SOLOMON'S GLORY AND TEACHING DEATH

      The immediate reference here is to three great gifts of God bestowed on Solomon:-

      1ِGod subdued the wind to him.

      2ِA spring of molten (melted) copper was flown for him.

      3ِHe was obeyed by labourers of Jinns.

      Thus a fast moving transport, a perfect metallurgy, through which he could extract metals, like copper, from their ores, refining them, and preparing them for use in mass production; and a class of workers from Jinns, some invisible creatures who have wisdom and power.

      These were the main means and and instruments, that he used to perform his wishes. They paved the way for him, to build the necessary buildings and Temples for his office, to suit his great and vast kingdom. He could easily have by them built, the necessary sanctuaries, sculptures, pots, tanks, and fixed coldrons, ponds, and pools and etc.

      The second verse (NO.13) ends in a mild complaints from our Lord that....``A few of My servants are thankful.''

      A true believer always feels the deficiency of language for being thankful. Had we as many tongues as our hairs, we still would fail to give enough thanks for the innumerable bounties and gifts of God, that are bestowed on us. There are thousands of gifts that are vital to us, and yet we know nothing about them. There is the proverb that:-

      ``One good turn deserves another.''

      The last of the above verses (NO.14) refers to the strange death of Solomon, showing how easy such a great prophet in his great kingdom and glory, had to give back his soul to his Lord; and die! He died quietly, and even before reaching his death bed, he yielded his self and soul to the angels of death:-

      ``When We decreed that he should die, no one informed them of his death, except a moving creature of the earth (TERMITE) eating his staff and causing his fall...''

      When Solomon fell down, it was made clear for those people who were of opinion that Jinns have the knowledge of unseen that they were wrong. If they knew what was absent from the mind and senses, they would not have tarried so long a period in their humiliating torment and toiling gratuitously, and without reward and recompense for Solomon.

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BUILDING THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM

PLEASE READ ALSO OUR TRANSLATOR'S NOTE (PAGE 529,VOLUME-3 OF THIS WORK.)

      Allah had made the winds subjugated to Solomon, so that he could swiftly travel to a one month distance in a few hours!

      He had round workers of Jinns under own supervision, besides many other artisans and skilled man power. It was with the aid of such means and man power that he could build the Temple of Jerusalem which has ever since been an object of invasion and a general topic of disputes.

      According to the Old Testament-(2 Chronicles) Solomon made Jerusalem his capital, and from there he ruled over Israel. He built up an armed forces of fourteen hundred chariots and, 12 thousand cavalry horses stationed in Jerusalem and other cities.

      During his reign, silver and gold became as common in Jerusalem as stone.

      When king Solomon decided to build a Temple, where the Lord would be worshipped, he put 70 thousand men to work, transporting materials, and eighty thousand men to carry stones, and three thousand six hundred men as supervisors on the project.

      The Temple was 27 metres long and nine metres wide. The entrance was as wide as the Temple (9 metre) and 54 metres in length.

      the inside of the Temple was overlaid with pure gold, and decorated with precious stones.

      There was made of bronze an altar, 4.5 high and 9 metres square.

      There were also made round tanks of bronze 2.2 metres deep, and 4.4 metres in diameter. The tank rested on the backs of 12 bronze bulls that faced outward. It held about sixty thousand litres. The water in the large tanks was for the priests to use for washing.

      Then Solomon summoned all the leaders of the tribes and clans of Israel to assemble in Jerusalem, in order to take the Lord's covenant box from Zion, David's city, to the Temple. The priests and levites also moved the Tent of the Lord's presence, and all the equipments to the Temple.

      Then Solomon mounted a bronze platform, knelt down, where everyone could see him, and he raised his hands towards heavens and prayed:-

      ``O, Lord God of Israel! In all heavens and earth, there is no God like you. You keep your covenant with your people, and show them your Love when they live in wholehearted obedience to you. You have kept the promise you made to my father David. Today every word (of it) has been fulfilled.''

      But can you God really live on earth among men and women? Not even all heavens is large enough to hold (contain) you! So how can this TEmple that I have

built be large enough? Lord my God I am your Servant, hear my prayer...''

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE