Prophet Solomon – Prophet King Over Humans, Jinn And Winds

(Cite: Hamdani, Mufti Shah Rafi Uddin & Khan, Dr. (Mufti) Imran. (2018), Prophet Solomon , Encyclopedia of Muhammad , Seerat Research Center, Karachi, Pakistan, Vol. 1, Pg. 259-267.)

Sulayman is identified with the biblical Solomon, the son of David. He is portrayed in the Holy Quran as the wise possessor of knowledge about the world, including the languages of birds and beasts ¹ and other creatures including Jinns ². He was the king of Israel and Judah and is revered in Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

Solomon is remembered for his building program. The most important of his buildings was the Temple in Jerusalem. This was the first Temple to be built on the site. Its plan, which the Bible describes in detail, followed the Phoenician models. Solomon is also famous for his wisdom. One famous accounts tells about his decision regarding the mother of a baby. (It was a dispute among two women, each was claiming to be the mother). He ordered the baby to be cut in half, upon which one woman pleaded with the king to let the baby live and give it to the other woman. While the other woman agreed that the baby should be cut in two pieces. Solomon realized that the first woman was the baby's mother. Recognizing Solomon's wisdom, Jews and Christians have traditionally attributed to him three books in the Bible: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs, sometimes called the Song of Solomon. ³

Faiths, such as Islam and Rastafarianism, ⁴ also embrace the notion of Solomon as a sagacious king and powerful prophet of Israel. Born around 1010 B.C, Solomon was the tenth son of King David (the second king of ancient united Israel) and the second son of Bathsheba. Like King Saul and King David, King Solomon reigned for 40 years in one of the highest and most prosperous periods in Israel’s history - called by many, “The Golden Age” of Israel. ⁵

Solomon As Mentioned In The Holy Quran:

Solomon inherited David's prophethood and dominion. This was not a material inheritance, as prophets do not bequeath their property. ⁶ When Solomon inherited the position of King over Israel, he prayed to God to grant him a Kingdom which would be greater than that of any after him and before him. God accepted Solomon’s prayer and gave him what he desired. The Holy Quran mentions this as:

قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَهَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لَا يَنْبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْوَهَّابُ 35 فَسَخَّرْنَا لَهُ الرِّيحَ تَجْرِي بِأَمْرِهِ رُخَاءً حَيْثُ أَصَابَ 36 وَالشَّيَاطِينَ كُلَّ بَنَّاءٍ وَغَوَّاصٍ 37 وَآخَرِينَ مُقَرَّنِينَ فِي الْأَصْفَادِ 38 هَذَا عَطَاؤُنَا فَامْنُنْ أَوْ أَمْسِكْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ 39 وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِنْدَنَا لَزُلْفَى وَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ 40⁷

He (Solomon ) said, “My Lord! Forgive me and bestow upon me a kingdom, which shall not befit anyone after me; indeed only You are the Great Bestower.” We, therefore, gave the wind under his control, moving steadily by his command wherever he wished. And made the demons subservient to him, all builders and divers. And other demons bound in chains. “This is Our bestowal – you may, therefore, bestow favours or withhold them – you will not be questioned.” And indeed for him in Our presence are, surely, proximity and an excellent abode.

God accepted his prayer and he became the leader of a huge empire. ⁸ The Holy Quran narrates that even the winds, and the jinn were made subservient to him. These jinns helped strengthen Solomon's reign, building monuments, houses of worship and other constructions for him. When Solomon initiated the construction of Masjid Aqsa and Jerusalem, the jinn collected stones and pearls from far and wide. This building of Jerusalem is still present and is known as "The Dome of the Rock.

Solomon knew the language of birds and animals. Once he mustered his armies of jinn, men and birds and rode among them. They were perfectly organized and arranged under the command of their leaders. ⁹ While they were passing through a valley, an ant saw the approaching army and cried out to warn the other ants: "Run to your homes! Otherwise, unaware, Solomon and his army might crush you!" Solomon , hearing the cry of the ant, smiled. He was glad that the ant knew him to be a prophet who would not intentionally harm Allah's creation. He thanked Allah for saving the ants' lives. ¹⁰ The Holy Quran narrates this story as:

حَتَّى إِذَا أَتَوْا عَلَى وَادِ النَّمْلِ قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَاأَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ ادْخُلُوا مَسَاكِنَكُمْ لَا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَانُ وَجُنُودُهُ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ 18¹¹

Until when they came to the valley of the ants, a she ant exclaimed, “O ants, enter your houses – may not Sulayman and his armies crush you, unknowingly.” He therefore smiled beamingly at her speech*, and submitted, “My Lord, bestow me guidance so that I thank you for the favour which You bestowed upon me and my parents, and so that I may perform the good deeds which please You, and by Your mercy include me among Your bondmen who are worthy of Your proximity.”

