Who was Prophet Hazrat Sulaiman – story?

Allah has sent 124,000 Prophets, out of which one was Hazrat Sulaiman عليه السلام, the son of Prophet Dawud عليه السلام.

• Biblical Name: King Solomon.
• Full Name: Sulaiman Ibn Dawud عليه السلام.
• Hazrat Suleman Father Name: Prophet Dawud عليه السلام.
• Mother Name: Michal bint Talut عليه السلام.

Prophet Sulaiman Birth

Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام was born in 990 BC in present-day Palestine and died in 931 BC at the age of 59 years.

His father, Prophet Dawud عليه السلام, was the 3rd King of Israel, and after his death, he became the 4th King of Israel in 970 BC.

Allah gave Hazrat Sulaiman عليه السلام the power to not only humans but Jinns, Birds, and winds, too. No one has ever given this much power in the history of mankind before and after him.

Prophet Sulaiman in Quran

The name of Prophet Solomon عليه السلام is mentioned 17 times in the Holy Quran at different places. 

King of Jinns

We subjected some Jinns to work under him by his Lord’s Will. And whoever of them deviated from Our command, We made them taste the torment of the blaze. – Saba 34:12

The Jinns made for him what he ordered them to make, including palaces, dwellings, places of prayer statues, bowls like reservoirs, and stationary kettles. – Saba 34:13

Harut and Marut

Due to the immense authority and power over Jinns, Humans, and Animals, people started claiming that Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام was a magician, although they used to cast magic themselves.

Allah tested them by sending two angels, Harut and Marut, to Babylone.

Prophet Sulaiman carpet – faster than planes

To Solomon ˹We subjected˺ the wind: its morning stride was a month’s journey and so was its evening stride. – Saba 34:12

Allah subjugated the wind to Hazrat Sulaiman عليه السلام so that it would carry his carpet so briskly that he used to travel a month’s journey in one morning or evening.

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said that Prophet Solomon عليه السلام set out from Damascus in the morning, landed in Estakhr, where he ate a meal, then flew on from Istakhar and spent the night in Kabul.

• Damascus Gate to Estakhr distance: 2,300 km.
• Today, a plane takes around 6 hours to cover this distance.
• The carpet of Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام was faster than today’s planes.

Language of Birds and Animals

Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام was taught the language of birds. – An-Naml 27:16

He also knew the language of the birds and animals, which is something that had never been given to any other human being as far as we know from what Allah and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told us.

Allah enabled Hazrat Solomon عليه السلام to understand what the birds said to one another as they flew through the air and what the different kinds of animals said.

Incident of an Ant

The Holy Quran beautifully explains the incident of an ant when the army of Jinns and humans crossed the valley of ants.  

Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام forces of jinn, humans, and birds were rallied for him, perfectly organized. – An-Naml 27:17

When they came across a valley of ants, an ant warned, “O ants! Go quickly into your homes so Solomon and his armies do not crush you, unknowingly.” – An-Naml 27:18

Hazrat Solomon عليه السلام smiled in amusement at her words. – An-Naml 27:19

Prophet Sulaiman and Missing Bird

One day Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام went to some open land and checked on the birds, but he could not see the bird hoopoe 🐦.

Hazrat Solomon عليه السلام said: I will slaughter the hoopoe unless he brings me a compelling excuse.

The bird came and said: I have discovered something you do not know. I have come to you from Sheba (Yemen) with sure news. The queen of Sheba had a magnificent throne, and her people were prostrating to the sun instead of Allah.

Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام said: We will see whether you are telling the truth or lying. Take my letter to them and see how they respond. – An-Naml 27:20-28

Prophet Sulaiman and Queen of Sheba

The name of the Queen of Sheba was Bilkis, who read the letter sent by Prophet Solomon عليه السلام inviting them to the path of Allah.

In response, she sent him a gift to see if he was only a king (so he would be satisfied with a tribute) or a prophet (who would only settle with submission to the True God).

Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام refused to accept the royal gift sent by Bilkis and threatened that we would undoubtedly mobilize against them forces which they can never resist, and we would drive them out from there in disgrace if they refused to submit.

Hazrat Solomon عليه السلام asked who can bring him the throne of the queen of Sheba. One of his believing advisors, Asif bin Barkhiya, said I can get it to you in the blink of an eye. Soon, the throne was in front of Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام, who asked his people to disguise it.

