Allah says of Fir`awn -- may Allah curse him -- that he said to his minister
Haman:
[ابْنِ لِى صَرْحاً
لَّعَـلِّى أَبْلُغُ الاٌّسْبَـبَ]
(Build me a Sarh that I may arrive at the ways.) (40:36-37) Sarh is also used
to refer to the high constructed palaces in Yemen. Mumarrad means sturdily
constructed and smooth.
[مِّن
قَوارِيرَ]
(of Qawarir) means, made of glass, i.e., it was built with smooth surfaces.
Marid is a fortress in Dawmat Al-Jandal. What is meant here is that Sulayman
built a huge, lofty palace of glass for this queen, in order to show her the
greatness of his authority and power. When she saw for herself what Allah had
given him and how majestic his position was, she submitted to the command of
Allah and acknowledged that he was a noble Prophet, so she submitted to Allah
and said:
[رَب إِنِّى ظَلَمْتُ
نَفْسِى]
(My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself,) meaning, by her previous disbelief
and Shirk and by the fact that she and her people had worshipped the sun instead
of Allah.
[وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ
سُلَيْمَـنَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ]
(and I submit, together with Sulayman to Allah, the Lord of all that exists.)
meaning, following the religion of Sulayman, worshipping Allah alone with no
partner or associate, Who created everything and measured it exactly according
to its due measurements.
[وَلَقَدْ
أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَى ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَـلِحاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ فَإِذَا
هُمْ فَرِيقَانِ يَخْتَصِمُونَ - قَالَ يقَوْمِ لِمَ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ
بِالسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ الْحَسَنَةِ لَوْلاَ تَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ
تُرْحَمُونَ - قَالُواْ اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَن مَّعَكَ قَالَ طَائِرُكُمْ عِندَ
اللَّهِ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌ تُفْتَنُونَ ]
(45. And indeed We sent to Thamud their brother Salih, (saying): "Worship
Allah.'' Then look! They became two parties quarreling with each other.) (46. He
said: "O my people! Why do you seek to hasten the evil before the good Why seek
you not the forgiveness of Allah, that you may receive mercy'') (47. They said:
"We augur an omen from you and those with you.'' He said: "Your omen is of
Allah; nay, but you are a people that are being tested.'')