While commenting on this verse, Mawdudi states:

his verse also has been greatly misconstrued by some commentators of the present day. They say that wad-in naml does not mean “valley of the ants”, but it is the name of a valley that was in Syria, and namlah does not mean an ant but it is the name of a tribe. Thus, according to them, the verse means this: “When the Solomon reached the valley of the ants, a Namilite said, O people of the Naml tribe ......” But this also is an interpretation which is not supported by the words of the Quran. Even if we took wad-in-naml (the valley of the ants) to be the name of a valley and supposed that it was inhabited by the tribe of Bani an-Naml, it would be against the Arabic idiom and usage to speak of a member of the tribe as namlah. Although there are many Arab tribes which have been named after the animals, e.g. Kalb (dog), Asad (lion), etc. Yet no Arab would ever say in respect of a member of the Kalb or the Asad tribe: “A dog said, or a lion said, etc.” Therefore, it would be against the Arabic idiom to say in respect of a member of the Naml tribe: “An ant (namlah) said this.” Then a member of the Naml tribe’s warning the people of his tribe, saying, “O Namilites, get into your houses lest Solomon’s hosts should trample you down without even knowing it,” becomes meaningless, it has never happened that an army of men should have trampled down a group of men without knowing it. If the army has come with the intention of an attack, it would be useless for the other side to get into their houses, for in that case the invaders would follow them into their houses, and trample them more ruthlessly. And if the army is only on the routine march, it is just enough to clear off the way for it. Human beings may be harmed by the marching columns, but it can never happen that the soldiers on the march would trample down other men without knowing it. Therefore, if Bani an-Naml were a tribe of human beings, and one of its members were to warn his people, then in case of an attack, he would have said, “O Namilites, flee your houses and take refuge in the mountains lest Solomon’s armies should destroy you.” And in case there was no danger of an attack, he would have said, “O Namilites, clear off the way lest one of you should be harmed by the marching columns of Solomon’s armies.” ¹²

This error in the interpretation is on account of the Arabic idiom and the subject-matter. As for the name of the valley and the tribe of Bani an-Naml inhabiting it, it is a mere hypothesis for which there exists no scientific proof. Those who hold that wad-in-naml was the name of a valley have themselves pointed out that it had been so named because of the abundance of ants in it. Qatadah and Muqatil say, “It is a valley in the land of Syria where ants are found in abundance.” But in no book of history and geography and in no archaeological research it is mentioned that it was inhabited by a tribe called Bani an-Naml. Thus, it is merely a concoction that has been invented to support one’s own interpretation.

This story is also found in the Israelite traditions, but its latter portion falls against the Holy Quran as well as against the real dignity of Solomon . According to it, when Solomon was passing through a valley which abounded in ants, he heard an ant calling out to the other ants to say, “Get into your holes, otherwise you will be trampled down by Solomon's hosts.” At this, Solomon displayed great dignity and pride before the ant to which the ant said, “What are you? - the product of a mere sperm drop!” Hearing this the Prophet Solomon felt greatly ashamed (Astaghfirullah). This shows how the Holy Quran corrects the wrong traditions of the Israelites, and cleanses the filthy spots with which they had themselves branded the characters of their prophets. It is these traditions about which the Western orientalists shamelessly claim that the Holy Quran has plagiarized them for its narratives.

