| One of the inherited doctrines of mankind is that the | | | | [30] "It is from Solomon, and is (as follows): 'In the |
| Quran is quoted or borrowed from the Bible. The | | | | name of Allah, Most Gracious Most Merciful: |
| Bible says that the Hoopoe is detested and unclean | | | | [31] "`Be ye not arrogant against me, but come to |
| and forbid eating the Hoopoe. | | | | me in submission (to the true Religion)." |
| The Quran says that the Hoopoe is intelligent, smart, | | | | The story of how Solomon and the Queen of Saba |
| knows and worships his Creator, and communicated | | | | (Yemen) met: One day Solomon inspected his birds |
| with King Solomon. | | | | but did not find the Hoopoe. When the bird came |
| Leviticus 11 | | | | back he said, "With truthful news I come to you |
| Unclean and Detested bird: | | | | from Saba, where I found a woman reigning over |
| 13 "These are the birds you are to detest and not | | | | people and they worship the sun instead of Allah. |
| eat because they are detestable: the eagle, the | | | | Solomon ordered the Hoopoe to return to her and |
| vulture, the black vulture, 14 the red kite, any kind of | | | | give her a message calling her not to exalt herself |
| black kite, 15 any kind of raven, 16 the horned owl, | | | | above him (Solomon), but come to him in all |
| the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, 17 the | | | | submission. The Hoopoe did his job perfectly. |
| little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, 18 the white | | | | In the Qur’an (27:20) we read that Prophet |
| owl, the desert owl, the osprey, 19 the stork, any | | | | Solomon reviewed his birds and found Hoopoe |
| kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat. | | | | missing. His most movable arm was the birds, which |
| Deuteronomy 14 | | | | were light on the wing and flew and saw everything |
| Unclean Food: | | | | like talented scouts. Prophet Solomon conveys his |
| 11 You may eat any clean bird. 12 But these you may | | | | anger and his yearning to punish Hoopoe severely if |
| not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, 13 | | | | he does not present himself before Prophet Solomon |
| the red kite, the black kite, any kind of falcon, 14 | | | | with a realistic explanation. Within a short time, the |
| any kind of raven, 15 the horned owl, the screech | | | | Hoopoe came back and said, “I have got |
| owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, 16 the little owl, the | | | | knowledge of things which you have no idea about. I |
| great owl, the white owl, 17 the desert owl, the | | | | have brought sure information about Saba (Yemen |
| osprey, the cormorant, 18 the stork, any kind of | | | | now). There, I have seen a woman ruling over her |
| heron, the hoopoe and the bat. | | | | people: she has been given all sorts of provisions, and |
| In the Bible dictionary it is said: "Although the hoopoe | | | | she has a wonderful throne. I saw that she and her |
| bird is only referred to once in the Bible, it is known | | | | people prostrate themselves before the sun and |
| to be a faithful companion of people all over the | | | | worshiped the sun, instead of Allah.!" |
| world". | | | | Prophet Solomon said, “We shall just now see |
| However, the dictionary does not tell that the | | | | whether what you say is true, or that you are a liar. |
| hoopoe is detested according to Leviticus 11 and also, | | | | Take this letter of mine and cast it before them; |
| there is no verse in the Bible which says that is a | | | | then get aside and see what reaction they |
| faithful companion of people all over the world. I bet | | | | show.” Qur’an, 27: 27-28. |
| that the writers of the Bible dictionary have read the | | | | Here, ends the role of Hoopoe in the story. |
| Noble Quran and put such an observation about the | | | | In this story, the Noble Quran gives the Hoopoe |
| hoopoe as a faithful companion of people all over the | | | | some characters that need intense research to be |
| world. | | | | elucidated by the scientists. The Hoopoe had the |
| The story of the hoopoe with King Solomon | | | | powers of observation, discrimination and expression |
| illustrates how faithful, smart was the hoopoe. | | | | that it should pass over a country and should come |
| Hoopoe in the Quran: | | | | to know that it is the land of Saba, it has such and |
| The Hoopoe is mentioned once in the Noble Quran, in | | | | such a scheme of government, it is ruled by a certain |
| Surah 27. | | | | woman, its faith is sun-worship, that it should have |
| Prophet Solomon was a king whose armies consisted | | | | worshipped One Lord, Allah instead of having gone |
| of troops made of men and Jinns and birds. It is | | | | off track, and then on its return to Prophet Solomon |
| possible that the birds were employed for | | | | it should so clearly make a report of all its |
| communicating the messages, hunting and for other | | | | observations before him. |
| suitable services. | | | | In spite of great advances in science and technology, |
| Detective and Messenger of Prophets | | | | man cannot tell with absolute certainty what powers |
| [20] And he took a muster of the Birds; and he said: | | | | and abilities the different species of animals and their |
| "Why is it I see not the Hoopoe? Or is he among the | | | | different individuals have got? Man has not so far |
| absentees? | | | | been able to know through any certain means what |
| [21] "I will certainly punish him with a severe penalty, | | | | different animals know and what they see and hear, |
| or execute him, unless he brings me a clear reason | | | | and what they feel and think and understand, and |
| (for absence)." | | | | know how the mind of each one of them works. |
| [22] But he (the hoopoe) tarried not far: he (came up | | | | Yet, whatever little observation has been made of |
| and) said: "I have compassed (territory) which thou | | | | the life of the different species of animals, it has |
| hast not compassed, and I have come to thee from | | | | revealed some of their wonderful abilities. Now, when |
| Saba with tidings true. | | | | Allah, Who is the Creator of these animals, tells us |
| [23] "I found (there) a woman ruling over them and | | | | that He had taught the speech of the birds to one |
| provided with every requisite; and she has a | | | | of His Prophets and blessed him with the ability to |
| magnificent throne. | | | | speak to them, and the Prophet’s taming and |
| [24] "I found her and her people worshipping the sun | | | | training had so enabled a Hoopoe that it could make |
| besides Allah: Satan has made their deeds seem | | | | certain observations in the foreign lands and could |
| pleasing to their eyes, and has kept them away from | | | | report them to the Prophet, then we should be |
| the Path, so they receive no guidance, | | | | prepared to revise our little knowledge about the |
| [25] "(Kept them away from the Path) that they | | | | animals in the light of Allah’s statement. |
| should not worship Allah, Who brings to light what is | | | | "... We raise to degrees (of wisdom) whom We |
| hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows | | | | please: but over all endued with knowledge is One, |
| what ye hide and what ye reveal. | | | | the All-Knowing." Surah 12:76 |
| [26] "Allah! - there is no god but He! - Lord of the | | | | Back to our main issue; one may ask this: Is the |
| Throne supreme!" | | | | Quran quoted from the Bible? And which book |
| [27] (Solomon) said: "Soon shall we see whether thou | | | | precedes the sciences? The book which that the |
| hast told the truth or lied! | | | | hoopoe is a detested bird or the book which |
| 28] "Go thou, with this letter of mine, and deliver it | | | | precedes the sciences and says that the hoopoe has |
| to them: then draw back from them, and (wait to) | | | | the powers of observation, discrimination and |
| see what answer they return"... | | | | expression and it is one of the best detective and |
| [29] (The Queen) said: "Ye chiefs! here is - delivered | | | | messenger? |
| to me - a letter worthy of respect. | | | | |