Quran Universe
27:37

ٱرۡجِعۡ إِلَيۡهِمۡ فَلَنَأۡتِيَنَّهُم بِجُنُودٖ لَّا قِبَلَ لَهُم بِهَا وَلَنُخۡرِجَنَّهُم مِّنۡهَآ أَذِلَّةٗ وَهُمۡ صَٰغِرُونَ

IrjiAA ilayhim falanatiyannahum bijunoodin la qibala lahum biha walanukhrijannahum minha athillatan wahum saghiroona

Return to them, for we will surely come to them with soldiers that they will be powerless to encounter, and we will surely expel them therefrom in humiliation, and they will be debased."

Word by word
  1. ٱرۡجِعۡReturn
  2. إِلَيۡهِمۡto them
  3. فَلَنَأۡتِيَنَّهُمsurely,we will come to them
  4. بِجُنُودٖwith hosts
  5. لَّاnot
  6. قِبَلَ(is) resistance
  7. لَهُمfor them
  8. بِهَاof it
  9. وَلَنُخۡرِجَنَّهُمand surely,we will drive them out
  10. مِّنۡهَآfrom there
  11. أَذِلَّةٗ(in) humiliation
  12. وَهُمۡand they
  13. صَٰغِرُونَ(will be) abased
An-Naml · 27:37Makkah

Send the gift back. The message stands.

A firm reply that led to her submission

What happened next
gift returnedundelivered
with
a firm warningarmies they cannot resist
led to
she camein submission
What firmness did
more conflictwhat she feared
her comingand he rejoiced

Sulayman sent the envoys back with their gift and a firm warning. Ibn Kathir says when they reported it, she and her people paid heed and came to him in humility, intending to follow him in Islam. When Sulayman realized they were coming, he rejoiced greatly.

You returned the expensive present because it came with strings. It felt harsh. A clear no can be what finally lets the other person take you seriously. The goal is not to win but to see them come round.

Refusing a gift will only make things worse.

A firm, clear no can open the door, and the hope behind it is the other person's good.

Try this

Give one clear, kind no today that you have been avoiding.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 27:36)

So, when (the messengers with the gift) came to Sulayman, he said: "Will you help me in wealth? What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay, you rejoice in your gift! (36)"Go back to them. We verily, shall come to them with armies that they cannot resist, and we shall drive them out from there in disgrace, and they will be abased. (37)

The Gift and the Response of Sulayman

More than one of the scholars of Tafsir among the Salaf and others stated that she sent him a huge gift of gold, jewels, pearls and other things. It is apparent that Sulayman, peace be upon him, did not even look at what they brought at all and did not pay any attention to it, but he turned away and said, rebuking them:

 أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ 

("Will you help me in wealth?") meaning, 'are you trying to flatter me with wealth so that I will leave you alone with your Shirk and your kingdom?'

فَمَا آتَانِيَ اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا آتَاكُمْ 

(What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you!) means, 'what Allah has given to me of power, wealth and troops, is better than that which you have.'

بَلْ أَنْتُمْ بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ 

(Nay, you rejoice in your gift!) means, 'you are the ones who are influenced by gifts and presents; we will accept nothing from you except Islam or the sword.'

ارْجِعْ إِلَيْهِمْ

(Go back to them) means, with their gift,

فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّهُمْ بِجُنُودٍ لَا قِبَلَ لَهُمْ بِهَا

(We verily, shall come to them with armies that they cannot resist,) they have no power to match them or resist them.

 وَلَنُخْرِجَنَّهُمْ مِنْهَا أَذِلَّةً

(and we shall drive them out from there in disgrace,) 'we shall drive them out in disgrace from their land.'

وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ

(and they will be abased.) means, humiliated and expelled.

When her messengers came back to her with her undelivered gift, and told her what Sulayman said, she and her people paid heed and obeyed him. She came to him with her troops in submission and humility, honoring Sulayman and intending to follow him in Islam. When Sulayman, peace be upon him, realized that they were coming to him, he rejoiced greatly.