What is the "knowledge from the scripture" mentioned in Quran 27:40?

Sources

• ✓ 27:40 · An-Naml

  27:40 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  قَالَ ٱلَّذِى عِندَهُۥ عِلْمٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ أَنَا۠ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبْلَ أَن يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ ۚ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهُ مُسْتَقِرًّا عِندَهُۥ قَالَ هَٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّى لِيَبْلُوَنِىٓ ءَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ ۖ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّى غَنِىٌّۭ كَرِيمٌۭ

  One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring it thee before thy gaze returneth unto thee. And when he saw it set in his presence, (Solomon) said: This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for (the good of) his own soul; and whosoever is ungrateful (is ungrateful only to his own soul's hurt). For lo! my Lord is Absolute in independence, Bountiful.

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 27:40

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 27:40

  According to Muhammad ibn Ishaq, quoting Yazid ibn Ruman, when the messengers returned to the Queen of Sheba with Solomon's message, she said, “By God, I realize this is no ordinary king, and we have no power against him. Whatever we do, it will not aid us in resisting him.” She sent to Solomon saying, “I am coming to you with the kings of my people to see what your command is and what religion you call us to.” Then she ordered her royal throne — a magnificent seat made from gold adorned with rubies, emeralds, and pearls — to be dismantled into seven layers, stacked one on top of another, and covered with locks and doors. She entrusted to the ruler who succeeded her the safeguarding of the throne and her royal seat, commanding that no servant of God should access or see it until she returned to Solomon. She then set out towards Solomon with a force of twelve thousand warriors from Yemen; each warrior led thousands more under his command. Solomon commanded the jinn to bring the throne to him each day and night along its route, until the day it was near. Then he gathered those jinn and men under his control and addressed them, “O assembly, which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?” Qatada explained that when Solomon learned she was coming, he was told about her throne, which he admired for its gold and pearls, covered with fine silk and protected by nine locks. He disliked the idea of taking it after their submission because, as he knew, once they embraced Islam, their possessions and lives would be protected and forbidden to be taken unjustly. Therefore, he said, “O assembly, who can bring me her throne before they come in submission?” This was interpreted by scholars like Ata al-Khurasani, al-Suddi, and Zuhair ibn Muhammad to mean that with their acceptance of Islam their wealth would become inviolable. Regarding the phrase “a strong ifrit from the jinn said,” Mujahid stated this denotes a rebellious or powerful jinn. Shu'ayb al-Jibai related that this ifrit was named Kawzan, as affirmed also by Muhammad ibn Ishaq via Yazid ibn Ruman, and by Wahb ibn Munabbih. Abu Salih further described it as resembling a mountain. The meaning of “I will bring it to you before you rise from your place” was explained by Ibn Abbas as “before you stand from your seat.” Mujahid said it means Solomon’s place of sitting, while al-Suddi and others said this was where Solomon would meet people for judgment, governance, and meals from morning till sunset. “I am strong over it and trustworthy” means, as Ibn Abbas said, being strong enough to carry it and trustworthy in safeguarding the precious jewels within. Solomon replied, “I desire it to be sooner.” This shows the prophet intended to display the greatness of God's gift to him — unmatched kingdom, control over mighty forces of jinn and men — no one before or after him receiving such. This sign was a means to prove his prophethood to the Queen of Sheba and her people; bringing her throne from her land before their arrival was an extraordinary miracle. Despite her efforts to secure it with locks and guards, Solomon sought it swiftly. When Solomon said, “I desire it sooner,” the one with knowledge of the Book — identified by Ibn Abbas as Asif, Solomon’s scribe, whom Muhammad ibn Ishaq called Asif ibn Barkhiyya, a truthful man knowing the Greatest Name — said he could bring it. Qatada and others report he was a believing human, from the Children of Israel, known by names like Astum, Bulaykha, and possibly the Green One (al-Khidr) according to Abdullah ibn Lahi'a. The phrase “I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you” means Solomon should stretch his gaze as far as he can in the direction of Yemen where the throne was, and before his gaze could even shift back, the throne would arrive. Wahb ibn Munabbih said Solomon should extend his gaze, which would not reach its limit before the throne reached him. They recall that Solomon looked toward Yemen, then rose, performed ablution, and supplicated to God, saying, “O Possessor of Majesty and Honor,” as Mujahid related. Az-Zuhri recounted Solomon prayed, “O our God and the God of all things, the One God, none is worthy of worship except You; bring me her throne.” Then the throne appeared before him. Mujahid, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Muhammad ibn Ishaq, Zuhair ibn Muhammad, and others noted that when Solomon made this supplication for the throne of Bilqis — located in Yemen, while Solomon was in Jerusalem — the throne sank through the earth and emerged between Solomon’s hands. Abd al-Rahman ibn Zaid ibn Aslam said Solomon hardly noticed anything else as the throne was carried before him. This throne was brought by Solomon’s servants of the sea. When Solomon and his chiefs inspected it and found it settled by him, he exclaimed, “This is by the grace of my Lord to test me: will I be grateful or ungrateful? And whoever is grateful only does so for his own benefit,” referencing God's words about the accountability of deeds, akin to other Qur'anic verses underscoring personal responsibility. Regarding “and whoever disbelieves—my Lord is Independent and Generous,” this means God does not depend on servants or their worship; He is noble by His own essence and does not need anyone. His greatness is not dependent on anyone's belief. This echoes Moses' statement in the Qur'an that even if all people disbelieved, God remains self-sufficient and praiseworthy. A hadith recorded in Sahih Muslim conveys God saying, “O My servants, if the first and last of you, humans and jinn, were as pious as the heart of one of you, it would not increase My kingdom. If they were as wicked as one heart among you, it would not decrease My kingdom. Your deeds alone I record and recompense. Whoever finds good should praise God, and whoever finds otherwise should blame only himself.”