Asif ibn Barkhiya

Common card · No. 463039

Āṣif bin Barkhiyā (Arabic: آصف بن برخيا) is thought to be the Islamic scriptural figure who brought the Queen of Sheba's throne to King Solomon "...in the twinkling of an eye". Credited with the role of court vizier, it is a story occasionally recounted in Middle Eastern lore, but perhaps more so in occult circles. The figure himself is largely unexpounded, as very few references to him are found in classical texts other than through subtle terms in Chapter 27 of the Qur'an. He is, however, apparent in a number of books that deal with Islamic occultism or Ruhaniyya, and in one that appears to be attributed directly to him (titled, al-Ajnas). In like manner, through the ages he was eminently revered by the Quranic exegetical traditions where the powers he possessed were associated to the Ineffable Name of Allah. He can be identified as the biblical figure Asaph, son of Berachiah the Gershonite mentioned in 2 Chronicles 20:14.

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