Part of Stories of the Prophets (series completed) · Lesson 14 of 20

Stories of the Prophets | Episode (29) | The story of Solomon, peace be upon him (1)

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0:00 Stories of the Prophets,
0:02 Stories of the Prophets,
0:05 peace be upon them.
0:07 May the blessings of Allah
0:09 followed by His
0:11 peace
0:13 be upon the finest of
0:15 all creation,
0:17 the resolute Messengers
0:20 whose rank
0:22 is exalted.
0:24 The Story of Solomon (Sulayman),
0:26 peace be upon him.
0:28 In the Name of Allah,
0:32 In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
0:34 All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
0:36 and may peace and blessings
0:38 be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
0:40 and upon his family and all his Companions.
0:42 To proceed:
0:44 In Damascus, in the land of the Levant,
0:47 the Prophet of Allah, Solomon,
0:49 was born,
0:51 peace be upon him.
0:53 He was raised in a household of prophethood,
0:55 for his father was the Prophet of Allah,
0:57 David (Dawud), peace be upon him.
0:59 In the previous
1:01 gathering, we learned about
1:03 the virtue of David, peace be upon him,
1:05 his diligence in worship,
1:07 his eagerness to set things right
1:09 and benefit people,
1:11 and to judge between them in their disputes.
1:13 Amidst this atmosphere
1:15 of faith,
1:17 Solomon, peace be upon him, grew up.
1:19 He learned noble character from his father,
1:21 as well as good manners,
1:23 and inherited from him both kingship and prophethood.
1:25 Solomon, peace be upon him,
1:27 was distinguished by justice, wisdom,
1:29 and excellent judgment among his subjects.
1:31 Allah Almighty informed us
1:34 about Solomon, peace be upon him,
1:36 saying:
1:38 "And Solomon inherited David."
1:40 Indeed, the inheritance that Solomon
1:42 received from his father
1:44 was the greatest inheritance;
1:46 it was a bounty from Allah Almighty
1:48 bestowed upon both father and son.
1:50 He inherited from him
1:52 prophethood and kingship,
1:54 and this does not mean monetary inheritance,
1:56 for David
1:58 had other sons,
2:00 and he would not single Solomon out for material wealth
2:02 over the others.
2:04 Furthermore, it is authentically established in the Sahih
2:06 that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
2:08 said:
2:10 "We, the assembly of Prophets,
2:12 leave no inheritance;
2:14 whatever wealth we leave behind
2:16 is charity after us"
2:18 for the poor and the needy.
2:20 It was also said
2:22 that Solomon
2:24 had a greater kingdom than David,
2:26 while David was more devoted
2:28 in worship than Solomon,
2:30 may peace and blessings
2:32 be upon them both.
2:35 Allah uniquely endowed Solomon,
2:37 peace be upon him, with knowledge
2:39 unprecedented before him
2:41 and unmatched by anyone after him.
2:43 Allah taught him
2:45 the speech and language of birds
2:47 and animals.
2:49 He understood what
2:51 birds in the sky communicated to one another,
2:53 and the sounds made by animals
2:55 of all kinds.
2:57 This was among the miracles of Allah,
2:59 Glorified and Exalted is He,
3:01 granted specifically to him.
3:04 Allah also gave him of every
3:06 thing he needed
3:08 for his dominion.
3:10 Moreover, Allah augmented that
3:12 by subjecting the jinn, mankind,
3:14 devils, and the winds to his command;
3:16 he would order them as he willed,
3:18 and they would execute for him
3:20 whatever he wished.
3:22 And immense was Allah's favor upon him.
3:25 Ibn Jarir
3:27 al-Tabari, the leading exegete, said:
3:29 "The entire earth,
3:31 its east and its west, was ruled
3:32 by four individuals:
3:34 two believers and two disbelievers.
3:36 The two believers were
3:38 Solomon, son of David,
3:40 and Dhu al-Qarnayn;
3:42 the two disbelievers were
3:44 Nebuchadnezzar (Bakht Nasr)
3:46 and Nimrod, son of Canaan.
3:48 No one else ruled it completely."
3:51 Solomon, peace be upon him, once gave an order,
3:53 and his troops were marshaled on that day.
