And certainly We gave knowledge to Dawood and Sulaiman, and they both said: Praise be to Allah, Who has made us to excel many of His believing servants. 15 And Solomon was David's heir. And he said: O mankind! Lo! we have been taught the language of birds, and have been given (abundance) of all things. This surely is evident favour. 16 And gathered for Solomon were his soldiers of the jinn and men and birds, and they were [marching] in rows. 17 Till, when they reached the Valley of the Ants, an ant exclaimed: O ants! Enter your dwellings lest Solomon and his armies crush you, unperceiving. 18 And (Solomon) smiled, laughing at her speech, and said: My Lord, arouse me to be thankful for Thy favour wherewith Thou hast favoured me and my parents, and to do good that shall be pleasing unto Thee, and include me in (the number of) Thy righteous slaves. 19 And he sought after the birds and said: what aileth me that I see not the hoopoe; is he among the absentees? 20 Surely I shall torment him with a severe torment, or I shall slaughter him, unless he bringeth unto me a warranty manifest. 21 He was not long in coming, and said: 'I know what you do not know. I come to you from Sheba with certain news. 22 I found there a woman ruling over them, one who has been endowed with all things and has a mighty throne. 23 And I found her and her people adoring the sun instead of God; and Satan has made these doings of theirs seem goodly to them, and [thus] has barred them from the path [of God,] so that they cannot find the right way: 24 [And] so they do not prostrate to Allah, who brings forth what is hidden within the heavens and the earth and knows what you conceal and what you declare - 25 God is the only Lord and master of the Great Throne." ۩ 26 ۞ Solomon said, "We shall soon see whether you have spoken the truth, or whether you are a liar. 27 Take this letter of mine and deliver it to them, then return and see what their reply will be." 28 She said, 'O Council, see, a letter honourable has been cast unto me. 29 It is from Solomon, and it is "In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. 30 Do not rise up against me, but come to me in surrender (Muslims)." 31