Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) عليه السلام

The King and Prophet — Gifted with Knowledge, Power and Wisdom

"And Solomon inherited the knowledge of David. He said: O mankind! We have been taught the language of birds, and on us have been bestowed all things. This, verily, is an evident grace from Allah."

— Surah An-Naml 27:16

Among all the prophets of Allah, few were blessed with a combination of gifts as extraordinary as Prophet Sulaiman (AS). He was a king and a prophet — commanding men, jinn, animals, and even the wind. His story is one of gratitude, wisdom, justice, and an unwavering recognition that every gift he possessed came from Allah alone.

When Allah granted him an unprecedented kingdom, Sulaiman (AS) responded not with pride — but with prayer: "My Lord! Forgive me, and bestow upon me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any other after me. Verily, You are the Bestower." (Surah Sad 38:35)

🌟 The Extraordinary Gifts of Sulaiman (AS)

Sulaiman (AS) inherited the prophethood and wisdom of his father, Prophet Dawud (AS). Both men praised Allah for what they had been given, saying: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has preferred us above many of His believing slaves!"

Allah blessed Sulaiman (AS) with abilities no other human has been given before or since. He could understand and speak the language of birds and animals. He commanded armies of men, jinn, and birds. Allah subjected the wind to his service — it blew gently wherever he directed. He was taught to mine the earth and extract minerals and was given a flowing spring of copper, a rare and precious gift. The jinn worked under his command, constructing great buildings, mining, and diving for treasures beneath the sea.

Through all of this, Sulaiman (AS) remained a humble, repentant servant of Allah — one who was ever grateful and quick to turn back to his Lord.

🐜 The Valley of the Ants

One day, Sulaiman (AS) was marching his great army — battalions of men, jinn, birds and animals — towards the country of Askalon. As they passed through a valley, a small ant saw the approaching host and called out to warn the others: "O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you, while they perceive not!"

Sulaiman (AS) smiled at the ant's words — glad that even this tiny creature knew he was a prophet who would never intentionally harm Allah's creation. He immediately turned to his Lord in grateful prayer:

👸 The Queen of Sheba

One day a hoopoe bird came to Sulaiman (AS) with extraordinary news — there was a great queen in the land of Sheba (Sab'a) who ruled a magnificent kingdom, sat upon a splendid throne, and yet worshipped the sun instead of Allah. Sulaiman (AS) sent the bird back with a letter, beginning with Bismillah, calling her to submit to Allah alone.

Queen Bilqis was a wise ruler. Rather than meet force with force, she sent precious gifts as a gesture of friendship and diplomacy. Sulaiman (AS) rejected them without even opening them, saying: "What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you!" His only objective was the spread of Tawheed — the oneness of Allah.

Moved by his response, Queen Bilqis decided to visit him in person. Before she arrived, Sulaiman (AS) asked who could bring her throne to his palace. One of the jinn offered to bring it before the sitting ended. But a man possessing knowledge of the Book declared: "I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye!" — and in an instant, the throne of Sheba stood before Sulaiman (AS), two thousand miles away in Yemen now in Jerusalem.

When Bilqis arrived and entered the palace, she stepped onto what appeared to be water — but was actually a floor of polished glass. She lifted her skirts in surprise, and Sulaiman (AS) smiled and told her: "It is a palace paved with glass."

She was overcome. In the presence of a prophet who rejected her wealth, displayed impossible miracles, and whose kingdom surpassed anything she had ever seen, Bilqis surrendered her heart to the truth: "My Lord! Verily I have wronged myself, and I submit together with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of all." The sun in her heart was eclipsed — and replaced by the light of Islam.

🕊️ His Remarkable Death

Sulaiman (AS) lived in glory and all creatures were subjected to him. When Allah decreed his death, even the manner of his passing carried a divine lesson. He died while leaning on his staff, overseeing the jinn at work in a mine. For a long time — perhaps months — no one knew he had died. The jinn continued working, assuming he was still watching over them.

Eventually, a small worm quietly ate through the base of his staff until it could no longer support his weight. His body fell to the ground — and only then did the people realise he had passed away long before.

This was the final lesson of his life — that the unseen belongs to Allah alone. Not even the most powerful jinn, who had worked for him for years, could perceive what a tiny worm knew before them. Knowledge of the future belongs to Allah, and Allah alone.

May Allah bless us with a portion of the wisdom of Sulaiman (AS) — to be grateful for what we have been given, to use every blessing in the service of Allah, and to remember always that all power and knowledge belong to Him alone.

عليه السلام — Peace be upon him