SULAYMAN ﷺ

The Story of Sulayman ﷺ

Allah blessed Sulayman ﷺ with wisdom, knowledge and a great kingdom. He was given authority over people and, by Allah's permission, was given control over the wind and the ability to understand the speech of birds and animals. He was also given an army consisting of humans, jinn and birds.

Despite these extraordinary blessings, Sulayman ﷺ understood that they were gifts from Allah. He did not see his power as something that made him greater than others. Instead, he turned to Allah with gratitude and asked Him to help him remain thankful.

One day, as Sulayman ﷺ and his army travelled, they came across a valley of ants. One of the ants warned the others to move into their homes so that they would not be crushed by the army without Sulayman ﷺ realising it. Sulayman ﷺ heard the ant and smiled at its words. Rather than ignoring this small creature, he thanked Allah for the blessing of being able to understand it.

He supplicated:

“My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents.” (Quran 27:19)

Sulayman ﷺ also encountered the Queen of Sheba, who had a powerful kingdom of her own. He invited her and her people to worship Allah. When she eventually witnessed the signs Allah had given Sulayman ﷺ, she recognised the truth and submitted to Allah.

The story of Sulayman ﷺ teaches us that having great blessings should increase our gratitude and humility. Wealth, knowledge, influence and ability are all gifts from Allah, and they should be used responsibly and in ways that please Him.

Allah says:

“This is from the favour of my Lord to test me whether I will be grateful or ungrateful.” (Quran 27:40)

Lessons from Sulayman ﷺ

  • Be grateful for what Allah gives you. Sulayman ﷺ recognised that his blessings came from Allah.

  • Remain humble when you have success. Great power and authority did not prevent Sulayman ﷺ from remembering that he was a servant of Allah.

  • Use your blessings responsibly. What Allah gives us is a trust, and we should use it in ways that are pleasing to Him.

  • Notice the small blessings. Sulayman ﷺ was grateful even for the ability to understand the words of a tiny ant.

  • Ask Allah to help you remain grateful. Gratitude is something we should continually ask Allah to place in our hearts.

Daily Application

When something good happens in your life, pause and recognise it as a blessing from Allah. Say Alhamdulillah and think about how you can use that blessing in a way that pleases Him. Whether it is your health, family, knowledge, wealth, talents or opportunities, remember that everything you have is from Allah. Like Sulayman ﷺ, ask Allah to help you remain grateful and humble.