Prophet Sulaymān (Solomon): The Prophet Who Was a King (UK British Muslim Guide)

The prophet who was a king

Prophet Sulaymān (Solomon, peace be upon him), son of Prophet Dāwūd ﷺ, is one of the most distinctive prophets in the Quran. Allah granted him a kingdom unlike any granted to a human being before or after — dominion over the wind, command over the jinn, the ability to understand the speech of birds and ants, and a kingship that united vast territories. He is the prophet whose story shows that worldly power and prophetic mission are not mutually exclusive — and that the test of receiving everything is just as serious as the test of being denied it.

For British Muslim families teaching their children that wealth and power are not in themselves wrong, Sulaymān's story is essential. He had more than any human being has ever had, and used it for the worship of Allah.

His inheritance from Dāwūd ﷺ

Sulaymān ﷺ inherited prophethood and kingship from his father Dāwūd ﷺ — making the two of them the only father-son pair in the Quran where both are explicitly named as prophets and kings. Sulaymān is reported to have been around 12 years old when he succeeded his father and almost immediately demonstrated remarkable judicial wisdom that surprised the elders of his community.

The Quran preserves one of his earliest recorded judgements (Surah Al-Anbiyāʾ 21:78-79): a case involving sheep that had wandered into and damaged a vineyard at night. Dāwūd had ruled that the sheep should be given to the vineyard owner as compensation. The young Sulaymān suggested an alternative: the sheep should be given to the vineyard owner temporarily so he could benefit from their milk and wool, while the shepherd worked the vineyard until it was restored to its former state — at which point sheep and vineyard would return to their respective owners. The judgement preserved both parties from total loss. Allah praised Sulaymān's understanding while honouring both father and son.

The kingdom he asked for

Sulaymān ﷺ made one of the most famous du'as in the Quran (Surah Ṣād 38:35): "My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me. Indeed, You are the Bestower."

This is striking on first reading — a prophet asking for unprecedented worldly kingship. But the request is to be understood in context. Sulaymān was already a king; the kingdom he requested was a divinely-marked, miraculous kingship intended as a sign of Allah's favour and as a tool for divine purpose. Allah granted the request: control over the wind that carried his vehicle a month's journey in the morning and another month's in the afternoon (Quran 34:12), command over the jinn who built for him whatever he willed, the ability to communicate with animals, and authority over vast lands.

The understanding of birds and ants

Allah taught Sulaymān ﷺ "the speech of birds" (Quran 27:16). Surah An-Naml — named after the ant — preserves a charming and instructive scene (27:18-19): Sulaymān's army was passing through a valley when a tiny ant warned the other ants to take cover lest they be crushed by the army "without realising it". Sulaymān heard her, smiled, and made a beautiful du'a thanking Allah for enabling him to understand and asking that he be guided to acts pleasing to Allah.

The detail is small but the lesson is large: even at the height of his worldly power — leading armies, commanding jinn, ruling territories — Sulaymān stopped to listen to an ant and to thank Allah for the privilege of understanding her. The Quranic God-fearing king listens to ants.

The Queen of Sheba (Bilqīs)

One of the longest narratives in Surah An-Naml is the story of Sulaymān's correspondence with the Queen of Sheba (Bilqīs in classical commentary), who ruled the kingdom of Sabaʾ in modern Yemen. Sulaymān's hoopoe bird returned from a journey reporting that he had seen a wealthy and politically sophisticated kingdom where the people worshipped the sun rather than Allah.

Sulaymān sent a letter inviting Bilqīs to monotheism. She consulted her advisors, then sent gifts to test whether Sulaymān was a genuine prophet or merely a king interested in tribute. Sulaymān returned the gifts unimpressed, communicating that what Allah had given him was greater than any earthly tribute could match.

Bilqīs travelled to Sulaymān's court. The Quran preserves the elegant test he set for her, the moment her throne was brought before her by miraculous means (Quran 27:38-40), and her eventual recognition that her sun-worship had been wrong. She declared: "My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, and I submit with Sulaymān to Allah, Lord of the Worlds" (Quran 27:44). The encounter is one of the most dignified inter-religious dialogues in the Quran.

His kingship over the jinn

The jinn worked under Sulaymān ﷺ, building palaces, statues, large vessels and structures. Surah Sabaʾ 34:13 lists their work. The Quran also preserves a striking moment: Sulaymān died while leaning on his staff, and the jinn continued working, not realising he had died — until termites ate through his staff and he fell, at which point they understood. Surah Sabaʾ 34:14 makes the theological point: if the jinn really had hidden knowledge as some claim, they would have known he was dead immediately. The verse is one of the Quran's gentle but firm corrections of folk beliefs that the jinn possess unseen knowledge.

The temple in Jerusalem

Sulaymān ﷺ built the great temple in Jerusalem — the Bayt al-Maqdis — using both human craftsmen and jinn labour. The site, on what Muslims call al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf and Jews call the Temple Mount, became the qiblah of all the prophets after him until the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was instructed to turn towards the Kaʿbah in Madinah. Masjid al-Aqṣā, built later, sits within the same sacred precinct and remains one of the three holiest sites in Islam alongside the Kaʿbah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah.

His wisdom and his test

The Quran also preserves a moment of Sulaymān being tested by Allah. Surah Ṣād 38:34 mentions a body placed on his throne, after which he turned to Allah in repentance. Classical commentators have offered various interpretations, but the consistent theme is that even Sulaymān — the most worldly-powerful of prophets — needed to repent and turn to Allah, was tested in his kingship, and rose from the test even closer to his Lord.

Lessons for British Muslim families

1. Wealth and power are not in themselves wrong. Sulaymān had more than any human being has ever had. He used it for divine purpose. British Muslim families pursuing legitimate worldly success should know: the test is not having, but using.
2. Even the most powerful Muslim listens to the smallest voice. Sulaymān stopped his army for an ant. British Muslim leaders, business owners and parents should remember: the size of your power is no excuse for ignoring the small.
3. Inter-religious dialogue can be conducted with dignity. The Quranic narrative of Sulaymān and Bilqīs is a model — neither aggressive nor compromising, ending with her free recognition of monotheism. British Muslims engaging non-Muslim friends and colleagues have direct prophetic precedent.
4. The jinn do not have unseen knowledge. Sulaymān's death and the jinn's failure to perceive it should settle the matter for any British Muslim tempted by claims of jinn-mediated knowledge of the future, occult divination or similar.
5. Even kings die. Sulaymān died leaning on his staff, his vast kingdom intact around him. The kingdom passed; he passed. British Muslim ambition is well placed when it remembers that the only thing you take with you is your relationship with Allah.

Frequently asked questions

Where to go next

For more on the prophets, see our guides on Prophet Ibrāhīm, Prophet Mūsā, Prophet Nūḥ, Prophet ʿĪsā, and Prophet Yūsuf. To study the prophetic stories one-to-one with an Al-Azhar-graduate teacher, book a free trial lesson.