Topic: Solomon (Sulaiman(as))

Important Words:

تتلوا (followed). See 2:114

شیاطین (rebellious men). See 2:15.

علی (during) gives the sense of فی i.e. "in" or "during" (Aqrab & Mughni). It is also used to denote a hostile sense meaning "against", as one says خرج علیه i.e. he rebelled against him, or he went out against him with an army intending to fight (Wright). In this sense the phrase علی ملك سلیمان would mean, against the government of Solomon, or conspiring against his government.

سحر (falsehood and deception). In verbal senses سحرہ means, he deceived him; he coaxed him and involved him in trouble and deprived him of his understanding; he enchanted him. سحرالفضة means, he coated a piece of silver so as to make it look like gold. The noun سحر means, anything the source of which is not quite visible; showing off falsehood in the form of truth; a crafty device; craftiness; mischief; enchantment (Aqrab). It also means, producing what is false in the form of truth; any event of which the cause is hidden and which is imagined to be different from what it really is; embellishment by falsification and deceit (Lane). Thus every falsehood, deceit or crafty device which is meant to hide the real object from public view is included in the meaning of سحر.

ملكین (two angels) is the dual number from ملك (angel) for which see 2:31. Figuratively ملك is sometimes used to denote a handsome or holy person, as the Quran says, He (Joseph) is but a gracious angel, i.e. a handsome and pious youth (12:32). As in the verse under comment, the two angels are described as teaching something to the people, therefore the word cannot be taken in its literal significance, because angels do not live among men and do not generally have free intercourse with them (17:95, 96; 21:8). Thus in the present verse ملکین would not mean "two angels" in the literal sense of the word but "two holy men".

ھاروت (Harut) and ماروت (Marut) are both descriptive names. ھاروت is derived from ھرت which means, he tore up (Aqrab); hence ھاروت means, one who tears; the tearer. ماروت is derived from مرت which means, he broke (Aqrab & Lane). Thus ماروت means, one who breaks; the breaker. These names signify that the object of the appearance of these holy men was to 'tear' asunder and 'break' the glory and power of certain people.

فتنة (trial) means, the trial or means whereby the condition of a man may be demonstrated in respect of good or evil (Lane). They say فتن الصائغ الذھب i.e. the goldsmith melted the gold in the crucible so that its purity or impurity might be ascertained (Aqrab).

Commentary:

Many a legend unwarranted by the Quran and the Hadith—and even running contrary to them—clusters round this verse. It would be quite unreasonable to interpret it on the basis of those myths. For their true interpretation no external evidence is needed, the words being self-explanatory. It is clear from the verse itself that Jews in the time of the Holy Prophet were bent upon the same mischief which characterized them in the days of Solomon and during the days of their captivity in Babylon. The verse further indicates that the mischief-mongers of Solomon’s time were those "rebellious men" who called him an unbeliever. God says that those wicked men themselves, and not Solomon, lacked belief. Again, the verse tells us that these men taught their associates such signs as conveyed to them meanings quite different from those generally accepted, for the purpose of deceiving other people and concealing their own activities. All this leads to the conclusion that this verse alludes to those secret plots which the enemies of Solomon made against him, and by which they wished to break his empire. It is pointed out that now, in the time of the Holy Prophet, these people are resorting to the selfsame tactics, but that they will fail.

As the verse refers to a number of historical events, it is advisable to relate them here at some length.

When Jews saw that the power of Islam was steadily expanding and that no opposition from the Arabs had been able to arrest the progress of Muslims, they began to excite outsiders against them. At that time there were two large empires in the neighbourhood of Arabia: (1) The Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire; and (2) The Persian Empire. As Jews were already at enmity with the Roman Government, because they were in constant trouble under it, so it was only the Persian Government to which they could look for support. Harassed by the oppression of Christian rulers, they had taken refuge in Persia, where they enjoyed a good deal of religious freedom, and their religious centre shifted from Judah and Jerusalem to Babylonia (Hutchinson’s History of the Nations, p.550). In the seventh century of the Christian era, i.e., during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet, Jews suffered exceptionally cruel persecution at the hands of the Christian Emperors of the Eastern Roman Empire. "Both Phocas and Heraclius", says the Historians’ History of the World (vol. 7, p. 175), "attempted to exterminate the Jewish religion, and if possible to put an end to their national existence. Heraclius not only practised every species of cruelty himself to effect this object within the bounds of his own dominions, but he even made the forced conversion or banishment of the Jews a prominent feature in his diplomacy." So, in the time of the Holy Prophet the only government to which the Jews could look for help was that of Persia, where their co-religionists enjoyed much influence, especially in the reign of Chosroes II (Jew. Enc., ix. 648).

Consequently, when the Jews saw that their efforts to check the progress of Islam had totally failed, they took to exciting the Persian Court against the Holy Prophet by various means; and as a result, Chosroes II issued orders to the Governor of Yemen to send to him the Arabian claimant as a captive. But when the envoys of the Governor came to the Holy Prophet, he asked them to see him the next day, when he told them that God had informed him that He had their king murdered. Thereupon they returned and related this incident to the Governor. A few days later, the Governor received a letter from Siroes, the son of Chosroes II, to the effect that he had killed his father on account of the latter’s tyranny and that the Governor should, on his behalf, renew the oath of allegiance from all the Chiefs of Yemen; and that the order of his father regarding an Arab should be considered as cancelled (Tabari, iii. 1573-1574).

