What Gift (or Power) Did Allah Almighty Give Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon)?
ما هي الملكة التي أعطاها الله تعالى لسليمان عليه السلام؟
Allah Almighty taught Sulaiman pbuh the language of birds, and the language of ants. He subjected to him forces of jinn, humans and birds. And He subjected the wind for him so it would carry him wherever he commanded it, and the Jinn who work under a command, some of which were builders on land, some were divers in the seas, and He Almighty granted him a kingdom which no other had been given.
The wind would cover a month’s journey in half a day. (˹We subjected˺ the wind: its morning stride was a month’s journey and so was its evening stride.)
And Allah caused the molten copper to flow in his hands so he could shape it into pots.
(And to Solomon We subjected the raging winds, blowing by his command to the land We had showered with blessings. It is We Who know everything. And ˹We subjected˺ some jinn that dived for him and performed other duties. It is We Who kept them in check.) Al-Anbiya 21:81-82
(And David was succeeded by Solomon, who said, “O people! We have been taught the language of birds and been given everything ˹we need˺. This is indeed a great privilege.” Solomon’s forces of jinn, humans, and birds were rallied for him, perfectly organized. And when they came across a valley of ants, an ant warned, “O ants! Go quickly into your homes so Solomon and his armies do not crush you, unknowingly.” So Solomon smiled in amusement at her words, and prayed, “My Lord! Inspire me to ˹always˺ be thankful for Your favors which You have blessed me and my parents with, and to do good deeds that please you. Admit me, by Your mercy, into ˹the company of˺ Your righteous servants.”) An-Naml 27:16-19
(And to Solomon ˹We subjected˺ the wind: its morning stride was a month’s journey and so was its evening stride. And We caused a stream of molten copper to flow for him, and ˹We subjected˺ some of the jinn to work under him by his Lord’s Will. And whoever of them deviated from Our command, We made them taste the torment of the blaze. They made for him whatever he desired of sanctuaries, statues, basins as large as reservoirs, and cooking pots fixed ˹into the ground˺. ˹We ordered:˺ “Work gratefully, O family of David!” ˹Only˺ a few of My servants are ˹truly˺ grateful.) Saba 34:12-13
علمه الله تعالى لغة الطيور و النمل. و سخر معه جندًا من الجن و الإنس، و سخر له الرياح. تتحرك حيث يأمرها سليمان عليه السلام و سخر له الشياطين يعملون بأمره منهم البناء في البر و منهم الغواص في البحر و أعطاه الله ملكًا لا يكون لأحد من الناس سواه.
و من حركة الريح أنها تقطع في نصف نهار مسيرة شهر. (وَلِسُلَيْمَانَ الرِّيحَ غُدُوُّهَا شَهْرٌ وَرَوَاحُهَا شَهْرٌ)
وجعل الله النحاس يسيل بين يديه فيصنع منه الأواني.
(وَلِسُلَيْمَانَ الرِّيحَ عَاصِفَةً تَجْرِي بِأَمْرِهِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا ۚ وَكُنَّا بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَالِمِينَ وَمِنَ الشَّيَاطِينِ مَن يَغُوصُونَ لَهُ وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلًا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ وَكُنَّا لَهُمْ حَافِظِينَ) الأنبياء 21: 81-82
(وَوَرِثَ سُلَيْمَانُ دَاوُودَ ۖ وَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ عُلِّمْنَا مَنطِقَ الطَّيْرِ وَأُوتِينَا مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْمُبِينُ وَحُشِرَ لِسُلَيْمَانَ جُنُودُهُ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ وَالطَّيْرِ فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَتَوْا عَلَىٰ وَادِ النَّمْلِ قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ ادْخُلُوا مَسَاكِنَكُمْ لَا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَانُ وَجُنُودُهُ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًا مِّن قَوْلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَدْخِلْنِي بِرَحْمَتِكَ فِي عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ) النمل 27: 16-19
(وَلِسُلَيْمَانَ الرِّيحَ غُدُوُّهَا شَهْرٌ وَرَوَاحُهَا شَهْرٌ ۖ وَأَسَلْنَا لَهُ عَيْنَ الْقِطْرِ ۖ وَمِنَ الْجِنِّ مَن يَعْمَلُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِ ۖ وَمَن يَزِغْ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ أَمْرِنَا نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُ مَا يَشَاءُ مِن مَّحَارِيبَ وَتَمَاثِيلَ وَجِفَانٍ كَالْجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٍ رَّاسِيَاتٍ ۚ اعْمَلُوا آلَ دَاوُودَ شُكْرًا ۚ وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ) سبأ 34: 12-13
1. Command Over Birds, Ants, and Assembled Armies | تسخير الطير والنمل والجيوش المحتشدة
Surah An-Naml 27:16-17 describes Sulaiman as understanding the speech of birds and having his forces of jinn, humans, and birds assembled and organized under him. This is the same inheritance mentioned in connection with his father Dawud, now shown in its practical scope, an entire mixed army responding to his command in an orderly formation.
تصف سورة النمل 27: 16-17 سليمان بأنه يفهم كلام الطير وأن قواته من الجن والإنس والطير حُشدت ونُظمت تحت إمرته. وهذا هو الميراث نفسه المذكور في صلته بأبيه داوود، ويظهر هنا في نطاقه العملي، جيش مختلط بأكمله يستجيب لأمره في تشكيل منظم.
