Aslam

Praise be to Allah.

The Prophet of Allah Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) did not

force Balqees the queen of Saba’ (Sheba) to become Muslim; rather she became

Muslim voluntarily, as Allah, may He be exalted, tells us in the verse in

which He, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the

meaning):

“She said: ‘My Lord! Verily, I

have wronged myself, and I submit (in Islam, together with Sulaymaan

(Solomon), to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that

exists)”

[an-Naml 27:44].

She stated that she had wronged herself by worshipping the

sun instead of Allah, then she voluntarily affirmed Islam and submitted with

Sulaymaan to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. If she had been forced to become

Muslim, she would not have said that.

With regard to the words of the Prophet of Allah Sulaymaan

(peace be upon him), “Go

back to them. We verily shall come to them with hosts that they cannot

resist, and we shall drive them out from there in disgrace, and they will be

abased” [an-Naml 27:37],

this comes under the heading of jihad which is necessary to

spread the religion of Allah; it does not have anything to do with forcing

anyone to enter Islam. Jihad was only prescribed so that the word of Allah

might be supreme, and so as to take away authority of kingdoms that stand

between the people and the religion of Allah.

Moreover, Sulaymaan was a king, to whom Allah had granted

sovereignty on earth, as more than one of the early generations stated, so

no one had the right to decide any of the affairs of his kingdom without his

consent, especially with regard to the greatest matter concerning which

jihad was prescribed and for which kingdoms were established.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Jihad of the Muslims against the disbelievers is not for the

purpose of making them become Muslim. Allah, may He be glorified, says

(interpretation of the meaning): “There

is no compulsion in religion” [al-Baqarah

2:256]. Rather jihad is

so that the word of Allah may be supreme, and so that dominance may belong

to the religion of Islam.

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il al-‘Uthaymeen

(25/303).

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) said:

It is not possible to force anyone to enter Islam, for

entering Islam is something that comes from the heart, based on conviction

in the heart, and it is not possible for us to control hearts or make them

believe. That is in the hand of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, for

He is the Controller of the hearts, and it is He Who guides whomever He

wills and leaves astray whomever He wills. But our duty is to call people to

Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and to explain the truth, and to

strive in jihad for the sake of Allah against those who are stubborn and

recognise the truth but obstinately reject it after coming to know it. This

is the one against whom we must strive in jihad, but as for the idea of

forcing him to enter Islam and instilling faith in his heart by force, this

is not for us to do, rather that is up to Allah, may He be glorified and

exalted.

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa ash-Shaykh Saalih ibn

Fawzaan (1/209)

The fact that the queen of Saba’ became Muslim and admitted

having wronged her self when she disbelieved clearly indicates that she was

content with faith and became Muslim voluntarily, and was not forced to do

so.

Please see also the answers to questions no.

178756 and 82613.

And Allah knows best.