Rationally also, it is not at all inconceivable that an ant should warn members of its own species of an impending danger and tell them to get into their holes. As for the question as to how the Solomon heard it, the answer is: It is not all difficult to understand the crude speech of an ant for a person whose senses can comprehend and receive a subtle message like the word of revelation.” ¹³

The Hoopoe Carries Information To Solomon

Prophet Solomon set out to find the hoopoe bird, which could detect water under the ground. He sent signals all over the hoopoe to call on him, but it was nowhere to be found. In anger, he declared that unless the bird had a good reason for its absence, he would punish it severely. The hoopoe eventually came to him and explained the reason for its delay. "I have discovered something of which you are not aware. I have come from Sheba (Saba) with significant news." Upon hearing this, he became curious, and his anger subsided. The bird continued: "Saba is ruled by a queen named Bilkis (Bilqis), who has plenty of everything, including a splendid throne. But in spite of all this wealth, Satan has entered her heart and the hearts of her people. She rules their minds completely. I was shocked to learn that they worship the sun instead of Allah the Almighty." To check the hoopoe's information, Solomon sent a letter to the queen with the bird. He also instructed the bird to remain hidden and watch everything. The hoopoe dropped the letter in front of the queen and flew away to hide. She excitedly opened and read it. ¹⁴ The contents of the letter are mentioned in the Holy Quran as:

﴿إِنَّهُ مِنْ سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ 30 أَلَّا تَعْلُوا عَلَيَّ وَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ 31¹⁵

“Indeed it is from Sulaiman, and it is (begins) with ‘Allah – beginning with the name of – the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.’” That ‘Do not wish eminence above me, and present yourselves humbly to me, with submission.’”

“Present yourselves humbly”; and “present yourselves as Muslims (with submission).” The first meaning is in accordance with the Solomon’s position as a ruler, and the second with his position as a prophet. Probably this comprehensive word was used to convey both the meanings through the letter. ¹⁶

The queen was very disturbed and hurriedly summoned her advisors. They reacted as to a challenge, for they felt that someone was challenging them, hinting at war and defeat, and asking them to submit to his conditions.

They told her that they could only offer advice, but it was her right to command action. She sensed that they wanted to meet Solomon’s invasion threat with a battle. However, she told them: "Peace and friendship are better and wiser; war only brings humiliation, enslaves people and destroys the good things. I have decided to send gifts to Solomon , selected from our most precious treasure. The courtiers who will deliver the gifts will also have an opportunity to learn about Solomon and his military might."

Solomon Refuses The Gifts

Prophet Solomon's reconnaissance team brought him the news of the arrival of Bilqis' messengers with a gift. He immediately realised that the queen had sent her men on a probing mission. Therefore, he gave orders to rally the army. The envoys of Bilqis entered amidst the well-equipped army and realised that their wealth was nothing in comparison to that of the kingdom of Solomon's palace floors, which were made of sandalwood and inlaid with gold.

They were surprised at the number and variety of soldiers, which included lions, tigers, and birds. The messengers stood in amazement, realising that they were in front of an invincible army.The envoys marvelled at the splendour surrounding them and eagerly presented their Queen's precious gifts to Solomon . They then conveyed the message that the queen wished that he would accept the gifts as an act of friendship. Solomon’s reaction shocked them. He did not even ask to open the covers of the containers! He told them: "Allah has given me plenty of wealth, a large kingdom, and Prophethood. I am, therefore, beyond bribery. My only objective is to spread the belief in monotheism, the Oneness of Allah." He also directed them to take back the gifts to the queen and to tell her that if she did not stop wrongful worship, he would uproot her kingdom and drive its people out of the land.

The Queen's envoys returned with the gifts and delivered the message. They also told her of the beautiful things they had seen. Instead of taking offence, she decided to visit Solomon . Accompanied by her royal officials and servants, she left Sheba, sending a messenger ahead to inform Solomon that she was on her way to meet him. ¹⁷

The Miracle

Solomon asked the Jinn in his vicinity whether anyone among them could bring her throne to the palace before she arrived. One of them said; "I will bring it to you before this sitting is over." Solomon did not react to this offer; it appeared that he was waiting for a faster means. The jinn competed to please him. One pious man of them named Ifrit said: "I will fetch it for you in the twinkling of an eye!"

