فَلَمَّا جَاءَ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَا آتَانِيَ اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا آتَاكُمْ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ ﴿۳۶﴾ ارْجِعْ إِلَيْهِمْ فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّهُمْ بِجُنُودٍ لَا قِبَلَ لَهُمْ بِهَا وَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُمْ مِنْهَا أَذِلَّةً وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ ﴿۳۷﴾ قَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ ﴿۳۸﴾

﴾36﴿ Falammaa jaaa'a Sulaimaana qaala atumiddoonani bimaalin famaaa aataaniyal laahu khairum mimmmaaa aataakum bal antum bihadiy-yatikum tafrahoon
﴾37﴿ Irji' ilaihim falanaatiyan nahum bijunoodil laa qibala lahum bihaa wa lanukhri jannahum minhaaa azillatanw wa hum saaghiroon
﴾38﴿ Qaala yaaa aiyuhal mala'u aiyukum yaateenee bi'arshihaa qabla ai yaatoonee muslimeen

﴾36﴿ So when the gift reached Solomon (peace be upon him), he said, Are you trying to help me with wealth? What Allah has given me is better than what He has given you. Rather, you take pride in your gift
﴾37﴿ Return to them, for we will surely bring upon them armies they cannot resist, and we will surely drive them out from their lands, humiliated while they are disgraced
﴾38﴿ Solomon (peace be upon him) said, O assembly of advisors, which of you will bring me her throne before they come to me in submission

[36] Sulaiman (peace be upon him) realized that they were trying to divert him from his mission through bribery, and for that reason, he rejected the gift—“Are you trying to increase me in worldly wealth?”—meaning: you are offering me worldly riches while my goal is religion.
“What Allah has given me”—prophethood and kingship over jinn and birds—is better than what other kings possess.
The lessons from this verse are:
1. The prophets (peace be upon them) distinguish between a gift and a bribe due to their insight—if it is a genuine gift, they accept it.
2. One must be content with their share of the world.
3. Rejoicing excessively over worldly things is the behavior of the ignorant.
In “When they came” (فَلَمَّا جَاءَ) the pronoun refers to the messenger, even though there were many of them, due to the context of “the messengers.”
[37] This was a warning to them about war, on the condition that they do not submit. He returned their gift and their messengers.
Thus, there is an implied meaning in the verse: “If they do not come in submission, then surely We will come upon them with armies,”—meaning, if they do not submit, then I will wage war against them.
The lessons from this are:
1. After rejecting the call to truth, it becomes necessary to declare war.
2. Any remaining enemies who survive must be expelled from the land.
“Abased” (أَذِلَّةً)—meaning without wealth, without honor.
“Humbled” (صَاغِرُونَ)—meaning they will be subdued.
[38] When Sulaiman (peace be upon him) was informed that they were coming in submission, he spoke to the members of his council about bringing her throne.
The purpose of bringing the throne was for Sulaiman (peace be upon him) to show a miracle to that woman and her people, to prove his prophethood and to demonstrate the immense power of Allah Most High as evidence for His Oneness.
What some commentators have written—that the purpose was merely to acquire the throne—is not suitable for the status of a prophet, because he had already returned their gift.
So why would he desire her throne? These reports are of Israeli origin and aim only to defame Sulaiman (peace be upon him).
The lessons are:
1. For Islamic consultation, a council (shura) is necessary.
2. The ruler can also delegate certain matters to members of the council.
3. It is necessary for a prophet to show miracles, and whatever Sulaiman (peace be upon him) did was by the permission of Allah Most High.