Quran Universe
27:31

أَلَّا تَعۡلُواْ عَلَيَّ وَأۡتُونِي مُسۡلِمِينَ

Alla taAAloo AAalayya watoonee muslimeena

Be not haughty with me but come to me in submission [as Muslims].' "

Word by word
  1. أَلَّاThat not
  2. تَعۡلُواْexalt yourselves
  3. عَلَيَّagainst me
  4. وَأۡتُونِيbut come to me
  5. مُسۡلِمِينَ(in) submission
An-Naml · 27:31Makkah

Do not be arrogant. Come in submission.

A short letter, straight to the point

The whole message
do not be haughtydo not refuse in pride
but
come submittingto Allah
What the letter asked
bow to mea king's demand
drop the pridesubmit to Allah

Ibn Kathir says the letter was the utmost in brevity and eloquence, coming straight to the point. Qatadah explained: do not be arrogant with me. Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd said: do not refuse or be too arrogant to come.

You write five paragraphs to say one thing, and the point gets lost. Two clear lines can do more than a long speech. And the heart of the matter is often the same: let go of pride and come back.

Important things need long explanations.

The clearest call is short: drop the pride and turn to Allah.

Try this

Rewrite one message you need to send in two sentences.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 27:27)

(Sulayman) said: "We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are (one) of the liars. (27)"Go you with this letter of mine and deliver it to them, then draw back from them and see what they return. (28)She said: "O chiefs! Verily, here is delivered to me a noble letter, (29)"Verily, it is from Sulayman, and it (reads): 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; (30)'Be you not exalted against me, but come to me submitting (as Muslims).' (31)

Sulayman's Letter to Bilqis

Allah tells us what Sulayman said to the hoopoe when he told him about the people of Saba' and their queen:

قَالَ سَنَنْظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ

((Sulayman) said: "We shall see whether you speak the truth or you are (one) of the liars.") meaning, 'are you telling the truth?'

أَمْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ

(or you are (one) of the liars.) meaning, 'or are you telling a lie in order to save yourself from the threat I made against you'

اذْهَبْ بِكِتَابِي هَٰذَا فَأَلْقِهْ إِلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَانْظُرْ مَاذَا يَرْجِعُونَ 

(Go you with this letter of mine and deliver it to them then draw back from them and see what they return.)

Sulayman wrote a letter to Bilqis and her people and gave it to the hoopoe to deliver. It was said that he carried it on his wings, as is the way with birds, or that he carried it in his beak. He went to their land and found the palace of Bilqis, then he went to her private chambers and threw the letter through a small window, then he stepped to one side out of good manners. Bilqis was amazed and confused when she saw that, then she went and picked up the letter, opened its seal and read it. The letter said:

إِنَّهُ مِنْ سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ - أَلَّا تَعْلُوا عَلَيَّ وَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ

(it is from Sulayman, and it (reads): 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; Be you not exalted against me, but come to me submitting (as Muslims).')

So she gathered her commanders and ministers and the leaders of her land, and said to them:

 يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ إِنِّي أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ

("O chiefs! Verily, here is delivered to me a noble letter.") She described it as such because of the wondrous things she had seen, that it was delivered by a bird who threw it to her, then stood aside out of good manners. This was something that no king could do. Then she read the letter to them:

إِنَّهُ مِنْ سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ - أَلَّا تَعْلُوا عَلَيَّ وَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ

(Verily, it is from Sulayman, and it (reads): 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; Be you not exalted against me, but come to me submitting (as Muslims).')

Thus they knew that it was from Allah's Prophet Sulayman, upon him be peace, and that they could not match him. This letter was the utmost in brevity and eloquence, coming straight to the point.

أَلَّا تَعْلُوا عَلَيَّ

(Be you not exalted against me,) Qatadah said: "Do not be arrogant with me.

وَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ

(but come to me submitting (as Muslims).)"

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said: "Do not refuse or be too arrogant to come to me

وَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ

(but come to me submitting (as Muslims).)"