In
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, Sulaymān ibn Dāwūd () is described as a ''
nabī'' (, ) and ruler of the
Israelites
Israelites were a Hebrew language, Hebrew-speaking ethnoreligious group, consisting of tribes that lived in Canaan during the Iron Age.
Modern scholarship describes the Israelites as emerging from indigenous Canaanites, Canaanite populations ...
in the
Quran
The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
. Since the
rise of Islam, various
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
historians have regarded Solomon as one of the greatest rulers in history. Solomon's rule inspired several Islamic leaders throughout history.
Solomon is regarded to have been bestowed by
God
In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
the
gift
A gift or present is an item given to someone (who is not already the owner) without the expectation of payment or anything in return. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is intended to be free. In many cou ...
to speak to animals and ''
djinn
Jinn or djinn (), alternatively genies, are supernatural beings in pre-Islamic Arabian religion and Islam.
Their existence is generally defined as parallel to humans, as they have free will, are accountable for their deeds, and can be either ...
''. Furthermore was granted the ability to enslave the
devils (; f.v. ) with the help of a staff or ring given by God. Solomon's battle with the demons plays an important role in
Sufistic interpretations of Islam as the internal struggle of the self against demonic urges.
Generally,
Islamic tradition The term Islamic tradition may refer to:
* Islamic Traditionalist theology, Islamic scholarly movement, originating in the late 8th century CE
*''Ahl al-Hadith'', "The adherents of the tradition"
* Traditional Islamic schools and branches
* Islami ...
holds that he was the third ruler of the Israelites and a wise one. In contrast to
Talmudic
The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the centerpiece of Jewi ...
tradition, Muslims maintain that Solomon remained
a faithful to God throughout his life and was blessed with authority given to none before nor after him. Despite his miraculous abilities, his success stems from solely relying on God, as seen in the challenge of bringing the Throne of
Sheba
Sheba, or Saba, was an ancient South Arabian kingdoms in pre-Islamic Arabia, South Arabian kingdom that existed in Yemen (region), Yemen from to . Its inhabitants were the Sabaeans, who, as a people, were indissociable from the kingdom itself f ...
. For that, he was, according to the Quran, promised nearness to God in
Jannah
In Islam, Jannah (, ''jannāt'', ) is the final and permanent abode of the righteous. According to one count, the word appears 147 times in the Qur'an. Belief in the afterlife is one of the Iman (Islam)#The Six Articles of Faith, six article ...
(, ) at the end of his life.
Quran and interpretation
Judgment on the field
In the earliest narrative involving Sulayman, the
Quran
The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
() briefly alludes to a story that Sulayman was in the company of his father, when two men came to ask
David
David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament.
The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...
to judge between them regarding a ''ḥarth'' (, field). Later Muslim commentators expanded on the allusion, including
al-Tabari
Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr ibn Yazīd al-Ṭabarī (; 839–923 CE / 224–310 AH), commonly known as al-Ṭabarī (), was a Sunni Muslim scholar, polymath, historian, exegete, jurist, and theologian from Amol, Tabaristan, present- ...
,
Baidawi, and
Ibn Kathir
Abu al-Fida Isma'il ibn Umar ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi (; ), known simply as Ibn Kathir, was an Arab Islamic Exegesis, exegete, historian and scholar. An expert on (Quranic exegesis), (history) and (Islamic jurisprudence), he is considered a lea ...
.
They said that the first of the two men said that he owned a
vineyard
A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
of which he took great care the whole year through. But one day, when he was absent, the other man's
sheep
Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...
had strayed into the vineyard and devoured the
grape
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...
s. He asked to be compensated for this damage.
Upon hearing the man's complaint, Solomon suggested that the owner of the sheep take the other man's vineyard to repair and cultivate until the vines returned to their former state, whereupon he should return it to its owner. At the same time, the owner of the vineyard would care for the sheep and benefit from their
wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...
and
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...
until his land was returned to him, at which point he would return the sheep to their owner. This response shows Solomon's level of judgment, which, the Quran says, would characterize Sulayman throughout his life. ''
Ḥikmah'' (
Wisdom
Wisdom, also known as sapience, is the ability to apply knowledge, experience, and good judgment to navigate life’s complexities. It is often associated with insight, discernment, and ethics in decision-making. Throughout history, wisdom ha ...
), according to Muslim tradition, would always be associated with Solomon, who would later even be referred to as ''Sulaymān al-Ḥakīm'' (, "Sulayman the Wise"). This story is adapted in the
Kebra Nagast, but as a dispute adjudicated by a son of Sulayman.
