The Tale of the Ant and the Prophets

Not only as a Messenger of Allah, Nabi Sulaiman AS was also king for his people, the Bani Isra’il. The Lord of all beings endowed him with extraordinary wealth. In addition, he was given knowledge and inspiration, making him a clever, wise leader who always upholds the principles of justice.

Among the various miracles Allah granted Nabi Sulaiman AS is the ability to subdue the wind, the sea, and animals. With this gift, the son of David AS could travel by riding the wind. He could also command jinn and birds to assist him, for example in warfare.

There is a tale connected to Nabi Sulaiman AS’s ability to speak and understand the language of animals. One day, the Prophet undertook a journey to his realm. He led a very large army, consisting of humans, jinn, and birds.

Nabi Sulaiman AS organised his troops. Those at the front were tasked with ensuring that no one passed beyond the set boundary. The rear ranks were obliged to prevent any member of the unit from falling behind.

In the middle of the journey, Nabi Sulaiman AS and his troops entered a valley region. There, there are many ant nests. Seeing the large army led by the Messenger of Allah, the ants panicked and became fearful. They worried about being trampled by the vast army.

A queen ant — said to be named Jirsan — then gave an instruction. The ants were commanded to immediately retreat into their burrows. This moment is recorded in the Qur’an, Surah An-Naml, verse 18. It means, ‘O ants, enter your dwellings so that you are not crushed by Solomon and his soldiers, while they are unaware.’