An-Naml · Makki · ayah 36 of 93

An-Naml 27:36

فَلَمَّا جَآءَ سُلَيْمَـٰنَ قَالَ أَتُمِدُّونَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَآ ءَاتَىٰنِۦَ ٱللَّهُ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّآ ءَاتَىٰكُم بَلْ أَنتُم بِهَدِيَّتِكُمْ تَفْرَحُونَ

“So when they came to Solomon, he said, "Do you provide me with wealth? But what Allāh has given me is better than what He has given you. Rather, it is you who rejoice in your gift.”

Saheeh International

Essence

Sulayman would not be bought: what Allah gave him was better than any gift, and only those who measure life in gifts rejoice in them.

A reflection

He said 'Allah gave me', not 'I have'

Sulayman had more reason than almost anyone to speak about himself. He ruled men and jinn. Birds and winds were placed at his service. When the envoys arrived with their treasure, he could have said: what I have is greater than what you have.

He did not. He said: what Allah has given me is better than what He has given you.

Look at both halves of that sentence. His own wealth is described as given. So is theirs. Even the queen's gold, sent to impress him, is called Allah's giving. In one breath he removes himself from the centre. There are not two rich kings here. There is one Giver, and two people holding what He handed them.

The Quran shows the opposite sentence later in the next surah. Qarun, buried in treasure, says: I was given it only because of knowledge I have (28:78). Same subject, different speaker. One sentence makes the ego shrink. The other makes it swell until the earth swallows it.

A retired furniture maker is filmed for a television programme about craftsmen. The presenter asks how he became so skilled. He holds up his hands, scarred and steady, and says: these were lent to me. The presenter laughs, unsure if it is a joke. It is not.

Someone might object that 'better than what you have' sounds proud. One commentator answers that the sentence is not a boast at all. It is a polite way of declining the gift: I have no need of it. And a man who credits his wealth to Allah is not boasting about himself.

Try it with what you are proudest of. Say it aloud: Allah gave me this. Notice how much lighter it is to carry.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.