Sayyiduna Sulayman is the son of Sayyiduna Dawood . He was successor of his blessed father. Allah bestowed him with the status of the Prophethood and the kingship of the whole world and he remained on the throne for a period of forty years. He ruled over humans, jinns, devils, birds, beasts, insects and everything and everyone. He was bestowed with the linguistic knowledge of all the creatures. Therefore, it has been mentioned in the Holy Quran:
And Sulayman became Dawood’s successor; and he said, ‘O people, we have been taught the language of birds, and have been given from all things; this surely is an evident favour ( of Allah).’
[Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 19, Surah An-Nam/, Ayah 16)
Likewise, it has been mentioned at another place in the Glorious Quran:
And We made the wind subservient to Sulayman, its morning course equal to a month’s journey and the evening course equal to a month’s journey; and We caused a spring of molten copper to flow for him. And (Allah made subservient to Sulayman) some of the jinns, who worked before him by the command of his Lord; and those among them (the jinns) who turned away from Our command, We shall make them taste the punishment of the Blazing Fire. They would make for him whatever he wished; lofty palaces and statues, bowls as large as big pools, and large cooking pots fixed in their places.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 22, Surah Saba, Ayah 12-13)
It has been narrated that once Sayyiduna Sulayman was passing with all of his armies that consisted of humans as well jinns from the valley of 1
Naml’ situated in Taif or Syria where ants would exist in a large number. The queen of the ants that was female as well as lame warned all ants and said: 10 ants! All of you go in your holes otherwise (Sayyiduna) Sulayman and his army may unknowingly crush you under their feet. Sayyiduna Sulayman heard this speech from a distance of three miles and smiled over it. Therefore, Allah said in the Holy Quran:
Until when they came to the valley of the ants, an ant exclaimed, 0 ants, enter your homes; Sulayman and his armies may not crush you, unknowingly. So he (Sulayman) therefore smilingly laughed at her speech.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 19, Surah An-Namt Ayah 18-19)
Moral:
From this Quranic event, we may acquire few moral lessons.
1. Listening to the voice of an ant from a distance of three miles is a miracle of Sayyiduna Sulayman and we have also come to know that the hearing and seeing capabilities of Ambiya cannot be compared with the capabilities of ordinary human beings. In fact, all the faculties of Ambiya are stronger than those of the ordinary people.
2. From the speech of the ant, we have also come to know that even ants believe that the companions of any Nabi cannot intentionally oppress anyone because the ant said meaning, that if Sayyiduna Sulayman and his army crush them under their feet,
then it will be done unintentionally. Otherwise, being companions of a Nabi , they will not oppress anyone deliberately.
Alas! The ants believe that companions of a Nabinever oppress anyone intentionally, but the group of ‘Raafidi sect’ proved to be even worse than the tiny ants that these tyrants falsely accuse the reverend companions of Rasool Muhammad of intentionally casting tyranny against the holy family of Nabi Muhammad and Sayyidatuna Fatimah .
3. We have also come to know that laughing of the blessed Ambiya is only a smile or an inaudible laugh as it has been mentioned in Ahadees that these prestigious personalities never cut laughter.
(Khazaain-ul-‘Irfan, pp. 1680, part 19, Surah An-Nam/, Ayah 19)
A strange event
It is reported that Sayyiduna Qatadah Muhaddis was a scholarly genius and an interdisciplinary erudite smolar. There was no one like him who possessed so much knowledge of Hadees and Tafseer. Once he visited Kufa and a huge crowd of people gathered around to see him. During his speech, many times he asked the audience that meaning, ‘ask me whatever you want to ask’.
The people were so much impressed from his religious knowledge that all of them remained seated stunned and silent. But when he repeatedly insisted, then Sayyiduna Imam Abu Hanifah who was very young at that time, did not ask anything himself but asked the people to put a question to Sayyiduna Qatadah that in the valley of Naml, the ant whose speem made Sayyiduna Sulayman smile, was male or female?
This question amazed Sayyiduna Qatadah Muhaddis so much that he could not utter a single word in response. Then people inquired from Sayyiduna Imam Abu Hanifah _ He replied, ‘That ant was a female’. Sayyiduna Qatadah asked, ‘What is the proof for it?’ Sayyiduna Imam Abu Hanifah replied that in
the Holy Quran, feminine gender has been used for that ant. If the ant had been a male, then the masculine gender would have been used. Sayyiduna Qatadah accepted the proof and was amazed over the wisdom and the in-depth know ledge of the Holy Quran that Sayyiduna Imam Abu Hanifah possessed and felt embarrassed over his boastful words.
