User:SharabSalam/Balqis

Balqis (بلقيس) or Yalmaqah (يلمقه ) is a semi-legendary queen of Yemen. Muslims identify Balqis as the queen of Sheba that is mentioned in the Quran and the bible. She was the daughter of al-Hadhad Ibn Shurahbil who was the king of Yemen.

Early life
According to South Arabian folklore, Balqis is a half-human and half jinni, she is the daughter of al-Hadhad Ibn Shurahbil a king of Yemen. Her father married a Jinni woman.

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Balqis's father al-Hadhad ibn Shurahbil, had an arch-enemy called 'Amr Dhu'l-Adh'ar who wanted to become the king of Yemen. Before Balqi's father died, he announced that Balqis is going to be the queen of Yemen after his death. People of Yemen didn't want a woman to rule them. al-Hadhad then told them that his cousin Malik ibn Amr ibn Yaf'ur ibn Himyar will become the king when he becomes an adult and replace Balqis. After al-Hadhad died, people of Yemen allied with 'Amr Dhu'l-Adh'ar who prepared an army and went to Balqis. Balqis escaped with her brother 'Amr Ibn al-Hadhad wearing Bedouin clothes to Ja'far Ibn Qart al-Asadi who was in al-'Al'al, land of Jaww (modern-day al-Yamama). She asked protection from him and he welcomed her telling her to live with his daughters.

Jafar Ibn Qart used to do pilgrimage every year to Mecca and then he stays next to Hud tomb in Hadramout for the rest of the Muharram month. One time he went with his family and Balqis with her brother to the tomb of Hud. While he was in a place called al-Aḥqāf next to the tomb of Hud, some lions followed him and tried to eat him with his family but he killed them after that a dragon appeared wanting to kill him but Jafar was able to make the dragon run away, he told his family "don't worry this is a Shayāṭīn"(Devil). Then a group of three men from Marib named 'Amr Ibn Abad al-Azdi, Sharik ibn Abad al-Azdi and Tuban ibn Thour al-Zabidi who were kicked from their tribes due to their bad behavior followed Jafar and wanted to rob him. 'Amr ibn Abad was the leader of the group. He told Jafar to give him all of what he has but Jafar captured them and took them as prisoners with him in his journey to the tomb of Hud. 'Amr ibn Abad fell in love with one of the daughters of Jafar named Jadjad. The dragon appeared again to Jafar and Jafar fought against the dragon until the dragon run away at the same time a strong winds came to Yemen. People of Yemen compared the winds to the barren winds that destroyed 'Ad, they said that the winds came because of the oppression from 'Amr Dhu Adh'ar. Jafar told one of his daughters Jadjad, "I have been able to defend you against all comers so far, but I shall not be able to ward off the evil this wind brings" The winds moved the sands of al-Aḥqāf and revealed columns full of jewels and ruby stones and a cave. An inscription was written on one of the columns that say, "Who rules Dhamar? Himyar the Good. Who rules Dhamar? The evil Abyssinians. Who rules Dhamar? The free Persians. Who rules Dhamar? Quraysh the merchants". Jafar and the three men from Marib entered the cave and saw an old man sitting on a couch of gold and over his head a tablet of made of gold that says, I am Quda‘a son of Malik ibn Himyar! I was angry and I was satisfied. I was angry about, the deceit of hope and satisfied concerning the certainty of death. He who is not satisfied with predestination is ignorant concerning (reliable) history, and he who is not content with what has been granted to him must become a slave, and life will not be a pleasure to him. We were a spectacle for the beholders and now have become a subject of meditation for those who visit us. Jafar then went out of the cave with the three men from Marib and didn't take anything from the tomb of Hud or the cave. He gave 'Amr ibn Abad and his friends some horses as a gift and they left to Marib. When 'Amr ibn Abad arrived in Marib he took some horses and camels and returned to Jafar in the tomb of Hud. He gave Jafar the horses and the camels. Jafar gave 'Amr Ibn Abad some food and 'Amr started to eat and drink wine. He told Jafar to drink some wine but Jafar refused to drink. 'Amr ibn Abad insisted that he should drink and that nothing bad could happen. Jafar drunk the wine until he got intoxicated then 'Amr ibn Abad took his sword and killed Jafar. He took the head of Jafar and went to Jafar's family who were only women and children and told them to dress Jadjad in her best garments as his bride. Balqis told the Jafar family to remain calm and assured them that she would protect them. Balqis had a golden dagger she had prepared for the day she met' Amr Dhu'l-Adh'ar to kill him. She put the dagger in her hair, and only the golden handle of the dagger was visible in her head. Bilqis was dressed in the wedding clothes and went to' Amr ibn Abad. Bilqis was more beautiful than Jajad. Amr knew it wasn't Jadjad, but Balqi's beauty fascinated him. When Balqis was alone with' Amr ibn Abad,' she told him that women like her are like fluffy horses, they don't accept males except after sighing and encounters, and that he should fight with her to test his physical strength.. He tried to hold her but she took his hands and grabbed them towards her. Then she pretended that she is touching her hair, she took the dagger from her hair and stabbed him in the chest. She took his body and throw it outside reciting "O Aba 'Amir (Jafar's Kunyia), this little for you".