No sooner had this one - who had the knowledge of the Book - finished his phrase than the throne stood before Solomon . The mission had, indeed, been completed in the blinking of an eye. Solomon's seat was in Palestine, and the throne of Bilqis had been in Yemen, two thousand miles away. This was a great miracle performed by one righteous person sitting with Solomon . This account is narrated in the Holy Quran as:

﴿قَالَ يَاأَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ 38 قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ مِنْ مَقَامِكَ وَإِنِّي عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِيٌّ أَمِينٌ 39 قَالَ الَّذِي عِنْدَهُ عِلْمٌ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ مُسْتَقِرًّا عِنْدَهُ قَالَ هَذَا مِنْ فَضْلِ رَبِّي لِيَبْلُوَنِي أَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ وَمَنْ شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّي غَنِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ 40¹⁸

Said Sulaiman (Solomon ) “O court members, which one of you can bring me her throne befre they come humbled in my presence?” An extremely evil jinn said: “I will bring it in your presence before you disperse the assembly; and I am indeed strong and trustworthy upon it.” Said one who had knowledge of the book, “ I will bring it in your majesty’s presence before you bat your eyelid”; then when he saw it set in his presence; Sulaiman said, ‘This is of the favors of my lord; so that He may test me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful; and whoever gives thanks only gives thanks for his own good; and whoever is ungrateful – then indeed my Lord is the Independent, the Owner of all Paradise.”

Some commentators have given a baffling interpretation here. They say that Solomon wanted to have the throne before him before the queen’s arrival because he wanted to take possession of it. For, he feared that if the queen became a Muslim. It would be unlawful to take possession of her property without her approval: therefore, he made haste to have the queen’s throne with him even before her arrival in Jerusalem, because at that time it was lawful to take it into his possession. May Allah pardon us! This is an idiotic concept about the intention of a prophet. Why should one not understand the verse in the light that Solomon wanted to show a miracle also to the queen and her courtiers besides preaching his message so that she might know what extraordinary powers Allah, Lord of the worlds, had granted His prophet so that she might be convinced that Solomon was surely a prophet of Allah. ¹⁹

The Queen's Visit To Solomon

When Bilqis arrived at Solomon's palace, she was welcomed with pomp and ceremony. Then, pointing to the altered throne, Solomon asked her whether her throne looked like that one. She looked at it again and again. In her mind she was convinced that her throne could not possibly be the one she was looking at, as hers was in her palace; she detected a striking similarity and replied: "It is as if it were the very one, and resembles mine in every respect." Solomon judged that she was intelligent and diplomatic.

He then invited her into the great hall, the floor of which was laid in glass and shimmering. Thinking it was water, as she stepped on the floor, she lifted her skirt slightly above her heels, for fear of wetting it. Solomon pointed out to her that it was made of solid glass. She was amazed. She had never seen such things before. Bilqis realised that she was in the company of a very knowledgeable person who was not only a ruler of a great kingdom but a messenger of Allah, as well. She repented, gave up sun worship, accepted the faith of Allah (Islam i.e. Submission to the will of Allah), and asked her people to do the same. ²⁰

Demise of Solomon

Solomon’s departure from this world is mentioned in the Holy Quran as:

فَلَمَّا قَضَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَوْتَ مَا دَلَّهُمْ عَلَى مَوْتِهِ إِلَّا دَابَّةُ الْأَرْضِ تَأْكُلُ مِنْسَأَتَهُ فَلَمَّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ الْجِنُّ أَنْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ الْغَيْبَ مَا لَبِثُوا فِي الْعَذَابِ الْمُهِينِ 14²¹

So when We sent the command of death towards him, no one revealed his death to the jinn except the termite of the earth which ate his staff; and when he came to the ground, the truth about the jinn was exposed – if they had known the hidden, they would not have remained in the disgraceful toil.

Solomon lived amidst glory, and all creatures were subjected to him. Then Allah - the Exalted ordained for him to die. His life and death were full of wonders and miracles; thus, his death harmonised with his life and glory. His death, like his life, was unique. The people had to learn that the future is known neither by the jinn, nor by the prophets, but by Allah alone. Solomon's effort in this direction did not end with his life, for even his death became an example. He was sitting holding his staff, overseeing the jinn at work in a mine. He died sitting in this position. For a long time, no one was aware of his death, for he was seen sitting erect. The Jinn continued with their sand toil, thinking that Solomon was watching over them.

