From his father the prophet-King David, Solomon had inherited a material kingdom. As reflected in this introduction to a prayer he made in front of his people, once he inherited the kingdom of his father
27:15-16"And We had certainly given to David and Solomon knowledge, and they said, "Praise [is due] to Allah, who has favored us over many of His believing servants. And Solomon inherited David. He said, "O people, we have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given from all things. Indeed, this is evident bounty".
There is here a clear distinction between the special knowledge both David and Solomon received from God, and the inheritance.
Neither is righteousness something that can be inherited. Spiritual eminence is not something that can be passed on to one's children by virtue of biological descendancy. One's spirituality is nurtured and increased through one's own efforts, reasonable observation of the signs which the Quran says surround us at all moments, including in our inner selves, as well as reflecting on the guidance sent to mankind through the prophets.
Since Solomon had reached spiritual uprightness in this manner, in addition was equally chosen and elevated to the status of prophethood, just as his father David was, he might have assumed that the same would eventually be the case of his own child, regardless of his current condition. That hope, which is but natural for a parent, was however put to rest at the sight of a jasad on his throne.
The Arabic means a body. This body can be animate or inanimate, that of a human, an angel, a jinn or even an animal. To pinpoint which one is meant, it suffices to read and ponder upon the rest of this highly eloquent passage.
Upon seeing that jasad/body on his throne, the prophet Solomon made 2 prayers. First asking for ghafr/God's covering. This is the covering of protection towards any potential shortcomings. No sin is ascribed to Solomon in the passage. A pious person often makes such a prayer when upset by the sight of evil, which was the case here, as will be shown later.
Second, Solomon prayed that his kingdom dissolves at his death, without it passing on to anyone after him
38:34-5"And certainly We tried Sulaiman, and We put on his throne a (mere) body, so he turned (to Allah). He said, "My Lord, protect me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me. Indeed, You are the Bestower".
And this is the final clue inevitably pointing to the identity of that body which Solomon saw on his throne and which prompted him to make such a prayer; it could not be anyone or anything else than his own son, otherwise the prayer to end his kingdom after him would be irrelevant. He saw the evil potential of his son. This sight shocked him, as any pious person naturally would be, hence his prayer to be protected from sin. Then, knowing what wicked rulers are capable of if given power the like he had, he did not want his kingdom to fall in the hands of his sinful and undeserving heir.
The verse is clearly alluding to the individual sitting on the throne derogatorily, not worthy to be spoken of as a proper person and having his identity described. It is but a mere body, a piece of flesh, just as anyone devoid of spirituality, is. The Quran as well as scriptures of the past, repeatedly allude to those lacking God-consciousness as lifeless or dead, or as mere animals like the rest of worldly creatures. Because they lack the inner distinction, spirituality, that separates between humans and the rest of biological creation. None would have been admitted to sit on a king's throne other than a very close person such as one's child, more particularly the future heir, who would be designated ahead of time as was the custom. Solomon's son came to power at the death of his father and when he was 40 years old according to the HB in 1Kings14:21. Solomon had thus all the time to try and evaluate the potential of his future heir, eventually forming an opinion about him. But at some point, seeing him on the throne made him visualize the devastating effects a wicked ruler might cause, a spiritually dead person or a mere body as eloquently stated in the Quran, not worthy of being properly introduced. The HB equally states Solomon came to know of the future destruction of his kingdom. It says this was a divine decree, unrelated to his son's condition, who would nevertheless turn out to be spiritually corrupt 2Chronicles12, ie a mere body of flesh and bones, as stated in the Quran.
The Bible further says this divine decree was aimed at punishing Solomon for his alleged participation in idolatry
1Kings11"I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and I shall give it to your servant...from the hands of your son I shall tear it".
The Quran, far from ascribing such enormous sins to the prophets, states that it was Solomon himself who requested for his kingdom to end after him, and this was because he became convinced of his son's unworthiness. Among the hardest trials of life is seeing one's own children and other family members hopelessly going astray. But Solomon, known for his wisdom understood the inevitable, and at that point dissociated himself from his wicked son who was bound to be the future ruler. How could anyone, let alone a prophet of Solomon's caliber, willing to go to such extent so as to safeguard his integrity and piety, be accused of idolatry? Even the prophet Nuh could not control his fatherly bond when confronted to his sinful son. He insisted on asking for God's mercy for his disbelieving son, although God had warned him not to be involved with the sinners no matter who they are once the punishment is unleashed
11:36-47"And Noah called to his Lord and said, "My Lord, indeed my son is of my family; and indeed, Your promise is true; and You are the most just of judges! He said, "O Noah, indeed he is not of your family; indeed, he is [one whose] work was other than righteous, so ask Me not for that about which you have no knowledge. Indeed, I advise you, lest you be among the ignorant. [Noah] said, "My Lord, I seek refuge in You from asking that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy upon me, I will be among the losers".
