Solomon in the Quran

Solomon in the Quran is one of the great prophets of God. Prophet Solomon was the successor to his father, Prophet David, and became both a prophet and king for the Children of Israel. Prophet Solomon’s kingdom was unparalleled compared to other kingdoms in that he had full command over not just all human beings, but also animals and the jinn. God has mentioned his name 17 times in the Quran. In this article on Islam4u, we will take a look at:

Solomon in the Quran: His Prayer

Solomon became the prophet and king of Israelites after Prophet David  passed away. He was a very righteous man and an obedient servant of God . Once God tested him by:

وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا سُلَيْمَانَ وَأَلْقَيْنَا عَلَىٰ كُرْسِيِّهِ جَسَدًا ثُمَّ أَنَابَ ﴿34﴾

Certainly We tried Solomon, and cast a [lifeless] body on his throne. Thereupon he was penitent. ¹

According to some exegetes of the Quran and based on a narration from Imam Sadiq, Solomon had a son whom the jinn were afraid he would become strict with them like his father. Therefore, Solomon was afraid the jinn would harm his son. Therefore, he entrusted him to the nurse of the clouds so that he may grow up in safety. This was until they threw his lifeless body on his throne. This was because God wanted to show Solomon that protection by itself cannot stop destiny. Therefore, Solomon was censured for fearing the jinn. Therefore, Solomon became penitent, and said:

قَالَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَهَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لَّا يَنبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ مِّن بَعْدِي ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ ﴿35﴾

He said, ‘My Lord! Forgive me, and grant me a kingdom that will not befit anyone except me. Indeed You are the All-munificent.’ ²

As a result, God answered his prayer and granted him a vast kingdom.

Solomon in the Quran: The Steeds

There is one fragment of the story of Prophet Solomon that has been mentioned in the Quran in surah Ṣād. God says:

وَوَهَبْنَا لِدَاوُودَ سُلَيْمَانَ ۚ نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ ۖ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ ﴿30﴾

And to David We gave Solomon—what an excellent servant he was! Indeed, he was a penitent [soul].

إِذْ عُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ بِالْعَشِيِّ الصَّافِنَاتُ الْجِيَادُ ﴿31﴾

One evening when there were displayed before him prancing steeds,

فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَحْبَبْتُ حُبَّ الْخَيْرِ عَن ذِكْرِ رَبِّي حَتَّىٰ تَوَارَتْ بِالْحِجَابِ ﴿32﴾

he said, ‘Indeed I have preferred the love of [worldly] niceties to the remembrance of my Lord until [the sun] disappeared behind the [night’s] veil.’

رُدُّوهَا عَلَيَّ ۖ فَطَفِقَ مَسْحًا بِالسُّوقِ وَالْأَعْنَاقِ ﴿33﴾

‘Bring it back for me!’ Then he [and others] began to wipe [their] legs and necks.

All prophets are infallible and never commit any sins or even error. As for the above verse there are two explanations. Solomon was attending to his steeds and taking care of them in the way of God. What he was doing was an act of worship because he was preparing them for jihad. However, this continued until the sun set. Solomon said bring back the sun so I could offer my missed prayer.

Another interpretation is that the antecedents of ruddūhā (رُدّوها) are the steeds. Moreover, khayr (خَير) is a word that Arabs use to mean horse and ‘an (عَن) can also mean for. Therefore, Solomon said, “Indeed, I have loved steeds for the remembrance of my Lord.” So the horses were brought back and Solomon began caressing their legs and necks.

Solomon in the Quran: Surah Naml

God tells the story of Solomon and the queen of Sheba in great detail in surah Naml. God begins the story by saying:

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ عِلْمًا ۖ وَقَالَا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي فَضَّلَنَا عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّنْ عِبَادِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿15﴾

Certainly, We gave knowledge to David and Solomon, and they said, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, who granted us an advantage over many of His faithful servants.’ ³

God had given a great deal of knowledge to his prophets David and Solomon. They too were thankful of this and thanked God for making them superior to others. According to surah Naml, Prophet Solomon was the heir of Prophet David:

وَوَرِثَ سُلَيْمَانُ دَاوُودَ ۖ وَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ عُلِّمْنَا مَنطِقَ الطَّيْرِ وَأُوتِينَا مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ ۖ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْمُبِينُ ﴿16﴾