When the queen of Sheba arrived and saw her mighty throne, which had been brought all the way from Yemen to Palestine, she submitted to Allah and embraced Islam. – An-Naml 27:21-42

Palace of Queen of Sheba

Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام had commanded the Jinns to build for the queen of Sheba a vast palace of glass beneath which water was flowing. Anyone who did not know the nature of the building would think that it was water, but in fact, there was a layer of glass between a person walking and the water.

The queen of Sheba was told to enter the palace. When she saw it, she thought it was a pool of water and tucked up her clothes, uncovering her legs.

At last, she declared: “My Lord! I have indeed wronged my soul. Now, I fully submit myself and Solomon to Allah, the Lord of all worlds. – An-Naml 27:44

Prophet Dawud as a Judge

Ruling on a Child’s Case

There were two women, each of whom had a child with her. A wolf came and took away the child of one of them, whereupon the other said, ‘It has taken your child.’ The first said, ‘But it has taken your child.’

So they both carried the case before Hazrat Dawood عليه السلام, who judged that the living child is given to the elder lady.

So both of them went to Hazrat Solomon bin Dawud عليه السلام and informed him (of the case). He said: ‘Bring me a knife to cut the child into two pieces and distribute it between them.’

The younger lady said, ‘May Allah be merciful to you! Don’t do that, for it is her (i.e., the other lady’s) child.’ So he gave the child to the younger lady. – Sahih al-Bukhari 3426

Ruling on goats that entered a field

Once goats of one person entered the field of another person at night. The farmer brought his complaint to Prophet Dawud عليه السلام, who decided that the strayed goats should be given to the owner of the field.

However, Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام differed with this and opined that the goats should remain with the owner of the field up to the time that the former tilled and prepared the field as before.

Regarding this, Allah says: We led Sulaiman to the right decision. – Al-Anbya 21:79

Wives of Prophet Sulaiman

Prophet Solomon عليه السلام had 700 wives and 300 concubines with whom he had physical relations. – Kings 11:3

It makes us believe that in the Sharia of Prophet Musa, there was no limit on the number of marriages. 

Sleeping with 100 women in one night

Once Hazrat Sulaiman عليه السلام said: Tonight I will have sexual relations with 100 women (my wives), every of whom will deliver a male child who will fight for Allah’s Cause.”

• An Angel said, “Insha Allah,” but he forgot.
• Then he had sexual relations with them, but none of them delivered any child except one who gave a half person.
• Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: If Prophet Solomon عليه السلام had said “Insha Allah,” Allah would have fulfilled his (above) desire.
• Sahih al-Bukhari 5242

Children of Prophet Sulaiman

As we know, Prophet Solomon عليه السلام had 700 wives and 300 concubines with whom he had physical relations, which also shows that he had many sons and daughters.

According to the research conducted by Dr. Muhammad Javed Khalil from the University of Peshawar (UoP), Rehoboam and ‘Afghan’ were the sons of Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام.

While Rehoboam became the 5th King of Israel after the death of Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام and got the Kingship in his inheritance, Afghan showed his interest in learning the language of Jinns.

• What do Jinns eat and drink as per Islam?

This was when Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام taught Afghan, the language Jinns speak and named it Pashto.

Historians believe that the descendants of Afghan were named Afghanis or Pashtuns, and they started speaking the language they learned from their forefathers, i.e., Pashto.

Ant praying for rain

Once Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام went out  for Salat-al-Istisqa (pray for rain) to pray for rain where he saw an ant lying on its back, raising its legs to the sky saying: “O Allah, we are creatures among your creatures, we cannot live without your water.”

Prophet Solomon عليه السلام said to his companions: “Go back, for you have been given water through the supplication of others.” – Mishkat al-Masabih 1510

Death of Prophet Sulaiman

According to the Jewish Virtual Library, Prophet Sulaiman عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ died at the age of 59 in 931 B.C in present-day Palestine.

Prophet Solomon عليه السلام was sitting while holding his staff. He was seeing the Jinns while they were constructing Masjid al-Aqsa. He would sit and see that the Jinns are following the orders rightfully.

He died while he was sitting, and no one knew. The jinns continued working as they believed he was watching over them. According to Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه, Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام was sitting straight, leaning over his staff for almost one year after his death.

His body fell over after the termites ate away his staff. The weakened staff could not support the body and broke away, allowing the body to fall and revealing the death of the great king.

Rehoboam, who was one of the sons of Prophet Solomon عليه السلام, became the 5th King of Israel after his death.

Prophet Zakariya عليه السلام and Prophet Yahya عليه السلام were born as the descendent of Prophet Sulaiman عليه السلام.