Many days later, a hungry ant began nibbling Solomon's staff. It continued to do so, eating the lower part of the staff, until it fell out of Solomon's hand, and his great body fell to the ground. People hurried to him, realising that he had died a long time ago and that the jinn had not perceived the unseen, for had the jinn known the unseen, they would have ceased to work. ²²

His demise is mentioned in the Jewish Encyclopedia as:

Solomon died at the age of fifty-three, having reigned forty years. As the building of the Temple was not finished at his death and he was afraid that the jinn would not continue to work thereon if he were not there to command them, the angel of death took his soul while he was leaning upon his staff, praying. His body remained in that position a year, until the jinn had finished the Temple, when a worm that had been gnawing at the staff caused it to crumble to pieces; Solomon's body fell, and the jinn discovered that he was dead. It is said that Solomon collected the books of magic that were scattered throughout his realm, and locked them in a box, which he put under his throne to prevent their being used. After his death the jinn, so as to make people believe that Solomon had been a sorcerer, declared that he had used these books; many believed the statement to be true, but the accusation was a malicious falsehood. ²³

• ¹  Gordon Newby (2002), A Concise Encyclopedia of Islam, One World Publications, Oxford, U.K, Pg. 197.
• ²  Jinn (Arabic: الجن‎‎, al-jinn), also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of demons), (Ibn Taymiyah's Essay on the Jinn (Demons), abridged, annotated and translated by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, International Islamic Publishing House: Riyadh, Pg. 19 (note 4).) are supernatural creatures in early Arabian and later Islamic mythology and theology. An individual member of the jinn is known as a jinni, djinni, or genie (الجني, al-jinnī). They are mentioned frequently in the Quran (the 72nd sura is titled Sūrat al-Jinn) and other Islamic texts. The Quran says that the jinn were created from a smokeless and "scorching fire":
  وَالْجَاۤنَّ خَلَقْنٰہُ مِنۡ قَبْلُ مِنۡ نَّارِ السَّمُوۡمِ (27)
  Translation: And created the jinn before him, from smokeless fire.
  (Holy Quran, Al-Hijr (The Stones) 15: 27)
  However, they are also physical in nature, being able to interact in a tactile manner with people and objects and likewise be acted upon.
• ³  Robert S. Ellwood & Gregory D. Elles, (1998), The Encyclopedia of World Religions, Facts on File Inc., New York, USA, Pg. 326-327.
• ⁴  A new African religion.
• ⁵  Knox, J. S. (2017), Ancient History Encyclopedia: http://www.ancient.eu/solomon/: Retrieved: 10-07-17
• ⁶  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia, Pg. 150.
• ⁷  Holy Quran, Suad (ص) (Arabic Alphabet) 38: 35-40
• ⁸  The territory over which sovereignty is claimed for Solomon by the historian of 1 Kings extended from the Euphrates to the River of Egypt (el Arish), or, to name the cities at the limits of his realms, from Tiphsah (Thapsacus) to Gaza (1 Kings 4:24). (The Catholic Encyclopedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14135b.htm: Retrieved: 13-07-17)
• ⁹  Sayyed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, Stories of The Prophets, U.K Islamic Academy, Leicester, U.K, Pg. 133.
• ¹⁰  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia, Pg. 151.
• ¹¹  Holy Quran, Al-Naml (The Ant) 27: 18
• ¹² http://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php?sura=27&verse=15&to=31: Retrieved: 13-07-17
• ¹³  IBID
• ¹⁴  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia, Pg. 152.
• ¹⁵  Holy Quran, Al-Naml (The Ant) 27: 30-31
• ¹⁶ http://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php?sura=27&verse=15&to=31: Retrieved: 13-07-17
• ¹⁷  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia, Pg. 152-153.
• ¹⁸  Holy Quran, Al Naml ( The Ant), 27: 38-40
• ¹⁹ http://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php?sura=27&verse=32&to=44: Retrieved: 16-08-17
• ²⁰  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia, Pg. 152-154.
• ²¹  Holy Quran, Saba (The Tribe of Saba) 34: 14
• ²²  Abul Fida Ismail Ibne Kathir, Stories of the Prophets (Translated by Muhammad Mustapha), Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudia, Pg. 155.
• ²³  The Jewish Encyclopedia (Online Version): http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13842-solomon: Retrieved: 13-07-17