Nuh was rebuked by God for his plea. Solomon however, as already pointed, did not persist and understood, through his wisdom that he should separate himself from the disbelievers, be it his own progeny.
Stripped from its divine protection, the kingdom thus rapidly disintegrated following Solomon's death, as reflected in the HB. Again in the Quran, this is not a punishment for Solomon's sins as the lying pens of Israel would have the gullible believing, those unaware of these scribes' consistent habit to blame in their writings, their miseries on the supposed sins of their prophets.
It all started with a prayer from Solomon to have his kingdom dissolved after his death. In addition to granting him his prayer, Solomon was honoured with increases in his kingdom that could not be passed on in anyway, contrary to the material kingdom that could not be made to disappear overnight after his death, and that had to be temporarily inherited by his wicked son. Solomon received first and foremost spiritual increase through his being made near to God 38:36-40, and was granted intangible power, the dominion over certain natural elements and worldly creatures including the jinn, and certain animals of whom only he understood the saying 27:18.
In that verse, the Arabic QAWL, which describes the communication of the ants among eachother, is derived from the root Qaf-W-L and it means communicating in any way possible and not necessarily through soundwaves. Effectively, it doesnt say that Solomon's reaction to the ants' communication was due to his hearing them and neither does he talk back to them. Solomon was granted the ability to detect and understand their type of communication, which consists of chemical signals. In constrast, we see further in that passage the prophet Solomon talking back to the hoophoe, the messenger bird, using clear speech. This is because both Solomon and the bird could communicate through soundwaves. The Quran doesnt attach any of the mystical and supernatural powers ancient peoples attributed to the hoophoe. He has no capacities whatsoever beyond what can be observed of him in its natural environment. Instead Solomon is the one given the supernatural ability to understand his thoughts and communications, nobody else directly. From a scientific viewpoint, it isnt beyond reason to imagine humans and animals verbally communicating and understanding one another, even on an intricate level. Solomon was given mastery over the seen and unseen creatures on a level no human was granted before and after him. Through that encounter, Solomon, who was not an idolater as is depicted in the HB, is increased in his spiritual awareness and gratefulness to God. This pattern is seen in all of his favours, showing Solomon's constant return to Allah whenever he notices the extent of his dominion.
The ants are describes as having recognized Solomon during his travel. It is interesting to note that sometimes a single ant colony can stretch for kilometres, with information passing all throughout it. Meaning a group of ants can be aware of information connected to a distant location. They are also known to possess a level of collective intelligence allowing them to perform complex tasks requiring the participation of individuals spread throughout the colony, without each of those individuals being shown or explained the problem to resolve.
Although, as already shown, the verse does not state that the saying of the ant was in the form of human speech, rather that it was Solomon who was able to understand them, some critics among Christians and Jews have denigrated this miracle, forgetting what their own scriptures say about God giving even to animals, such as a donkey, the ability to utter a clear speech Numb22:21-30. That is besides the talking serpent in the creation account which is one of the reasons leading certain embarrassed Christians and Jews to see the whole story as an allegory, although nothing in it hints at the author intending to write a fiction.
That ability of the prophet Solomon, although absent from the Torah, transpires in the rabbis' understanding of 1Kings3:15, deriving from the Talmud that upon Solomon's awakening from a sleep during which he received revelation, he was granted, along with riches, honour, wisdom, the ability to understand the language of animals so much so that
"He would hear a bird chirp and understand its language, a dog would bark and he would understand its language".
This kind of supernatural dominion over all kinds of creatures of the earth is a great favour from God and also a tremendous test. That authority was divinely granted even to non-believing people, such as the powerful Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar often called God's "servant" because of him being God's means by which destruction was inflicted upon His enemies Jer25:9,27:6,Dan2:38.
Among the favors bestowed on Solomon was his dominion over the unseen entities. Many superstitions were attached, and still are, with those beings, most of which the Quran directly rejects. Humans were and still are believed to be able to master them. The Quran refutes that belief, as well as all derived occult endeavor, again through the story of the prophet Solomon.
