Sulayman

The heir of Dawud

Sulayman was the son of Dawud, and his heir. Both were prophets. Allah (﷾) gave them knowledge, and they both thanked Him: Qur’an 38:30Qur’an 27:16Qur’an 4:163Qur’an 6:84Qur’an 6:89

Sulayman was known for sound judgement. The Qur'an tells of a case that he and Dawud judged together. It was about a field into which the sheep of some people had strayed by night. It does not say what they ruled. It says Allah (﷾) witnessed it, and that Sulayman was given the right understanding: Qur’an 21:78

The Prophet (ﷺ) told of another case. Two women each had a baby. A wolf took one of the babies, and each woman said the surviving child was hers. They went to Dawud, who ruled for the elder. They then went to Sulayman. He asked for a knife, so that he could cut the child in two and share it. The younger woman cried out that he must not, for the child was the other woman's. So he gave the child to the younger woman. Sahih al-Bukhari 3427↗

The ant, and a prayer of thanks

Sulayman knew where his knowledge came from. He told his people that Allah (﷾) had taught him the speech of birds and given him a little of everything. He called it a grace from Allah (﷾), not a credit to himself: Qur’an 27:16

His hosts were gathered before him in ranks: jinn, men and birds. The jinn are unseen beings that, the Qur'an says, Allah (﷾) made from fire. Qur’an 27:17Qur’an 55:15Sahih Muslim 2996↗

They came to a valley of ants. One ant told the others to get into their homes, so that Sulayman and his army would not crush them without knowing it. Sulayman heard her, and smiled. He did not boast of his power. He prayed: Qur’an 27:18What does the Qur'an say about Solomon and the ant?

The hoopoe and the Queen of Sheba

One day Sulayman counted the birds and did not see the hoopoe. He said the bird must bring him a clear reason for being away. It was soon back, with news: Qur’an 27:20–21

In Saba (Sheba), the hoopoe said, a woman ruled a people. She had every means, and a magnificent throne. But she and her people did not worship Allah (﷾): Qur’an 27:23

Sulayman said he would see whether the bird had told the truth. He sent a letter. It began with the words Muslims still say before every good work: in the name of Allah (﷾), Most Gracious, Most Merciful. And it asked a simple thing: Qur’an 27:27–30

The queen did not answer with anger. She called her chiefs, and said she would decide nothing without them. They offered her strength for war, but she chose to send a gift and wait to see the answer. Sulayman refused the gift. What Allah (﷾) had given him, he said, was better than what He had given them. Qur’an 27:29Qur’an 27:32–36

Then Sulayman chose to show her a sign. He asked his chiefs which of them could bring her throne before she arrived. A strong one of the jinn, an 'Ifrit, said he could bring it before Sulayman rose from his council. But one who had knowledge of the Book said he could do it in the twinkling of an eye. The Qur'an does not name him, or say how. It says only that the throne was there, firmly placed before Sulayman. And Sulayman did not take pride. He said: Qur’an 27:38–40

He had her throne changed, so that she would not know it, to see whether she was guided. When she came, she was asked whether it was hers. She answered with care: Qur’an 27:41–42

Then she was asked into the palace. Its floor was polished glass, and she took it for a pool of water. Sulayman told her it was only a palace paved smooth with glass. And she said: Qur’an 27:44

A queen who had worshipped the sun came to worship Allah (﷾) alone. The Qur'an shows how it happened: a letter, a question, a sign, and her own words.

A kingdom that belonged to Allah (﷾)

Sulayman asked Allah (﷾) to forgive him and to give him a kingdom that no one after him would have. Allah (﷾) answered his prayer. The wind flowed gently at his order, and its morning's journey was a month's journey, and its evening's too. Some of the jinn worked in front of him, by his Lord's leave. They made what he wished: arches, basins as large as reservoirs, and great cooking pots fixed in their places. Qur’an 38:35–36Qur’an 21:81–82Qur’an 34:12–13

The Qur'an is clear that this was Allah's (﷾) doing, not Sulayman's:

And Allah (﷾) told Dawud's family how to answer such favour: Qur’an 34:13

The evil ones spread falsehoods about Sulayman's kingdom, and some people followed them. The Qur'an clears his name: Qur’an 2:102

The Qur'an ends his story with his death. It does not say how long he ruled or lived. It says what happened when Allah (﷾) decreed his death: Qur’an 34:14

The lesson is plain. The jinn are hidden from our eyes, yet they did not know the unseen. Only Allah (﷾) does. Even the greatest king died, as every human being does, and the kingdom went on belonging to Allah (﷾).

How the Bible tells it differently

The Bible tells of Solomon mainly in 1 Kings 1 to 11 and 2 Chronicles 1 to 9. Much of it agrees: he was David's son, wise, and a great king. But some points are different. Muslims believe that Allah (﷾) revealed the Torah to Musa, and the Injil to Isa: the Gospel Jesus himself preached in his lifetime. The Injil is not the New Testament. The four New Testament Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, were written by others, decades after Jesus was raised up. None of them names its author: the names were attached later. And the Torah we have today is not exactly as it was revealed. So where the Bible tells a story just as the Qur'an does, we believe it. Where it differs from the Qur'an or contradicts it, we do not. Where the Qur'an says nothing, we neither believe it nor deny it, as the Prophet (ﷺ) taught. Here are the main differences, with the verses. 1 Kings 4:29 (KJV)Qur’an 5:48Qur’an 5:46Which of the four Gospels did Jesus preach from?Who wrote the Gospels?Sahih al-Bukhari 4485↗How should a Muslim read the Bible?

King, or prophet. The Bible calls Solomon king over all Israel, tells how he built the Temple, and says the Lord appeared to him twice. But it never calls him a prophet. The Qur'an counts him among the prophets Allah (﷾) inspired, and among those to whom He gave the Book, authority and prophethood. 1 Kings 4:1 (KJV)1 Kings 6:14 (KJV)1 Kings 11:9 (KJV)Qur’an 4:163Qur’an 6:84Qur’an 6:89

His wives and other gods. The Bible says that when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods. It says he did evil in the sight of the Lord. The Qur'an says that the blasphemers were not Solomon, but the evil ones who spread false stories about him. The linked page looks at what the Bible charges against its prophets. 1 Kings 11:4 (KJV)1 Kings 11:6 (KJV)Qur’an 2:102Qur’an 38:30Were the prophets sinless?

His reign and death. The Bible says Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years, then slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. The Qur'an gives no years. It tells how his death became known: by a small creature gnawing his staff, which showed that even the jinn did not know the unseen. 1 Kings 11:42–43 (KJV)Qur’an 34:14