَا يَسْجُدُونَ لِلشَّمْسِ

I have found her and her people prostrating to the sun - 27:24

This shows that her people were star-worshippers and used to worship the sun. Some believe that they were Zoroastrians, who worship fire and all forms of light.

أَلَّا يَسْجُدُوا لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي يُخْرِ‌جُ الْخَبْءَ (that is, they do not prostrate to Allah who bring forth what is hidden - 25).This sentence is linked with the previous one, "The Shaitan has beautified their deeds - 26" and the sense is that the Shaitan had engrained in their minds that they should not bow down before Allah, or had prevented them from the righteous path so that they should not prostrate before Allah Ta' ala. Verse:25 Commentary - - - Verse:26 Commentary - - - Verse:27 Commentary - - - Verse:28 Commentary Letters and writings are enough proof on religious matters in the normal circumstances

اذْهَب بِّكِتَابِي هَـٰذَا (Go with this letter of mine - 28). Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) considered it enough to write to the queen of Saba' (Sheba) for the fulfillment of his duty to invite her to faith, and hence sent her a letter. This shows that in the normal circumstances the letter or writing is an acceptable proof. The religious jurists did not accept a letter as an evidence only where a proper personal evidence is required under Islamic law, because testimony is not allowed on telephone or by letter. It has been made mandatory for the witnesses to appear in person before the court. There is a lot of wisdom in this law. Under any law of the world prevalent in any country it is compulsory for the witnesses to appear before the court in person, and the testimony through letter or telephone is not accepted.

Writing letters and sending them to the disbelievers is permissible

Another matter that has been pro-ved by the letter of Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) is that in preaching of religion and invitation to Islam it is permissible to write letters to disbelievers and infidels. According to many Sahih ahadith it is established that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had also written letters to many infidels.

Social etiquettes should always be observed, no matter if it is a gathering of infidels

فَأَلْقِهْ إِلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ

Throw it down to them, then turn back from them - 27:28

When Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) made use of the hoopoe as a courier, he also taught him the social etiquette that after delivering the letter to Queen of Saba' it should move out of her court, which is the norm of the royal courts. This shows that observance of social etiquettes and good human behavior is desirable as a general rule. Verse:29 Commentary Commentary

قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ إِنِّي أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِ‌يمٌ

She (the queen) said (to her officials after receiving the letter), "0 chieftains, there has been thrown to me an esteemed letter, 27:29.

Literal meaning of Karim is respectable, honorable or esteemed, and idiomatically this word is used for a letter when it is sealed. This is why Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، Qatadah, Zohair رحمۃ اللہ علیہما etc. have interpreted the expression کِتَابپ کَرِیم as the sealed book, which indicates that Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) had put his seal on the letter. When the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم learnt about the tradition of the non-Arab kings that they do not read the letter if it is not sealed, he got a seal made for himself, and used it on the letters he sent to Caesar and Chosro. It shows that the practice of sealing a letter is to show respect to the letter as well as to the addressee. The present day practice is to secure the letter in an envelope, which is as good as sealing it. Where show of respect to the addressee is intended, it is closer to the practice of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to secure it in an envelope.

The language of the letter of Sulaiman

Although Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) was not an Arab, yet it is not unlikely that he knew the Arabic language, especially when he knew the languages of the animals. As the Arabic language is supreme among all the languages, it is possible that he might have written the letter in Arabic. It is also probable because Bilqis was an Arab by race, and she read the letter and understood it. The other probability is that he had written the letter in his own language and an interpreter read it for her. (Ruh) Verse:30 Commentary Some rules of writing letters

إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّ‌حْمَـٰنِ الرَّ‌حِيمِ

It is from Sulaiman and it is (in the following words:) With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful. 27:30

There is not a single aspect of human life on which Qur'an does not provide guidance. Mutual exchange of welfare and other information through letters is part of human requirements. In this Surah, full text of the letter from Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) to Queen Saba' has been reproduced. This is a letter from a prophet, and Qur'an has reproduced it as an approved format for a letter. Hence, it should be taken in that light and Muslims should try to follow the guidance provided in it for letter writing.

