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, 'Men, we have been taught the speech of the birds, and we have been given of everything; surely this is indeed the manifest bounty.' 16 And [one day] there were assembled before Solomon his hosts of invisible beings, and of men, and of birds; and then they were led forth in orderly ranks, 17 Until when they came to the valley of the ants, a she ant exclaimed, “O ants, enter your houses – may not Sulaiman and his armies crush you, unknowingly.” 18 So he smiled, wondering at her word, and said: My Lord! grant me that I should be grateful for Thy favor which Thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I should do good such as Thou art pleased with, and make me enter, by Thy mercy, into Thy servants, the good ones. 19 And he sought among the birds and said: How is it that I see not the hoopoe, or is he among the absent? 20 I shall certainly punish him severely or slaughter him unless he has a good reason for his absence." 21 But the hoopoe stayed not long, he (came up and) said: "I have grasped (the knowledge of a thing) which you have not grasped and I have come to you from Saba' (Sheba) with true news. 22 Surely I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given abundance and she has a mighty throne: 23 I found her and her people worshipping the sun, instead of God. Satan has made their conduct appear good to them, and has thus diverted them from the right path, so that they might not be guided. 24 Should they not worship God who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and earth and knows both what you conceal and what you make known? 25 He is God: there is no deity but He, the Lord of the mighty throne." ۩ 26 ۞ [Solomon] said, "We will see whether you were truthful or were of the liars. 27 Take this letter of mine, and cast it unto them, then turn back from them and see what they shall return ' 28 (The Queen said): "O nobles, a venerable letter has been delivered to me. 29 “Indeed it is from Sulaiman, and it is (begins) with ‘Allah – beginning with the name of – the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.’” 30 Do not rise against me, but come to me in submission.' 31