3:55 His hosts were assembled for him,
3:57 “And there were gathered together unto Solomon his armies of the jinn and humankind, and of the birds, and they were set in battle order;” (27:17)
3:59 and he rode among them
4:01 in magnificent splendor
4:03 and great majesty.
4:05 Humans were placed closest to him,
4:07 followed by the jinn,
4:09 while birds flew over
4:11 his head;
4:13 if it was hot, they shaded him
4:15 with their wings.
4:17 They were kept in strict formation,
4:19 meaning the front ranks were held back for the rear ranks
4:21 so that no one would step out
4:23 of their designated position.
4:25 When Solomon, peace be upon him,
4:28 along with the armies and hosts
4:30 accompanying him,
4:32 arrived at the Valley of the Ants,
4:34 an ant said:
4:36 "O ants, enter your dwellings,
4:38 lest you be crushed
4:40 by Solomon and his hosts
4:42 while they perceive not!"
4:44 Solomon, peace be upon him, understood
4:46 the counsel this ant gave
4:48 to her community,
4:50 as she commanded,
4:52 warned,
4:54 and made an excuse for Solomon
4:56 and his troops
4:58 regarding their lack of awareness,
5:00 all in simple, eloquent words.
5:02 This pleased him greatly,
5:04 and he smiled with
5:06 joy and delight
5:08 at what Allah had granted him insight into,
5:10 to the exclusion of others.
5:12 He asked Allah to grant him the ability
5:14 to give thanks for the blessings He had bestowed
5:16 upon him and his parents,
5:18 and for the special privilege He had uniquely granted him over others,
5:22 and to facilitate righteous deeds for him,
5:24 and to include him,
5:26 when He takes his soul, among His
5:28 righteous servants.
5:30 Allah Almighty said:
5:32 "And We gave
5:34 David and Solomon
5:36 knowledge,
5:38 and they said, 'Praise be to Allah,
5:40 Who has favored us
5:42 “And We verily gave knowledge unto David and Solomon, and they said: Praise be to Allah, Who hath preferred us above many of His believing slaves!” (27:15)
5:44 over many of His believing servants.'
5:46 And Solomon inherited David,
5:50 “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)
5:52 and said, 'O people, we have been taught
5:54 the language of birds,
5:56 and we have been given
5:58 of all things.
6:00 Indeed, this
6:02 is truly an evident favor.'
6:04 And there were gathered
6:06 for Solomon his hosts
6:08 of jinn,
6:10 humans,
6:12 and birds, and they were set in ranks,
6:14 until, when
6:16 they came upon the Valley
6:18 of the Ants,
6:20 an ant said,
6:22 'O
6:24 ants,
6:26 an ant said,
6:28 'O ants,
6:30 enter your dwellings,
6:32 lest you be crushed
6:34 by Solomon—
6:36 lest you be crushed
6:38 by Solomon and his hosts
6:40 while they perceive not.'
6:42 So he smiled,
6:44 laughing at
6:46 her words,
6:48 and said, 'My Lord, enable me
6:50 to be grateful
6:52 for Your favor
6:54 and said, 'My Lord, enable me
6:56 "that I may be grateful for Your favor
6:58 which You have bestowed upon me
7:00 and upon my parents,
7:02 and that I may do
7:04 righteous deeds
7:06 that will please You,
7:08 and admit me by Your mercy
7:10 among Your righteous servants."
7:12 It is narrated that Solomon,
7:15 peace be upon him,
7:17 went out with his companions to pray for rain,
7:19 whereupon he saw
7:21 an ant standing,
7:23 raising one of its legs,
7:25 supplicating for rain.
7:27 So he said to his companions,
7:29 "Go back, for you have been granted rain
7:31 by the supplication of someone else."
7:34 Solomon inspected
7:36 the birds, peace be upon him,
7:38 and this was part of his perfect resolve,
7:40 his excellent organization of his troops,
7:42 and his personal management
7:44 of all affairs, both minor and major,
7:46 such that
7:48 he did not overlook even this matter,
7:50 which was inspecting the birds
7:52 and examining
7:54 whether they were all present
7:56 or if any of them
7:58 was missing.
8:00 Representatives would come to him from every
8:02 species of bird.
8:04 So he looked,
8:06 and found that all kinds of birds were present before him,
8:08 except for the hoopoe.