Solomon and the demons
The Quran narrates that Solomon,
controlled the wind and the jinn. The jinn helped strengthen Solomon's reign. God caused a miraculous ''ʿayn'' (, 'fount' or 'spring') of molten ''qiṭr'' (, 'brass' or 'copper') to flow for Solomon, used by the jinn in their construction.
The
devils (''shayatin'') and demons were forced building for him monuments.
When David died, Solomon inherited his position as the prophetic king of the Israelites. Solomon once permitted a woman to build a statue of her father. Later, she began to worship the statue and Solomon was rebuked for tolerating idolatry in his kingdom. As a punishment, God enabled one of the enslaved demons to steal Solomon's ring and take over his kingdom (
Surah
A ''surah'' (; ; ) is an Arabic word meaning 'chapter' in the Quran. There are 114 ''suwar'' in the Quran, each divided into ayah, verses (). The ''suwar'' are of unequal length; the shortest ''surah'' (al-Kawthar) has only three verses, while ...
38:34). He later repents his sin and gains control over the demons again, focusing on building the temple again. He prayed to God to grant him a kingdom which would be unlike any after him.
God accepted Solomon's prayer and gave him what he pleased
Construed
allegorically, Solomon's loss of his ring to the demons, may be understood to represent a human losing its soul to demonic passion.
Attar of Nishapur
Faridoddin Abu Hamed Mohammad Attar Nishapuri ( – c. 1221; ), better known by his pen-names Faridoddin () and ʿAttar of Nishapur (, Attar means apothecary), was a poet, theoretician of Sufism, and hagiographer from Nishapur who had an immense ...
writes: "If you bind the ''div'' (demon), you will set out for the royal pavilion with Solomon" and "You have no command over your self's kingdom, for in your case the ''div'' is in the place of Solomon".
Unlike the Talmudic tradition, Solomon was unaware and never participated in idolatry. Further, the Quran rejects that Solomon was a magician: "Never did Solomon disbelieve, rather the devils disbelieved. They taught magic to the people..." ()
Solomon and the ant
Solomon was taught the languages of various animals, such as
ant
Ants are Eusociality, eusocial insects of the Family (biology), family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the Taxonomy (biology), order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from Vespoidea, vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cre ...
s. The Quran recounts that, one day, Solomon and his army entered a ''wādin-naml'' (,
valley of the ant). On seeing Solomon and his army, a ''namlah'' (, female ant) warned all the others to "get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it." Immediately understanding what the ant said, Solomon, as always, prayed to God, thanking him for bestowing upon him such gifts and further avoided trampling over the ant colonies.
Solomon's wisdom, however, was yet another of the gifts he received from God, and Muslims maintain that Solomon never forgot his daily prayer, which was more important to him than any of his gifts.
Exegetical literature emphasizes the ant's wisdom and explains the meaning behind Solomon's gift to control the wind. According to the ''Siraj al-Qulub'', a popular text with versions in Persian,
Oghuz Turkic
The Oghuz languages are a sub-branch of the Turkic language family, spoken by approximately 108 million people. The three languages with the largest number of speakers are Turkish, Azerbaijani and Turkmen, which, combined, account for more ...
, and
Karluc Turkic,
the ant asked Solomon if he knows why he is called "Solomon" (''Süleyman''). Solomon says he does not, whereupon the ant goes on to explain: "Although your heart was sound (''selim'') and you know the circumstances of the next world, you have accepted a few pleasures of this world and have been deceived by its possession and kingship; therefore you are called Solomon." Afterwards, the ant asks Solomon if he knows why God has subdued the wind for him. Once again, Solomon negates and the ant answers: "He has subdued the wind for a reason: that which you have accepted is nothing. Just as the wind passes, the world's wealth and kingship pass too." Scholars like
Fakhr al-Din Razi and
al-Qurtubi
Abū ʿAbdullāh Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Abī Bakr al-Anṣārī al-Qurṭubī () (121429 April 1273) was an Andalusian Sunni Muslim polymath, Maliki jurisconsult, mufassir, muhaddith and an expert in the Arabic language. Prominent scholar ...
elevated the ant to the rank of an exemplar for humans to follow.
Conquest of Saba'

Another important aspect of Solomon's kingship was the size of his army, which consisted of both men and jinn. Solomon would frequently assess his troops and warriors as well as the jinn and all the animals who worked under him. One day, when inspecting his troops, Solomon found the ''
Hud-hud'' (,
Hoopoe
Hoopoes () are colourful birds found across Africa, Asia, and Europe, notable for their distinctive "Crest (feathers), crown" of feathers which can be raised or lowered at will. Two living and one extinct species are recognized, though for many y ...
) missing from the assembly.
