ALL PRAISE IS DUE TO ALLAH (SWT)

Prophet Sulaiman (as) was the son of Prophet Dawood (as). He was the only prophet and human being who was granted with a huge and vast kingdom on this earth.

He said: “O my Lord, forgive me, and give me such a dominion as no one after me shall have the like. Verily, You are the great bestower”.

Then We made the wind subservient to him, to flow gently at his command whither-soever he desired;

And the devils-the builders and divers of all kinds.

And others bound in fetters.

This is Our gift, so give freely or withhold, without (rendering) an account.   (38: 35-39)

We gave Dawood and Sulaiman knowledge, and they both said: “Praise be to Allah, who has preferred us above many of His believing servants”.

Sulaiman inherited Dawood, and he said: “O people, we have been taught the language of birds, and have been given (abundance) of all things. Verily this is a manifest grace”.

                                                                    (27: 15-16)

The Almighty Allah had given him control over the wind so that it could carry him wherever he wished to go. He (SWT) deputed the jinns and men to serve him under his command and birds were made subservient to him so that they could shelter him under the shade of their wings. Allah (SWT) taught Prophet Sulaiman (as) the language of the birds and granted him with extraordinary power of perception and intelligence.

Once Prophet Sulaiman (as) was on his carpet flying in the air, when he saw on the way a villager walking with his shovels on his back. As the villager heard the zooming sound of the carpet in the air, he looked up and said, “Sub-haanallah (Praise be to Allah) what a great kingdom this is which Allah has bestowed to Sulaiman !”

When Prophet Sulaiman (as) heard this, he ordered the air to descend him. He landed on the ground and asked the villager about what he had just said. The villager stood respectfully and replied, “Sub-haanallah ! I said what a great kingdom this is which Allah has bestowed upon the son of Dawood”.

Thereupon, Prophet Sulaiman (as) told him,

“Whoever says with full conviction Sub-haanallah once only, it is better than the whole kingdom of the son of Dawood”.

All praise is due to Allah and nobody else. Even if anybody is praiseworthy, it is because of Allah (SWT). Most of the time when man accumulates wealth or acquires fame and power, he thinks that they are his personal achievements. What he should remember is that if Allah (SWT) had not wished it, man could not have acquired any of the pomp and glories of the world.

What Prophet Sulaiman (as) implies is that his entire kingdom is nothing but a special favour of Allah (SWT) to him. He alone can give and He therefore alone is worth praising.

Mulla Mujaheedali Sheriff

mulla@almahdi.org.uk