Some historians, including Tabari himself, hold that it was the letter of the Holy Prophet to the king of Persia inviting him to Islam that was the occasion of his orders for the apprehension of the Holy Prophet. But on comparison of the dates of the above-mentioned events, this turns out to be a mistaken view. For, as we read in Zurqani (ii. 211-212), the letter in question was despatched from Medina on the first of Muharram, 7 A.H.–a date corresponding to 12th April, 628 A.D. (Lane under ھجرة); whereas Chosroes II, who sent orders for the arrest of the Holy Prophet, had been assassinated on the 29th of February, 628 A.D. (Historians’ History of the World, viii. 95). Thus the view that the letter of the Holy Prophet was the cause of Chosroes’ orders is quite untenable; and the only possible cause of Chosroes’ ignominious orders was that his ears had been poisoned by malicious reports, a fact admitted by Sir William Muir (The Life of Mahomet, p. 370). It is to these efforts of the Jews that the Quran alludes in the verse under comment.

The verse also points out that it was foolish on the part of the Jews to suppose that they would succeed in that way. Their attention is invited to the fact that they had already been responsible for two secret plots. The first was against Solomon, when some members of their community turned rebels, hatched plots and stirred up bitter feeling against him by calling him an infidel; whereas the infidels were those who opposed him, hurled imputations at him, and set up against him secret societies in which secret signs and symbols were taught. The Jews, however, themselves reaped the ill-reward of their sinister schemes: their power, as a consequence, fell into decay, and at last they became so powerless that they were driven into exile towards Babylon. This account of Jewish secret societies and conspiracies and treacherous signs and symbols, as alluded to in this verse, finds corroboration in the Bible (1 Kings 11:1-6), where we read that the charge of idol-worship was spread against Solomon. An account of his enemies is found in I Kings 11:14, 23, 26, and a reference to secret plots is met with in II Chron. 10: 2-4 where we learn that the Jews had sent for Jeroboam, a bitter enemy of Solomon, immediately after his death and had attempted to make Solomon’s son agree to some demands of theirs, involving certain imputations against Solomon, before his accession to the throne. We learn about the secret signs from I Kings 11:29-32, in which the ten tribes of the Israelites are likened to ten pieces of a garment, and Jeroboam is told that these ten tribes were on his side against Solomon; and so it proved to be, for on the death of Solomon, these ten tribes made Jeroboam their king (I Kings 12:20). Again, the reference of the Quran to the infidelity of Solomon’s enemies finds corroboration in II Chron. 11:15, from which we learn that his enemies, who falsely charged him with unbelief, themselves fell into idol-worship when they rose to power.

Besides the testimony of the Bible, there is other evidence to show that in the days of Solomon a secret society was at work against him. An old tradition, current among medieval Freemasons, indicates that Solomon was envious of the superior intelligence of Hiram, the chief architect who built the Temple at Jerusalem. He is said to have attempted to kill the great Mason by having him thrown into a tank of molten brass, but he was saved by the spirit of his ancestor, Cain, who prophesied that at last his people would get the better of their enemy. Solomon, however, as the tradition goes, had him afterwards put to death. It is said of him that he had fixed certain secret signs which were a sort of mystery known only to him and his associates (Secret Societies of the World, Volume II, pp. 1-8; as the original book could not be obtained, the reference is to an Urdu translation). We further learn from this book that before the period of the Accepted Masons, the same signs used in all the Lodges were current among the Masons of Solomon’s time (p. 11) and that at the time of initiation, the Hiram incident was related to the new member (pp. 29, 30). However incredible the story as a whole may be, it points at least to the conclusion that in one way or other, secret societies were associated with Solomon’s reign and were much in vogue in his time.

The second occasion when, according to the Quran, the Israelites had resort to secret societies was during their captivity in Babylon. But this time they were not acting against any Prophet but were, on the other hand, working under the leadership of two inspired personages, who were, in obedience to divine command, trying to bring about the deliverance of the Israelites. Their mission was to "tear asunder" and "break down" the empire of the enemies of the Israelites. These holy men told new members, at the time of initiation, that they were a sort of trial from God, serving to differentiate between the good and the bad, and that the Israelites should not therefore refuse to believe what they said, because this would lead them to infidelity. In their teachings they drew a distinction between males and females, confining membership to males only (this is an old practice found among most secret societies). It is also stated that the disciples of these holy men directed their activities against only those for whose chastisement they were commissioned by God.

In this narration, the Quran refers to the days when King Nebuchadnezzar brought the Jews as captives into Babylon and kept them there for a long time. The holy men referred to in the verse under comment were Haggai, the Prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo (Ezra 5:1). When Cyrus, King of Media and Persia, rose to power, the Israelites entered into a secret agreement with him and greatly facilitated his conquest of Babylon. In return for this service, he not only allowed them to return to their own country but also helped in the rebuilding of the Temple (Historians’ History of the World, ii. 126).

