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27 He, Solomon, said, to the hoopoe: 'We shall see whether you have spoken the truth, in what you have informed us, or whether you are of the liars, that is, of their ilk - for [to say] that is rhetorically more powerful than [simply] saying 'or whether you have lied'. He [the hoopoe] indicated to them the place of the water and it was extracted. They thus drank, performed their ablutions and prayed. Solomon then composed a letter in the following form: 'From the servant of Allahu ta’ālā, Solomon son of David, to Bilqīs, Queen of Sheba. In the name of Allahu ta’ālā, al-Rahmān al- Rahīm (the Compassionate, the Merciful): Peace be upon those who follow Guidance. To wit: do not rise up against me [in defiance], but come to me in submission'. He then stamped it with musk and sealed it with his ring, and said to the hoopoe: |
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