Bilqis
bil-QEES
The queen who recognized truth when she saw it — and chose it over her throne.
A synthesized overview will appear here as content grows.
Root Analysis
Bilqis is not an Arabic name — it appears in the Quran as a transliteration of a name from another tradition, possibly Ethiopic or South Arabian. She is not named in the Quran itself (the Quran refers to her as the woman who was given all things and had a great throne — 27:23); the name Bilqis comes from the tafsir tradition. In the Hebrew Bible, the Queen of Sheba (Malkath Sheba) visits Solomon but is not named. Only in later traditions is she named Bilqis (in Arabic/Islamic tradition) or Makeda (in Ethiopian tradition).
Quranic Occurrence
0Bilqis is not named in the Quran by this name — the name comes from the tafsir tradition. The Quran refers to her as the woman who was given everything and had a great throne (27:23). Her story occupies verses 27:22-44, and she is one of the Quran's most fully drawn non-prophetic characters.