Prophet Solomon, known as Sulaiman, inherited both prophethood and dominion from his father David.
Solomon's Knowledge
This inheritance was not a material one, since prophets do not pass down property to their families. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "The prophets' property will not be inherited, and whatever we leave is to be used for charity." (Sahih Al Bukhari)
Allah says in the Qur'an: "And indeed We gave knowledge to David and Solomon, and they both said, all praise and thanks be to Allah, who has preferred us above many of His believing slaves. 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. And there were gathered before Solomon his hosts of jinns and men, and birds, and they were all set in battle order, marching forward." (Ch 27:15–17)
Solomon Becomes King
After his father's death, Solomon became king. He asked Allah to grant him a kingdom unlike any that would be given to anyone after him, and Allah granted his wish. Along with wisdom, Allah gave Solomon many remarkable abilities. He could command the wind, and he could understand and speak to birds and animals. Allah also directed him to teach both men and jinns how to mine the earth and extract its minerals for making tools and weapons, and blessed him with a mine of copper, a rare and valuable metal at that time.
Solomon's Admiration of Horses
Horses were the primary means of transportation in his time and were essential for defense, carrying soldiers and hauling provisions and weapons of war. They were carefully bred, trained, and cared for. One day, while Solomon was reviewing a parade of his finest horses, he became so absorbed admiring their beauty, fitness, and posture that he lost track of time, and the hour for the middle prayer passed him by. Realizing what had happened, he exclaimed that he had allowed his love for these fine things to distract him from the service of his Lord, and ordered that the horses be brought back to him.
Allah's Gifts to Solomon, as Told in the Qur'an
Allah revealed: "And to David We gave Solomon. How excellent a slave! Verily, he was ever oft returning in repentance to Us. When there were displayed before him, in the afternoon, well trained horses of the highest breed, he said, alas, I did love the good, these horses, instead of remembering my Lord, until the time was over and the sun had hidden in the veil of the night. Then he said, bring them back to me. Then he began to pass his hand over their legs and their necks. And indeed We did try Solomon and We placed on his throne a body, so he lost his kingdom for a while, but he did return to Allah with obedience and in repentance. He said, 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. So We subjected to him the wind, it blew gently at his order wherever he willed, and also the devils from among the jinns, including every kind of builder and diver, and others bound in fetters. This is Our gift, so spend you or withhold, no account will be asked. And verily, he enjoyed a near access to Us, and a good final return, Paradise." (Ch 38:30–40)
Solomon Hears the Ant's Warning
One day, Solomon gathered his army, made up of different battalions of men, jinns, birds, and animals, and marched them toward the country of Askalon. As they passed through a valley, an ant spotted the approaching army and cried out to warn the others, telling them to run to their homes so that Solomon and his army would not crush them without realizing it. Hearing this, Solomon smiled, pleased that the ant recognized him as a prophet who would never deliberately harm any of Allah's creatures, and he thanked Allah for sparing the ants.
The Conversation of the Ants, as Told in the Qur'an
Allah narrates: "And there were gathered before Solomon his hosts of jinns and men, and birds, and they all were set in battle order, marching forward. Till, when they came to a valley of the ants, one of the ants said, O ants, enter your dwellings, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you while they perceive not. So he smiled, amused at her speech, and said, my Lord, inspire and bestow upon me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your favors which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your mercy among Your righteous slaves." (Ch 27:17–19)
Solomon's Travels
In Jerusalem, Solomon built a beautiful temple on a great rock to draw people toward the worship of Allah, a structure known today as the Dome of the Rock. From there, a large group of his followers joined him on a pilgrimage to the Holy Mosque in Mecca. After completing the pilgrimage, they traveled on to Yemen and arrived in the city of San'a. Solomon was struck by the clever way the people there channeled water throughout their city, and he wished to build a similar water system in his own land, though he lacked enough natural springs to do so.
The Hoopoe Brings Information to Solomon
Solomon set out to find the hoopoe bird, known for its ability to detect underground water. He sent word throughout his kingdom summoning it, but it could not be found anywhere. Angered by its absence, he declared that unless the bird had a very good reason, he would punish it severely.