After stating that the Jews of the Holy Prophet’s time were following the same course which was adopted by the rebels of Solomon’s days and which was later adopted by the Jews under two holy men in Babylon, it was necessary here to state the ultimate upshot of their efforts against the Holy Prophet, because on the two previous occasion’s their efforts had met with different results. On the first occasion the conspiracy of the Israelites, being directed against a Prophet of God, had ended in the total loss of their prestige and finally in their banishment to Babylon. On the second occasion, they took a similar course under two inspired personages and were successful. Hence, in order to indicate whether the efforts of the Jews against the Holy Prophet would meet with failure, as they did in the days of Solomon, or with success as in Babylon, the Quran says: these people are learning that which would harm them and do them no good; hinting that they will not be successful as in Babylon. Accordingly, the consequence of their hostile efforts against the Holy Prophet was that Chosroes, their only supporter, met his death at the hands of his son, and they themselves were exiled from Arabia in the time of ‘Umar. In the concluding portion of the verse, God adds: And they have certainly known that he who trafficks therein has no share of good in the Hereafter, meaning that a mischievous plotter never succeeds ultimately. The last clause, had they but known, throws a flood of light on how intensely God desires that His creatures should always take the right course and not be misled by mischievous people.

2:137; 3:85; 6:85-88.

17:56.

Commentary:

زبورا (a Book) signifies any writing or book; or a book that is confined to intellectual science exclusive of legal statutes or ordinances. الزبور signifies particularly the Book of the Psalms of David (Lane & Aqrab). See also 3:185.

Commentary:

Typical Prophets have been mentioned here and in the succeeding verse to point out that the mission of the Prophet of Islam was not a new thing, the specific mention of زبور, the Book of wisdom given to David, in the present verse and of the Law-bearing revelation vouchsafed to Moses in the succeeding one, being both "Law" and "Wisdom".

29:28.

Important Words:

ایوب (Ayyub or Job), who is the hero of the Book of Job, is mentioned in the Bible as living in the land of Uz. Some authorities say that this is Idumea or Arabia Deserta; others fix Mesopotamia as his country. It appears that Uz was somewhere in the north of Arabia. It is said that Job lived there before the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. He thus lived before Moses or, as some say, he was a compatriot of Moses, having received his prophetic mission about 20 years before him. Job was not an Israelite, having been descended from Esau, the elder brother of Israel. He had a very chequered career, being "tried" by God in diverse ways; but he proved most faithful and righteous and was patient and steadfast in the extreme. He still lives in the memory of mankind as a paragon of patience (Jew. Enc. & Encyclopaedia of Islam).

داود (David or Dawud) has been taken to mean (1) beloved or friend; or (2) paternal uncle; or (3) best of all. King of Judah and Israel, David, who was of Israelite origin being from the tribe of Judah, was founder of the Judean dynasty at Jerusalem. The date of his reign is generally fixed at about 1010-970 B.C. He was a great warrior and a great statesman. His importance as the real builder of the Hebrew Kingdom can hardly be overestimated. Through him all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba became united and organized into a powerful nation whose kingdom extended from the Euphrates to the Nile. Towards the end of his life David had to suffer much at the hands of scheming slanderers, which deeply grieved him. He has poured out his grief in his celebrated Psalms (Enc. Brit. & Enc. Bib.). The Quran, however, absolves him from the charges imputed to him in the Bible (38:19-26).

سلیمان (Solomon) was the second son of David & Bath-Sheba and the third king of Israel. He reigned from about 971 to 931 B.C. He was called Jedidiah (beloved of Yehovah) by Nathan, the Prophet. But David was told by Yehovah that his son’s name should be Solomon (peaceful). These two names are predictive of the character of his reign, which was both highly prosperous and peaceful. Besides his principal names, Jedidiah and Solomon, various others are assigned to him such as Agur (he who girt his loins), Bin (he who built the temple), Jakeh (he who reigned over the world), Ithiel(he who understood the signs of God), and Ucal (he who could withstand them). The word سلیمان may have been derived from the root سلم. which means, he was or became safe, secure or in peace, or free from evils of any kind. The fact that he ruled for the long period of forty years shows that he must have consolidated firmly the kingdom he inherited from his father. He was a great monarch and a wise judge. He greatly extended and developed the trade and commerce of his country and contracted friendly alliances with foreign rulers. He was the master-builder among the Israelite kings and is best known for his building of the Temple at Jerusalem, which is known as the Temple of Solomon and which became the Qiblah of the Israelites for all time. In spite of the prosperity of his kingdom, Solomon’s reign was not altogether happy. Plots were hatched against him by secret societies to bring about his downfall. The Society of the Freemasons is also believed to have dated from his reign. He was followed by a worthless son (Enc. Bri., Enc. Bib. & Jew. Enc.). Like his father, David, Solomon was the victim of much calumny and slander from which the Quran has exonerated him (2: 103).

ھارون (Aaron), who belonged to the tribe of Levi, was the son of Amran and the elder brother of Moses who was three years younger than him, their sister Miriam being the eldest of the three. Aaron was the traditional founder and head of the Jewish priesthood and, in company with Moses, led the Israelites out of Egypt. Aaron and Moses were jointly commissioned to deliver the Israelites from the clutches of Pharaoh and to preach to them the message of the Oneness of God, though Moses was the senior Prophet and Aaron subordinate to him. While Moses was both the religious and secular head, Aaron represented only the priestly functions of his tribe. His duties were generally ministerial and not directive. Aaron was known for his eloquence and persuasive speech and was of a mild amiable disposition (Enc. Bib., Enc. Bri. & Jew. Enc.).

