The Hoopoe and Sulayman: a Quran story for kids

Allah gave His Prophet Sulayman a great kingdom, and taught him the language of the birds.

One day Sulayman checked on the birds, and the hoopoe was not in its place.

﴿مَا لِىَ لَآ أَرَى ٱلْهُدْهُدَ﴾

An-Naml 27:20

It means: Sulayman said: why do I not see the hoopoe?

The hoopoe had flown far away, all the way to the land of Saba in Yemen, a land of green gardens.

There it saw a queen with a magnificent throne, and her people bowing down to the sun instead of Allah.

Think: Why was the hoopoe sad?

The hoopoe hurried back and told Sulayman: I bring you news you do not know.

﴿أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِۦ﴾

An-Naml 27:22

It means: The hoopoe said: I found out something you do not know.

Sulayman wrote a letter calling them to worship Allah alone, and the hoopoe carried it and flew.

The hoopoe dropped the letter to them, and it began like this:

﴿إِنَّهُۥ مِن سُلَيْمَـٰنَ وَإِنَّهُۥ بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ﴾

An-Naml 27:30

It means: The letter is from Sulayman, and it begins: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Kind.

The queen sent Sulayman gifts of gold, but he sent them back and said:

﴿فَمَآ ءَاتَىٰنِۦَ ٱللَّهُ خَيْرٌۭ مِّمَّآ ءَاتَىٰكُم﴾

An-Naml 27:36

It means: What Allah has given me is better than your gift.

A man who had knowledge from the Book said: I will bring you her throne before you blink. And there it was, in front of Sulayman, so he said:

﴿هَـٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّى﴾

An-Naml 27:40

It means: All of this is a gift from Allah, not my own power.

Think: What do you say when Allah gives you something lovely?

When the queen came, she entered a palace with a floor of clear glass. She thought it was water, so she was told:

﴿إِنَّهُۥ صَرْحٌۭ مُّمَرَّدٌۭ مِّن قَوَارِيرَ﴾

An-Naml 27:44

It means: It is a smooth palace made of glass, not water.

The queen knew the truth, and said:

﴿رَبِّ إِنِّى ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِى وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَـٰنَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ﴾

An-Naml 27:44

It means: I was wrong, and now I worship Allah alone, like Sulayman.

And the hoopoe went back to its place among the birds, happy, because it had brought about something good.