He was given unlimited mastery over them, had the capacity to summon and use the jinn, at will, and for the accomplishement of positive actions only 27:17,38-41. This however was a favour from God and was done by God's express command. By their description, as shayateen, some of them bound in chains, others threatened in case of rebellion, it appears that these jinn were enslaved by Allah to Solomon as a means of punishment. The Quran distinguishes in other places between them, the righteous and the sinners. Their subjection, was thus not of Solomon's own will or power and the jinns concerned had no say in the matter or else they would face God's chastisement. They were under God's complete control in the process 21:81-2 meaning Solomon by himself had absolutely no special ability that allowed him the possibility to master them the way he did, use them at will and without any fear of having to render an account 34:12,38:36-38. The jinn as depicted in the Quranic version of their interaction with Solomon, cannot escape their state of utter subjection. And this situation, again, was unrelated to Solomon's will and power, for even after his passing, their condition did not change.
As the Quran states in the context of Solomon's death
34:14"the jinn came to know plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in abasing torment".
The passage refers to Solomon who passed away but whose dead body was held in place by a wooden staff for a while until it disintegrated, eaten by a woodworm. It is only when his inanimate body fell to the ground that the jinn, living under his servitude, realized he was dead. The passage not only shows them as subservient to one of Allah's servants, but they are unable to even fathom something superficially hidden from them, yet very close: how then can they gratify people’s appeals to learn the secrets of the unseen? When speaking of Iblis himself, the Quran says that his pledge to God that he would doubtlessly lead astray a portion of Adam's descendants, was in fact a conjecture and guess. The archetype of jinn has no access to special knowledge, not even of the future. It was just a coincidence that his conjecture and guess became true
34:20"And certainly Iblis found true his conjecture concerning them, so they followed him, except a party of the believers".
Jewish oral tradition however, it was through magic, knowledge of the occult and deception that Solomon, through his own will and power, was able to subject them. Until he was overpowered by one of those demons, Ashmadai who chased him from his throne.
That such an eminent personality, favoured by God and drawn near to Him, a prophet imparted knowledge of the unseen like all prophets, was not able to control the jinn except by God's will is an emphatic rejection of the claim that some random people with alleged powers have the capacity to summon them at will, and make them perform certain tasks, most of the time for evil purposes, or obtain hidden knowledge, another belief concerning the jinn rejected by the Quran 34:14.
On a more specific note, it also negates the notion that Solomon himself, contrary to the suspicions and calumnies of some of his contemporaries and the subsequent generations, used to practice the occult sciences
2:102"And they followed what the Shaitans chanted of sorcery in the reign of Sulaiman, and Sulaiman was not an unbeliever, but the Shaitans disbelieved".
We see traces of these allegations even in the Jewish historian Josephus' works. He relates how Solomon had, through incantations and the use of the occult sciences, mastery of demons, could perform exorcisms. He speaks of a Jew contemporary to him that made use of these Solomonic practices. Obviously the people misinterpreted Sulayman's ability, granted to him by God, of controlling entities of the unseen for his own benefit. Such falsehood is found in a wide variety of Solomonic lore, including the 5th century CE Testament of Solomon, each drawing from oneanother as well as other lost sources, written and oral. Particularly among Greek Christians that used amulets, medallions seals or rings with his name. What we find in certain Jewish traditions in regards his perception of the language and behaviour of birds, is that his ability wasnt a divine gift but due to his mastery of ornithomancy, an occult science involving birds (Pesika de-Rav Kahana, Ecclesiastes Rabbah). Here again, just as it does with his other supernatural abilities where it clearly states they were divinely granted gifts to him, and that Solomon was humbly grateful to his Lord, the Quran introduces the story of Solomon's interraction with the bird messenger with a prayer
27:19"My Lord, grant me that I should be grateful for Your favour that You bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I should do good such as You would be pleased with, and make me enter, by Your mercy, into Your servants, the good ones".