Soon afterwards, however, the Hud-hud arrived at Solomon's court, saying "I have found out something you do not know. I have just come to you from
Sheba
Sheba, or Saba, was an ancient South Arabian kingdoms in pre-Islamic Arabia, South Arabian kingdom that existed in Yemen (region), Yemen from to . Its inhabitants were the Sabaeans, who, as a people, were indissociable from the kingdom itself f ...
with sure news." The Hud-hud further told Solomon that the people of
Sheba
Sheba, or Saba, was an ancient South Arabian kingdoms in pre-Islamic Arabia, South Arabian kingdom that existed in Yemen (region), Yemen from to . Its inhabitants were the Sabaeans, who, as a people, were indissociable from the kingdom itself f ...
worshiped the Sun, and that the woman who ruled the kingdom was highly intelligent and powerful. Solomon, who listened closely, chose to write a letter to the land of Sheba, through which he would try to convince the people of Sheba to cease their idolatrous worship of the
Sun
The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...
, and come to the worship of
God
In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
. Solomon ordered the Hud-hud to give the letter to the
Queen of Sheba
The Queen of Sheba, also known as Bilqis in Arabic and as Makeda in Geʽez, is a figure first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In the original story, she brings a caravan of valuable gifts for Solomon, the fourth King of Israel and Judah. This a ...
(Bilqis), and then to hide and observe her reaction.
The Hud-hud accepted Solomon's orders, and flew straight back to Sheba to deliver the letter to the Queen. The Queen then called her ministers to court and read aloud to them the letter from Solomon stating to the people of Sheba: "
In the Name of Allah—the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, Do not be arrogant with me, but come to me, fully submitting (''
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
īn'' )." She took counsel with her ministers and other court officials, saying "O chiefs! Advise me in this matter of mine, for I would never make any decision without you." The people of the court replied: "We are a people of strength and great ˹military˺ might, but the decision is yours, so decide what you will command." At length, however, the Queen came to Solomon, announcing her submission to God.
Solomon and the ''ifrit''
While Bilqis was journeying to Solomon's court, the king bid his servants deliver her throne thither before her arrival. An ''
ifrit
Ifrit, also spelled as efreet, afrit, and afreet ( ), plural ), is a powerful type of demon in Islamic culture. The ''ʿafārīt'' are often associated with the underworld and identified with the spirits of the dead, and have been compared t ...
'' offered his services (), but Solomon declined, entrusting this task instead to a manservant, named
Asif ibn Barkhiya in traditions. Being a pious fellow, the manservant prayed to God to move the throne for him. His prayer was answered, the throne appearing in Solomon's palace by the power of God. When Bilqis arrived, Solomon asked her if she recognised her throne. Struggling to grasp the miracle God had wrought, she at first gave the king an evasive answer, but later adopting the faith of Solomon, won over by the evidence that the miracle was not that of a mere Ifrit but that of God himself. Solomon had declined the ifrit's tempting offer, because he sought to rely solely upon God and not upon a demon or any other created being, and was rewarded for his piety with success in converting Bilqis to the true faith.
Death
The Quran relates that Solomon died while he was leaning upon his staff and that he remained standing, propped up by it, until a little creature – ant or worm – gnawed at it, until, finally, it gave way – and only then did his body collapse.
As he remained upright, propped on his staff, the jinn thought he was still alive and supervising them.
They realized the truth only when God sent a creature to crawl out of the ground and gnaw at Solomon's staff, until his body collapsed. This verse is understood to teach the audience that jinn do not know the ''
unseen'' (''Al-Ghaib'') – had they known it, they would not have remained toiling like fools in the service of a dead man.
In culture
Solomon and Selcuk leaders

The title ''“The Sulaymān of the Age'' was employed for
various leaders of the
Seljuk Sultanate of Rum
The Sultanate of Rum was a culturally Turco-Persian Sunni Muslim state, established over conquered Byzantine territories and peoples ( Rum) of Anatolia by the Seljuk Turks following their entry into Anatolia after the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 ...
. Among them
Suleiman II of Rûm,
Kilij Arslan II, and
Suleiman ibn Qutalmish
Suleiman Shah I ibn Qutalmish (; ; ) founded an independent Seljuk Turkish state in Anatolia and ruled as Seljuk Sultan of Rûm from 1077 until his death in 1086.
Life
Suleiman was the son of Qutalmish, who had struggled unsuccessfully agai ...
. They were compared to the Quranic prophet due to their
governmental body (''Divan''), consisting of people speaking various languages, including
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
,
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
,
Turkish, and later,
Mongolian, foreign craftsmen (compared to the jinn at Solomon's court), and usage of messenger pigeons.