Commentary:

This and the succeeding verses tell us that not only Abraham but other Prophets also preached against شرك i.e. setting up associates with God.

The present verse mentions the descendants of Abraham to the second generation, naming a son (Isaac) and a grandson (Jacob or Israel). The name of Ishmael, the eldest son of Abraham, has been included in a separate group (6:87 below), and not in a subordinate position under Abraham.

The reader should note that the Prophets descended from Noah have been divided in the present and the succeeding two verses into three different groups and to each group has been added a separate description. The first group referred to in the present verse comprises David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses and Aaron—Prophets who were given power and prosperity, and who consequently were able to do good to human beings. Hence, members of this group have been designated as المحسنین or doers of good, for through their temporal power and prosperity they were able to do material good to humanity. David and Solomon were kings; Joseph and Job were blessed with prosperity after they had been tried with afflictions which they both bore with extraordinary patience. Moses and Aaron enjoyed supreme authority among their people.

The second group (for which see 6:86) consists of Zachariah, John, Jesus and Elias. None of these possessed temporal power or worldly goods; each lived a humble and lowly life, so much so that of Elias it is said that he was rarely seen and generally lived in the woods. Hence they have been differentiated in 6:86, as الصالحین i.e. virtuous. The first three comprising the second group were contemporaries; while Elias, though not a contemporary, bore a striking resemblance to John, who came in his spirit and power; so he also has been classed with this group.

The third group (mentioned in 6:87) consists of Ishmael, Elisha, Jonah and Lot. They had no worldly power, but God granted them grace and excellence. It has been alleged about them that they coveted power and riches. Of Ishmael, we read in the Bible: "He will be a wild man: his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him" (Gen. 16:12). In the Talmud, Ishmael is represented as having followed his father Abraham when the latter took Isaac out for sacrifice, rejoicing at the thought that he would inherit all the lands and herds. Of Elisha it is said that he caused a king, who did not obey him, to be slain so that he might thus gain political power. Jonah was displeased with God, because he was disgraced by the non-fulfilment of his prophecy, which, it is alleged, showed that he sought power for himself. Of Lot it is alleged that he coveted fertile pasture-lands and was always quarrelling with his kinsman, Abraham. Thus all these Prophets have been accused of coveting wealth and power. But the Quran declares all these charges to be false. These Prophets were a group of heavenly people enjoying spiritual communion with God. They had no need to be covetous or seekers of power; for, as stated in 6:87, God had "exalted" them above the people.

2:48; 3:34-35; 45:17.

Important Words:

الیسع (Elisha) was the son of Shaphat, the disciple and successor of Elijah. He was a native of Abelmeholah, a village in Galilee. He was taken from the plough and anointed by Elijah to be his successor. Directed by God, Elijah found him in the field and threw his mantle over him. Many miracles are attributed to Elisha. But neither the sanctity of his life nor the miracles he wrought had the effect of reforming the nation at large. At length, worn out by his public and private labour, he breathed his last at the age of ninety in 838 B.C.

یونس (Jonah), son of Amittai, was born in Gath-hepher, in the tribe of Zebulun. He lived either before or during the reign of Jeroboam II or in the reign of Jehoahaz about 850 B.C. He was an Israelite Prophet with a mission to the people of Nineveh. Jonah prophesied the destruction of his people within 40 days. But they repented and turned to God with humble supplication, whereupon they were saved. This, however, upset Jonah who, being ashamed to face his people, ran away and, while crossing a sea, was thrown into the water and swallowed by a fish (Jonah, 1:17). Jonah remained in the belly of the fish for three days and was then disgorged by it and saved. It is to this incident that Jesus referred when he said that no miracle would be shown to his people except that of Jonah (Matt. 16:4), meaning that he would be put on the cross but would be taken down alive and would then be placed in the womb of the earth for three days after which he would escape therefrom, just as Jonah had escaped from the belly of the fish.

Commentary:

See 6:85 above. The verse speaks of Lot as being "exalted above the people." Now if the word العالمین (lit. the people) be taken to signify "all the peoples," it would be evidently wrong; for Lot lived in the time of Abraham and was admittedly not superior to the Patriarch. Thus the word العالمین cannot here signify even "the people of the age" as it has been rendered elsewhere but simply "the people," i.e. a section thereof. In fact, the exaltation spoken of here refers only to the people to whom the Prophets, mentioned in the verse, were sent.

Important Words:

حرث (crop) is infinitive noun from حرث (haratha) which means, he ploughed or tilled the soil; he sowed seeds or planted plants in it. حرث means, a tilth or a piece of land ploughed for sowing or land actually sown with some crop; land under crop; crop or produce of land (Lane & Aqrab). See also 2:206.

نفشت (strayed therein) is derived from نفش . They say نفش القطن i.e. he corded the cotton.نفشت الغنم means, the sheep pastured at night without a shepherd. نفش الراعی الابل means, the shepherd left the camel at night that it may pasture (Aqrab).

