Hazrath Sulaiman

Sulaymaan was one of the prominent Prophets of Allaah. His story,

which is an interesting one, is mentioned in the Noble Quran.

Sulaymaan inherited his prophethood and dominion from his father

Daawood .

In the Quran, Allaah Almighty Says (what means): "And We had

certainly given to Daawood and Sulaymaan knowledge, and they
said: 'Praise [is due] to Allaah, who has favoured us over many of
His believing servants.' And Sulaymaan inherited Daawood. He
said: 'O People! We have been taught the language of birds, we
have been given from all things. Indeed, this is an evident
bounty.' And gathered for Sulaymaan were his soldiers of the jinn
and men and birds, and they were [marching] in rows." [Quran:
27:15-17]

After his father's death, Sulaymaan became king. He begged Allaah

for a kingdom of the stature that none after him would have, and Allaah
granted him his wish. Besides wisdom, Allaah had blessed Sulaymaan
with many abilities. He could command the winds and understand and talk
to birds and animals. Allaah directed him to teach both men and jinn to
mine the earth and extract its minerals to make tools and weapons. He
also favoured him by giving him a mine of copper, which was a rare metal
in that era.

Indeed, this entire story is related in the Quran as follows, the meaning of
which is: "And to Daawood We gave Sulaymaan. An excellent
servant, indeed he was one who repeatedly turned back [to
Allaah]. [Mention] when there were exhibited before him in the
afternoon the poised [standing] racehorses. And he said: 'Indeed
I gave preference to the love of good [things] over the
remembrance of my Lord until it [i.e., the sun] disappeared
into the curtain [of darkness].' [He said]: 'Return them to me,'
and set about striking [their] legs and necks. And We certainly
tried Sulaymaan and placed on his throne a body; then he
returned. He said: 'My Lord! Forgive me and grant me a
kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me. Indeed,
You are the Bestower.' So We subjected to him the wind
blowing by his command, gently, wherever he directed, And
[also] the devils [of jinn] – every builder and diver. And others
bound together in shackles. [We said]: 'This is Our gift, so
grant or withhold without account.' And indeed, for him is
nearness to Us and a good place of return." [Quran: 38:30-40]
One day, Sulaymaan gathered his army, which had different battalions
of men, jinn, birds, and animals, and marched them to Askalon (in
Palestine). While they were passing through a valley, an ant saw the
approaching army and cried out to warn the other ants saying (what
means): "…Enter your dwellings that you not be crushed by
Sulaymaan and his soldiers while they perceive not." [Quran:
27:18] Sulaymaan hearing the cry of the ant, smiled. He was glad
that the ant knew him to be a Prophet who would not intentionally harm
Allaah's creation. He thanked Allaah for saving the ants' lives.

Allaah the Almighty narrated (what means): "And gathered for

Sulaymaan were his soldiers of the jinn and men and birds, and
they were [marching] in rows until, when they came upon the
valley of the ants, an ant said: 'O ants! Enter your dwellings that
you not be crushed by Sulaymaan and his soldiers while they
perceive not.' So [Sulaymaan] smiled, amused at her speech, and
said: 'My Lord! Enable me to be grateful for Your favour which
You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and do
righteousness of which You approve. And admit me by Your mercy
into [the ranks of] Your righteous servants'" [Quran: 27:17-19]

In Jerusalem, on a huge rock, Sulaymaan built a beautiful temple to

draw the people to worship Allaah. Today, this building is known as the
Dome of the Rock. From there, a large band of followers joined Sulaymaan
on pilgrimage to the Holy Mosque in Makkah. After they had
completed their Hajj, they travelled to Yemen and arrived in the city of
Sana'a. Sulaymaan was impressed by the clever method of
channelling water all over the cities that the Yemenis deployed. He was
keen to build similar water systems in his own country but did not have
enough springs.

He set out to find a hoopoe bird, which could detect water under the
ground. He sent signals all over for 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 and explained to Sulaymaan the reason

for its delay. "I have discovered something of which you are not aware. I
have come from Sheba (Saba') with important news," said the bird.
Sulaymaan became curious, and his anger subsided. The bird
continued: "Saba' is ruled by a queen 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
Allaah, the Almighty."
To check the hoopoe's information, Sulaymaan sent a letter to the
queen with the bird. He instructed the bird to remain hidden and to
observe everything it saw.