Solomon inherited from David, and he said, ‘O people! We have been taught the speech of the birds, and we have been given out of everything. Indeed this is a manifest advantage.’ ⁴

Prophet Solomon knew the language of all animals. That is why he was able to communicate with ants and the hoopoe that brought news from the land of Sheba. The surah continues the story:

وَحُشِرَ لِسُلَيْمَانَ جُنُودُهُ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنسِ وَالطَّيْرِ فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ ﴿17﴾

[Once] Solomon’s hosts were marched out for him, comprising jinn, humans and birds, and they were held in check. ⁵

Solomon had a mighty army comprising humans, jinn, and birds. They were so many that they had to be stopped in certain places so the other members could join them, because some of them traveled faster than others. For example, the birds or jinn traveled faster than the humans. Therefore, they had to stop so the humans could join them and also this was so that they would not merge. That is, the army of the jinn would not merge with the army of the humans.

The Valley of the Ants

The army of Solomon continuing its path until it came to the Valley of Ants:

حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَتَوْا عَلَىٰ وَادِ النَّمْلِ قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ ادْخُلُوا مَسَاكِنَكُمْ لَا يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَانُ وَجُنُودُهُ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿18﴾

When they came to the Valley of Ants, an ant said, ‘O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Solomon and his hosts should trample on you while they are unaware.’ ⁶

Ants are small creatures that one cannot see easily if they are on the ground. When the army of Solomon was moving through the Valley of Ants, an ant told them to go to your homes so that Solomon and his army do not trample you, while they are heedless.

Solomon, who knew the language of ants, smiled that a small and weak creature such as an ant is saying that Solomon and his army are heedless:

فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكًا مِّن قَوْلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَدْخِلْنِي بِرَحْمَتِكَ فِي عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِينَ ﴿19﴾

Whereat he smiled, amused at its words, and he said, ‘My Lord! Inspire me to give thanks for Your blessing with which You have blessed me and my parents, and that I may do righteous deeds which please You, and admit me, by Your mercy, among Your righteous servants.’ ⁷

Solomon in the Quran: The Hoopoe

One day, Prophet Solomon was reviewing the birds. He noticed that the hoopoe was absent. The Quran says in this regard:

وَتَفَقَّدَ الطَّيْرَ فَقَالَ مَا لِيَ لَا أَرَى الْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ الْغَائِبِينَ ﴿20﴾

[One day] he reviewed the birds, and said, ‘Why do I not see the hoopoe? Or is he absent?’ ⁸

Solomon was very strict. If someone was absent, he would quickly question the others asking about their absence and if he was not convinced, he would punish that person. Solomon said:

لَأُعَذِّبَنَّهُ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا أَوْ لَأَذْبَحَنَّهُ أَوْ لَيَأْتِيَنِّي بِسُلْطَانٍ مُّبِينٍ ﴿21﴾

‘I will punish him with a severe punishment, or I will behead him, unless he brings me a credible excuse.’ ⁹

Everyone went silent. However, it did not take long before the hoopoe showed up:

فَمَكَثَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ فَقَالَ أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ وَجِئْتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ ﴿22﴾

He did not stay for long [before he turned up] and said, ‘I have alighted on something which you have not alighted on, and I have brought you from Sheba a definite report. ¹⁰

How interesting it is that a bird is talking to a human being and bringing news for him. Prophet Solomon in the Quran is truly an exceptional prophet. Then the hoopoe said:

إِنِّي وَجَدتُّ امْرَأَةً تَمْلِكُهُمْ وَأُوتِيَتْ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَلَهَا عَرْشٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿23﴾

I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given everything, and she has a great throne.

The news the hoopoe brought was unique of its kind. First of all, a woman  was ruling over a group of people. It is quite unusual for a woman to rule when there are men who could take this responsibility. In other words, few men are willing to be submissive to women. Second, she had been given everything meaning she was rich and enjoyed advanced technology of that time. Third, she had a great throne that differentiated her from other kings and rulers. In other words, the size and magnitude of the throne was something that the hoopoe was very amazed by.

The Queen of Sheba

The hoopoe continued:

وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوْمَهَا يَسْجُدُونَ لِلشَّمْسِ مِن دُونِ اللَّـهِ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ فَهُمْ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ ﴿24﴾

I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds seem decorous to them—thus he has barred them from the way [of Allah], so they are not guided—

أَلَّا يَسْجُدُوا لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي يُخْرِجُ الْخَبْءَ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُخْفُونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ ﴿25﴾

so that they do not prostrate themselves to Allah, who brings forth the hidden in the heavens and the earth, and He knows whatever you hide and whatever you disclose.

اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ ۩ ﴿26﴾

Allah—there is no god except Him—is the Lord of the Great Throne.’ ¹¹

The people of Sheba were worshippers of the sun. How dare someone under the kingdom of Solomon worship the sun instead of God?! As long as Solomon was king, no land and people had the right to be sun-worshippers, idolaters, or polytheists in general. Solomon then said to the hoopoe:

قَالَ سَنَنظُرُ أَصَدَقْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ﴿27﴾

He said, ‘We shall see whether you are truthful, or if you are one of the liars.

اذْهَب بِّكِتَابِي هَـٰذَا فَأَلْقِهْ إِلَيْهِمْ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَانظُرْ مَاذَا يَرْجِعُونَ ﴿28﴾

Take this letter of mine and deliver it to them. Then draw away from them and observe what [response] they return.’ ¹²

At this instant, the hoopoe took the letter of Solomon to the queen of Sheba. Solomon wished to guide her to the straight path and stop her from worshipping the sun. So the queen of Sheba received Solomon’s letter and began reading it:

قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ إِنِّي أُلْقِيَ إِلَيَّ كِتَابٌ كَرِيمٌ ﴿29﴾

She said, ‘O [members of the] elite! Indeed a noble letter has been delivered to me.

إِنَّهُ مِن سُلَيْمَانَ وَإِنَّهُ بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴿30﴾

It is from Solomon, and it begins in the name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful.

أَلَّا تَعْلُوا عَلَيَّ وَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ ﴿31﴾

[It states,] ‘‘Do not defy me, and come to me in submission.’’ ’ ¹³

Solomon’s letter is short and to the point. It is interesting that his letter begins with bismillah (بِسمِ الله الرحمن الرحیم), making it the second time this verse appears in this surah. Therefore, even though surah Tawbah does not begin with bismillah, surah Naml has two bismillahs, making the total number of bismillahs in the Quran 114, the same number as the surahs in the Quran.

Solomon in the Quran: The Queen’s Plan

The queen of Sheba was an intelligent woman. She said to her elites:

قَالَتْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَفْتُونِي فِي أَمْرِي مَا كُنتُ قَاطِعَةً أَمْرًا حَتَّىٰ تَشْهَدُونِ ﴿32﴾

She said, ‘O [members of the] elite! Give me your opinion concerning my matter. I do not decide any matter until you are present.’

قَالُوا نَحْنُ أُولُو قُوَّةٍ وَأُولُو بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ وَالْأَمْرُ إِلَيْكِ فَانظُرِي مَاذَا تَأْمُرِينَ ﴿33﴾

They said, ‘We are powerful and possess a great might. But it is up to you to command. So consider what orders you will give.’ ¹⁴

It is very wise to consult before making a big decision. This is what the queen of Sheba does. She is the queen, she can do whatever she wants, but she asks for the opinion of her elites and courtiers. They say we are ready to fight them as we are very strong. However, she says:

قَالَتْ إِنَّ الْمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا قَرْيَةً أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوا أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَا أَذِلَّةً ۖ وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ ﴿34﴾

She said, ‘Indeed when kings enter a town, they devastate it, and make the mightiest of its people the weakest. That is how they act.

وَإِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِم بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ ﴿35﴾

I will send them a gift, and see what the envoys bring back.’ ¹⁵

So she sends her herald along with a gift to Solomon. Solomon gets angry and says:

قَالَتْ إِنَّ الْمُلُوكَ إِذَا دَخَلُوا قَرْيَةً أَفْسَدُوهَا وَجَعَلُوا أَعِزَّةَ أَهْلِهَا أَذِلَّةً ۖ وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَفْعَلُونَ ﴿36﴾

So when he came to Solomon, he said, ‘Are you aiding me with wealth? What Allah has given me is better than what He has given you. Indeed, you are proud of your gift!

وَإِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِم بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ ﴿37﴾

Go back to them, for we will come at them with hosts which they cannot face, and we will expel them from it, abased and degraded.’ ¹⁶

Solomon in the Quran: The Throne is Brought

The queen of Sheba has no choice but to submit herself to Solomon and his God. As they were on their way, Solomon said to the members of his elite:

قَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ ﴿38﴾

He said, ‘O [members of the] elite! Which of you will bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?’

قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِكَ ۖ وَإِنِّي عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِيٌّ أَمِينٌ ﴿39﴾

An afreet from among the jinn said, ‘I will bring it to you before you rise from your place. I have the power to do it and am trustworthy.’ ¹⁷

An afreet is a powerful jinn that can perform extraordinary feats. At this moment, the vicegerent and successor of Solomon who is identified as Āsif the son of Barkhiyā (آسِف ابن برخيا) in Islamic tradition said:

قَالَ الَّذِي عِندَهُ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ ۚ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ مُسْتَقِرًّا عِندَهُ قَالَ هَـٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّي لِيَبْلُوَنِي أَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ ۖ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّي غَنِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ ﴿40﴾

The one who had [some] knowledge of the Book said, ‘I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye.’ So when he saw it set near him, he said, ‘This is by the grace of my Lord, to test me if I will give thanks or be ungrateful. Whoever gives thanks, gives thanks only for his own sake. And whoever is ungrateful [should know that] my Lord is indeed all-sufficient, all-generous.’ ¹⁸

Therefore, the man who had some knowledge of the Book brought the throne of the queen in the blink of an eye. He was a righteous man and the successor to Solomon as Quranic exegetes have said. Then Solomon said that they disguise her throne to see if she is able to tell if it is her throne or not. ¹⁹

فَلَمَّا جَاءَتْ قِيلَ أَهَـٰكَذَا عَرْشُكِ ۖ قَالَتْ كَأَنَّهُ هُوَ ۚ وَأُوتِينَا الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهَا وَكُنَّا مُسْلِمِينَ ﴿42﴾

So when she came, it was said [to her], ‘Is your throne like this one?’ She said, ‘It seems to be the same, and we were informed before it, and we had submitted.’ ²⁰

In fact, she said that she was informed of Solomon’s might and glory before and had submitted it herself to him. It was as though she was saying, “I already knew about the endless power of Solomon. Therefore, it is not strange to me that I see my own throne with him.”

Ending of the Story of Solomon in the Quran in Surah Naml

Then God says in the next verse:

وَصَدَّهَا مَا كَانَت تَّعْبُدُ مِن دُونِ اللَّـهِ ۖ إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ مِن قَوْمٍ كَافِرِينَ ﴿43﴾

She had been barred [from the way of Allah] by what she used to worship besides Allah, for she belonged to a faithless people.

The Queen of Sheba used to worship the sun and was deviated from the right path. However, God guided her by means of a small bird called the hoopoe. This shows that God can guide whomever He wishes in any way that He desires. The story ends in surah Naml with the following verse:

قِيلَ لَهَا ادْخُلِي الصَّرْحَ ۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ حَسِبَتْهُ لُجَّةً وَكَشَفَتْ عَن سَاقَيْهَا ۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُ صَرْحٌ مُّمَرَّدٌ مِّن قَوَارِيرَ ۗ قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَانَ لِلَّـهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿44﴾

It was said to her, ‘Enter the palace.’ So when she saw it, she supposed it to be a pool of water, and she bared her shanks. He said, ‘It is a palace paved with crystal.’ She said, ‘My Lord! Indeed I have wronged myself, and I submit with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.’

This is yet another sign of the might and glory of Solomon’s kingdom that he had made a palace that was made of crystal. She thought that it was a pool of water and rolled up the leg of her pants, but actually the crystal made it seem so. Another message that this has is that sometimes it seems to us that something is true while it is not the case just like the crystal that seemed to be water. The queen of Sheba thought the sun is God of the universe, but the Satan had made it seem to her. Ultimately, after witnessing all the miracles of Solomon, the queen of Sheba professes her faith in Solomon while submitting herself to God. According to Quranic exegetes they got married after she became a monotheist .

