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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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We are a sun that never sets.

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If the caller calls, we respond.

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We restore the stolen right.

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We support the beloved Al-Aqsa.

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In it is the best of creation, may peace be upon him.

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It is indeed an excellent place of prayer.

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An excellent place of prayer.

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What is the greatest kingdom in history?

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And where was its seat?

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To answer this question,

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we must point to a point of utmost importance:

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that the city of Jerusalem

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is an ancient and significant city throughout history.

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Chronologically, its roots run deep,

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dating back to the civilization of the Canaanite Arabs.

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Geographically, it connects the continents of the world.

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For this reason, it was subject to raids, destruction, and burning

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more than any other place.

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The city of Jerusalem has been rebuilt

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more than eighteen times throughout history.

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And every time the usurper and the aggressor departs,

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the city remains standing and firm,

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more firmly rooted than ever before.

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However, we must pause at a golden era,

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a period that was one of the most magnificent times for that land,

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when the greatest kingdom was established upon it

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to realize servitude to Allah and monotheism.

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Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his book,

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*Al-Muntazam fi Tarikh al-Muluk wa al-Umam* (The Systematic History of Kings and Nations):

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"We have narrated in a hadith from Mujahid that he said:

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'Four individuals ruled the earth:

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two believers and two disbelievers.

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As for the two believers,

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they are Sulayman ibn Dawud (peace be upon them both)

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and Dhu al-Qarnayn.

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As for the two disbelievers,

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they are Nebuchadnezzar and Nimrod.'"

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To visualize the greatness of this powerful and magnificent kingdom

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which Sulayman (peace be upon him) established in Palestine,

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let us look at how Allah the Almighty described

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this state from its very inception.

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The Almighty said:

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﴾And Sulayman inherited Dawud.﴿

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“And Solomon was David's heir. And he said: O mankind! Lo! we have been taught the language of birds, and have been given (abundance) of all things. This surely is evident favour.” (27:16)

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﴾We have been taught the language of birds.﴿

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“And Solomon was David's heir. And he said: O mankind! Lo! we have been taught the language of birds, and have been given (abundance) of all things. This surely is evident favour.” (27:16)

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﴾Indeed, this is the clear bounty.﴿

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Sulayman inherited Dawud (peace be upon them both)

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in knowledge, kingship, and prophethood.

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He bore the responsibility and fulfilled his servitude to Allah.

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﴾And We gave to Dawud, Sulayman.﴿

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﴾An excellent servant! Indeed, he was one who frequently returned [to Allah].﴿

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It was a caliphate of faith,

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a powerful state,

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and a complete kingdom.

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He preserved it, strengthened it, and expanded its borders,

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incorporating other regions into it.

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He implemented the law of Allah within it,

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brought happiness to the people,

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and led them on the path of Allah’s pleasure.

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How magnificent is this kingdom

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that combined religion and worldly life,

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servitude to Allah, authority, and the power of kingship!

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For the Lord of Might, the Almighty, shows us

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a situation and a scene of that Prophet, King, and righteous servant,

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and successful leader.

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The Almighty said:

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﴾And We gave to Dawud, Sulayman.﴿

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﴾An excellent servant! Indeed, he was one who frequently returned [to Allah].﴿

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“When there were shown to him at eventide lightfooted coursers” (38:31)

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“And he said: Lo! I have preferred the good things (of the world) to the remembrance of my Lord; till they were taken out of sight behind the curtain.” (38:32)

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until it vanished from sight.

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"Bring them back to me."

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“(Then he said): Bring them back to me, and fell to slashing (with his sword their) legs and necks.” (38:33)

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﴾And We certainly tried Sulayman.﴿

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“And verily We tried Solomon, and set upon his throne a (mere) body. Then did he repent.” (38:34)

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﴾Then he turned [to Allah].﴿

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“He said: My Lord! Forgive me and bestow on me sovereignty such as shall not belong to any after me. Lo! Thou art the Bestower.” (38:35)

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“He said: My Lord! Forgive me and bestow on me sovereignty such as shall not belong to any after me. Lo! Thou art the Bestower.” (38:35)

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﴾Indeed, You are the Bestower.﴿

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So Allah answered his prayer,

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as in the hadith of Abdullah ibn Umar,

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that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

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"When Sulayman ibn Dawud (peace be upon them both)

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finished building Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem),

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he asked Allah for three things:

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among them, a kingdom that would not be granted to anyone after him—

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meaning, anyone other than him—

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and it was granted to him."