Commentary:

In order to add to the beauty of expression use has been made of metaphorical language in this and the following few verses. الحرث in this verse may signify Solomon’s country and the words غنم القوم may be taken as standing for those wild and predatory neighbouring tribes who raided Solomon’s country. The reference is to the policy which David and Solomon adopted to repel and defeat the depredations of these savage tribes. David was a great warrior and as such was in favour of adopting a strong policy. Solomon, however, wished to pursue a milder policy and to win over these tribes by entering into treaties of friendship with them. Taken literally the verse would signify that even very ordinary people had ready access and could submit their cases to these great Prophets of God who were very powerful rulers. See also 6:85; 34:11-14 & 38:18-21.

The verse may also signify that when a nation rises to power and prosperity, ambitious persons, in order to win power and influence, seek to weaken the hands of the constituted authority by creating dissensions and discord. The expression غنم القوم i.e. "persons of beastly nature" may refer to such people.

34:11; 38:19-20.

Important Words:

الجبال (the mountains) is the plural of جبل which is derived from جبل (jabala). جبله علی کذا means, God created him and adapted him to it. جبل (Jabalun) means, a mountain; a rocky tract; any rocky elevation; the lord or chief of a people; their learned man; a man who does not move from his place. جبال means, mountains, big or learned men; people living in mountains etc. (Lane & Aqrab). See also 13:32.

الطیر (the birds) means, a bird or birds. طائر which is the singular of الطیر means, a bird; an omen; the cause of actions good or bad; actions good or bad and their consequences; natural powers of man; a highly righteous and spiritual man (Lane & Aqrab). As a bird flies high in the air and builds its nest on lofty trees or mountains, therefore a man who soars high in the spiritual firmament is called a طائر in spiritual terminology. See also 3:50; 7:132 & 17:14.

Commentary:

This verse has been very much misunderstood and misinterpreted. The misunderstanding arises from the far-fetched construction placed upon it by some commentators. There is, however, nothing in the wording of the verse itself to justify the element of mystery introduced into it. A few simple words used metaphorically in order to add elegance and beauty to the diction of the verse have been distorted to render it a veritable riddle. The words "We subjected the mountains and the birds to celebrate God’s praise with David" have been taken literally to mean that the mountains and birds were under David’s control and when he sang the praises of God they actually joined with him in singing those praises. They simply mean that big men (الجبال) and highly spiritual men (الطیر) glorified God and sang Divine praises along with David. And if according to the verse, the mountains and birds were subjected to David there was nothing extraordinary in the mountains and the birds being subject to his control as at several other places in the Quran not only mountains and birds but all other things in the heavens and the earth—the sun, the moon, the stars, the day and the night, the animals, the birds, the rivers, the seas, the winds, the clouds etc., are stated to have been subjected to man (2:165; 7:55; 22:38 & 45:13-14). The word الجبال; in the present verse, as stated under Important Words above, signifies also mountainous territory or "people living in the mountains" as the name of a place sometimes stands for its people (12:83). Thus the subjection of "the mountains" to David may signify that he conquered and subjugated wild and savage mountain tribes. The Bible also refers to this fact. It says, "And Hiram, King of Tyre, sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons and they built David a house. So all the elders of Israel came to the King to Hebron; and King David made a league with them in Hebron before the Lord and they appointed David King over Israel" ( II Sam. chap. 5). Thus the words, "We subjected the mountains and the birds to celebrate God’s praises with David" have been particularly used about David in the verse because he was a great conqueror and subduer of wild mountain tribes.

Similarly, celebration by birds and mountains of God’s praises should also occasion no surprise. Elsewhere in the Quran we read that all things, animate or inanimate, the angels, animals, birds, the heavens and the earth, even the forces of nature, sing the praises of God, only man cannot understand their glorification (13:14; 17:45; 21:20-21; 24:42; 59:2; 61:2; 62:2; & 64:2). The glorification of God by these things which is the carrying out by them of the duties assigned to them by God demonstrate: that God is perfect and completely free from all flaws, failings and frailties and so is His handiwork.

The word "birds" used in the verse may also signify actual birds. In this sense the reference would be that David made free use of birds for carrying messages in time of war which had been especially trained for this purpose. Or it may signify flocks of birds which followed David’s victorious armies and feasted on the dead bodies of his fallen foes. Lastly, the word "birds," may signify men of high determination and great resolve who are ever ready to scale great heights and are not afraid of difficulties and dangers in the cause of religion. In brief, the verse means to say that men of ordinary spiritual caliber had become highly spiritual and soared very high in the spiritual firmament through the purifying company of David.

The verse may also be rendered as, "We subjected the mountains and the birds to David; they all celebrated God’s praises." This rendering removes much misunderstanding and difficulty.

For a fuller explanation of this and the next three verses see 34:11-14 & 38:19, 20, 37, 38, 39.

The expression, "We gave Solomon the right understanding of the matter," has been used to show that Solomon’s policy of moderation and conciliation was right in the then obtaining circumstances. In this verse the Quran defends Solomon against the charge levelled at him by some Jewish writers of having pursued a weak policy which brought about the downfall of his dynasty after him. The words, however, should not be taken to mean that the strong policy adopted by David in his own time was wrong. Any misunderstanding leading to this inference has been dispelled by the following clause: "And to each of them We gave wisdom and knowledge," which makes it quite clear that the policies of both David and Solomon were best in the circumstances and quite suited to the particular occasion.

34:12.

