Prophet Sulaiman’s Dialogue with Animals in Surah An-Naml
The 27th chapter of the Quran is called Surah An-Naml. It is the 48th Surah revealed to the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Surah An-Naml is Makki, has 93 verses and is in the 19th and 20th Juzes of the Quran.
Naml means ant in Arabic and the Surah has this name because a part of it is about a dialogue between Prophet Sulaiman (AS) and ants.
In this Surah, God refers to the stories of five prophets, namely Moses (AS), Daud (David), Sulaiman (AS), Saleh (AS) and Lut (AS), giving good news to believers and warning to disbelievers.
The Surah also includes discussions about Tawheed (monotheism) and what happens on the Resurrection Day.
It is the only chapter in the Holy Quran in which there are two Bismilllah Ar-Rahman Ar-Rahims (In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful).
One of them comes at the beginning of the Surah like other Surahs and the other at the beginning of a letter Sulaiman (AS) wrote to Belqis, the Queen of Saba (Sheba), which is in verse 30.
According to Allameh Tabatabaei, the main purpose of this chapter is giving good news (to believers) and warning (to disbelievers). That is why it briefly mentions the stories of a number of messengers of God.
The Surah also points to God’s infinite knowledge and his sovereignty over all the universe.
Surah An-Naml narrates the stories of Daud (AS) and Sulaiman (AS) in details.
The informative stories talk about various issues like the knowledge of Daud (AS) and Sulaiman (AS), the latter’s ability to talk with birds and other animals, his move to form an army of men and jinn, his dialogue with ants, the absence of Hudhud (messenger and envoy of Prophet Sulaiman), the return of Hudhud and its report about the Queen of Saba, Sulaiman’s (AS) letter to the Queen of Saba, and her visit to the palace of Sulaiman (AS) and her becoming a believer.
