Solomon in Islam

In Islam, Sulaymān ibn Dāwūd (Arabic: سُلَيْمَان ٱبْن دَاوُوْد, lit. 'Solomon, son of David') is described as a nabī (نَبِيّ, lit. 'prophet') and ruler of the Israelites in the Quran. Since the rise of Islam, various Muslim historians have regarded Solomon as one of the greatest rulers in history. Solomon's rule inspired several Islamic leaders throughout history.

Solomon is regarded to have been bestowed by God the gift to speak to animals and djinn. Furthermore was granted the ability to enslave the devils (Arabic: شَيَاطِين, romanized: šayāṭīn; f.v. Persian: دیو, romanized: div) with the help of a staff or ring given by God. Solomon's battle with the demons plays an important role in Sufistic interpretations of Islam as the internal struggle of the self against demonic urges.

Generally, Islamic tradition holds that he was the third ruler of the Israelites and a wise one. In contrast to Talmudic tradition, Muslims maintain that Solomon remained faithful to God throughout his life and was blessed with authority given to none before nor after him. Despite his miraculous abilities, his success stems from solely relying on God, as seen in the challenge of bringing the Throne of Sheba. For that, he was, according to the Quran, promised nearness to God in Jannah (جَنّة, lit. 'Paradise') at the end of his life.

In the earliest narrative involving Sulayman, the Quran (21:78) briefly alludes to a story that Sulayman was in the company of his father, when two men came to ask David to judge between them regarding a ḥarth (حَرْث, field). Later Muslim commentators expanded on the allusion, including al-Tabari, Baidawi, and Ibn Kathir. They said that the first of the two men said that he owned a vineyard of which he took great care the whole year through. But one day, when he was absent, the other man's sheep had strayed into the vineyard and devoured the grapes. He asked to be compensated for this damage. Upon hearing the man's complaint, Solomon suggested that the owner of the sheep take the other man's vineyard to repair and cultivate until the vines returned to their former state, whereupon he should return it to its owner. At the same time, the owner of the vineyard would care for the sheep and benefit from their wool and milk until his land was returned to him, at which point he would return the sheep to their owner. This response shows Solomon's level of judgment, which, the Quran says, would characterize Sulayman throughout his life. Ḥikmah (Wisdom), according to Muslim tradition, would always be associated with Solomon, who would later even be referred to as Sulaymān al-Ḥakīm (سُلَيْمَان ٱلْحَكِيْم, "Sulayman the Wise"). This story is adapted in the Kebra Nagast, but as a dispute adjudicated by a son of Sulayman.

The Quran narrates that Solomon, controlled the wind and the jinn. The jinn helped strengthen Solomon's reign. God caused a miraculous ʿayn (عَيْن, 'fount' or 'spring') of molten qiṭr (قِطْر, 'brass' or 'copper') to flow for Solomon, used by the jinn in their construction. The devils (shayatin) and demons were forced building for him monuments.

When David died, Solomon inherited his position as the prophetic king of the Israelites. Solomon once permitted a woman to build a statue of her father. Later, she began to worship the statue and Solomon was rebuked for tolerating idolatry in his kingdom. He later repents his sin and gains control over the demons again, focusing on building the temple again. He prayed to God to grant him a kingdom which would be unlike any after him. God accepted Solomon's prayer and gave him what he pleased

Construed allegorically, Solomon's loss of his ring to the demons, may be understood to represent a human losing its soul to demonic passion. Attar of Nishapur writes: "If you bind the div (demon), you will set out for the royal pavilion with Solomon" and "You have no command over your self's kingdom, for in your case the div is in the place of Solomon".

Unlike the Talmudic tradition, Solomon was unaware and never participated in idolatry. Further, the Quran rejects that Solomon was a magician: "Never did Solomon disbelieve, rather the devils disbelieved. They taught magic to the people..." (2:102)