Islamic Timeline of RevelationOpen in flowchart →Prophet Sulayman (AS)
سليمان
Son and heir of Dawud, granted a kingdom unlike any other: command of the wind and the jinn, and understanding of the speech of birds and ants. His story with the Queen of Saba ends with her submission to Allah.
Biography
Sulayman inherited from Dawud (27:16) prophethood, knowledge and kingship. Even as a youth Allah gave him understanding in a judgement concerning a field damaged by sheep (21:78-79). He prayed for a kingdom not befitting anyone after him (38:35), and Allah subjected to him the wind (21:81; 34:12; 38:36) and the jinn who built for him (34:12-13; 38:37), and taught him the speech of birds (27:16).
He heard an ant warn its colony and smiled, thanking Allah (27:18-19). The hoopoe brought news of the Queen of Saba and her people worshipping the sun (27:22-24). Sulayman wrote to her beginning 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' (27:30); her throne was brought before him in the blink of an eye by one who had knowledge of the Book (27:40), and she ultimately said 'I submit with Sulayman to Allah, Lord of the worlds' (27:44).
The Quran clears him of sorcery: 'Sulayman did not disbelieve, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic' (2:102). He died while leaning on his staff, and the jinn did not realise until a creature of the earth ate it (34:14). A hadith in Sunan al-Nasa'i (graded authentic by several scholars) mentions his building of Bayt al-Maqdis and his supplications upon completing it.
The episodes in 38:31-34 (the horses, and the 'body placed on his throne') have several interpretations; legends about his ring being stolen by a demon are Israiliyat. The queen's name ('Bilqis') comes from tradition, not the Quran.
Sources & explanation
۞ Qur'an
2:102 4:163 6:84 21:78 21:79 21:81 21:82 27:15 27:16 27:17 27:18 27:19 27:20 27:22 27:23 27:24 27:28 27:30 27:31 27:38 27:40 27:44 34:12 34:13 34:14 38:30 38:31 38:32 38:33 38:34 38:35 38:36 38:37 38:38 38:39 38:40
Links open quran.com.
📜 Hadith verified on sunnah.com
-
Two women disputed over a child; Dawud judged for the elder, and Sulayman revealed the true mother by proposing to cut the child in two.
-
Sahih al-Bukhari 3424 Sahih
Sulayman said he would go round to his wives so each would bear a horseman for Allah's cause, but he did not say 'In sha' Allah'.
💬 Explanation Unverified
Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's perspective
Methodological note (not a direct quote): Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's widely known approach is to build narratives primarily on the Quran and Sahih Hadith, to set aside Israiliyat (Judeo-Christian lore absorbed into later tafsir) and weak or fabricated narrations, and to avoid sectarian framing. Applied to this node: The Quran (2:102; 27; 34; 38) is primary; legends of the ring, the demon on the throne and details about Bilqis are Israiliyat or tradition and would be labelled so.
Empires in their lifetime
- United Kingdom of Israel c. 1047 – c. 930 BCESon and successor of Dawud; ruled the kingdom at its height in tradition.
- Kingdom of Saba (Sheba) c. 1000 BCE – c. 275 CEThe Qur'an (Surah al-Naml 27:20–44) recounts the Queen of Saba coming to Sulayman; dating traditional and disputed.
- Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) c. 930 – c. 720 BCEThe kingdom broke away after Sulayman's death.
- Kingdom of Judah c. 930 – 587 BCEJudah formed on Sulayman's death under his son Rehoboam.
Further references
- Quran 27:15-44
- Quran 34:12-14
- Quran 38:30-40
- Quran 2:102
- Sunan al-Nasa'i (Sulayman building Bayt al-Maqdis)
Connections
Comes from
- Prophet Dawud (AS) father of — Sulayman inherited from Dawud (27:16)