8:10 Thereupon he said,
8:12 “And he sought among the birds and said: How is it that I see not the hoopoe, or is he among the absent?” (27:20)
8:14 "Has my sight missed it,
8:16 or is it absent and failed to attend?"
8:19 When it became clear that it was indeed absent,
8:21 he said,
8:23 "I will surely punish this hoopoe
8:25 with a severe punishment for its absence,
8:27 as a discipline for it,
8:29 or I will surely slaughter it
8:31 as a penalty for what it did,
8:33 since it neglected the duty it was subjected to,
8:35 or it must bring me
8:37 a valid excuse for its absence."
8:39 So the hoopoe stayed away
8:42 for not a very long time,
8:44 and then it arrived
8:46 and said to Solomon, peace be upon him:
8:48 "I have encompassed what you have not encompassed,"
8:50 meaning:
8:52 "I possess knowledge
8:54 that you do not have, O Prophet of Allah,
8:56 despite your vast
8:58 and expansive knowledge;
9:00 and I have come to you from Sheba,"
9:02 the well-known tribe in Yemen,
9:04 "with certain news."
9:06 It then began to mention the state of
9:08 the monarchs of Sheba in the land of Yemen,
9:10 regarding their great kingdom,
9:12 and that the rule had passed
9:14 to a woman among them,
9:16 the daughter of their king,
9:18 named Bilqis,
9:20 as he left no heir other than her,
9:22 so they made her queen over them.
9:24 She was given of worldly possessions
9:26 all that an established monarch requires,
9:28 including a throne
9:30 upon which she sits,
9:32 magnificent and imposing.
9:34 Then it mentioned their disbelief in Allah,
9:36 their worship of the sun
9:38 instead of Allah,
9:40 Satan's misleading of them,
9:42 and his diverting them
9:44 from the worship of Allah alone,
9:46 without any partner,
9:48 Who brings forth what is hidden
9:50 in the heavens and the earth,
9:52 and knows all secrets
9:54 and manifest matters,
9:56 both tangible and intangible.
9:58 None has the right to be worshipped but He,
10:00 perhaps
10:02 none has the right to be worshipped but He,
10:04 Lord of the Magnificent Throne.
10:06 Allah Almighty said:
10:09 "And he inspected
10:11 the birds and said,
10:13 “And he sought among the birds and said: How is it that I see not the hoopoe, or is he among the absent?” (27:20)
10:15 “And he sought among the birds and said: How is it that I see not the hoopoe, or is he among the absent?” (27:20)
10:19 'I will surely punish it
10:21 with a severe punishment
10:23 or slaughter it,
10:25 or slaughter it,
10:27 or slaughter it,
10:29 or slaughter it,
10:31 unless it brings me a clear authorization.'
10:35 But the hoopoe stayed not long,
10:37 and said, 'I have encompassed
10:39 that which you have not encompassed,
10:41 and said, 'I have encompassed
10:43 that which you have not encompassed,
10:45 and I have come to you from Sheba
10:47 with news
10:49 that is certain.
10:51 Indeed, I found
10:53 a woman
10:55 ruling over them,
10:57 and she has been given of all
10:59 and she has been given of all
11:01 things,
11:03 and she has a throne
11:05 that is magnificent.
11:07 I found her and her people
11:09 prostrating to the sun
11:11 instead of Allah,
11:13 and made pleasing
11:15 to them by Satan
11:17 were their deeds, so he averted
11:19 them from the path,
11:21 so they are not guided,
11:23 so that they do not prostrate
11:25 to Allah, Who brings forth
11:27 brings forth what is hidden
11:29 in the heavens and the earth
11:31 and knows
11:33 what you conceal
11:35 and what you declare.
11:37 Allah — there is no
11:39 deity except Him, Lord of
11:41 the Magnificent Throne.'"
11:43 Said
11:46 Solomon, peace be upon him,
11:48 to the hoopoe:
11:50 "We will see whether the news you have brought us
11:52 is true,
11:54 “(Solomon) said: We shall see whether thou speakest truth or whether thou art of the liars.” (27:27)
11:56 So he, peace be upon him, wrote
11:58 a letter and handed it
12:00 to the hoopoe,
12:02 and said to it: "Go
12:04 with this letter of mine and deliver it
12:06 to the Queen of Sheba,
12:08 then turn away from them
12:10 so that you can hear what
12:12 they say in response."