The Wind and Jinn under the Control of Solomon in the Quran

God says in the Quran that He gave Solomon power over the wind. With it, he was able to fly. There is a difference of opinion among exegetes as to exactly what vehicle Solomon used to fly. Biblical accounts speak of airships and flying chariots, while some say he had a flying carpet. The Quran does not explicitly state how he would fly but states that God gave him control over the wind:

فَسَخَّرْنَا لَهُ الرِّيحَ تَجْرِي بِأَمْرِهِ رُخَاءً حَيْثُ أَصَابَ ﴿36﴾

So We disposed the wind for him, blowing softly wherever he intended by his command, ²¹

Elsewhere, the Quran states:

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 ﴿12﴾

And for Solomon [We subjected] the wind: its morning course was a month’s journey and its evening course was a month’s journey. We made a fount of [molten] copper flow for him, and [We placed at his service] some of the jinn who would work for him by the permission of his Lord, and if any of them swerved from Our command, We would make him taste the punishment of the Blaze. ²²

As a matter of fact, the jinn or devils were enslaved and would work for Solomon:

يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُ مَا يَشَاءُ مِن مَّحَارِيبَ وَتَمَاثِيلَ وَجِفَانٍ كَالْجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٍ رَّاسِيَاتٍ ۚ اعْمَلُوا آلَ دَاوُودَ شُكْرًا ۚ وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ ﴿13﴾

They built for him as many temples as he wished, and figures, basins like cisterns, and caldrons fixed [in the ground]. ‘O House of David, act thankfully, and few of My servants are grateful.’ ²³

Solomon’s Death

When Solomon was dying, the jinn continued working thinking he is still alive. In fact, Solomon leaned against his staff and died while standing up. The jinn thought he was still alive so they kept working:

فَلَمَّا قَضَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَوْتَ مَا دَلَّهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَوْتِهِ إِلَّا دَابَّةُ الْأَرْضِ تَأْكُلُ مِنسَأَتَهُ ۖ فَلَمَّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ الْجِنُّ أَن لَّوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ الْغَيْبَ مَا لَبِثُوا فِي الْعَذَابِ الْمُهِينِ ﴿14﴾

When We decreed death for him, nothing apprised them of his death except a worm which gnawed away at his staff. And when he fell down, [the humans] realized that had the jinn known the Unseen, they would not have remained in a humiliating torment.

So when the worm ate his staff and he fell down, that was when the jinn found out that they were working for Solomon even though he was dead. It showed that the jinn do not have knowledge of the Unseen, even though they have many extraordinary powers that humans do not have.

Solomon in the Quran: Solomon Never Disbelieved

Jews and Christians believe that Solomon became an idolater due to the influence his foreign wives had on him. The Quran rejects this notion altogether stating that Solomon was a righteous and penitent servant of God who never disbelieved, but rather the devils were the ones who disbelieved:

وَاتَّبَعُوا مَا تَتْلُو الشَّيَاطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ كَفَرُوا يُعَلِّمُونَ النَّاسَ السِّحْرَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَى الْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَارُوتَ وَمَارُوتَ ۚ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَا إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ ۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِ ۚ وَمَا هُم بِضَارِّينَ بِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا لَمَنِ اشْتَرَاهُ مَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا بِهِ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿102﴾

And they followed what the devils pursued during Solomon’s reign —and Solomon was not faithless but it was the devils who were faithless—teaching the people magic and what was sent down to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut, who would not teach anyone without telling [him], ‘We are only a test, so do not be faithless.’ But they would learn from those two that with which they would cause a split between man and his wife—though they could not harm anyone with it except with Allah’s leave. They would learn that which would harm them and bring them no benefit; though they certainly knew that anyone who buys it has no share in the Hereafter. Surely, evil is that for which they sold their souls, had they known!

According to exegetes, the Jews used to say that Solomon had all those powers by way of magic and sorcery and attributed magic to Solomon. However, this is not true. God had given those powers to him and they were his miracles. Moreover, they learned sorcery from the jinn and those two angels whom God had sent down to test people so that they do not disbelieve. However, instead of using that knowledge of sorcery to dispel magic, they used to in a wrong way. All in all, Solomon did not become a disbeliever or idolater like the Jews say and remained a pious and virtuous servant and prophet of God.

Solomon in the Quran: His Judgment

To learn about Solomon’s judgment, refer to the article David in the Quran , under the heading: The Judgment of David in the Quran.

Conclusion

Solomon was a great prophet and king of Israelites whom God had given many miracles and blessings. God gave him a great kingdom in which he had control over all humans, jinn, and animals. Prophet Solomon, like his father David, was a righteous and penitent servant of God. The Quran speaks highly of him and tells his story in detail. When the Mahdi comes, a kingdom as glorious as or even more glorious than that of Solomon will be established, God willing.

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