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And how magnificent a structure is the Al-Aqsa Mosque,

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existing under the shadow of this great and powerful kingdom!

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Therefore, when an ifrit (demon) from the jinn escaped

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to our Prophet (peace be upon him)

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to interrupt his prayer,

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he was able to overpower him,

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and he wanted to tie him to a pillar of the mosque

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so that the Companions could see him,

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but he remembered the prayer of Sulayman (peace be upon him):

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“He said: My Lord! Forgive me and bestow on me sovereignty such as shall not belong to any after me. Lo! Thou art the Bestower.” (38:35)

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“He said: My Lord! Forgive me and bestow on me sovereignty such as shall not belong to any after me. Lo! Thou art the Bestower.” (38:35)

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﴾Indeed, You are the Bestower.﴿

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The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

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"So I sent him away, humiliated."

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Then Allah the Almighty explained a portion of the miracles of Sulayman (peace be upon him)

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and the nature of that great kingdom,

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such as the subjection of the wind and the devils:

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some of them building whatever he desired,

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and others diving for him,

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extracting pearls and ornaments.

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And whoever disobeyed and deviated from his command,

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his fate was imprisonment and chains.

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The Almighty said:

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“So We made the wind subservient unto him, setting fair by his command whithersoever he intended.” (38:36)

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“And the unruly, every builder and diver (made We subservient),” (38:37)

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“And others linked together in chains,” (38:38)

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﴾This is Our gift, so grant or withhold without account.﴿

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﴾And indeed, for him is nearness to Us and a good place of return.﴿

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If we want a further visualization of the greatness of that kingdom,

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let us contemplate the nature of the army and the soldiers of Sulayman (peace be upon him),

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with precision and order, where no one moved ahead of another.

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And the observer of the method and nature of travel to and from that great kingdom

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finds a wondrous matter,

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a divine power and a providential care.

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“And unto Solomon (We subdued) the wind in its raging. It set by his command toward the land which We had blessed. And of everything We are Aware.” (21:81)

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“And unto Solomon (We subdued) the wind in its raging. It set by his command toward the land which We had blessed. And of everything We are Aware.” (21:81)

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If he wanted to speed up the journey, it moved like a storm.

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If he wanted gentleness, it moved softly.

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The context implies that it was subject to the will of Sulayman (peace be upon him).

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And one who contemplates deeply the story of Sulayman (peace be upon him) and his inspection of the hoopoe,

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and then the beautiful dialogue that took place between them,

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and how the Queen of Sheba indicated

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through her intelligence, wisdom, and discernment, the greatness of this king through his letter...

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“(The Queen of Sheba) said (when she received the letter): O chieftains! Lo! there hath been thrown unto me a noble letter.” (27:29)

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“Lo! it is from Solomon, and lo! it is: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful;” (27:30)

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“Exalt not yourselves against me, but come unto me as those who surrender.” (27:31)

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The result was that Bilqis and those with her among the kings, princes, and the army entered the religion of Islam,

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because they saw the greatness and majesty of the kingdom,

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along with truthfulness, reverence, wisdom, and good conduct,

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and they submitted to his authority and his rule.

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“It was said unto her: Enter the hall. And when she saw it she deemed it a pool and bared her legs. (Solomon) said: Lo! it is a hall, made smooth, of glass. She said: My Lord! Lo! I have wronged myself, and I surrender with Solomon unto Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.” (27:44)

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An excellent place of prayer.

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We are a sun that never sets.

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If the caller calls, we respond.

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We restore the right, intact.

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We support the beloved Al-Aqsa.

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In it is the best of creation, may peace be upon him.

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It is indeed an excellent place of prayer.

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The landing place of the trustworthy revelation.

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The place of mission for the messengers.

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The qibla for the Muslims.

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The destination for the conquerors.

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In it is the best of creation, may peace be upon him.

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It is indeed an excellent place of prayer.

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It is indeed an excellent place of prayer.