The Art of Composing a Formal Letter from the Perspective of Qur’anic Literature: The Case of King Solomon’s Letter to Queen Sheba

Abstract

This article aims at juxtaposing King Solomon’s letter to Queen Sheba with contemporary way of composing formal letters. King Solomon’s letter was a harbinger of the relation that was later to exist between him and the Queen of Sheba, Bilqis. By the clearer ray of discerning from the Qur’anic literature, the article demonstrate King Solomon’s insights and intuitions in composing letters, just as it reveals the Qur’anic literary superiority and a proof of continuity in composing formal letters as a means of correspondence from antiquity to date. The article reveals an existence of a narrow track running a white parallel between King Solomon’s letter to Queen Sheba and contemporary way of writing formal letters. Methodologically, the article employs a comparative analytical approach by drawing on the findings of texts revolving around composition of letters to prove its stated thesis