Basic
سليمان
Surah: An-Naml (40)
Sulayman, the Wind and the Jinn — Subduing Creation and Gratitude
هَٰذَا مِن فَضۡلِ رَبِّي لِيَبۡلُوَنِيٓ ءَأَشۡكُرُ أَمۡ أَكۡفُرُ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشۡكُرُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦ
— النمل الآية 40
Quranic context: Allah gave Sulayman (peace be upon him) a kingdom the like of which no one after him would receive: wind, jinn, birds and humans all under his command — and his response was gratitude, not arrogance.
Context:
Blessing is a trial — "will I be grateful or ungrateful?" Sulayman with his legendary kingdom did not say "I", but turned to Allah and asked about his own position: am I grateful?
Context:
- "And for Sulayman the wind: its morning journey was a month and its evening journey a month, and We caused to flow for him a spring of molten copper." (Saba 12)
- "And of the jinn there were those who worked before him by the permission of his Lord." (Saba 12)
- When the throne of Bilqis appeared before him in an instant he said: "This is from the bounty of my Lord to test me — will I be grateful or ungrateful?" (An-Naml 40)
- The family of Dawud works righteous deeds — gratitude through action not words alone
Blessing is a trial — "will I be grateful or ungrateful?" Sulayman with his legendary kingdom did not say "I", but turned to Allah and asked about his own position: am I grateful?
Source: Ibn Kathir (6/196); Al-Tabari (19/188); Al-Sadi
Test Yourself
How did Sulayman express his understanding of the meaning of blessing when he saw the throne of Bilqis?
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