We thus find from the Dead Sea Scrolls, to the Testament of Solomon, that there were traditions associating Solomon with the supernatural, all of them mixing truth and falsehood, sometimes in the process smearing his character, will and intentions. The commentary on Ecclesiastes 2:8 in the Talmud (Gittin 68a-b) is not the origin of the connection between Solomon and demons in Jewish tradition. This commentary is a harmonization of several older traditions which the writers retrofitted into Ecclesiastes. These traditions, besides the ones referred to earlier, find their source all the way back to the Babylonian captivity, as seen from the cultural influences. This is where, as affirmed in the Quran 2:102, the association of Solomon to occult endeavors started, just as was done to the angelic messengers Harut and Marut. The verse says that it was rather the Jews of the time themselves who, while being aware of the warnings, eagerly desired this knowledge, and for the attainment of evil objectives. Here the Quran exposes them, as is clear from the pattern in their books and traditions, for transposing their own sins and evil desires unto their leaders and prophets.
The canonized Jewish scriptures themselves do not spare Solomon, depicting him as an idolater, hoarding riches from oppressed nations, horses and women. This is where the Quran acts as the muhaymin/the guardian and arbiter of previous scriptures and traditions, filtering truth from falsehood, as shown earlier in regards to Solomon's supernatural capacities and his monotheism, his gratefulness, wisdom when utlising his worldly gifts, as well as even gentleness, God consciousness with the opposite gender.
When he heard of the Queen of Sheba, the extent of her wealth and her false religion, Solomon sent her a letter of invitation to submit to the unique Creator. The queen firstly declined her officials' desire to answer Solomon's invitation militarly because she regarded the use of force as was done throughout history by imperialist rulers seeking to subdue another population a human and spiritual disaster. In fact it is a trend seen in the history of the prophets that they always opposed and denounced tyrannical regimes and oppressors. The first stage of their mission always comprised a very stern, firm and unequivocal opposition against the leaders in a nation, largely responsible for the moral degradation of the masses who are in turn guilty of holding them in high esteem.
So this noble Queen, instead of doing as her advisors suggested and go to war, decides to first test Solomon's intentions, in relation to his letter written in Allah's name and calling for her to submit to Allah. It was not a threatening letter, but rather one filled with a noble speech/karim
27:29"surely a honourable letter has been delivered to me".
She did not immediately ask more specificities as to his religious call because she first wanted to ascertain the purity of Solomon's inner self. This is a crucial lesson, one often repeated in the Quran and neglected, corrupted in the previous scriptures; the unflinching moral uprightness of a prophet of God can never be compromised so long as he is representing the divine will among a people. The Quran places this trait as one of the most recognizable condition for the truthfulness of an envoy from God. This reality is expected, contrary to the depictions made in the previous scriptures, that someone sent by, and representing the ultimate truth, should be the best embodiment of that truth among his addressees. This logic did not escape even the pagan queen, who sent Solomon expensive gifts instead of declaring war as desired by her counselors, or asking outright the nature of the message he was calling her to. She wanted to see what his reaction would be, whether he would be interested in power and riches rather than spiritual matters as he was suggesting in his letter. Was he actually telling her to submit to God for her own good or because he wanted to benefit from her conversion in some way. It is interesting to note here that long before, Solomon's father David had foreseen and prayed for the neighboring kingdoms to seek peace and be gentle to his son
Ps72:10"may the kings of Sheba and Seba approach with a gift".
Solomon however promptly returned the gifts. Wisdom and prophethood to him were the best gifts a human could hope for. The Quran points to that reality in relation to the prophet Muhammad. The wealthy rejected him among other reasons, because of him lacking in worldly eminence
43:32"and the mercy of your Lord is better than what they amass".
This is in stark contrast with the Biblical narrative, according to which the king Solomon, depicted as hoarding wealth from his subjects, enslaved nations and neighboring kingdoms, readily accepted the gifts of the queen
1Kings10:10-15"one hundred and twenty talents of gold and very many spices and precious stones; there had never arrived such an abundance of spices as those which the Queen of Sheba gave to king Solomon. Also Hiram's ships that delivered gold from Ophir, brought from Ophir a huge quantity of almog-wood and precious stones..The weight of gold which came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold. Aside from [that which came through] merchants and the commerce of spice-peddlers and all the dependent kings and the regents of the land".
The righteous prophets of God, contrary to that corrupted depiction that is made, never compromised their integrity with worldly riches. No matter the aspects in which God raised them above their contemporaries, they never used their spiritual gifts in exchange of material reward. When the prophets Joseph and Daniel attracted the leaders of their time's attention through their spiritual gifts, they used this attention to be placed in eminent social positions so as to benefit mankind Gen41,Dan2,5:17,29,6:1-4.
Solomon was no exception to that rule and upon returning the queen's gifts, he communicated God's decree that
27:37"we will most certainly come to them with hosts which they shall have no power to oppose, and we will most certainly expel them therefrom in abasement, and they shall be in a state of ignominy".
