Answer: I am afraid I will not be able to present the
explanations offered by all the authorities on this matter. I will restrict
myself to the most plausible and well-argued stance in this regard. First of
all, I quote the relevant verse:
He [Solomon] said: O courtiers! Which of you will bring
me her throne before they present themselves humbly before me? An ‘Ifrīt
[stalwart] from the Jinn said: I will bring it before you before you rise from
your place. Lo! I am indeed strong and trustworthy for such work. The man [among
the courtiers] who possessed the knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring
it to you within the twinkling of an eye. And [there it was]. When he [Solomon]
saw it set before him, he said: This is boundless bounty of my Lord, that [has
been showered upon me] so that He may try me whether I offer thanks or prove
ungrateful. Whosoever shows thankfulness only does so for his own benefit: and
whosoever is ungrateful [harms his own interest]. For My Lord is Independent,
Bountiful. (27:38-40)
From these verses we can see
that the Holy Qur’ān did not mention the specific method employed by the person
for transferring the throne of the queen. Therefore we can only make a
conjecture in this regard, something which is never going to be substantiated.
The Qur’ān, however, has alluded to the fact that the knowledge which was used
by the man was the divine guidance contained in the Scripture. It seems that
some people had learnt this kind of knowledge, which could be used to make
miraculous performances.
At another place in the Holy Qur’ān, it is told that two
angels were sent to the earth who would teach this kind of supernatural
knowledge (Qur’ān: 2:102). This knowledge was to be used very cautiously. The
angels would clearly indicate that it was a sort of test for the people who
learnt it and that it could be used both for positive as well as negative ends.
This indicates that there existed in the ancient times knowledge of such powers
though the specific mode of operation of this knowledge cannot be elaborated in
absence of any divine guidance. |