Quran Universe
27:32

قَالَتۡ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمَلَؤُاْ أَفۡتُونِي فِيٓ أَمۡرِي مَا كُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمۡرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشۡهَدُونِ

Qalat ya ayyuha almalao aftoonee fee amree ma kuntu qatiAAatan amran hatta tashhadoona

She said, "O eminent ones, advise me in my affair. I would not decide a matter until you witness [for] me."

Word by word
  1. قَالَتۡShe said
  2. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO
  3. ٱلۡمَلَؤُاْchiefs
  4. أَفۡتُونِيAdvise me
  5. فِيٓin
  6. أَمۡرِيmy affair
  7. مَاNot
  8. كُنتُI would be
  9. قَاطِعَةًthe one to decide
  10. أَمۡرًاany matter
  11. حَتَّىٰuntil
  12. تَشۡهَدُونِyou are present with me
An-Naml · 27:32Makkah

A queen who would not decide alone.

Bilqis asks her chiefs for advice

Her approach
Bilqisfull authority
asks
her chiefsadvise me
no decision yetuntil you are present
How to decide big things
I know bestdecide alone, fast
gather, then decidehear the counsel

After reading Sulayman's letter, Bilqis consulted her leaders. She said she would decide no case until they came together and offered their advice. The surah introduction describes her as a ruler of a wealthy people who still did not act from vanity.

The big decision: moving cities, a new job, a marriage proposal. You do not have to decide it alone in your head at 2am. Call the people whose judgment you trust and ask.

Asking for advice makes me look weak or unsure.

Even someone with full authority is wiser when she listens first.

Try this

Ask one trusted person for their honest view on a decision you are facing.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

She said: "O chiefs! Advise me in case of mine. I decide no case till you are present with me. (32)They said: "We have great strength, and great ability for war, but it is for you to command; so think over what you will command. (33)She said: "Verily, kings, when they enter a town, they destroy it and make the most honorable among its people the lowest. And thus they do. (34)"But verily, I am going to send him a present, and see with what (answer) the messengers return. (35)

Bilqis consults with Her Chiefs

When she read Sulayman's letter to them and consulted with them about this news, she said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَفْتُونِي فِي أَمْرِي مَا كُنْتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشْهَدُونِ

("O chiefs! Advise me in (this) case of mine. I decide no case till you are present with me.") meaning, 'until you come together and offer me your advice.'

قَالُوا نَحْنُ أُولُو قُوَّةٍ وَأُولُو بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ

(They said: "We have great strength, and great ability for war...")

They reminded her of their great numbers, preparedness and strength, then they referred the matter to her and said:

وَالْأَمْرُ إِلَيْكِ فَانْظُرِي مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ

(but it is for you to command; so think over what you will command.) meaning, 'we have the power and strength, if you want to go to him and fight him.' The matter is yours to decide, so instruct us as you see fit and we will obey. Ibn 'Abbas said: "Bilqis said:

إِنَّ الْمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا قَرْيَةً أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوا أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَا أَذِلَّةً ۖ 

(Verily, kings, when they enter a town, they destroy it and make the most honorable amongst its people the lowest.) And Allah said:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ

(And thus they do.) Then she resorted to peaceful means, seeking a truce and trying to placate Sulayman, and said:

وَإِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِمْ بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ 

(But verily, I am going to send him a present, and see with what the messengers return.) meaning, 'I will send him a gift befitting for one of his status, and will wait and see what his response will be. Perhaps he will accept that and leave us alone, or he will impose a tax which we can pay him every year, so that he will not fight us and wage war against us.' Qatadah said: "May Allah have mercy on her and be pleased with her – how wise she was as a Muslim and (before that) as an idolator! She understood how gift-giving has a good effect on people." Ibn 'Abbas and others said: "She said to her people, if he accepts the gift, he is a king, so fight him; but if he does not accept it, he is a Prophet, so follow him."