12:16 The hoopoe carried the letter
12:18 and came to the palace of Bilqis,
12:20 casting it down to her
12:22 while she was in her private chamber.
12:24 It then stood aside,
12:26 waiting to see what her response would be
12:28 to the letter.
12:30 So she assembled her nobles,
12:32 her ministers,
12:34 the dignitaries of her state,
12:36 and her advisors,
12:38 and said to them:
12:40 "O eminent ones,
12:42 “(The Queen of Sheba) said (when she received the letter): O chieftains! Lo! there hath been thrown unto me a noble letter.” (27:29)
12:44 Then she read to them
12:46 its opening heading first:
12:48 "It is from Solomon,"
12:50 and then she read its contents:
12:52 "In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful:
12:54 Do not be arrogant toward me,
12:56 but come to me in submission."
12:58 That is: "Do not be haughty toward me,
13:00 but come to me
13:02 in full surrender and obedience
13:04 to my command."
13:06 Then she consulted them regarding their affair
13:09 and the situation that had befallen them,
13:11 addressing them
13:13 while they listened:
13:15 "O eminent ones,
13:17 advise me in this matter of mine;
13:19 I would never decide an affair
13:21 until you are present with me."
13:23 They said to her:
13:25 "We possess great strength and ability
13:27 for warfare and combat,
13:29 and for facing valiant warriors;
13:31 so if you choose that path,
13:33 we are well able
13:35 to undertake it.
13:37 Nevertheless,
13:39 the command is yours, so consider what
13:41 you will command."
13:43 Her judgment was more complete
13:45 and more sound than their opinion,
13:47 for she realized that the sender of this letter
13:49 could neither be overcome nor resisted,
13:51 nor opposed or deceived.
13:55 Thus she said: "Indeed, when kings
13:57 "When they enter a city,
13:59 they ruin it
14:01 and reduce the noblest of its people
14:03 to disgrace."
14:05 So Allah confirmed her words,
14:07 saying: "And thus
14:09 they will do."
14:11 “But lo! I am going to send a present unto them, and to see with what (answer) the messengers return.” (27:35)
14:13 "So I will wait and see what
14:15 the messengers bring back."
14:17 She intended to win Solomon's favor
14:19 on her own behalf
14:21 and for the people of her kingdom,
14:23 by means of a gift she would send
14:25 and treasures she would dispatch,
14:27 hoping he might accept it
14:29 and spare them.
14:31 Yet she did not know that Solomon
14:33 would never accept from them,
14:35 in such a state,
14:37 any ransom or compensation,
14:39 because they were a disbelieving people.
14:41 For this reason,
14:44 when her envoy arrived
14:46 before Solomon,
14:48 he said to him:
14:50 "Do you provide me with wealth,
14:52 when that which
14:54 Allah has given me is far better than
14:56 what He has given you?
14:58 Rather, it is in your gift
15:00 that you rejoice!"
15:02 Those gifts had indeed
15:04 consisted of magnificent items
15:06 and presents befitting
15:08 royal sovereigns.
15:10 Yet Solomon did not give them a second glance,
15:12 peace be upon him,
15:14 and said to her envoy who had arrived before him:
15:16 "Return with your gifts
15:18 that you have brought to the one who
15:20 sent you with them.
15:22 For we shall surely come upon them
15:24 with hosts that they cannot
15:26 resist, fight,
15:28 withstand,
15:30 or battle against,
15:32 and we shall drive them out of their land
15:34 in utter disgrace and humiliation."
15:37 Allah Almighty said:
15:39 "He said: 'We shall see
15:41 whether you have spoken the truth or are
15:43 among the liars.
15:45 Take this letter of mine
15:47 and deliver it to them;
15:49 then
15:51 turn away from them,
15:53 then turn away from them
15:55 and see
15:57 what they return in response.'"
15:59 "She said: 'O
16:01 eminent chiefs!
16:03 Truly, there has been delivered to me
16:05 a noble letter.
16:07 It is
16:09 from Solomon,
16:11 and it reads:
16:13 "In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful:
16:17 Do not be arrogant toward me,
16:19 but come to me in full submission."'
16:23 She said: 'O eminent chiefs!
16:25 Advise me in this matter of mine;
16:27 I have never
16:29 decided any matter
16:31 until you were present with me.'