Commentary:

The reference in the verse is again to the military might of David and to his great skill in making implements of war and coats of mail. David invented and developed various kinds of armours by means of which he made great conquests. In his reign the Israelite kingdom reached the zenith of its power and dominion. David’s time was the golden period in Israelite history. Never did the Israelites rise to such power again, nor did they enjoy such prestige, prosperity and influence as they did during David’s rule. The verse does not mean that David was the first person to manufacture coats of mail. It only means that the art of making various kinds of armour had greatly developed and improved under his supervision and direction.

34:13; 38:37.

Commentary:

The reference in the words, the land which We had blessed, is to Palestine. It appears that the vessels of Solomon plied in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea and regular trade was carried on between Palestine and the countries lying round the Persian Gulf and these two seas.

"The commercial activity of Solomon seems to have been extensive. In this respect, he reminds us of the Pharaohs, who appear almost to have monopolized the foreign commerce of Egypt. His imports were on a scale so lavish that he is said to have made silver as common as stones, cedars as sycamores, in Jerusalem. There was an extensive trade in horses (1 Kings 10:27-29).In partnership with Hiram of Tyre he maintained a fleet of ocean-going ships trading at regular intervals to Mediterranean ports, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks (1 Kings 10:22). In his trading ventures down the Gulf of ‘Akaba he was assisted by skilled Tyrian navigators supplied by Hiram (1 Kings 9:27, 29), his own people never did take kindly to the sea. This passage was evidently misunderstood by the chronicler, who took it to mean that Hiram supplied the ships (2 Chron. 8:18); how they were transported is a problem he leaves unexplained. Ophir, the land to which these vessels ventured, is not identified with certainty, but may be S. Arabia. Solomon brought Israel for the first time fully into a current of oriental commerce and civilization, and during his reign Jerusalem, at any rate, was a city of wealth and luxury" (Enc. Brit, 14th edit. under "Solomon"). In Jew. Enc. under "Solomon" we read: "With the Phoenicians he united in maritime commerce, sending out a fleet once in three years from Ezion-geber, at the head of the gulf of ‘Akaba to Ophir, presumably on the eastern coast of the Arabian peninsula. From this distant port, and others on the way, he derived fabulous amounts of gold and tropical products. These revenues gave him almost unlimited means for increasing the glory of his capital city and palaces, and for the perfection of his civil and military organizations."

In the present verse the adjective used about the wind is عاصفة (violent) while in 38:37 it is رخاء (gentle) which shows that though the wind blew fast, it was gentle and did no damage to Solomon’s ships.

The implied reference in the present and the preceding two verses may be to the great military might and economic progress and prosperity which the Muslims were to attain in the heyday of their glory which they achieved during the reigns of the Omayyad and the Abbasid dynasties.

34:13-14; 38:38-39.

Commentary:

The word شیطان meaning a rebel and recalcitrant person and also one who is expert in anything (2:15), the verse means to say that the non-Israelite people whom Solomon subjugated were engaged on several arduous works by his orders. They worked as carpenters, iron-smiths, divers etc., professions which members of a subject race generally adopt when living under a ruling race. The fact that Solomon had subjugated peoples of many communities is evident from I Kings 9:20-21 where we read:" And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, which were not of the children of Israel, their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bond service unto this day."

In the words "who dived for him" refer to diving in the Persian Gulf for taking out pearls by divers who were employed for that purpose by Solomon.

Commentary:

After a brief account of Moses, the Founder of the Israelite Dispensation and its greatest Prophet, the present and the following several verses make a special mention of David and Solomon. Of all the Israelite Prophets particular reference to these two Prophets in the verse possesses a special significance. The Israelite power, prosperity and prestige had attained their zenith in the reigns of the two Prophets. David was a great warrior and a mighty and sagacious statesman. He was the founder of the Judean dynasty at Jerusalem and the real builder of the Hebrew kingdom. Through him all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba became united and organized into a powerful nation whose kingdom extended from the Euphrates to the Nile. Solomon consolidated the kingdom he had inherited from his father. He was a great and good monarch. He greatly extended and developed the trade and commerce of his country. He was the master-builder among the Israelite kings and is best known for the building of the famous Temple at Jerusalem, which became the Qiblahof the Israelites. The special reference in these verses to these two mighty Israelite kings implies a prophecy that rulers of as mighty, even mightier, empires and enjoying as great, even greater, glory and prosperity will also rise among the followers of the Holy Prophet Muhammad who was the like of Moses.

The words "We gave knowledge to David and Solomon" may either mean that God endowed them with wisdom and knowledge in abundance as is apparent from the wise decisions they made or that being Divine Messengers God disclosed to them the secrets of the unknown and imparted to them special understanding and realization of Divine attributes which constitute the fountainhead of all knowledge. In reality the greatest proof of the truth of a Divine teacher consists in the fact that he is vouchsafed in an unusually large measure knowledge of the things beyond human ken (72:27-28). This is one explanation of the above-mentioned words. They may also imply an allusion to the great progress and advance made during the reigns of these two Prophets in navigation and in the preparation of implements of war which is also a branch of knowledge and to which a reference has been made in the verses that immediately follow, and also in 21:81-83; 34:11-14; 38:19-21.

Important Words:

منطق (language) is derived from نطق which means, he spoke with sound and letters which made clear his meaning. نطق الکتابmeans, the book explained and made clear. Thus نطق (nutq) applies to both articulate and inarticulate speech and to the condition of a thing which is as significant as articulate speech. It is of two kinds: external, viz. spoken words; internal, viz. understanding. The word is also used with regard to animals and birds when the use is metaphorical (Aqrab & Mufradat).