Solomon not only rejected the offer brought by the queen's envoys, but did so in a forceful way so as to leave no ambiguity as to his intentions. Not only was he one who could not be bribed with money, but his message of spiritual reform is certainly not one that can be bought. This proved how upright Solomon was as a person and how convinced he was of the truth he was communicating. The Queen of Sheba already inclined to righteousness and was actually reassured by Solomon's gesture of refusing material offers, even ready to go to war so as to not compromise his message. Solomon's threat of invasion was crucial in conveying these points. She didnt take offense at his reaction because she hoped that he would be serious in his intent
27:35"The queen said, when the kings enter a land, they ruin it and debase its honourable people. They do just the same. I shall send them a gift, and wait to see with what reply my envoys return".
This was the wits and wisdom of Solomon who actually did not want to put the threat of invasion into action. This is seen by the fact that immediately after the Queen's envoys were sent away with their gifts, Solomon, instead of mobilizing his army as he had threatened, requested for his assembly of jinn to perform a deed so impressive that it would expose whether
27:42"she gets to the truth or is one of those who are not guided aright".
He asked them to transport her throne, the symbol of a ruler's dominion, unto him in the blink of an eye. Solomon wanted to make her see beyond her and her people's materialistic mindset. They were people, as already shown, who thought that anyone or anything could be bought with riches. And the throne is the highest symbol of worldly power and riches. He wanted to make her understand the deep reality that her power isnt in her hands but could be stripped in an instant by Allah, and her dominion transferred to whomsoever Allah desires. But in the meantime that the plan was discussed and executed by Solomon, the queen left her country to meet him face to face, impressed by this wise man uninterested in worldly riches and ready to summon formidable forces to defend the dignity of the message he was calling her to. As she left, the plan was put into place and the throne was displaced in her absence, then brought to Solomon's palace where it was arranged in a manner so as to be recognizable to her when she would be called to see it. This shocked Solomon himself, who in his humble pattern as described in the Quran, immediately attributed that event to God's will and power 27:40. This is the reality of the noble, humble and pious prophet Solomon, unlike the idolatrous and ungrateful depiction that is made of him in previous scriptures
38:30"most excellent the servant, surely he was frequent in returning to Allah"
2:102"and Solomon disbelieved not".
Neither was his father David a murderous adulterer, nor his mother an adulteress as shamelessly depicted by the lying pens of the scribes of Israel. They were praiseworthy people who were bestowed with favours by Allah, as humbly recalled in Solomon's prayer, quoted just before the story of his encounter with the Queen
27:19"My Lord, grant me that I should be grateful for Your favour that You bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I should do good such as You would be pleased with, and make me enter, by Your mercy, into Your servants, the good ones".
But Solomon did not need to send for her to come see her throne, she had arrived in the meantime and so the throne was pointed to her. She confessed there that she had already inclined to Islam by what she saw and heard from the prophet Solomon even before seeing this miracle. After all, she did go out of her way to come and see him personally instead of confronting him militarily when he rejected her envoys with the gifts and sent with them a declaration of war. Allah further confirmed her statement by pointing that the only thing that hindered her from finding the right path prior to coming to meet Solomon was not stubbornness or willful rebellion, but her upbringing in a sinful nation 27:43.
As she entered the splendid palace whose floors were in places made of glass, it had on her the illusory effect of a wide water expanse. The Queen thus tucked up her dress to avoid stepping on water, exposing a portion of her legs.
The fantastic tales at that point related by some commentators of her having donkey's legs due to being a jinn hybrid from her mother's side are inauthentic reports traced to Kaab al Ahbar and Wahab ibn Munabbih.
This tucking of her dress was a gesture beneath the dignity of a woman of her royalty. Solomon then immediately displayed another aspect of his high character. To avoid her further embarrassment he told her the floor is made of glass. This was the last thing that opened her eyes and heart
27:44"My Lord i have been inflicting much wrong on myself. Now I submit myself with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds".
In the racially prejudiced and
monolatrous mindset of the scribes of the HB, this queen who had nevertheless recognized Solomon's wisdom, who had left her land, abasing herself to come and seek knowledge from another king, recognized and blessed the ethno-centric "Lord your God" and His "eternal love for Israel", but inexplicably remained a heathen 1Kings10. After all, you do not want some far away nation to come and claim their rights in the land as part of the "chosen race". The NT in Lk11 Similarly doesnt indicate whether she eventually abandoned her polytheistic ways, but hints at her being higher in righteousness than the Jewish contemporaries of
Jesus. It is also interesting how in the Biblical account, she praises the tribal "Lord your God" while in the Quran she submits herself, together with Solomon, to one and the same God, Lord of all worlds.