16:33 “They said: We are lords of might and lords of great prowess, but it is for thee to command; so consider what thou wilt command.” (27:33)
16:35 'and possessors of
16:37 mighty prowess,
16:39 and possessors of
16:41 mighty prowess,
16:43 yet the command is yours,
16:45 so consider what you will command.'
16:47 She said:
16:49 'Indeed, kings,
16:51 when they enter a city,
16:53 ruin it and reduce
16:55 the noblest of its people to disgrace.
16:57 And thus
16:59 they will do.
17:01 But I am sending
17:03 a gift to them,
17:05 and I will wait,
17:07 and I will wait
17:09 to see what
17:11 the messengers bring back.'
17:13 So when he came
17:15 to Solomon,
17:17 he said: 'Do you provide
17:19 with wealth?
17:21 He said: 'Do you provide
17:23 with wealth, when that which
17:25 Allah has given me is better
17:27 than what He has given you?
17:29 Rather,
17:31 it is in your gift
17:33 that you rejoice!
17:35 Return
17:37 to them, for we shall surely come
17:39 upon them
17:41 with hosts that are impossible
17:43 for them to resist,
17:45 for we shall surely come
17:47 upon them with hosts
17:49 impossible for them
17:51 to resist, and we shall surely drive
17:53 them
17:55 from it
17:57 in disgrace,
17:59 utterly humbled.'"
18:01 So when
18:05 the messenger returned to Bilqis, the Queen,
18:07 with what Solomon had said,
18:09 peace be upon him,
18:11 she said: "I now realize
18:13 that this is no ordinary king,
18:15 and we have no
18:17 power against him." So she sent word
18:19 to him, saying: "I am coming
18:21 to you with the dignitaries
18:23 of my people to examine
18:25 your affair and what you call us
18:27 to." Then she set out
18:29 toward him among twelve thousand men
18:31 from the nobles of her people,
18:33 after having locked up
18:35 her throne securely.
18:37 Thereupon, Solomon, peace be upon him, began
18:39 sending the jinn
18:41 to bring him reports of her journey
18:43 every day and night.
18:46 Once she drew near him,
18:48 he assembled those in his presence
18:50 from among humans and jinn,
18:52 and said to them:
18:54 "Can any of you
18:56 bring me the throne of this queen
18:58 before she comes to me
19:00 along with her people
19:02 in willing submission?"
19:04 Perhaps Solomon, peace be upon him,
19:06 sought the bringing of
19:08 her throne from the land of Yemen
19:10 to Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem),
19:12 the seat of his kingdom,
19:14 in order to show her the magnificent
19:16 power of Allah Almighty
19:18 and the vast dominion He had bestowed upon him,
19:20 along with immense blessings
19:22 and miraculous
19:24 strength, such that He subjected to him
19:26 those who could bring him her throne
19:28 from a distant place
19:30 in a brief moment,
19:32 thereby leading her and her people
19:34 to faith in Allah Almighty.
19:36 “A stalwart of the jinn said: I will bring it thee before thou canst rise from thy place. Lo! I verily am strong and trusty for such work.” (27:39)
19:39 An 'Ifrit, a mighty demon among the jinn, said:
19:41 "I will bring it to you
19:43 before you rise
19:45 from this assembly of yours."
19:47 Solomon, peace be upon him,
19:49 used to sit among the people
19:51 to administer justice
19:53 from the beginning of the day until the sun passed its zenith.
19:55 The 'Ifrit said:
19:57 "And indeed, I am strong enough
19:59 to carry it,
20:01 despite all the jewels it contains."
20:03 Solomon said,
20:05 peace be upon him:
20:07 "I desire it even quicker than that."
20:09 Thereupon, another soldier
20:11 from among his ranks stepped forward,
20:13 namely Asif Ibn Barkhiya,
20:15 a man from among the righteous of
20:17 the Children of Israel,
20:19 whom Allah Almighty had granted
20:21 knowledge from His presence.
20:23 He was a minister to Solomon
20:25 and knew the Greatest Name
20:27 of Allah. He said:
20:29 "I will bring you
20:31 the throne of Bilqis
20:33 before you can blink your eye
20:35 and open it again"—
20:37 which was a metaphor for extraordinary,
20:39 instantaneous speed in bringing it.
