Who did the Queen of Sheba and her people worship according to the Quran?

According to the Quran (27:24), the Hudhud (hoopoe bird) reported to Prophet Solomon that it found the Queen of Sheba and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah. Classical tafsir explains this was their ancestral religion, which Satan had made seem appealing to them.

Why did the people of Sheba worship the sun?

The Quran explains in Surah An-Naml, verse 24, that "Satan has made their deeds pleasing to them and averted them from the way." Tafsir scholars like Ibn Kathir elaborate that Satan deceived them into believing this ancestral practice of idolatry was correct, thus blocking them from guidance towards worshipping the one true Creator.

How did Prophet Solomon find out about the sun worship in Sheba?

Prophet Solomon (Sulayman) learned about the sun worship in Sheba from one of his army, the Hudhud (hoopoe bird). The bird was absent during an inspection and returned with news from Sheba, reporting that he "found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah" (Quran 27:24).

The Sun (Worship by Sheba) in the Quran: A Symbol of Misguided Prostration

the sun (the people of Sheba)

Explore Verses Related to the sun (the people of Sheba)

🕋An-Naml27:24

At a Glance

According to search-discovered classical Islamic scholarship, the Quranic reference to the sun in the context of the people of Sheba (Surah An-Naml, 27:24) is a definitive example of shirk (polytheism). Tafsir by authorities such as Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi explains that the Hudhud (hoopoe bird) reported to Prophet Solomon (Sulayman) that he found Queen Bilqis and her nation "prostrating to the sun instead of Allah." This act is not presented as a form of reverence for nature, but as a misguided worship of a created celestial body. The verse explicitly attributes this deviation to Satan, who "has made their deeds pleasing to them and averted them from [His] way." The significance of this event within the narrative is paramount; it establishes the theological error that prompts Prophet Solomon's dawah (invitation to Islam), setting the stage for one of the Quran's most detailed accounts of prophecy, diplomacy, and conversion from the worship of creation to the worship of the one true Creator.

📖 Quranic Context

Serves as the central example of shirk (polytheism) that initiates the interaction between Prophet Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.

Highlights the error of prostrating to a creation (the sun) instead of the one true Creator, Allah.

References: The specific act of the people of Sheba worshipping the sun is mentioned once in 27:24.

💭 Theological Perspective

Represents the human tendency to be awed by the grandeur of creation to the point of deification, misguided by Satan.

Illustrates how Satan can make false deeds seem pleasing (زين لهم الشيطان أعمالهم), leading people astray from the correct path.

The discovery of this false worship by the Hudhud becomes the catalyst for Prophet Solomon to extend dawah (invitation to Islam).

The story's resolution, with the Queen submitting to Allah, shows the journey from worship of creation to worship of the Creator as the pinnacle of spiritual growth.

📜 Hadith Perspective

While not directly about Sheba, the Prophet Muhammad strongly forbade prostration to anything other than Allah, including prohibiting prayer at the exact time of sunrise and sunset to avoid any semblance of sun worship.

The prohibition of shirk
The absolute right of Allah to be worshipped alone.

Universal agreement that worshipping the sun or any other created object is a major form of shirk.

💎 Deeper Insights

The report on sun worship comes not from a human or an angel, but from a bird, the Hudhud. This demonstrates a profound Quranic principle: even a non-human creature, by its natural disposition (fitra), can possess a clearer understanding of Tawheed than a powerful, intelligent human civilization that has been led astray. The Hudhud's righteous indignation is a lesson in itself.

— Al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir

The verse reveals Satan's primary strategy is not to promote overt evil, but to make falsehood appear 'beautiful' and 'pleasing' ( وزين لهم الشيطان أعمالهم ). This is a sophisticated psychological insight. The people of Sheba likely saw their sun worship as an act of beauty, reverence, and tradition. The Quran identifies this aesthetic and emotional attachment as the very tool of demonic misguidance.

— Ibn Kathir, Sayyid Qutb