This is the consistent Quran pattern of exposing and correcting the manipulations of the scriptures of the past. In the Quranic account, every step in the story revolves around Solomon's wisdom and talent to reform her heart and bring her progressively to wilfully surrender herself to God. First through a letter beginning in a way unheard of for the purely materialistic conquering kings of ancient times, starting with a mention of Allah, and the well known semitic terminology "al Rahman" 27:30. The Second manner in which Solomon cleverly brought the Queen to spiritual submission, was by rejection of the gifts, proving his wisdom. This is probably one of the deepest and most significant difference between the Quran version and the incomprehensible Biblical depiction of the encounter. Here is a most wise and knowledgeable king, having such wealth that the Queen was left breathless, having access to the deep realities, but yet after his exchange in which he demonstrated his knowledge, was content in receiving all kinds of material gifts, instead of having the Queen reform herself spiritually as a result of his demonstration 1Kings10. The third device put into place to bring the Queen to submit herself to the sole Creator, was by displacing the Queen's throne between the time she had last seen it and her arrival to Solomon's palace, he demonstrated what he had previously affirmed to the queen's envoys
27:36"what Allah has given me is better than what He has given you".
Notice Solomon's intricate answer, besides demonstrating his wisdom in refusing the gifts, points to them that whatever riches they possess isnt from them but from Allah who gave it to them. The envoys must have reported to their queen of this other peculiarity of the king, in relation to his piety. Finally to have in his possession such an impressive structure as a floor of glass, but nevertheless remain a pious, grateful and God-conscious king was the last thing the queen needed to be convinced of the right spiritual path upon which Solomon was walking. The Quran reflects this special feature of Solomon in several places, including as he prayed Allah to make him the owner of something that can never be passed on, spiritual excellence 38:35. Eventually after her, her people became conceited and ungrateful to God's favours, which were consequently withdrawn 34:15-19.
The queen of Sheba's encounter with the prophet Solomon is a story related in many different ways in oral and textual tradition, both within and outside the current Bible canon. For example in the
Babylonian Talmud (Tractate Gittin 68a-b), both the background and the details are far from the Quran version. In this Talmud version, the bird is described as having the power to cause the wilderness to bloom, thanks to a magical stone, which was sought by Solomon. He needed it to cleave blocks of rock for the building of his temple. Using his mastery of magic, Solomon tricks the demon lord Ashmadai, to give away the stone's location. No interaction between Solomon and the hoophoe is depicted at any point. We find elements of the story scattered throughout different midrash. In Jewish understanding, a midrash is a story within the Talmud, meant at explaining a Biblical passage or conveying a moral point. The story may be historical or not, partially modified or kept as received, so long as the writers' intention is correctly conveyed. We find throughout the ages rabbis and commentators disagreeing on whether a report within the Talmud should be classified as non-literal or literal. Most often that classification depends on a scholar’s bias. For instance Elijah in 2Kings2:11 is described as ascending to heaven. Commentators argue as to whether he kept his body and soul, only his soul or was separated from his body which he could then dress and undress at will. Then the Talmud describes numerous encounters of prominent Jews throughout the ages with Elijah, following his ascension. Rabbis will either consider these encounters non literal(midrash) or literal, depending on how the primary information is interpreted.
As to the current Biblical canon anyway, it is far from constituting the standard of historical accuracy. Very little in terms of authenticity, distinguishes it from what is arbitrarily deemed "apocrypha". These different Solomonic stories agree with the Quran in minor places, because there are remnants of truth common to the Quran and these traditions, whether they were canonized or deemed apocrypha by the unknown Bible compilers and editors throughout the ages.
