Allah, the Almighty, praised Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him) for his readiness to repent and his constant turning back to Allah, saying in Surah Sad, verse 30:
“And to David We gave Solomon. An excellent servant, indeed he was one repeatedly turning back [to Allah].”
{وَوَهَبْنَا لِدَاوُودَ سُلَيْمَانَ نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ}
Prophet Sulayman and the Horses
The story of Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him) and the horses is mentioned in the Qur’an in Surah Sad. It highlights his love for horses. One day, Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him) asked for his horses to be paraded before him in his vast kingdom. Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him) loved horses and used them in jihad in the cause of Allah. He owned strong, fast, and beautiful horses, admired for their graceful appearance. As he was arranging and displaying them, he became so engrossed in them that the sun set and he missed the Asr prayer. Upset that the horses had distracted him from prayer and worship, he ordered his soldiers to bring them back.
Some scholars have said that when Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him) was inspecting the horses that he used in striving in the cause of Allah, he became so engrossed in watching them as they passed before him in great numbers that the sun set and he missed the time for the Asr prayer. He therefore ordered all the horses to be returned and gave them away in charity for the sake of Allah.
Others have said that when Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him) became distracted from the remembrance of Allah by inspecting the horses, he ordered those around him to bring them back. He then began striking their legs and necks with a sword. Allah replaced them with something better and subjected the wind to his command. However, both interpretations are inconsistent with the noble status and qualities of the Prophets, such as mercy and gentleness.
Allah, the Almighty, says:
When the beautiful horses were paraded before him in the evening. (31)
(إِذْ عُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ بِالْعَشِيِّ الصَّافِنَاتُ الْجِيَادُ)He said, “I have preferred the love of niceties to the remembrance of my Lord—until it disappeared behind the veil. (32)
فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَحْبَبْتُ حُبَّ الْخَيْرِ عَنْ ذِكْرِ رَبِّي حَتَّىٰ تَوَارَتْ بِالْحِجَابِBring them back to me.” And he began caressing their legs and necks. (33)
رُدُّوهَا عَلَيَّ ۖ فَطَفِقَ مَسْحًا بِالسُّوقِ وَالْأَعْنَاقِ
Prophet Sulayman and the Jinn
Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him) employed the jinn in many different tasks.
Allah, the Almighty, says in Surah Sheba:
”And there were jinn who worked under him, by the leave of his Lord. But whoever of them swerved from Our command, We would make him taste of the punishment of the Inferno. (12)
( وَمِنَ الْجِنِّ مَنْ يَعْمَلُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِ ۖ وَمَنْ يَزِغْ مِنْهُمْ عَنْ أَمْرِنَا نُذِقْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ)They made for him whatever he wished: sanctuaries, statues, bowls like pools, and heavy cauldrons. “O House of David, work with appreciation,” but a few of My servants are appreciative. (13)
يَعْمَلُونَ لَهُ مَا يَشَاءُ مِنْ مَحَارِيبَ وَتَمَاثِيلَ وَجِفَانٍ كَالْجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٍ رَاسِيَاتٍ ۚ اعْمَلُوا آلَ دَاوُودَ شُكْرًا ۚ وَقَلِيلٌ مِنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ
The Death of Prophet Sulayman (Peace Be Upon Him)
His death was one of Allah’s signs, filled with wonders and extraordinary events. Allah, the Almighty, decreed that Prophet Sulayman’s (peace be upon him) death would serve as a clear proof that the jinn had no knowledge of the unseen. Allah, the Almighty, describes how Prophet Sulayman (peace be upon him) died and how He concealed his death from the jinn who had been assigned to carry out strenuous tasks for him. He remained leaning on his staff, known as minsa’ah, as reported by Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, and several other scholars, for a long period of time, approximately one year. When a wood-boring creature, namely a termite, ate away at his staff, it weakened and he fell to the ground. It then became clear to both the jinn and humankind that the jinn had no knowledge of the unseen, contrary to what they had believed and led people to believe. Allah, the Almighty, says:
”Then, when We decreed (Solomon’s) death, nothing showed them his death except a little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his staff: so when he fell down, the Jinns saw plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in the humiliating Penalty (of their Task).”
(فَلَمَّا قَضَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ الْمَوْتَ مَا دَلَّهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَوْتِهِ إِلَّا دَابَّةُ الْأَرْضِ تَأْكُلُ مِنْسَأَتَهُ ۖ فَلَمَّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ الْجِنُّ أَنْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ الْغَيْبَ مَا لَبِثُوا فِي الْعَذَابِ الْمُهِينِ)
May Allah grant us beneficial knowledge, strengthen our faith, and guide us to follow the path of His Prophets. Ameen.