Balqis escaped Yemen with the family of Jafar, returning to Al-'Al'al before the death of Jafar became known among the Arabs. After they returned to al-'Al'al, they cried out the death of Jafar, and his death became known among the Arabs, and' Amr Dhu'l-Adh'ar knew where Balqis was located. He sent his soldiers to capture her, and they captured her, but her brother escaped to Bahrain.

When Balqis arrived,' Amr Dhu'l-Adh'ar tried to rape her, but she promised that she would be submissive. She beguiled him while he was drinking wine until he was intoxicated and unable to move. Then she took her dagger and killed him. She took his body away and hid it behind the mattress. She called the guards and told them that the King wanted them to bring Himyar's nobles. When the nobles of Himyar came to the palace of Ghamadan, she told them that' Amr Dhu'l-Adh'ar had married her, and that he had asked her to be the queen after his burial. She told them that she demands the oath of allegiance from them at the command of the king. The nobles of Himyar accepted and said, "We hear what the King says, and we obey what the King says." She asked them to enter the palace and hear from the King himself. They came in and asked, "Where is the king?" and she took out the mattress and showed them the dead body of the king. They asked, "Who did this?" she said, "I am the crown queen, and he's dead, so now I am the queen." The nobles of Himyar praised her for killing Amr Dhu'l-Adh'ar, and acknowledged her as Queen of Yemen.

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According to South Arabian folklore, after Balqis became the Queen, God wanted to make her marry Solomon but also wanted to punish the people of Yemen and to show the people of Yemen his strength because they become arrogant and haughty.

According to South Arabian folklore, Solomon was able to make the winds carry him and he was able to talk to birds and animals. Solomon used to go in the morning from his home in Tadmor arriving at Istakhar in the afternoon and then he goes to Kabul. The journey normally takes one month for going and for returning one month but Solomon takes it in one day. .

Solomon ordered the winds to hold his throne and the chairs of those who were sitting with him. He sat in his throne and the humans were sitting in his right and his left and Jinns were sitting behind the humans. He told the winds to move him and the people sitting next to him and told the birds to cover them. Solomon headed with the birds and his soldiers towards Mecca. At that time al-Bishr ibn 'Amr ibn al-Harith was working for Balqis as the governor of Mecca and Hijaz. When al-Bishr saw Solomon with the birds and the soldiers he surrounded. Solomon captured al-Bishr and told him to give Mecca to Nabt ibn Qidar ibn Isma'el (Ishmael).

Solomon then headed towards Yemen until he arrived to Najran. At that time al-Qalammas ibn 'Amr al-Himyari who is known as "Af'a Najran" (افعى نجران) which means "The snake of Najran", was the governor of Najran, he was a priest and a soothsayer. When he saw Solomon with his soldiers and the birds covering, he said this is a sign from heaven. He went to ask the people of Najran if they know about anything about Solomon but they said if Af'a Najran doesn't know then we don't know. He told them that he is going to show Solomon and his army three of his pieces of knowledge: divination, medicine, and wisdom "If there was a prophet among them they wouldn't need any of my pieces of knowledge". Af'a Najran then went to Solomon's army and offered them divination but they didn't pay attention to him, he then offered to them wisdom but they didn't pay attention to him, he then offered to them medicine but they didn't pay attention to him. He then went to Solomon and saw the winds carrying him and the birds covering him so he became submissive and he kneeled to Solomon. Solomon told Asif ibn Barkhiya who was his advisor, "This is the innovative monster of Najran, should I let him go?". Asif told Af'a Najran to come closer, then Solomon started to pray and all the mountains prayed after Solomon, Af'a Najran said "my wisdom has vanished", then Solomon looked at the plants and every plant named itself, Af'a Najran said "my medicine has vanished", then Asif told Solomon that the governor of Najran has two options, either to convert to the right religion or to go astray.