20:42 And so the throne of Bilqis was brought
20:44 to Solomon from the land of
20:46 Yemen to the Levant (al-Sham)
20:48 with that extraordinary,
20:50 extraordinary.
20:52 When Solomon saw the throne,
20:54 aforesaid, present before him
20:56 and standing right in his presence,
20:58 he did not become arrogant or boastful,
21:00 nor was he overcome with pride
21:02 and conceit;
21:04 rather, he said:
21:06 “One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring it thee before thy gaze returneth unto thee. And when he saw it set in his presence, (Solomon) said: This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for (the good of) his own soul; and whosoever is ungrateful (is ungrateful only to his own soul's hurt). For lo! my Lord is Absolute in independence, Bountiful.” (27:40)
21:08 "[This is to] test me:
21:10 will I be grateful for His blessings,
21:12 or ungrateful for them?"
21:15 Solomon (peace be upon him) said
21:17 to those around him:
21:19 "Disguise the throne of her kingdom,
21:21 upon which she sits,
21:23 into a state that alters it,
21:25 to see whether she will recognize it when she sees it,
21:27 or fail to recognize it."
21:29 “He said: Disguise her throne for her that we may see whether she will go aright or be of those not rightly guided.” (27:41)
21:31 When she arrived,
21:33 namely Bilqis (the Queen of Sheba),
21:35 Solomon (peace be upon him) said to her:
21:37 "Is your throne like this?"
21:40 She replied:
21:42 "It is as though it were the very same."
21:44 This was part of her sharp wit
21:46 and deep understanding,
21:48 for she deemed it improbable that it could be
21:50 her exact throne, since
21:52 she had left it behind in the land of Yemen,
21:54 yet she could not outright deny it
21:56 due to the striking resemblance.
21:58 Thus, there became manifest to her
22:00 the supreme power of Allah Almighty
22:02 and the prophethood of Solomon
22:04 (peace be upon him).
22:06 What had previously diverted her from affirming Allah's oneness
22:08 and having faith in Him
22:10 “And (all) that she was wont to worship instead of Allah hindered her, for she came of disbelieving folk.” (27:43)
22:12 was merely following her people
22:14 and blindly imitating them,
22:16 “And (all) that she was wont to worship instead of Allah hindered her, for she came of disbelieving folk.” (27:43)
22:18 who were disbelievers.
22:21 Then it was said to her:
22:23 "Enter the palace."
22:25 Its courtyard was made of clear glass,
22:27 beneath which water flowed.
22:29 When she saw it,
22:31 she thought it was deep, rippling water,
22:33 so she bared her legs
22:35 to wade through it.
22:37 Thereupon, Solomon
22:39 (peace be upon him) said to her:
22:41 "It is made of smooth, clear glass,
22:43 with water beneath it."
22:45 At that moment, she realized the greatness
22:47 of Solomon's kingdom,
22:49 and she said:
22:51 "My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself"
22:53 through polytheism,
22:55 and she yielded in submission, following Solomon,
22:57 entering
22:59 into the religion of Allah,
23:01 the Lord of the worlds.
23:03 Allah Almighty said:
23:06 “He said: O chiefs! Which of you will bring me her throne before they come unto me, surrendering?” (27:38)
23:08 "Which of you will bring me
23:10 her throne before
23:12 they come to me in submission?"
23:14 Said
23:16 a stalwart of the jinn:
23:18 "I will bring it to you
23:20 before
23:22 “A stalwart of the jinn said: I will bring it thee before thou canst rise from thy place. Lo! I verily am strong and trusty for such work.” (27:39)
23:24 you rise from your place, and indeed,
23:26 I am strong enough for it
23:28 and trustworthy."
23:30 Said the one
23:32 who had knowledge
23:34 of the Scripture:
23:36 "I will bring it to you
23:38 before
23:40 your glance returns
23:42 to you."
23:44 And when he saw it
23:46 placed firmly before him,
23:48 “One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring it thee before thy gaze returneth unto thee. And when he saw it set in his presence, (Solomon) said: This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for (the good of) his own soul; and whosoever is ungrateful (is ungrateful only to his own soul's hurt). For lo! my Lord is Absolute in independence, Bountiful.” (27:40)
23:50 he said: "This is from the favor of my Lord,
23:52 “One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring it thee before thy gaze returneth unto thee. And when he saw it set in his presence, (Solomon) said: This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for (the good of) his own soul; and whosoever is ungrateful (is ungrateful only to his own soul's hurt). For lo! my Lord is Absolute in independence, Bountiful.” (27:40)
23:54 to test me whether
23:56 I will be grateful or ungrateful.