2. The Wind Answering His Order | الريح تستجيب لأمره
Surah Saba 34:12 states that the wind’s morning stride covered a month’s journey, and its evening stride covered another month’s journey, meaning Sulaiman’s wind carried him the distance of a full month in each half of a single day. This particular gift is mentioned in three surahs: Al-Anbiya 21:81, Saba 34:12 and Sad 38:36, underscoring how central it was among everything Allah subjected to him.
تنص سورة سبأ 34: 12 على أن غدو الريح مسيرة شهر ورواحها مسيرة شهر، أي أن ريح سليمان كانت تحمله مسافة شهر كامل في كل نصف من اليوم الواحد. وتُذكر هذه الهبة تحديدا في ثلاث سور، الأنبياء 21: 81 وسبأ 34: 12 وص 38: 36، مما يؤكد مدى مركزيتها بين كل ما سخره الله له.
3. Molten Copper and Structures No Other King Possessed | نحاس مذاب ومنشآت لم يملكها ملك سواه
Allah caused a stream of molten copper to flow for Sulaiman, and the jinn under his command used it, along with their labor, to build sanctuaries, statues, basins as large as reservoirs, and fixed cooking pots, works the Ayah lists among what the jinn made for him. These are concrete examples of the kingdom he asked Allah for, one not granted to anyone after him (38:35).
أسال الله عين النحاس المذاب لسليمان، واستخدمه الجن تحت إمرته، إلى جانب عملهم، لبناء محاريب وتماثيل وجفان كالجواب وقدور راسيات، أعمال تذكرها الآية مما صنعه الجن له. وهذه أمثلة ملموسة على الملك الذي سأله ربه، ملكا لا ينبغي لأحد من بعده (ص 38: 35).
4. The Valley of Ants: Power Paired With Humility | وادي النمل: القوة مقرونة بالتواضع
When Sulaiman’s army passed a valley of ants, one ant warned the others to take shelter so they would not be crushed unknowingly. Rather than treating this as beneath his notice, Sulaiman smiled at her words and immediately turned to prayer, asking to remain grateful and to be counted among Allah’s righteous servants. Scholars point to this moment as the clearest example in his story of enormous power met with immediate humility rather than pride.
حين مر جيش سليمان بوادي النمل، دعت نملة الأخريات إلى دخول مساكنهن كي لا يحطمهن سليمان وجنوده وهم لا يشعرون. وبدلا من اعتبار ذلك أمرا دون اهتمامه، تبسم سليمان ضاحكا من قولها وتوجه فورا إلى الدعاء، طالبا أن يظل شاكرا وأن يُعد من عباد الله الصالحين. ويشير العلماء إلى هذه اللحظة بوصفها المثال الأوضح في قصته على قوة هائلة تقابلها تواضع فوري لا كِبر.
5. Jinn Held to Strict Account, Not Unchecked Power | الجن تحت حساب صارم لا قوة مطلقة
Saba 34:12 specifies that any jinn who deviated from the command given to them was made to taste the torment of the blaze. This detail matters because it shows Sulaiman’s authority over the jinn was not an unconditional or magical power operating outside Allah’s law, it was a subjection granted and enforced by Allah Himself, with real consequences for disobedience among those subjected.
تحدد سبأ 34: 12 أن أي جني ينحرف عن الأمر الموكل إليه كان يُذاق عذاب السعير. ولهذا التفصيل أهميته لأنه يظهر أن سلطة سليمان على الجن لم تكن قوة مطلقة أو سحرية تعمل خارج شرع الله، بل كانت تسخيرا منحه الله وفرضه بنفسه، له عواقب حقيقية على العصيان بين من سُخّروا.
6. A Command to Give Thanks, Not Simply to Marvel | أمر بالشكر لا بالانبهار فقط
Saba 34:13 closes this list of gifts with a direct instruction, “Work gratefully, O family of David,” followed by the sober remark that few of Allah’s servants are truly grateful. The passage does not end by celebrating the scale of Sulaiman’s kingdom for its own sake; it turns the entire account into a lesson about gratitude as the proper response to extraordinary favor.
تختتم سبأ 34: 13 قائمة هذه الهبات بتعليمات مباشرة: “اعملوا آل داوود شكرا”، تتبعها ملاحظة رصينة بأن قليلا من عباد الله هم الشكورون حقا. ولا ينتهي المقطع بالاحتفاء بحجم ملك سليمان لذاته؛ بل يحول الرواية بأكملها إلى عبرة عن الشكر بوصفه الاستجابة الصحيحة للنعمة الاستثنائية.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What gifts did Allah give Prophet Sulaiman?
The language of birds and ants, command over armies of jinn, humans, and birds, control of the wind and molten copper, and a kingdom unlike any given to another.
How fast was the wind that obeyed him?
Its morning stride covered a month’s journey, and its evening stride covered another month’s journey.
What happened in the valley of the ants?
An ant warned the others to take shelter so Sulaiman’s army would not crush them unknowingly; Sulaiman smiled and prayed for continued gratitude.
Was Sulaiman’s command over the jinn unconditional?
No, jinn who deviated from the command given to them were punished, showing their subjection was granted and enforced by Allah, not an unchecked power.
What instruction closes the account of these gifts in Surah Saba?
“Work gratefully, O family of David,” with the remark that few of Allah’s servants are truly grateful.