Stories
Two prophet-kings
A king who killed a giant, and a son who understood ants.
4 min, Intro, Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
Part 1 of 3
Dawud killed Jalut (Goliath) and became king. God gave him the Zabur (Psalms), made the mountains and birds glorify God with him, and softened iron for him to make armour. Then he was told to judge with truth.
Qur'an 38:26
يَٰدَاوُۥدُ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَٰكَ خَلِيفَةࣱ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱحۡكُم بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ لَهُمۡ عَذَابࣰ شَدِيدُۢ بِمَا نَسُواْ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡحِسَابِ ٢٦
26 “O David, We have made you a ruler on earth, so judge between people with justice, and do not follow your desires lest they lead you astray from Allah’s way. Those who go astray from Allah’s way will have a severe punishment because of their forgetting the Day of Reckoning.”
Lesson
Dawud's kingship came as a trust: judge with truth, not desire.
Part 2 of 3
Dawud's son Sulayman was taught the speech of birds. Marching with his army, he heard an ant warn the others to hide or be crushed. He smiled and thanked God. A whole surah is named after the ant.
Qur'an 27:18
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَتَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ وَادِ ٱلنَّمۡلِ قَالَتۡ نَمۡلَةࣰ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّمۡلُ ٱدۡخُلُواْ مَسَٰكِنَكُمۡ لَا يَحۡطِمَنَّكُمۡ سُلَيۡمَٰنُ وَجُنُودُهُۥ وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ ١٨
18 until when they reached a valley of ants, an ant said, “O ants, get into your dwellings, so Solomon and his armies do not crush you unknowingly.”
The passage continues in Read.
Lesson
Sulayman, a king with the wind and the jinn at his service, stopped for an ant.
Part 3 of 3
A hoopoe brought Sulayman news of a queen in Saba who worshipped the sun. He wrote to her. She came, saw his palace with its floor like water, and submitted with Sulayman to God.
Qur'an 27:44
قِيلَ لَهَا ٱدۡخُلِي ٱلصَّرۡحَۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَتۡهُ حَسِبَتۡهُ لُجَّةࣱ وَكَشَفَتۡ عَن سَاقَيۡهَاۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ صَرۡحࣰ مُّمَرَّدࣰ مِّن قَوَارِيرَۗ قَالَتۡ رَبِّ إِنِّي ظَلَمۡتُ نَفۡسِي وَأَسۡلَمۡتُ مَعَ سُلَيۡمَٰنَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٤٤
44 It was said to her, “Enter the palace.” But when she saw it, she thought it was a body of water, so she uncovered her calves. He said, “This is a palace paved with crystal.” She said, “My Lord, I have wronged myself, and now I submit along with Solomon to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.”
Lesson
The Queen of Sheba was wise: she chose talk before war.
Reflect, just for you
Seen by lamplight. It gives more each time.
A king who killed a giant, and a son who understood ants.