Eventually the hoopoe appeared before Solomon and explained the reason for its delay. It said it had discovered something Solomon did not know, having just returned from the land of Sheba with important news. Solomon's anger gave way to curiosity as the bird continued, explaining that Sheba was ruled by a queen named Bilqis, who possessed great wealth and a magnificent throne, yet despite all this, Satan had taken hold of her heart and the hearts of her people, leading them to worship the sun instead of Allah. To verify this report, Solomon wrote a letter and sent it with the hoopoe to the queen, instructing the bird to stay hidden and observe everything that happened.
The Queen of Sheba Sends Gifts
The hoopoe dropped the letter before the queen and flew off to hide. She opened it eagerly and read: "Verily, it is from Solomon, and verily it reads, in the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, be you not exalted against me, but come to me as Muslims, true believers who submit with full submission." (Ch 27:30–31)
The queen was deeply unsettled and quickly gathered her advisors, who saw the letter as a challenge hinting at war and submission. They told her that while they could offer advice, the decision to act was hers alone, sensing that they were prepared to meet Solomon's implied threat with battle. But the queen disagreed, telling them that peace and friendship were wiser than war, since war only brought humiliation, enslaved people, and destroyed what was good. She decided instead to send Solomon gifts chosen from her most valuable treasures, using the opportunity to also let her envoys learn about Solomon and the strength of his forces.
Solomon Rejects the Queen's Gifts
When Solomon's scouts brought word that Bilqis' messengers were arriving with gifts, he understood at once that this was a probing mission and ordered his army to assemble. As the envoys entered amid Solomon's magnificently equipped forces, they realized their own wealth paled in comparison to his palace, whose floors were made of sandalwood inlaid with gold. They also witnessed Solomon reviewing his army, astonished by its size and the variety of creatures within it, including lions, tigers, and birds, and stood in awe, recognizing they were facing an unstoppable force.
The envoys presented the queen's precious gifts, explaining that she wished for Solomon to accept them as a gesture of friendship. To their surprise, Solomon did not even ask that the containers be opened. He told them that Allah had already given him abundant wealth, a vast kingdom, and prophethood, so he could not be bought with gifts, and that his only goal was to spread the belief in the Oneness of Allah. He instructed them to return the gifts to their queen and warn her that if she did not abandon her false worship, he would uproot her kingdom and drive her people from their land.
The Queen Decides to Visit Solomon
When the envoys returned with the gifts and delivered Solomon's message, along with accounts of the wonders they had seen, the queen did not react with offense but instead decided to visit him herself. Accompanied by her officials and servants, she set out from Sheba, sending a messenger ahead to inform Solomon of her approach.
Solomon then asked the jinns serving him whether any among them could bring her throne to his palace before she arrived. One offered to bring it before the gathering ended, but Solomon seemed to be waiting for something faster. The jinns competed for his favor, and one named Ifrit offered to fetch it in the blink of an eye. But before Ifrit could act, another jinn, one who possessed knowledge of the Scripture, made the same offer, and no sooner had he spoken than the throne appeared before Solomon. Though his seat was in Palestine and the queen's throne had been in Yemen, roughly two thousand miles away, the task was completed instantly, a remarkable miracle performed through the one who held knowledge of the Book.
The Queen's Visit with Solomon
When Bilqis arrived at Solomon's palace, she was received with great ceremony. Solomon then pointed to the altered throne and asked whether her own throne resembled it. She studied it closely, and though she knew her true throne remained in her palace far away, she noted its striking similarity, answering that it appeared to be the very same one. Solomon recognized in this answer both her intelligence and diplomacy.
He then led her into a magnificent hall with a floor made of glass. Mistaking it for water, she lifted the hem of her garment to avoid getting it wet as she stepped forward, until Solomon explained that the floor was solid glass. Astonished by what she had seen, Bilqis realized she was in the presence of someone who was not only a powerful ruler but also a true messenger of Allah. She repented, abandoned sun worship, embraced the faith of Allah, and called on her people to do the same. In that moment, the false beliefs of her people crumbled before her, and she understood that the sun they had worshipped was nothing more than one of Allah's creations. A new light entered her heart, the light of Islam.
Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, as Told in the Qur'an
Allah recounts this full story in the Qur'an: "He inspected the birds, and said, what is the matter that I see not the hoopoe, or is he among the absentees? I will surely punish him with a severe torment, or slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear reason. But the hoopoe stayed not long, he came up and said, I have grasped knowledge of a thing which you have not grasped, and I have come to you from Sheba with true news. I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given all things that could be possessed by any ruler of the earth, and she has a great throne. I found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds seem fair to them, and has barred them from Allah's way, so they have no guidance, so that they do not worship Allah, who brings light to what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal. Allah, none has the right to be worshipped but He, the Lord of the Supreme Throne.
Solomon said, we shall see whether you speak the truth or you are one of the liars. Go with this letter of mine, and deliver it to them, then draw back from them, and see what answer they return. She said, O chiefs, verily here is delivered to me a noble letter, verily it is from Solomon, and verily it reads, in the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, be you not exalted against me, but come to me as Muslims who submit with full submission. She said, O chiefs, advise me in this case of mine, I decide no case until you are present with me. They said, we have great strength and great ability for war, but it is for you to command, so think over what you will command. She said, verily kings, when they enter a town, they despoil it and make the most honorable among its people low, and thus they do, but verily I am going to send him a gift, and see with what answer the messengers return.
So when the messengers with the gift came to Solomon, he said, will you help me with wealth? What Allah has given me is better than what He has given you, rather it is you who rejoice in your gift. Go back to them, we shall come to them with hosts they cannot resist, and we shall drive them out from there in disgrace, and they will be abased.
He said, O chiefs, which of you can bring me her throne before they come to me in submission? An Ifrit from the jinns said, I will bring it to you before you rise from this council, and verily I am strong and trustworthy for such work. But one who had knowledge of the Scripture said, I will bring it to you within the twinkling of an eye. Then when Solomon saw it placed before him, he said, this is by the grace of my Lord, to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful, and whoever is grateful, his gratitude benefits only himself, and whoever is ungrateful, his ingratitude harms only himself, for my Lord is Rich, free of all needs, and Bountiful.
He said, disguise her throne for her, that we may see whether she will recognize it or not. So when she arrived, it was said to her, is your throne like this? She said, it is as though it were the very same. And Solomon said, knowledge was given to us before her, and we had already submitted to Allah. And that which she used to worship besides Allah had kept her from Islam, for she came from a disbelieving people. It was said to her, enter the hall, but when she saw it, she thought it was a pool of water and lifted her garment to bare her legs. Solomon told her, it is a hall paved smooth with slabs of glass. She said, my Lord, verily I have wronged myself, and I submit, along with Solomon, to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds." (Ch 27:20–44)
Jinns and Solomon
Much of Solomon's public works were carried out by jinns, and this labor served as a punishment for the sins they had committed in convincing people that they were all powerful, knew the unseen, and could foretell the future. As a prophet, Solomon made it his duty to remove such false beliefs from among his followers.
Solomon's Death
Solomon lived a life of great glory, with all manner of creatures subjected to his command, until Allah ordained that his life should end. Just as his life had been filled with wonders and miracles, so too was his death made unique, serving as a final lesson to his people. He was sitting with his staff in hand, overseeing jinns laboring in a mine, when he died in that very position. For a long time, no one realized he had passed away, since his body remained upright as though he were still watching over the work, and the jinns continued laboring, believing Solomon was still alive and observing them.
Many days later, a hungry ant began gnawing at the base of his staff, slowly weakening it until it finally gave way, causing Solomon's body to fall to the ground. Only then did people rush to him and realize he had died long before. This revealed clearly that the jinns had no knowledge of the unseen, for if they had truly possessed such knowledge, they would not have continued their labor under the belief that Solomon still lived.
Allah reveals this account in the Qur'an: "And We caused a fount of molten brass to flow for him, and there were jinns that worked before him by the leave of his Lord, and whosoever of them turned aside from Our command, We would cause him to taste the torment of the blazing fire. They made for him what he desired, high rooms, images, basins as large as reservoirs, and cauldrons fixed in their places. Work, O family of David, with thanks, but few of My slaves are grateful. Then when We decreed death for him, nothing informed the jinns of his death except a small worm of the earth, which kept slowly gnawing at his staff, so when he fell down, the jinns saw clearly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have remained in that humiliating labor." (Ch 34:12–14)