وَوَرِثَ سُلَيْمَـٰنُ دَاوُۥدَ ۖ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ عُلِّمْنَا مَنطِقَ ٱلطَّيْرِ وَأُوتِينَا مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ ۖ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلْفَضْلُ ٱلْمُبِينُ 16
Translations
And Solomon inherited David. He said, "O people, we have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given from all things. Indeed, this is evident bounty."
Transliteration
Wa waraitha Sulaymanu Dawuda wa qala ya ayyuha an-nasu 'ullimna mantiqat-tayr wa utina min kulli shay'in inna hatha lahuwa al-fadlu al-mubin
Tafsir (Explanation)
Prophet Sulayman inherited the kingdom and prophethood from his father Dawud, and upon receiving this inheritance, he declared to the people that he had been granted knowledge of the language of birds and bestowed with every blessing needed for leadership. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah emphasizes Sulayman's gratitude for the divine blessings and his acknowledgment that such extraordinary knowledge and comprehensive provision represent clear and manifest favor from Allah. The mention of bird language specifically illustrates the extent of miraculous knowledge Allah granted him, serving as evidence of his prophetic status and divine support.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah An-Naml (The Ant), a Meccan surah that recounts various miraculous accounts of the prophets. The context here is the narrative of Sulayman's succession to Dawud and his immediate expression of gratitude and recognition of Allah's favors. This sets the stage for the subsequent accounts of his miracles, including his control over the wind, the jinn, and molten copper, as well as his communication with the ant and later the hoopoe bird.
Related Hadiths
While no specific hadith directly addresses this ayah, Sunan Ibn Majah and other sources preserve traditions about Sulayman's miracles. Additionally, the general hadith emphasizing gratitude (shukr) as a means of increasing blessings is relevant: 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]' (Quran 14:7), which reflects Sulayman's acknowledgment of Allah's favors.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that true leadership and success come from Allah's favor and that we should recognize and express gratitude for the unique blessings and abilities He grants us. Sulayman's immediate acknowledgment of his blessings upon inheriting authority serves as a model for approaching positions of responsibility with humility and recognition that all excellence ultimately derives from divine grace.
Related Ayahs
أَمَّن يَهْدِيكُمْ فِى ظُلُمَـٰتِ ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ وَمَن يُرْسِلُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ بُشْرًۢا بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَحْمَتِهِۦٓ ۗ أَءِلَـٰهٌ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ تَعَـٰلَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
Is He [not best] who guides you through the darknesses of the land and sea and who sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy? Is there a deity with Allāh? High is Allāh above whatever they associate with Him.
قُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَسَلَـٰمٌ عَلَىٰ عِبَادِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱصْطَفَىٰٓ ۗ ءَآللَّهُ خَيْرٌ أَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Praise be to Allāh, and peace upon His servants whom He has chosen. Is Allāh better or what they associate with Him?"
أَمَّن جَعَلَ ٱلْأَرْضَ قَرَارًا وَجَعَلَ خِلَـٰلَهَآ أَنْهَـٰرًا وَجَعَلَ لَهَا رَوَٰسِىَ وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ حَاجِزًا ۗ أَءِلَـٰهٌ مَّعَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
Is He [not best] who made the earth a stable ground and placed within it rivers and made for it firmly set mountains and placed between the two seas a barrier? Is there a deity with Allāh? [No], but most of them do not know.
قَالَ نَكِّرُوا۟ لَهَا عَرْشَهَا نَنظُرْ أَتَهْتَدِىٓ أَمْ تَكُونُ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ
He said, "Disguise for her her throne; we will see whether she will be guided [to truth] or will be of those who is not guided."