Question Summary:
Who brought the throne to Sulaiman (Alayhi al- Salam).Was it a Jinn or a human being?

Question Detail:

Who brought the throne to Sulaiman (Alayhi al- Salam).Was it a Jinn or a human being?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykumwa-rahmatullāhiwa-barakātuh. 
The incident in reference is mentioned in the Qur’an.
Allah (SubhanahuWaTa’ala) says:
 
قال يا ايها الملؤ ايكم ياتيني بعرشها قبل ان ياتوني مسلمين . قال عفريت من الجن انا اتيك به قبل ان تقوم من مقامك وو اني عليه اقوي امين. قال الذي عنده علم من الكتاب انا اتيك به قبل ان يرتد طرفك
“He said, “Oh chieftains, which one of you will bring her throne to me before they come to me submissively?”. A stalwart from the Jinn said, “I will bring it to you before you rise up from your place, and for this (task), I am powerful, trustworthy”. The one who had knowledge said, “I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you.” (Al Qur’an 27: 38 – 40)
 
Initially, Sulaiman (Alayhi al- Salaam) commanded the Jinn to bring the throne of Bilqees before him.
Thereafter, either Sulaiman (Alayhi al- Salaam) himself brought the throne or one of his followers.
There is consensus among the Mufassireen (exegetes) that a human being had brought the throne of Bilqees and this is clearly evident from the underlined portion of the verses.
There is a difference of opinion as to whether the person referred to in the verse is Sulaiman (Alayhi al- Salaam) or one of his followers.
Some Mufassireen opine that it refers to Sulaiman (Alayhi al- Salaam). This is the opinion of Muhammed Bin al – Munkadir (Rahimahullah).[1]
Some Mufassireen (exegetes) opine that the person in reference is Khadir (Alahi al- Salaam). This is the opinion of IbnLahee’ah. However, this is a very weak narration.
Others opine that it refers to Asthoom, a person from the BanuIsra’eel. This is the opinion of ImaamMujaahid (Rahimahullah).
Others opine that it refers to a person by the name of Thu al- Noor. This is the opinion of Zuhair Bin Muhammed (Rahimahullah).[2]
Others opine that it refers to the angel, Jibra’eel (Alayhi al – Salaam). This is the opinion of Imam Nakha’ie (Rahimahullah).
Majority of the Mufassireen (exegetes) opine that the person who brought the throne to Sulaiman (Alayhi al- Salaam) was Asif Bin Barkhiya, a pious person from the BaniIsra’eel. This is the most preferred view.[3]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Moulana Ismail Desai
Durban, South Africa
Takhassus Fil Tafseer
(Specialization in Tafseer and Qur’anic sciences)
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net