Prophet Sulaymān: Part 2 — The Queen of Sabaʾ and the Worm in the Staff
Section 13 of 18 · Lives of the Prophets
Sulaymān Did Not Disbelieve
وَلَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَهُمْ نَبَذَ فَرِيقٌ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ كِتَـٰبَ ٱللَّهِ وَرَآءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
“And when a messenger from Allah came to them, confirming what was already with them, some from among the people of the Book threw the Book of Allah behind their backs, as if they did not know.” (2:101)
Now let us read from Sūrat al-Baqarah. Allah (swt) says: and when there came to them a messenger from Allah — came to whom? He is talking about the Jews — and when there came to them a messenger from Allah, confirming what was with them, a party of those who were given the scripture threw away the book of Allah behind their backs, as if they did not know. So they threw away the book of Allah when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came, because they did not want to follow him.
وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ مَا تَتْلُوا۟ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَـٰنَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَـٰنُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ ٱلسِّحْرَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى ٱلْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَـٰرُوتَ وَمَـٰرُوتَ ۚ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَآ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ ۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِۦ بَيْنَ ٱلْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِۦ ۚ وَمَا هُم بِضَآرِّينَ بِهِۦ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا۟ لَمَنِ ٱشْتَرَىٰهُ مَا لَهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَـٰقٍ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ
“They followed what the devils used to recite in the reign of Sulaimān (Solomon); and it was not Sulaimān who became an infidel, but the devils did become infidels, teaching people magic, and what had been sent down to the two angels, Hārūt and Mārūt, in Babylon. And these two did not teach anyone without first having said (to him), “We are but a trial, so do not go infidel.” Then, they used to learn from them that with which they could cause separation between a man and his wife. But they were not to bring harm through it to anyone without the will of Allah.They used to learn what harmed them and did no good to them; and they certainly knew that he who buys it has no share in the Hereafter. And, indeed, vile is the thing for which they sold themselves away. If only they knew!” (2:102)
And what did they follow? Wa ittabaʿū mā tatlū al-shayāṭīnu ʿalā mulki Sulaymān — and they followed what the devils gave out in the lifetime of Sulaymān. What is this talking about? The devils were teaching the people magic.
Al-Suddī, in his tafsīr of this ayah, says: Sulaymān came to know that the devils are teaching people magic. So he gathered all of their manuals and books — he took them away from the devils, from the people, because the people used to record what they would learn from the devils. Sulaymān took away all of those manuals and books, and he made a law that whoever learns magic, or practises magic, or teaches magic, will be executed. And he took away all of these books and manuals and he buried them, as the story goes, under his throne. He buried them to get rid of them, and he made a law in his time that nobody should learn, or teach, or practise magic.
What happened when Sulaymān passed away? Iblīs came to the people in the form of a human being, and he said: do you know where Sulaymān used to get his power from? The devils are the ones who used to teach him — and I will show you the proof: go and dig under his throne and see what you will find. They went to dig under the throne, and they saw the manuals and the books of magic. So they made a rumour, and they said that this is how Sulaymān used to control the jinn, and this is how he achieved all of that power: it is through magic. And that is how they propagated this false rumour against Sulaymān.
So Allah (swt) responds to this claim and says: wa mā kafara Sulaymān — Sulaymān did not commit kufr; Sulaymān did not disbelieve. This part of the ayah tells us two things. First of all, it tells us that Sulaymān did not commit disbelief; and it tells us that siḥr, magic — what is it considered? It is considered to be kufr; it is considered to be disbelief. Because Allah (swt) says: wa mā kafara Sulaymān — Sulaymān did not disbelieve. This magic is not from him, because magic is disbelief, and Sulaymān did not disbelieve.
But the devils are the ones who disbelieved: yuʿallimūna al-nāsa al-siḥr — teaching men magic. Who are the ones who are teaching magic? The devils.