قَالُوا نَحْنُ أُولُو قُوَّةٍ وَأُولُو بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ وَالْأَمْرُ إِلَيْكِ فَانْظُرِي مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ ﴿۳۳﴾ قَالَتْ إِنَّ الْمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا قَرْيَةً أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوا أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَا أَذِلَّةً وَكَذَلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ ﴿۳۴﴾ وَإِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِمْ بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ ﴿۳۵﴾

﴾33﴿ Qaaloo nahnu uloo quwwatinw wa uloo baasin shadeed; wal amru ilaiki fanzuree maazaa taamureen
﴾34﴿ Qaalat innal mulooka izaa dakhaloo qaryatan afsadoohaa wa ja'alooo a'izzata ahlihaaa azillah; wa kazaalika yaf'aloon
﴾35﴿ Wa innee mursilatun ilaihim bihadiyyatin fanaaziratum bima yarji'ul mursaloon

﴾33﴿ They said, We are possessors of strength and skilled in fierce warfare, but the decision rests with you. So consider what you will command
﴾34﴿ She said, Indeed, when kings enter a city (by force), they ruin it and turn its honored people into humiliated ones. And that is what they do
﴾35﴿ And indeed, I will send a gift to them, and then I will see what response the messengers return with

[33] The members of the council advised going to war without investigation—they were deceived by the strength of their wealth, armies, and skill in warfare, and they had not learned about the enemy’s situation and strength. This was their ignorance. The lessons are as follows: 1. Consultation is only useful after proper investigation.
2. Along with considering one’s own strength, attention must be given to the opposing side’s strength.
3. After receiving counsel, the final decision rests with the leader, and he is not bound by the council.
[34] This woman's hesitation was regarding the counsel of the council, and she made them aware to reflect: when a king wants to attack your land, it is clear that he possesses great strength—so what will be the fate of this land? It became evident that this woman, among her people, was politically insightful. Ibn Kathir has narrated this from Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him). The lessons are as follows: 1. It is not necessary for a leader to act upon consultation.
2. It is appropriate to reject counsel gently and with reasoning.
3. Kings must think deeply about matters of war.
4. War brings two consequences: first, the destruction and ruin of the homeland; second, the humiliation of honorable people.
[35] This is the woman’s political insight. The conclusion is that the sender of the letter is either a worldly seeker or not a worldly person at all, but rather firm in his claim. And determining this can be done through wealth, because wealth is a great trial. If he accepts the gift and abandons his purpose, then we can easily be free of him by giving wealth. But if he does not accept the gift, then fighting such a man is a difficult task. Even in present times, many groups consult on enforcing the Shariah in a country, and then the worldly rulers offer them wealth or some power, so they abandon their demands. This shows that their real goal is not religion, but the world. Lesson: In every era, the name of bribery is changed—they call it a gift or a present. However, by changing the name, a forbidden thing does not become lawful—just as this woman also named the bribe a gift.