For طیر (birds) see next verse.

Commentary:

Solomon was heir to both the temporal power and prophetic office and spiritual knowledge of his father, David. The word ورث (was heir) here has special reference to the spiritual heritage of David because whereas kingship and temporal power and property descend from father to son, prophethood does not. Birds and insects have their own means of communication. Migratory birds fly from one region to another with the change in weather. They fly in flocks and their flight is orderly. Similarly, ants live in communities and the bees have a well-regulated system of government. This could not be possible without there being some means of communication between them. This means of communication may be called their language. Prophets David and Solomon are stated here to have been taught the language of birds which may be taken as signifying that they had learnt how to make use of birds. The art of using birds for carrying messages from one place to another had been very much developed by Solomon and frequent use of it made in the management of the far-flung empire over which he ruled.

If the word طیر be taken to signify righteous men (3:50) who soar high into the spiritual firmament and attain nearness to God, the words "we have been taught the language of birds" would mean that David and Solomon knew the language in which God’s Elect speak i.e. they possessed the wisdom and knowledge that is given to highly spiritual men.

The expression "and we have had everything bestowed upon us," means that all things that were necessary to make the Israelites a strong and prosperous people were bestowed upon them in the reigns of David and Solomon. It clearly does not mean that every existing thing was given to them. The words point to no exclusive prerogative of these two Prophets. Identical words have been used with regard to the Queen of Saba’ (27:24).

38:19-20.

Important Words:

یوزعون (formed into separate groups) is derived from وزع. They say وزع فلانا او بفلان i.e. he hindered or led or drove such a one and restrained him, and he incited or urged him with such a one. وزع الجیش means, he stopped the first part of the army so that their last part may join them. They say رأیته یزع الجیش i.e. I saw that he was arranging the soldiers in proper order and placing them in rows. وزع المال بینھم (wazza’a) means, he distributed the property among them. أوزع اللّٰه فلانا means, God inspired such a one. الاوزاع means, parties; companies (Aqrab). Thus according to the different significations of the root word, the Quranic expression فھم یوزعون would mean, they were formed into separate groups or classes; (2) they were hindered from cruel and tyrannous acts; (3) they marched like an ordered and disciplined army; and (4) their first part was stopped so that their last part might join them. These words show that Solomon had a well-trained and disciplined army which had several separate and distinct departments.

طیر (birds) is the plural of طائر which is active participle from طار which means, it flew or moved in the air by means of wings. طیر besides meaning "birds" may also apply to swift animals such as horses, etc. طیار (tayyar) which is an intensive form of طائر signifies a sharp-spirited and quick-footed horse that runs so fast that it seems to be flying (Lane). See also 3:50; 7:132 & 17:14.

جن (jinn) is derived from جن (janna). جنه means, it concealed, veiled, covered or protected him. جن means, the darkness of night or its intense darkness; such beings as keep aloof from the people as if remaining concealed, i.e. big people (Lane). Jinn in the present verse may represent mountain or wild people who had not till then been subjugated.

Commentary:

The verse under comment should be read along with 21:83; 34:13 & 38:38. It seems to refer to the military personnel of Solomon’s army. The three words جن (jinn), انس (men) and طیر (birds) may represent three departments of his army. In the present verse and in 34:13, the word جن (jinn) has been used to represent a particular section of the army while in 21:83 & 38:38, the word شیاطین has been used to represent the same class. It seems that Solomon had subdued and subjugated some wild tribes, this approximately being the sense of both the words جن and شیاطین who formed an integral part of his army and did sundry other difficult tasks for him.

The word طیر denoting swift-footed horses may represent Solomon’s cavalry. This meaning of the word finds corroboration in 38:32-34 where Solomon has been stated to possess great love for horses. Thus whereas جن (jinn) and انس(men) represented two sections of Solomon’s infantry, طیر (birds) stood for his cavalry. But if طیر may be taken to mean 'birds' then it would signify birds which Solomon employed for carrying messages. Thus they also formed a very useful and necessary adjunct to his army.

But these three words may also have been used in a metaphorical sense signifying respectively "big men," "ordinary men" and "highly spiritual men." In this sense of the words the verse would mean that while on military expeditions Solomon had all these three classes of men with him because they all had their usefulness.

Commentary:

نمل (Naml) being a proper noun, واد النمل (the valley of Naml) does not mean the valley of ants as is generally misunderstood but the valley where a tribe named Naml lived. In Qamus under the word برق we have الابرقة من میاہ النملة i.e. Abriqah is one of the springs of Namlah. So Naml is the name of a tribe just as Mazin (مازن) which means the eggs of ants is the name of an Arab tribe. In Arabia it was not an uncommon practice that tribes were named after animals and beasts such as Banu Asad, Banu Taghlab, Banu Kalb, Banu Naml, etc. Moreover, the use of the words ادخلوا (enter) and مساکنکم(your habitations) in the verse lends powerful support to the view that Naml was a tribe, since the former word is used only for rational beings and the expression مساکنکم (your habitations) has been used in the Quran exclusively for human habitations (29:39; 32:27). Thus نملة means a person of the tribe of النمل; a Namlite. The said Namlite was possibly their leader and had ordered the people to get out of the way of the army of Solomon and enter their houses.