The hoopoe dropped the letter in front of the queen and flew away to
hide. She excitedly opened and read its content (which means): "Indeed,
it is from Sulaymaan, and indeed. It is [i.e., reads]: 'In the Name
of Allaah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, Be not
haughty with me but come to me in submission [as Muslims].'"
[Quran: 27:30-31]

The queen of Sheba, upon receiving the letter from Sulaymaan was
very disturbed and hurriedly summoned her advisors. They reacted as to
a challenge, for they felt that there was someone 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 Sulaymaan's
threat of invasion with a battle. However, she told them: "Peace and
friendship are better and wiser; war only brings humiliation, enslaves
people and destroys everything that is good. I have decided to send gifts
to Sulaymaan, selected from our most precious treasures. The courtiers
who will deliver the gifts will also have an opportunity to learn about
Sulaymaan and his military might."

Sulaymaan's 'reconnaissance team' brought him the news of the arrival of

the queen’s messengers with gifts. He immediately realised that the
queen had sent her men on a probing mission and, therefore, gave orders
to rally his army. The envoys of the queen, entering amidst the well-
equipped army of Sulaymaan realised that their wealth was nothing in
comparison to that of the kingdom of Sulaymaan, in which the floors of his
palace were made of sandalwood and inlaid with pure gold. They noticed
Sulaymaan surveying his army, and were amazed at the number and
variety of soldiers, which included lions, tigers, and birds. The messengers
stood awestruck, realising that they were in front of an irresistible army.

The envoys marvelled at the splendour surrounding them. They eagerly

presented their queen's precious gifts and told Sulaymaan that the
queen wished that he would accept them as a token of friendship. They
were shocked by his reaction: he did not even ask to open the covers of
the containers! He told them: "Allaah has given me plenty of wealth, a
large kingdom, and prophethood. I am, therefore, beyond bribery. My only
objective is to spread belief in Tawheed - the Oneness of Allaah."

He also directed them to take the gifts back to the queen and to tell her
that if she did not stop her type of worship (i.e., the worship of the sun) he
would uproot her kingdom and drive its people out of the land.

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

Sulaymaan asked the jinn in his employment whether anyone among

them could bring her throne to his palace before she arrived. One of them
said: "I will bring it to you before this sitting is over." Sulaymaan did
not react to this offer; it appeared that he was waiting for a faster means.
The jinn competed with each other to please him. One of them said: "I will
fetch it for you in the twinkling of an eye!"

No sooner had this one, who had knowledge of the Book, finished his
statement that the throne stood before Sulaymaan . The mission had,
indeed, been completed in the blinking of an eye. Sulaymaan's seat was
in Palestine, and the throne of the queen had been in Yemen, two
thousand miles away. This was a great miracle performed by one of the
soldiers of Sulaymaan .

When the queen arrived at Sulaymaan's palace, she was welcomed with
pomp and ceremony. Then, pointing to the altered throne, Sulaymaan
asked her whether her throne looked like it. 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; yet, she
detected a striking similarity and replied: "It is as if it were the very one,
and resembles mine in every respect." Sulaymaan 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. Sulaymaan
pointed out to her that it was made of solid glass.

She was amazed. She had never seen such things before. The queen
realised that she was in the company of an erudite person who was not
only the ruler of a great kingdom, but also a messenger of Allaah. She
repented, gave up sun worship, accepted the faith of Allaah, and asked
her people to do the same.
Thus, the queen saw her people's creed fall apart before Sulaymaan .
She realised that the sun which her people worshipped was nothing but
one of Allaah's

Sulaymaan lived amidst glory, and all creatures were subjected to

him. Then Allaah, 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 Allaah
Almighty alone.

Sulaymaan'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 Sulaymaan was watching
over them.

Many days later, a little worm began nibbling on Sulaymaan's staff. It

continued to do so, eating the lower part of the staff, until it fell out of
Sulaymaan's hand, and his great body fell to the ground. People hurried to
him, and upon reaching his body realised that he had died a long time ago
and that the jinn did not perceive the unseen, for had the jinn known the
unseen, they would not have kept working, thinking that Sulaymaan was
alive.

Regarding this, Allaah the Exalted revealed (what means): "And to

Sulaymaan [We subjected] the wind – its morning [journey was
that of] a month, and We made flow for him a spring of [liquid]
copper. And among the jinn were those who worked for him by
the permission of his Lord. And whoever deviated among them
from Our command - We will make him taste of the
punishment of the Blaze. They made for him what he will of
elevated chambers, statues, bowls like reservoirs, and
stationary kettles. [We said]: 'Work, O family of Daawood, in
gratitude.' And few of my servants are grateful. And when We
decreed for him [i.e., Sulaymaan] death, nothing indicated to
them [i.e., the jinn] his death except a creature of the earth
eating his staff. But when he fell, it became clear to the jinn
that if they had known the unseen, they would not have
remained in humiliating punishment." [Quran: 34:12-14]