Writer should first write his name and then of the addressee

The very first guidance provided in this letter is that Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) has begun it by writing his name. How did he write the name of the addressee, it is not mentioned in the Qur'an. However, it does tell us that it was the practice of the prophets to write their name first, in which there are many benefits: For instance, the addressee would know even before reading the letter from whom it has come. So he would read the letter in the backdrop of his relations with the writer, and any confusion about the identity of the writer would be eliminated right in the beginning. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had also adopted the same practice in all his letters addressed to various persons, and began the letter with the wordings مِن مُحَمَّد عبد اللہ و رسولہٖ (From Muhammad, the slave of Allah and His messenger)

A question may arise here as to whether it would be a disrespect to the addressee if a junior writes his name first while writing to his elder, teacher or senior in status? So, is it appropriate to follow this practice or not? In this respect the companions of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had acted differently. Most of them preferred to follow the practice of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and not the requirement of the formality, and wrote their names first even when writing to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself. Ruh al-Ma' ani has reproduced a narration of Sayyidna 'Anas ؓ from al-Bahr ul-Muhit as follows:

مَا کَان احد اعظم حرمۃ مِن رسول اللہ صلى الله عليه وسلم، و کان اصحابہٖ اذا کتبوا کتاباً بدأوا بانفسھم۔ قلت : و کتاب علاء الحضرمی ؓ یشھد لہ، علی ما روی۔

"No human is more revered than the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم 0, but when his companions used to write to him, they would first write their names, and I say that Sayyidna ` Ala' Al-Hadrami's letter, which he wrote to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ", is a proof to that."

However, after quoting these narrations in Ruh ul-Ma' ani it is observed that all this discussion is about the preferred way, otherwise both ways are permissible. If someone writes his name in the last, that too is correct. Religious jurist Abu al-Layth has written in his Bustan that if someone starts with the name of the addressee, no one can question its permissibility, because this has also been the practice among the Muslims for long, and no one has objected to that. (Ruh ul-Ma' ani, Qurtubi)

Replying to letters is also a practice of the prophets

It is observed in Tafsir ul-Qurtubi that if someone receives a letter, it is incumbent upon him to answer it, because a letter from someone not present is as good as the greeting of the one who is present. It is attributed to Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ in a narration that he used to regard the reply of a letter as much obligatory as the reply to a greeting by salam. (Qurtubi)

Starting letters with Bismillah

The letter of Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) and all the letters sent by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم have established that writing Bismillah at the beginning of a letter was the practice of the prophets. As to the question whether Bismillah should precede the name of the writer or not, the practice of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was that he always put Bismillah before his name, and the name of the addressee after his own name. But in the Qur'an the order is reversed and the name of Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) is written first and then Bismillah. Therefore, it is also in order if the name of the writer is written first and then Bismillah. But Ibn Abi Hatim has reported on the authority of Yazid Ibn Rauman that in fact Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) had written his letter in this manner: بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم ۔ من سلیمان بن داؤد الٰی بلقیس ابنۃ شرح و قومھا۔ ان لا تعلوا عَلَیَّ وَاتُونِی مُسلِمِینَ (which means that he wrote Bismillah before his name) but when Bilqis read out this letter to her people, she mentioned the name of Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) first in order to let them know the name of the writer. The Holy Qur'an has copied what Bilqis had uttered. There is no mention in the Qur'an whether Bismillah was written first or the name of Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) in the original letter. There is yet another possibility that the name of Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) was written on the envelope and Bismillah at the top of the letter, and when Bilqis read out the letter to her people she announced the name of Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) first.

Ruling

The original tradition (Sunnah) of letter writing is that all letters should begin with Bismillah. However, the religious jurists have ruled, on the authority of the indications given in the Qur'an and Sunnah, that if there is a risk of disrespect to the name of Allah on the apprehension that the paper on which Bismillah is written would be thrown away, then it is not right to write Bismillah, lest one should get involved in sin. The present day practice is that letters are thrown away after reading and they end up in garbage. Hence, it is better to perform Sunnah by reciting Bismillah orally before starting the letter, rather than writing it on paper.

Can a paper bearing a Qur'anic verse be given in the hands of a disbeliever?

Sayyidna Sulaiman علیہ السلام had sent this letter to Bilqis when she was not a Muslim, but بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم was written on it. It confirms that this is permissible. The non-Arab kings to whom the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had written letters were disbelievers. But the letters contained some Qur'anic verses too. It should be understood that although it is not permitted to hand over the Holy Qur'an to infidels, but any book or paper containing some verses of the Qur'an does not qualify to be the Qur'an itself; hence, such papers or books can be handed over to an infidel or to someone without وُضُو wudu' (ablution). (Alamgiri)

Letters should be written short, comprehensive, eloquent and effective

Looking at the letter of Sayyidna Sulaiman (علیہ السلام) one cannot avoid noticing that it is so comprehensive that all important matters have been put together in a few sentences, maintaining the high standard of eloquence along with the royal grandeur in front of the infidels. At the same time perfected attributes of Allah Ta' ala are also described along with an invitation towards Islam. The condemnation of conceit and arrogance is also noticeable. As a matter of fact, this letter is a specimen of the marvel of Qur'an. Sayyidna Qatadah ؓ has stated that it was the practice in letter writing by all the prophets to make it brief but at the same time ensuring that nothing mentionable is left out. (Ruh ul-Ma' ani) Verse:31 Commentary - - -