What is remarkable is the coherent and intricate manner in which these minor points commonly found in several channels of transmission, come together in the Quran. One would expect to find a recipe for theological, reasonable, inner textual and historical disaster as is found in the canonized text of the Bible. Yet all these points correlate not only in the story itself, but within the larger sura and the Quran overall from a theological, reasonable and inner textual standpoint. For instance the background of the story itself is something unheard of in the traditions of the past. The Quran states that the whole encounter was triggered by a bird whose tiny heart was moved at seeing the false worship of a people, then reported it to the prophet Solomon 27:20-27. The Quran in many places states that the entire creation, animate and inanimate glorifies and worships Allah in a manner humans cannot perceive. That glorification had reached particular intensity in the time of Solomon's father, the prophet David, whom most of creation would join him in his praise of Allah. This is what is meant by the Quran maintaining its consistency despite its illiterate author and stealthy, unseen assistants, selecting in a plethora of oral and written traditions, cherry picking along the way the convenient parts that agree with its most subtle meanings, without ever being noticed, then putting together this intricate discourse free from any discrepancy.
When a tiny bird with limited mental capacities is hurt by the sight of mankind's ungratefulness towards its Creator, that even inanimate objects devoid of any mental faculties are praising God, that the most massive among them such as mountains wouldnt be able to bear the spiritual weight of a revelation the like of this Quran 59:21,13:31 then what is amiss in mankind that many are unable or unwilling to worship the One Creator? Man is blessed with the most advanced reasoning capacities in creation, combining concrete and spiritual perception 20:50,30:30,76:3,90:8-10,91:7-10. Man is ingrained at birth with a cognizance of the higher realities 23:78,46:26,67:23,76:2 aided with guidance through revelation 2:38-9,7:35-6,20:123. Why would he not, under such circumstances recognize and bow to his Creator?
Solomon, as seen above, was aware at all times of the higher reality. And this again is depicted in the Quran through the meaningful example of his grand cavalry 38:30-3. He attributed it, and all hus favors to Allah and appreciated these gifts due to his constant remembrance of God, just like the pious King Dhul Qarnayn, and considered his faith more important than any worldly advantages
38:30"And to David We gave, Solomon. Excellent was the servant; indeed, he was (always) returning (to Allah)".
Contrary to the lowly depiction that is made of him by the scribes of the Bible, instead of his possessions and power leading him to excess and sin, the Quran depicts him as increasing in gratitude and never faltering from God's remembrance. Despite, or more precisely through these favours, he is instead increased in God-awareness. These noble rulers that passed away, knew very well that despite their worldly powers and grand kingdoms, a day would come when it will be manifest that the true kingdom was always and never ceased to be Allah's 40:16. Anytime he experienced God's bounties upon him, Solomon did not neglect the spiritual implications and, as is the case in 27:19 when he perceived the communications of ants beneath him, requested from Allah to be increased in spiritual awareness and gratefulness so as to never fall into complacency. Again later in 27:40 as he witnessed some of the supernatural abilities of one of the beings put at his service by God
"this is of the grace of my Lord that He may try me whether I am grateful or am ungrateful; and whoever is grateful, verily he is grateful for his own soul, and whoever is ungrateful, then my Lord is Self-Sufficient, Bounteous".
Every time Sulayman could have fallen into arrogance and conceit, the alarm bell of God-consciousness was there to remind him of God's favour. This awareness was both internally and outwardly expressed. Even when addressing the rulers of neighboring kingdoms, which are contexts where a king would naturally boast of his own power and prestige, Sulayman severely rebuked a Queen's emissary that humbly came to him with precious gifts
27:36"But what Allah has given me is better than what He has given you".
The wording itself reveals Sulayman's gratitude to God, the source of all that he, and all human beings might possess.
In 38:30-40 Solomon's spiritual awareness is again depicted. The passage begins by praising his nobility of character. It then gives 2 examples to illustrate this point:
- his love for the worldly benefits under his possession stemmed from his constant remembrance of God
"Verily, I have come to love the love of all that is because of/AAN my rembrence of my Sustainer".
He always kept in mind the higher meaning of things. It is a mark of the God-conscious to remain grateful when deriving both concrete and abstract benefits from the nature upon which mankind has been assigned vicegerency 40:79-81. "Aan" is a preposition with at least 10 meanings, all of which depend on the context and the sentence. One of those meanings is to denote causality "because of" as in 9:114,11:53etc and the passage gives several examples, including that of the horses, that attest to Solomon being God-conscious in all situations as stated in the beginning. To a great commander such as Solomon, the scene of his grand cavalry must have been so spectacular, that he personally was eager to touch and sooth his horses
"(Then he ordered:) ‘Bring them (horses) back to me’. And he began to rub (their) legs and necks".
