Did the Prophet of Allah Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) force the queen of Saba’ to become Muslim?

The Prophet of Allah Sulaymaan (peace be upon him) did not
force Balqees the queen of Saba’ (Sheba) to become Muslim; rather she became
Muslim voluntarily, as Allah, may He be exalted, tells us in the verse in
which He, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“She said: ‘My Lord! Verily, I
have wronged myself, and I submit (in Islam, together with Sulaymaan
(Solomon), to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that
exists)”

[an-Naml 27:44].

She stated that she had wronged herself by worshipping the
sun instead of Allah, then she voluntarily affirmed Islam and submitted with
Sulaymaan to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. If she had been forced to become
Muslim, she would not have said that.

With regard to the words of the Prophet of Allah Sulaymaan
(peace be upon him), “Go
back to them. We verily shall come to them with hosts that they cannot
resist, and we shall drive them out from there in disgrace, and they will be
abased” [an-Naml 27:37],

this comes under the heading of jihad which is necessary to
spread the religion of Allah; it does not have anything to do with forcing
anyone to enter Islam. Jihad was only prescribed so that the word of Allah
might be supreme, and so as to take away authority of kingdoms that stand
between the people and the religion of Allah.

Moreover, Sulaymaan was a king, to whom Allah had granted
sovereignty on earth, as more than one of the early generations stated, so
no one had the right to decide any of the affairs of his kingdom without his
consent, especially with regard to the greatest matter concerning which
jihad was prescribed and for which kingdoms were established.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Jihad of the Muslims against the disbelievers is not for the
purpose of making them become Muslim. Allah, may He be glorified, says
(interpretation of the meaning): “There
is no compulsion in religion” [al-Baqarah
2:256]. Rather jihad is
so that the word of Allah may be supreme, and so that dominance may belong
to the religion of Islam.

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il al-‘Uthaymeen
(25/303).

Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) said:

It is not possible to force anyone to enter Islam, for
entering Islam is something that comes from the heart, based on conviction
in the heart, and it is not possible for us to control hearts or make them
believe. That is in the hand of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, for
He is the Controller of the hearts, and it is He Who guides whomever He
wills and leaves astray whomever He wills. But our duty is to call people to
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and to explain the truth, and to
strive in jihad for the sake of Allah against those who are stubborn and
recognise the truth but obstinately reject it after coming to know it. This
is the one against whom we must strive in jihad, but as for the idea of
forcing him to enter Islam and instilling faith in his heart by force, this
is not for us to do, rather that is up to Allah, may He be glorified and
exalted.

End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa ash-Shaykh Saalih ibn
Fawzaan (1/209)

The fact that the queen of Saba’ became Muslim and admitted
having wronged her self when she disbelieved clearly indicates that she was
content with faith and became Muslim voluntarily, and was not forced to do
so.

Please see also the answers to questions no.
178756 and 82613.

And Allah knows best.