27:15 An-Naml (The Ant)

يذكر في هذا القرآن وينوه بمنته على داود وسليمان ابنه بالعلم الواسع الكثير بدليل التنكير كما قال تعالى: وَدَاوُدَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ إِذْ يَحْكُمَانِ فِي الْحَرْثِ إِذْ نَفَشَتْ فِيهِ غَنَمُ الْقَوْمِ وَكُنَّا لِحُكْمِهِمْ شَاهِدِينَ * فَفَهَّمْنَاهَا سُلَيْمَانَ وَكُلا آتَيْنَا حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا الآية. ( وَقَالا ) شاكرين لربهما منته الكبرى بتعليمهما: ( الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي فَضَّلَنَا عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ) فحمدا الله على جعلهما من المؤمنين أهل السعادة وأنهما كانا من خواصهم. ولا شك أن المؤمنين أربع درجات: الصالحون، ثم فوقهم الشهداء، ثم فوقهم الصديقون ثم فوقهم الأنبياء، وداود وسليمان من خواص الرسل وإن كانوا دون درجة أولي العزم [الخمسة]، لكنهم من جملة الرسل الفضلاء الكرام الذين نوه الله بذكرهم ومدحهم في كتابه مدحا عظيما فحمدوا الله على بلوغ هذه المنزلة، وهذا عنوان سعادة العبد أن يكون شاكرا لله على نعمه الدينية والدنيوية وأن يرى جميع النعم من ربه، فلا يفخر بها ولا يعجب بها بل يرى أنها تستحق عليه شكرا كثيرا، فلما مدحهما مشتركين خص سليمان بما خصه به لكون الله أعطاه ملكا عظيما وصار له من الماجريات ما لم يكن لأبيه صلى الله عليهما وسلم فقال: ( وَوَرِثَ سُلَيْمَانُ دَاوُدَ ) .

يخبر تعالى عما أنعم به على عبديه ونبييه داود وابنه سليمان عليهما السلام من النعم الجزيلة والمواهب الجليلة والصفات الجميلة وما جمع لهما بين سعادة الدنيا والآخرة والملك والتمكين التام في الدنيا والنبوة والرسالة في الدين ولهذا قال تعالى "ولقد آتينا داود وسليمان علما وقالا الحمد لله الذي فضلنا على كثير من عباده المؤمنين" قال ابن أبي حاتم ذكر عن إبراهيم بن يحيى بن هشام أخبرني أبي عن جدي قال: كتب عمر بن عبد العزيز إن الله لم ينعم على عبده نعمة فيحمد الله عليها إلا كان حمده أفضل من نعمه لو كنت لا تعرف ذلك إلا في كتاب الله المنزل قال الله تعالى " ولقد آتينا داود وسليمان علما وقالا الحمد لله الذي فضلنا على كثير من عباده المؤمنين" فأي نعمة أفضل مما أوتي داود وسليمان عليهما السلام.

Dawud and Sulayman (peace be upon them), the organization of Sulayman's Troops and His passage through the Valley of the Ants

Here Allah tells us about the great blessings and favors which He bestowed upon two of His servants and Prophets, Dawud (David) and his son Sulayman (Solomon), peace be upon them both, and how they enjoyed happiness in this world and the Hereafter, power and authority in this world, and the position of being Prophets and Messengers. Allah says:

وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَـنَ عِلْماً وَقَالاَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِى فَضَّلَنَا عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِّنْ عِبَادِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(And indeed We gave knowledge to Dawud and Sulayman, and they both said: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has preferred us above many of His believing servants!")

وَوَرِثَ سُلَيْمَـنُ دَاوُودَ

(And Sulayman inherited from Dawud.) means, in kingship and prophethood. What is meant here is not wealth, because if that were the case, Sulayman would not have been singled out from among the sons of Dawud, as Dawud had one hundred wives. Rather what is meant is the inheritance of kingship and prophethood, for the wealth of the Prophets cannot be inherited, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«نَحْنُ مَعَاشِرَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ لَا نُورَثُ، مَا تَرَكْنَاهُ فَهُوَ صَدَقَة»

(We Prophets cannot be inherited from; whatever we leave behind is charity.) And Sulayman said:

يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ عُلِّمْنَا مَنطِقَ الطَّيْرِ وَأُوتِينَا مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ

(O mankind! We have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given from everything.) Here Sulayman was speaking of the blessings that Allah bestowed upon him, by giving him complete authority and power, whereby mankind, the Jinn and the birds were subjugated to him. He also knew the language of the birds and animals, which is something that had never been given to any other human being -- as far as we know from what Allah and His Messenger told us. Allah enabled Sulayman to understand what the birds said to one another as they flew through the air, and what the different kinds of animals said. Sulayman said:

عُلِّمْنَا مَنطِقَ الطَّيْرِ وَأُوتِينَا مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ

(We have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given from everything.) i.e., all things that a king needs.

إِنَّ هَـذَا لَهُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْمُبِينُ

(This, verily, is an evident grace.) means, `this is clearly the blessings of Allah upon us.'