23:58 And whoever is grateful,
24:00 his gratitude is only
24:02 for his own soul;
24:04 and whoever is ungrateful—
24:06 then surely my Lord
24:08 is Self-Sufficient, Generous."
24:10 He said:
24:12 "Disguise her throne for her;
24:14 let us see whether she will be guided [to recognize it]
24:16 “He said: Disguise her throne for her that we may see whether she will go aright or be of those not rightly guided.” (27:41)
24:18 or be among those who are not guided."
24:20 So when she arrived,
24:22 it was said: "Is
24:24 your throne like this?"
24:26 She said: "It is as though
24:28 it were the very same."
24:30 [Solomon said]: "And we were given knowledge
24:32 before her, and we have been
24:34 Muslims [in submission to Allah]."
24:36 But what she used to worship
24:38 besides Allah
24:40 had prevented her [from believing];
24:42 indeed, she was
24:44 from a people
24:46 of disbelievers.
24:48 She was told: "Enter
24:50 the palace."
24:52 But when she saw it,
24:54 she thought it was a body of water
24:56 and uncovered
24:58 her legs.
25:00 He said: "Indeed, it is
25:02 a palace paved smooth
25:04 with crystal."
25:06 She said:
25:08 "My Lord, indeed I have wronged
25:10 myself, and I submit,
25:12 along with Solomon, to Allah,
25:14 Lord of the worlds."
25:46 He then began striking their legs
25:48 and necks with the sword,
25:50 seeking nearness to Allah Almighty
25:52 and pursuing His pleasure,
25:54 because he had been distracted
25:56 by them from His obedience.
25:58 And when he slaughtered the horses
26:00 for the sake of Allah,
26:02 Allah Almighty replaced them
26:04 with something far better and swifter:
26:06 the wind,
26:08 blowing by his command wherever he willed.
26:10 Allah Almighty said:
26:13 "And We granted
26:15 to David, Solomon.
26:19 An excellent servant he was! Indeed, he was
26:21 ever-turning in repentance.
26:23 When there were displayed before him
26:25 in the afternoon well-trained,
26:27 noble steeds,
26:29 he said: 'Indeed,
26:31 I have preferred the love of good things
26:33 over the remembrance of my Lord,
26:35 until they were hidden behind the veil [of sunset].
26:37 Bring them back
26:39 to me!'
26:41 And he began passing his hand over their legs
26:43 and necks."
26:45 And it is narrated
26:47 that among these horses
26:49 were some with wings,
26:51 which had come from the sea—
26:53 and Allah knows best.
26:55 On the authority of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased
26:58 with her), she said:
27:00 "The Messenger of Allah
27:02 (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) returned from the expedition
27:04 of Tabuk or Khaybar,
27:06 and in her room was a curtain.
27:08 A gust of wind blew,
27:10 uncovering a corner of the curtain
27:12 to reveal 'A'ishah's doll-figures—
27:14 that is, toys.
27:16 He asked:
27:18 'What is this, O 'A'ishah?'
27:20 She replied: 'My dolls.'
27:22 And he saw among them
27:24 a horse with two wings,
27:26 so he asked:
27:28 'What is this I see in their midst?'
27:30 She replied: 'A horse.'
27:32 He said:
27:34 'And what is this upon it?'
27:36 She said: 'Two wings.'
27:38 He asked:
27:40 'A horse with two wings?'
27:42 She replied:
27:44 'Have you not heard that Solomon had
27:46 horses that possessed wings?'
27:48 She said:
27:50 'He laughed until I could see
27:52 his molar teeth, peace and blessings of Allah
27:54 be upon him.'"
27:57 Narrated by Abu Dawud.
27:59 The hadith will be continued,
28:02 if Allah wills.
28:04 And Allah knows best.
28:06 All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
28:08 May Allah send blessings and peace
28:10 upon our Prophet Muhammad,
28:12 and upon his family and companions,
28:14 one and all.
28:18 You have been listening to *Stories of the Prophets*.