Allah the Exalted said: << فمكث غير بعيد فقال أحطت بما لم تحط به وجئتك من سبإ بنبإ يقين >

[Surat al-Naml:22] with a dammah or fathah on the kaf: makatha or makutha. Who is the doer? The hoopoe, yes. It is also possible that the doer is Sulayman, meaning: he remained not far away, i.e., for a short time, and he was present with Sulayman.
His saying: And what is the evidence for this?
The student: .....

The Shaykh : Because he was among the absent ones in the first instance: [Surat al-Naml:20] and the absent one is not addressed unless he is present. However, the author’s statement: "humbly, raising his head and lowering his tail and wings" is among the matters about which we have no knowledge.
The student: It appears he was with him.

The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: It appears the author was with him.

The Shaykh : Yes, it seems he was with him. Meaning: the hoopoe came and stood, raised his head, and lowered his tail and wings.
The student: No, this is an inference...

The Shaykh : But we cannot say this at all. We cannot describe how he came. It is sufficient for us to say what Allah the Exalted said in the Qur'an. And we mentioned earlier a rule: everything that preceded us, we have no way of knowing it except through revelation: [Surat Ibrahim:9] There is no way except revelation: either in the Qur'an or in the authentic Sunnah.
[Surat al-Naml:22]. Meaning: he is speaking about himself. [Surat al-Naml:22] Who is he addressing?
The student: Sulayman.

The Shaykh : Sulayman. And in reality, this hoopoe is strong, very strong, as they say. How does he address Sulayman, who has this great kingdom, and say: "I have encompassed what you have not encompassed"? He did not say: "What you all have not encompassed." He did not use the form of respect. Yes. And we are now human beings, and sometimes we address the manager or someone above us and say, for example: "You," "Your Excellency," or "Your Highness," or "Your Presence." Yes. ... This is more than necessary. Yes.
The student: .....

The Shaykh : Yes, from... human beings. And all of this, in reality, is among the formal matters that do not indicate anything and are not appropriate either. The Companions addressed the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) with this form of address—yes—and he was more noble to them than all human beings. Yes. And the Rightly Guided Caliphs were not addressed in this manner.
And it is amazing about the Ummah! Some of those who are addressed with such titles, you find their hearts boiling against those addressed, boiling against them. Yes. So this address becomes like mockery of them. If people addressed each other with ordinary speech, what is the status of this hoopoe with Sulayman? He is a soldier among his soldiers, the weakest of them, and yet he says with this frankness: [Surat al-Naml:22] And this is the first time he spoke to him after that, immediately. But in reality, there is a type of etiquette. He did not say, for example: "You are ignorant and do not know, and I knew and searched and found something you do not know." Rather, he said: [Surat al-Naml:22] Meaning: so that Sulayman would know his status, and that he is not encompassing everything. Yes. So this hoopoe became more in need of him. Yes. And human beings are poor in everything. Not even one of us knew how to bury our dead except...?
The student: The crow.

The Shaykh : Except the crow, except the crow. This indicates that we are nothing... Good. [Surat al-Naml:22] It is similar to Ibrahim’s saying to his father: [Surat Maryam:43] He did not say: "O my father, you are ignorant." And this is among the subtleties of style. Yes. Here he said: [Surat al-Naml:22] and the word is severe, meaning: I have seen what you have not seen.
[Surat al-Naml:22] * [Surat al-Naml:23] until he said: [Surat al-Naml:27] Sulayman... he confirmed the news. "I have come to you from Saba with certain news." And yet he said to him: [Surat al-Naml:27]. This was a shock to the hoopoe, because the hoopoe was certain, and yet he was told: [Surat al-Naml:27]. Why did Sulayman say this when he was telling him "with certain news"? Because the reality of the matter is that the hoopoe’s speech was in the position of defending himself. He was defending himself, because he was threatened with severe punishment or being slaughtered. Yes. Or with a clear sign. So when he was in the position of defense, he needed to verify this with evidence. And something similar happened to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). Abu Musa asked for permission to enter three times, then turned away. When he insisted on that, he said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered us." He said: "Bring evidence for what you say." Even though Abu Musa was a trustworthy Companion, and it is not possible that he would fabricate against the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), but the situation requires... what does it require? Increased verification, because a person may understand from a text what was not intended. Therefore, 'Umar asked Abu Musa to bring a witness.
Here, this hoopoe... Sulayman (peace and blessings be upon him), even though he was certain of the news, says to him: [Surat al-Naml:27] Then he gave him a sign and a clue: [Surat al-Naml:28]. And the story, in reality, is very great and contains many benefits. Good.
[Surat al-Naml:22] He says: [Surat al-Naml:22] "by declension and its omission" by declension from Saba', and its omission: from Saba'. Is that right?
The student: No. The opposite.

The Shaykh : Reversed.
The student: From Saba'...
The Shaykh : Yes. Hmm?
The student: This is from... from Saba'.

The Shaykh : Yes, this is the omission of declension.
The student: .....

The Shaykh : Yes, correct. And "from Saba'" is declension. Good. "From Saba'" was declined with a fathah because it is a name that is not declined. And "from Saba'" was declined with a kasrah because it is a name that is declined. On what basis did we make it either declined or not? He said: "a tribe in Yemen named after their ancestor, considering it declined" Meaning: if we look at the name of the ancestor, which is Saba'.