And We verily gave knowledge unto David and Solomon, and they said: Praise be to Allah, Who hath preferred us above many of His believing slaves! 15 And Sulaiman (Solomon) inherited (the knowledge of) Dawud (David). He said: "O mankind! We have been taught the language of birds, and on us have been bestowed all things. This, verily, is an evident grace (from Allah)." 16 Soloman's army, consisting of human beings, jinn, and birds were gathered together in his presence in ranks. 17 Until when they came to the valley of the Naml, a Namlite said: O Naml! enter your houses, (that) Sulaiman and his hosts may not crush you while they do not know. 18 So he smiled, wondering at her word, and said: My Lord! grant me that I should be grateful for Thy favor which Thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I should do good such as Thou art pleased with, and make me enter, by Thy mercy, into Thy servants, the good ones. 19 And he reviewed the birds; then he said, 'How is it with me, that I do not see the hoopoe? Or is he among the absent? 20 [If so,] I will punish him most severely or will kill him unless he bring me a convincing excuse!" 21 But he was not long in coming, and he said: I have found out (a thing) that thou apprehendest not, and I come unto thee from Sheba with sure tidings. 22 "I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given all things that could be possessed by any ruler of the earth, and she has a great throne. 23 I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds pleasing to them and averted them from [His] way, so they are not guided, 24 That they do not make obeisance to Allah, Who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and the earth and knows what you hide and what you make manifest: 25 Allah; there is no Allah save Him, the Lord of the Tremendous Throne. ۩ 26 ۞ Solomon said, "We shall see whether you are truthful or a liar. 27 "Go you with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them, then draw back from them, and see what (answer) they return." 28 She (the Queen of Sheba) said: 'O Council, look, an honorable letter has been dropped to me. 29 Verily it is from Sulaiman, and verily it is: in the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. 30 “That ‘Do not wish eminence above me, and present yourselves humbly to me, with submission.’” 31