Solomon and Jamshid
Jamshid
Jamshid () (, ''Jamshēd''; Middle- and New Persian: جم, ''Jam''), also known as ''Yima'' (Avestan: 𐬫𐬌𐬨𐬀 ''Yima''; Persian/Pashto: یما ''Yama''), is the fourth Shah of the mythological Pishdadian dynasty of Iran according to ' ...
was the fourth king of the world, according to the ''
Shāhnāma'' of the poet
Firdausī. Like Solomon, he was believed to have had command over all the
angel
An angel is a spiritual (without a physical body), heavenly, or supernatural being, usually humanoid with bird-like wings, often depicted as a messenger or intermediary between God (the transcendent) and humanity (the profane) in variou ...
s and
demon
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in Media (communication), media including
f ...
s (''dīv'') of the world, and was both king and high priest of Hormozd (
middle Persian
Middle Persian, also known by its endonym Pārsīk or Pārsīg ( Inscriptional Pahlavi script: , Manichaean script: , Avestan script: ) in its later form, is a Western Middle Iranian language which became the literary language of the Sasania ...
for
Ahura Mazda
Ahura Mazda (; ; or , ),The former is the New Persian rendering of the Avestan form, while the latter derives from Middle Persian. also known as Horomazes (),, is the only creator deity and Sky deity, god of the sky in the ancient Iranian ...
). He was responsible for many great inventions that made life more secure for his people: the manufacture of armor and weapons, the weaving and dyeing of clothes of linen, silk and wool, the building of houses of brick, the mining of jewels and precious metals, the making of perfumes and wine, the art of medicine, the navigation of the waters of the world in sailing ships. He Jamshid had now become the greatest monarch the world had ever known. He was endowed with the royal ''farr'' (
Avestan
Avestan ( ) is the liturgical language of Zoroastrianism. It belongs to the Iranian languages, Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family and was First language, originally spoken during the Avestan period, Old ...
: ''
khvarena''), a radiant splendor that burned about him by divine favor.
Due to similarities between the two wise monarchs, some traditions conflate the two. For example, Solomon was associated with ruling over the southwestern Iran in the works of
al-Balkhi.
Persepolis
Persepolis (; ; ) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (). It is situated in the plains of Marvdasht, encircled by the southern Zagros mountains, Fars province of Iran. It is one of the key Iranian cultural heritage sites and ...
was believed to be the seat of Solomon and described as "playground of Solomon" by scholars such as
Mas'udi,
Muqaddasi
Shams al-Din Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr, commonly known by the ''Nisba (onomastics), nisba'' al-Maqdisi or al-Muqaddasī, was a medieval Arab geographer, author of ''The Best Divisions in the Knowledge of the Regions'' and '' ...
and
Istakhri
Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Farisi al-Istakhri () (also ''Estakhri'', , i.e. from the Iranian city of Istakhr, b. – d. 346 AH/AD 957) was a 10th-century travel author and Islamic geographer who wrote valuable accounts in Arabic of ...
. Other Muslim authors have opposed the belief that Solomon once ruled in
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, arguing that any similarities between the lives and deeds of Solomon and Jamshid are purely coincidental, the two being distinct and separate personages. The latter view has been vindicated by scholarship in the field of Indo-European mythology, which has demonstrated conclusively that the character Jamshid derives from the early Zoroastrian deity
Yima, whereas Quranic and Biblical scholarship support a measure of historicity for the wise prophet king.
Mahammaddim in the Song of Solomon
As inspired by
verses of the Quran, some Muslims believed that
Muhammad
Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
( "praiseworthy", consonant letters: m-
ħ-m-d) is mentioned in the
ong of Songs5:16) ( "beloved, desirable, delightful", consonant letters: m-ħ-m-d-y-m, ''maḥămaddim'').
References to Solomon in the Quran
* Appraisals for Solomon: , , , , , , , , ,
* Solomon's preaching: , , ,
* Solomon judged:
*
Fitnah to Solomon:
* Solomon and the Queen of Sheba: ,
* The Kingdom of Sheba: , ,
* Solomon's death:
See also
*
Biblical narratives and the Quran
*
Harut and Marut
Harut and Marut () are a pair of angels mentioned in the Quran Surah 2:102, who teach the arts of sorcery (''siḥr'') in Babylon. According to Quranic exegesis (''tafsīr''), when Harut and Marut complained about mankinds' wickedness, they we ...
*
Legends and the Quran
* ''
Qiṣaṣ al-Anbiyāʾ'' ("Stories of the Prophets")
*
Queen of Sheba
The Queen of Sheba, also known as Bilqis in Arabic and as Makeda in Geʽez, is a figure first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In the original story, she brings a caravan of valuable gifts for Solomon, the fourth King of Israel and Judah. This a ...
*
Sulayman
* ''Sūrat
an-Naml'' ("
Chapter of the Ant")
* ''
The Kingdom of Solomon''
References
External links
{{Quranic people
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
Hebrew Bible prophets of the Quran