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 assembled together for Sulaiman were his armies of jinns and men, and of birds – so they had to be restricted. 17 Until when they came unto the valley of the ants, an ant said: O ants! enter your habitations lest Sulaiman and his hosts crush you while they perceive not. 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 (Solomon) inspected the birds and said, "How is it that I cannot see the hoopoe. Is he absent? 20 "I will certainly punish him with a severe penalty, or execute him, unless he bring me a clear reason (for 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 Lo! I found a woman ruling over them, and she hath been given (abundance) of all things, and hers is a mighty throne. 23 I found her and her people prostrating to the sun, apart from God; Satan has decked out fair their deeds to them and he has barred them from the way, and therefore they are not guided, 24 so that they prostrate not themselves to God, who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and earth; and He knows what you conceal and what you publish. 25 Allah, there is no god except He, the Lord of the Mighty Throne' ۩ 26 ۞ Said he, 'Now We will see whether thou hast spoken truly, or whether thou art amongst those that lie. 27 Go with this my letter and convey it to them; and thereafter withdraw from them and see what [answer] they return." 28 (The Queen said): "O nobles, a venerable letter has been delivered to me. 29 Lo! it is from Solomon, and lo! it is: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; 30 Do not rise against me, but come to me in submission.' 31