Although the HB includes his grand cavalry among his list of failures 1Kings11:1-10,Deut17:16, besides indulging in idolatry, it does portray him with similar wisdom as the above. This is typically due to the past scriptures and traditions being amalgams of truth and falsehood. After speaking of the abundance of wealth and all kinds of possessions he had acquired and enjoyed, the prophet-king Solomon declares that despite the opulence, God-consciousness never departed from him
Ecc2:4-9"...So I became great, and I increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem; also my wisdom remained with me".
- The second example used to illustrate Sulayman's lofty and pious character was, as detailed earlier, his successful passing of the test he was put through, as he saw his unworthy son's body sitting on his throne. He immediately sought God's protection from sin, then dissociated himself even from his progeny for God's sake. How could anyone willing to go to such extent to safeguard his integrity and piety, be accused of idolatry? It is with such impeccable pattern of behaviour and higher outlook of life that the prophet Solomon lived and ruled. One finds that this pattern of thinking was established in Solomon even in his youth, when he had just inherited the throne from his father David and requested from God
1Kings3"..give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil..."Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honour, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days".
His immaterial request was thus granted 38:40, and as a reward of his humility and turning-away from worldly ambition, and as part of the spiritual kingdom he was exclusively given, he was granted mastery over entities of the spiritual realm 38:36-38.
So exceedingly above the ordinary was Solomon's wisdom that it could not but have been specially given to him. We find in the Hebrew Scriptures, despite the presence of falsehood, remnants of that reality. When he received Prophetic vision during his sleep, he was asked by God what would be his wish, now that he had been made to inherit a grand kingdom. And instead of asking what any worldly leader would normally give preference to, he demanded the following
2Chr1:7-"give me wisdom and knowledge, and I shall go forth before this people and come in, for who will be able to judge this great people of Yours? And God said to Solomon, "Since this was in your heart, and you did not request riches, possessions, and honour, neither have you requested the life of your enemies, nor have you requested many days, but you have requested for yourself wisdom and knowledge, that you should judge My people, over whom I have enthroned you. And wisdom and knowledge are granted you, and riches, possessions, and honour I shall grant you, such as that the kings before you did not possess, and which will not be so after you."
1Kings10:23-4"Now King Solomon transcended all the kings of the earth in affluence and wisdom. And all the [inhabitants of] the earth sought Solomon's presence to hear the wisdom with which God had endowed him".
As a final note, one shouldnt be surprised at seeing all types of sins, particularly idolatry, which just so happens to be the major sin the Israelites repeatedly committed, being attributed to the Biblical prophets. It is a common theme in the Bible that the many divine chastisements that befell the Israelites were due to sins which they were mislead into commiting by their own prophets, leaders, kings. This is besides the rampant tribal prejudice running all through their history, the pueril vilification of characters and the internal conflicts. It is also worthwhile mentioning the tribal tension surrounding the Davidic line. Solomon is thus someone that broke God's covenant, and at the instigation of his hundreds of foreign polytheistic wives (700) and concubines (300)
1Kings11"went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did what was displeasing to the Lord, and he was not completely devoted to the Lord as was David his father. Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab on the mountain that is before Jerusalem and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon".
His multiple marriages were also a transgression of the Torah Deut17:17,Neh13:26.
After Solomon's death, his kingdom was divided, allegedly as a divine punishment for his sins, including the sin of idolatry which eventually dragged the entire nation. We see here how the divine justice plays out, punishing others for someone else's crime. Most certainly, far from that noble prophet being the instigator of this greatest sin and the cause of its re-introduction into the Israelites' lives, this yet again confirms the nation's constant and stubborn ingratitude.
Moses had foreseen their turning away from the straight path into the sin of idolatry. Virtually all prophets that followed him kept on condemning them for that constant fall out into the ways of the pagan nations.
This lack of faith resulted in them majoritarly defecting from the house of David and the divine covenant itself. The nation split in 2; the
kingdom of Israel to the north with
Samaria for capital and the rebellious and polytheist
Jeroboam as its king, and the tiny
kingdom of Judah, comprised of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi, who had remained faithful to David and Solomon's royal line, with Jerusalem as capital to the south and Solomon's son
Rehoboam as king
Hos12:1"Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah still rules with God, and with the Holy One he is faithful".
Both kingdoms remained at war with one another throughout their respective leaders' reigns.
It certainly isnt difficult to imagine how this inter tribal hatred resulted in the kind of insidious accusations as David, Solomon and other prophets were victims of. The Hebrew Bible is literally filled with such examples.
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