وَحُشِرَ لِسْلَيْمَـنَ جُنُودُهُ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالإِنْس وَالطَّيْرِ فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ

(And there were gathered before Sulayman his hosts of Jinn and men, and birds, and they all were set in battle order.) means, all of Sulayman's troops of Jinn, men and birds were gathered together, and he rode with them in a display of might and glory, with people marching behind him, followed by the Jinn, and the birds flying above his head. When it was hot, they would shade him with their wings.

فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ

(and they all were set in battle order.) The first and the last of them were brought together, so that none of them would step out of place. Mujahid said: "Officials were appointed to keep each group in order, and to keep the first and the last together so that no one would step out of line -- just as kings do nowadays."

حَتَّى إِذَآ أَتَوْا عَلَى وَادِى النَّمْلِ

(Till, when they came to the valley of the ants,) meaning, when Sulayman, the soldiers and the army with him crossed the valley of the ants,

قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يأَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ ادْخُلُواْ مَسَـكِنَكُمْ لاَ يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَـنُ وَجُنُودُهُ وَهُمْ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ

(one of the ants said: "O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Sulayman and his armies should crush you, while they perceive not.") Sulayman, peace be upon him, understood what the ant said,

فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَـحِكاً مِّن قَوْلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِى أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِى أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَى وَالِدَىَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَـلِحاً تَرْضَـهُ

(So he smiled, amused at her speech and said: "My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your favors which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, ) meaning: `inspire me to give thanks for the blessings that You have bestowed upon me by teaching me to understand what the birds and animals say, and the blessings that You have bestowed upon my parents by making them Muslims who believe in You.'

وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَـلِحاً تَرْضَـهُ

(and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You,) means, `deeds that You love which will earn Your pleasure.'

وَأَدْخِلْنِى بِرَحْمَتِكَ فِى عِبَادِكَ الصَّـلِحِينَ

(and admit me by Your mercy among Your righteous servants.) means, `when You cause me to die, then join me with the righteous among Your servants, and the Higher Companion among Your close friends.'

And verily We gave David and Solomon his son knowledge of rendering decisive judgement between people and knowledge of the speech of birds and of other things and they said giving thanks to God ‘Praise be to God Who has favoured us with prophethood and the disposal of jinn humans and devils to our service over many of His believing servants’.

Commentary

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ عِلْمًا

And surely We gave knowledge to Dawud and Sulaiman. (27:15)

The knowledge given to Sayyidna Dawud and Sulaiman (علیہما السلام) was obviously the special knowledge normally given to the prophets about their functions and obligations as prophets, but at the same time it may also include other sciences and arts, as Sayyidna Dawud (علیہ السلام) was given the art of making armors. Sayyidna Dawud and Sulaiman (علیہما السلام) enjoyed a special position among the prophets in that they were also bestowed with the empire along with the prophethood. The empire was of a very special nature in that they ruled over not only the humans but also the Jinns and animals. While relating all these graces, knowledge is mentioned first, which is a clear hint that knowledge is superior and paramount among them all. (Qurtubi)

And We gave David and Solomon knowledge. In this verse the Lord of the Worlds lays a favor on David and Solomon, for He taught them the knowledge of the religion. Religion is a comprehensive name that comprises submission, faith, the Sunnah and the congregation, performing obedient acts and worship, and avoiding unbelief and disobedience. This is the religion of the angels by which they worship and obey God, and it is the religion of the prophets and messengers from Adam to MuḤammad. The prophets and messengers invited their communities to it, as the Lord of the Worlds says: “He has set down for you as the religion that with which He counseled Noah, and what We have revealed to thee, and that with which We charged Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Uphold the religion, and scatter not regarding it” [42:13]. This religion is extremely obvious and unveiled to the folk of felicity, but extremely hidden from the folk of wretchedness. The Real gives religion-recognizing eyesight only to the folk of felicity. Only the folk of this eyesight recognize the religion, as the Prophet said: “How is it that you are with your religion like the moon when it is full, but only the seeing see it?” It has also been narrated that he said, “I have brought you a white, immaculate splendor whose night is like its day. For those of you who live, a great diversity will be seen among you after me concerning my Sunnah and that of the rightly guided vicegerents, so hold fast to it.” The religion in its totality is built on two things: listening and following. Listening is that you accept with spirit and heart the revelation sent down on MuṣṬafā. Then you go straight by follow- ing him. That is His words, “Whatever the Messenger gives you, take” [59:7]. And We gave David and Solomon knowledge. In the tongue of the folk of recognition and the tasting of the lords of finding, this is the knowledge of understanding. The knowledge of under- standing is the knowledge of the Haqiqah. Junayd was asked, “What is the knowledge of the Haqiqah?” He said, “The God-given, lordly knowledge-the attributes gone, the Haqiqah staying.” The state of the recognizer is exactly this: the attributes gone, the Haqiqah staying. The com- mon people are in a station in which the attributes are apparent and the Haqiqah concealed.