According to some authorities this valley is situated between Jibrin and ‘Asqalan. ‘Asqalan is a town on the sea coast, twelve miles to the north of Gaz, near Sinai (Taqwimul-Buldan). Jibrin is a town in the north, situated in the vilayat of Damascus. This shows that the Valley of Naml is situated near the sea coast, opposite to or near Jerusalem, lying on the route from Damascus to Hijaz, at a distance of about a hundred miles from it. This part of the country was up to the time of Solomon inhabited by the Arabs and the Midianites. (See ancient and modern maps of Syria and Palestine). According to other authorities, however, it is situated in Yemen. This latter view seems to be more akin to reality. In view of this historical fact fabulous legends woven round this valley are mere conjectures of the commentators of the Quran. The simple fact seems to be that while on a military expedition to Saba’, Solomon might have passed by the valley where the tribe called Namlah lived.

It further appears from the verse that the piety and godliness of Solomon’s soldiers was famed far and wide. They would not knowingly harm or injure any people. This seems to be the implication of the words "and they knew not" and this is what pleased Solomon as is clear from the next verse.

Important Words:

ضاحکا (laughed) is derived from ضحک which means, he laughed; he wondered; he was frightened. ضحکت المرأة means, the woman menstruated. ضحکت الطریق means, the way became clear. ضحکت الارض عن النبات means, the land brought forth its herbage (Lane & Aqrab). See also 11:72.

Commentary:

The entire wording of the verse shows that Solomon was extremely pleased with the good opinion a Namlite expressed about his own and that of his army’s power and piety. The implication in this account of Solomon is that rising from quite insignificant beginnings, the Holy Prophet will attain such prestige and power that he would be feared far and wide. The Prophet himself is reported to have said: نصرت بالرعب مسیرة شھر i.e. I have been helped with such prestige that people fear me from a distance of one month’s journey (Bukhari, Kitabul-Jihad).

Important Words:

تفقد (he reviewed) is derived from فقد. They say فقدہ i.e. he found it not; he lost it, it was or became absent from him. الفقدwhich is noun-infinitive, though often used as meaning being non-existent, properly signifies the thing’s being absent from the range of perception by sense so that its place is not known. تفقدہ means, he sought for or after it; or did so leisurely or repeatedly; or sought for or after it, it being absent from him, or he sought or sought leisurely or repeatedly to obtain knowledge of it, having known it before (Lane, Aqrab & Mufradat).

Commentary:

Contrary to popular belief based on fable and fiction "Hudhud" was not the name of a bird which Solomon employed as his message-bearer. This is clear from the following facts mentioned in the present and the next few verses.

(1) It is inconceivable that a great Divine Prophet and a mighty monarch like Solomon should have been so angry with a little bird as to be prepared to inflict severe punishment upon it or even to kill it if it did not give clear reason for its absence. Birds are not subject to the penalties of law (v. 22).

(2) The hoopoe or "Hudhud" is not a migratory bird. It cannot fly long distances. Solomon, therefore, could not have selected it for a journey to Sheba and back (v. 23).

(3) The bird also seems to be acquainted with the requirements of a State and with kings and thrones as is clear from the report he made to Solomon, viz. that the Queen of Sheba had been given all that was needed for carrying on the government of her country (v. 24).

(4) Surprisingly, the bird seems to be well-versed in knowledge about Divine Unity and the evils of associating gods with Allah (vv. 25, 26).

It quite clearly follows from these facts that "Hudhud" was not a bird but a man, even a very responsible officer of State who had been entrusted with an important political mission by Solomon to the Queen of Sheba. The practice of exchange of envoys seems to be quite popular in Solomon’s time. It is also a known fact that men are named after birds and animals. "Hudhud" appears to be a very popular name among Solomon’s people. The word seems to be the Arabicised form of Hadad, a Biblical name. It appears to have been the name of several Edomite kings who ruled immediately before the first Israelite king and who defeated Midian. One of the courtiers of Solomon was also named Hudhud. A son of Ishmael, too, bore this name. Similarly, an Edomite prince who fled to Egypt for fear of Jacob’s massacre was known by this name (1 Kings 11:14). The name appeared to be so popular and is so frequently used in the Old Testament that when mentioned without a qualifying word it means, "a man of the Edomite family" (Jew. Enc.). According to Muntaha al-Arab "Hudhud" was the name of the father of Bilqis, the Queen of Sheba.

Commentary:

It appears from this verse that "Hudhud" was sent on an important State mission and he brought for Solomon an important piece of news. A rising seemed to have taken place in that region and Solomon marched with his army to quell it and he sent "Hudhud" in advance to collect all necessary information with regard to the real state of affairs obtaining there.

Saba’ may be identified with Sheba of the Bible (1 Kings 10). It was a city in Yemen situated at about three days’ journey from the city of San‘a and was the seat of Government of the Queen of Sheba. Moreover, Saba’ is a well-known branch of the Qahtani tribes.

Commentary:

"Hudhud" proceeds to give detailed information about the place against which Solomon was marching. The words, "she has been given everything," show that the Queen of Sheba ruled over a very prosperous people who had attained a very high degree of civilization. She possessed all those things which had made her a powerful monarch.