أَنِ اعمَل سابِغاتٍ وَقَدِّر فِي السَّردِ ۖ وَاعمَلوا صالِحًا ۖ إِنّي بِما تَعمَلونَ بَصيرٌ

“Craft coats of armor, and balance the links well. And work righteousness. I am observant of what you do.”

وَلِسُلَيمانَ الرّيحَ غُدُوُّها شَهرٌ وَرَواحُها شَهرٌ ۖ وَأَسَلنا لَهُ عَينَ القِطرِ ۖ وَمِنَ الجِنِّ مَن يَعمَلُ بَينَ يَدَيهِ بِإِذنِ رَبِّهِ ۖ وَمَن يَزِغ مِنهُم عَن أَمرِنا نُذِقهُ مِن عَذابِ السَّعيرِ

For Solomon, the wind, its outward journey was one month, and its return journey was one month. We made a spring of tar flow for him. Among Jinns are those who worked for him by his Lord’s permission. Whoever deviated from Our command among them, We made him taste of the punishment of the Blaze.

يَعمَلونَ لَهُ ما يَشاءُ مِن مَحاريبَ وَتَماثيلَ وَجِفانٍ كَالجَوابِ وَقُدورٍ راسِياتٍ ۚ اعمَلوا آلَ داوودَ شُكرًا ۚ وَقَليلٌ مِن عِبادِيَ الشَّكورُ

They made for him whatever he pleased—sanctuaries, statues, bowls like reservoirs, and firmly fixed cooking pots. “Work gratefully, O house of David.” But few of My servants are grateful.

فَلَمّا قَضَينا عَلَيهِ المَوتَ ما دَلَّهُم عَلىٰ مَوتِهِ إِلّا دابَّةُ الأَرضِ تَأكُلُ مِنسَأَتَهُ ۖ فَلَمّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ الجِنُّ أَن لَو كانوا يَعلَمونَ الغَيبَ ما لَبِثوا فِي العَذابِ المُهينِ

When We decreed his death, nothing showed them his death except an earthworm consuming his staff. When he fell, the jinn perceived that if they had known the unseen, they wouldn’t have remained in the shameful torment.

لَقَد كانَ لِسَبَإٍ في مَسكَنِهِم آيَةٌ ۖ جَنَّتانِ عَن يَمينٍ وَشِمالٍ ۖ كُلوا مِن رِزقِ رَبِّكُم وَاشكُروا لَهُ ۚ بَلدَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ وَرَبٌّ غَفورٌ

There was a sign for Sheba in their homeland: two gardens, one on the right and one on the left. “Eat from your Lord’s provisions, and give thanks to Him. A good land and a forgiving Lord.”

ذٰلِكَ جَزَيناهُم بِما كَفَروا ۖ وَهَل نُجازي إِلَّا الكَفورَ

We penalized them for their ingratitude. Would we penalize any but the ungrateful?

وَجَعَلنا بَينَهُم وَبَينَ القُرَى الَّتي بارَكنا فيها قُرًى ظاهِرَةً وَقَدَّرنا فيهَا السَّيرَ ۖ سيروا فيها لَيالِيَ وَأَيّامًا آمِنينَ

We placed between them and the towns that We had blessed, prominent towns, and We determined the distances between them: “Travel safely between them, night and day.”

فَقالوا رَبَّنا باعِد بَينَ أَسفارِنا وَظَلَموا أَنفُسَهُم فَجَعَلناهُم أَحاديثَ وَمَزَّقناهُم كُلَّ مُمَزَّقٍ ۚ إِنَّ في ذٰلِكَ لَآياتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبّارٍ شَكورٍ

Yet they said, “Our Lord, extend the distances of our journeys,” and they wronged themselves. As a result, We made them legends and scattered them in every direction. There are signs in this for every patient, grateful individual.

وَلَقَد صَدَّقَ عَلَيهِم إِبليسُ ظَنَّهُ فَاتَّبَعوهُ إِلّا فَريقًا مِنَ المُؤمِنينَ

Satan’s prediction for them proved accurate; they followed him, except for a group of believers.

وَما كانَ لَهُ عَلَيهِم مِن سُلطانٍ إِلّا لِنَعلَمَ مَن يُؤمِنُ بِالآخِرَةِ مِمَّن هُوَ مِنها في شَكٍّ ۗ وَرَبُّكَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيءٍ حَفيظٌ

He had no authority over them, except to distinguish those who believed in the Hereafter from those who harbored doubts. Your Lord oversees everything.