Islamic view of Solomon

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Sulayman is a prophet in the Qur'an who is known as King Solomon from the Bible. Although the Qur'an and the Bible denote the same historical person, the accounts differ.

1 Name
2 Tradition
3 Sulayman's court
4 Sulayman and Sheba (Arabic: Saba)
5 Death of Solomon
6 Hadith
7 Mention of Sulayman in the Qur'an
8 See also
9 References

[edit] Name

The Arabic language has its own version of the name (Arabic: سليمان), which is often transliterated to English as Sulayman, Süleyman, Sulaiman, Suleyman or Suleiman.

[edit] Tradition

In the Qur'an, Sulayman is a son of the Prophet Dawud (King David in Bible). He is told to have learned much from his father, and subsequently made a prophet by God and given power over all creatures, including the jinns. Ruling a large kingdom that extended south into Yemen, he was known throughout the lands for his wisdom and fair judgements.

[edit] Sulayman's court

Sulayman is said to have been given control over various elements, such as the wind and transportation. In addition he had excellent relations with the Jinn as well as animals. Thus the Quran says,

And to Solomon (We made) the Wind (obedient): Its early morning (stride) was a month's (journey), and its evening (stride) was a month's (journey); and We made a Font of molten brass to flow for him; and there were Jinns that worked in front of him, by the leave of his Lord, and if any of them turned aside from our command, We made him taste of the Penalty of the Blazing Fire. 34:12

And before Sulayman were marshalled his hosts,- of Jinns and men and birds, and they were all kept in order and ranks. 27:17

And Sulayman was accordingly grateful of God, he says

"O ye people! We have been taught the speech of birds, and on us has been bestowed (a little) of all things: this is indeed Grace manifest (from God)." 27:16

[edit] Sulayman and Sheba (Arabic: Saba)

A well-known story of Sulayman involves his interactions with the Queen of Sheba, Bilqis. Sulayman comes to know about the ruler through a talking hoopoe who states:

"I found (there) a woman ruling over them and provided with every requisite; and she has a magnificent throne.27:23

According to the story, she was a wise ruler, but her people worshipped the sun. Sulayman invites her to submit to "God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful". Upon receiving such a letter she requests advise from her chiefs, who are most willing to make war. The Queen, however, responds:

"Kings, when they enter a country, despoil it, and make the noblest of its people its meanest thus do they behave. But I am going to send him a present, and (wait) to see with what (answer) return (my) ambassadors." 27:34 and 27:35

And so the Queen sends gifts to Sulayman. These gifts offend Sulayman, who is satisfied with that which God has granted him, and he begins to make preparations for war. Meanwhile the envoys of the Queen return with the gifts, and the Queen decides to personally visit Sulayman. At this point Sulayman decides to test the Queen. He orders a Jinn to bring the Queen's throne from her palace before she reaches Sulayman's court. The Jinn executes the command "within the twinkling of an eye". Upon her arrival, the Queen is asked to identify the throne. The Queen not only identifies the throne but also states that she had known the power of Sulayman and Allah in advance and had decided to submit to God. Sulayman, however, demonstrates to her another miracle of God:

She was asked to enter the lofty Palace: but when she saw it, she thought it was a lake of water, and she (tucked up her skirts), uncovering her legs. He [Solomon] said: "This is but a palace paved smooth with slabs of glass (and the water in underneath the glass)." She said: "O my Lord! I have indeed wronged my soul: I do (now) submit (in Islam), with Sulayman, to the Lord of the Worlds." 27:44

It is said that the Queen married Sulayman thereafter.

[edit] Death of Solomon

According to the Quran, the death of Sulayman was a lesson to be learned,

Then, when We decreed (Solomon's) death, nothing showed them his death except a little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his staff: so when he fell down, the Jinns saw plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in the humiliating Penalty (of their Task). 34:14

When Sulayman was to die, he stood up in prayer holding his cane. There he silently passed away, but, by God's will, did not fall. He remained in this position, and everyone including the Jinns thought that he was still alive. Finally God ordered a termite to weaken the cane so that the body of Sulayman fell. It was thereafter believed that the Jinn (along with all humans) did not know everything and only God had knowledge of all.

[edit] Hadith

Abu Huraira has narrated some hadith that are in Sahih Muslim and Sahih Bukhari. Shi'a view Abu Huraira as a mythomaniac.

The hadith of having sex with 50-100 wives in the same night, and impregnetaing only a half child (forgetting to say "Insha'Allah")^[1]

[edit] Mention of Sulayman in the Qur'an

Appraisals for Sulayman: 6:84 27:15 27:16 27:18 27:19 27:21 27:36 38:30 38:39 38:40 21:81 21:82 27:16 27:18 27:20

27:21 27:22 27:23 27:36 27:37 27:38 27:39 27:44 34:12 34:13 38:31 38:35 38:36 38:37 38:38

Sulayman's preaching:

4:163 27:25 27:31 27:44

Sulayman judged:

21:78 21:79

Fitnah to Sulayman:

38:32 38:33 38:34

Sulayman and Queen Balqis:

27:28 27:29 27:30 27:31 27:34 27:35 27:36 27:37 27:38 27:39 27:40 27:41 27:42 27:43 27:44

The kingdom of Sheba:

27:23 34:15 34:18

Sulayman's death:

34:14

In the Qur'an a reference is also made to the writings of Sulayman, the so called Book(s) of Wisdom. Jesus knew these writing according to 5:110: "I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel and behold! thou makest out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and thou breathest into it and it becometh a bird by My leave, and thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave. And behold! thou bringest forth the dead by My leave"