AND, INDEED, We granted [true] knowledge unto David and Solomon [as well]; and both were wont to say: All praise is due to God, who has [thus] favoured us above many of His believing servants!" 15 Solomon succeeded David. He said, "Know, my people, that we have been taught the speech of birds and endowed with all good things. Surely this is God's manifest grace." 16 And there were gathered unto Sulaiman his hosts of jinns and mankind and birds, and they were set in bands. 17 At length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said: "O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it." 18 So he smiled, amused at her speech; and he said: "O my Lord! so order me that I may be grateful for Thy favours, which thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may work the righteousness that will please Thee: And admit me, by Thy Grace, to the ranks of Thy righteous Servants." 19 Then Solomon inspected the birds, and said, "How is it that I do not see the hoopoe? Is he absent then? 20 I will surely punish him with a severe punishment or slaughter him unless he brings me clear authorization." 21 But [the hoopoe] tarried but a short while; and [when it came] it said: "I have encompassed [with my knowledge] something that thou hast never yet encompassed [with thine] - for I have come to thee from Sheba with a tiding sure! 22 I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given of everything, and she possesses a mighty throne. 23 I found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allah; and Satan maketh their works fairseeming unto them, and debarreth them from the way (of Truth), so that they go not aright; 24 So that they worship not Allah, Who bringeth forth the hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knoweth what ye hide and what ye proclaim, 25 Allah, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne! ۩ 26 ۞ Sulaiman said: we shall see now whether thou hast spoken the truth or whether thou art of the liars. 27 Take this my letter and hand it over to them, then turn away from them and see what (answer) they return. 28 (The Queen of Sheba) said to her officials, "A gracious letter has been dropped before me. 29 It is from Solomon. It reads, "In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, 30 do not exalt yourselves above me, but come to me in all submission." 31