Throughout his life, Prophet Solomon (PBUH) remained dominant over Jinns and other beings. Numerous rebellious jinns were chained by him, as mentioned in Surah Saba, “And [he commanded] the devils to be subservient. Every builder and diver.” No great demon could challenge him until the end of his life. However, upon his death, the imprisoned demons were freed from captivity, and the jinns, occupied in serving Solomon (PBUH), were relieved of their duties. They were unaware of his death because they were engaged in the construction of palaces and towering buildings throughout the kingdom. But when they sensed widespread disorder in the kingdom due to the incompetence of Solomon’s (PBUH) successor, Rehoboam, similar to the extensive chaos that occurred in India during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir’s incompetent successor, Maazam Shah, they realized the cause of the disorder. They learned that Prophet Solomon (PBUH) had passed away, and his son Rehoboam had ascended to the throne in his place. Upon learning this, they abandoned their respective services and released their fellow jinns prisoners from captivity. They lamented that had they known about Solomon’s (PBUH) death earlier, they would not have suffered for so long. Rehoboam proved to be a calamity and brought harm. He was like a moth gnawing at Solomon’s (PBUH) rod of authority, ultimately leading to its collapse. As a result, Solomon’s (PBUH) heavenly kingdom crumbled to the ground. One kingdom turned into two rival states, Judah and Israel. Both Jewish communities, forsaking monotheism, fell into the quagmire of polytheism and sin. Eventually, both Israel and Judah vanished from the page of existence.
The jinns were occupied in serving Prophet Solomon (PBUH), and they learned about his death from the termite consuming Solomon’s (PBUH) unparalleled power, resembling maggots devouring authority. The Almighty says in the Holy Quran: [It is these jinns who you associate with God thinking that they have knowledge of the Unseen. They remained in the servitude of Solomon (PBUH).]
Then when We implemented on him the decision of death, it was only a termite of the earth that was eating away his staff which informed them of his death. Thus when Solomon (PBUH) fell down, it was only then that the reality of the jinns became evident to themselves too that if they had knowledge of the Unseen, they would not have remained trapped in this humiliating torment. (Q 34:14)
In my humble opinion, the term “beast of the earth” has been employed as a metaphor for Prophet Solomon’s (PBUH) unworthy son, Rehoboam, who inherited the kingdom after his death. Just as a brave man is called a lion, similarly, a low-spirited and harmful person is referred to as the “beast of the earth,” and the metaphor of a staff or “rod” is known in the sense of authority. And “tabayyana” means “tatharraqa” (became apparent). Its source “bayn” means separation, and “al- ghayb” refers to the knowledge of Prophet Solomon ‘s death, which was not obtained by the jinns in time because they were busy in construction services in distant places from the capital, Jerusalem.
Undoubtedly, my interpretation mentioned here differs from that of other scholars. However, through comparison, it will be proven that my interpretation of this verse is indeed correct, as I have written. All praise is due to Allah for this! As an example, I would like to draw reader’s attention to the statement of Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani (may Allah have mercy on him) and critically analyze it. With the help of Allah, let’s proceed! The author writes:
“Prophet Solomon (PBUH) was busy renovating Masjid al-Aqsa with the help of jinns. When he learned that his death had approached, he handed over the construction plan to the jinns and secluded himself in a glass chamber to engage in divine worship in seclusion, as habitually did for months. In this state, the angel took away his soul, and his blessed coffin stood supported by a wooden staff. No one could sense his death. After his demise, the jinns continued construction for a while. When the construction was completed, the staff on which his coffin stood fell on the ground as termite consumed it. Then everyone became aware of the death. This revealed the truth of the angels’ knowledge of the unseen to the jinns, and even human believers learned that if they had known about the unseen, they would not have suffered in this humiliating situation. Sensing Solomon’s (PBUH) death, they would have left their work (till the end).”
But it must be realized that this tale is the fabrication of a storyteller from the era of followers or followers of followers, which is being transmitted without verification. The reasons for the falsehood of this tale are: (a). The previous states of the honored prophets can only be known through two means: First, if they are mentioned in the Quran or authentic Hadith; Second, if they are mentioned in the Israelite scriptures. The first source is certain, and the second is speculative. Now, the story about a famous Israelite figure that occurred before the time of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) is neither mentioned in the Quran nor in the Hadith, nor is it found in the Israelite scriptures. Surely, it is false, as it is neither in the Quran, nor in the Hadith, nor in the Bible.
(b). Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) was not secluded from society to the extent that his illness and death remained hidden for a long time. He had wives, concubines, and servants. It is impossible that none of them would be aware of his death for an extended period.
(c). The claim that it was Solomon’s (PBUH) habit to worship in seclusion for months requires evidence. Is this mentioned in the Quran or taught by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)? Certainly not. Is it mentioned in the Bible or any other Israelite scripture? Absolutely not. This is an unsubstantiated claim, and a sound mind cannot believe that Prophet Solomon (PBUH) would isolate himself to the extent that he would not meet anyone for months, nor have any worldly connections, including eating, drinking, speaking, sleeping, or lying down, and merely engage in continuous worship. Allah had bestowed upon him a magnificent kingdom to rule with justice, and it was his duty to govern with justice and stay informed about the affairs of the subjects. It was impossible for him to neglect this duty for months and make himself an example of ‘righteousness wasted by unnecessary sin.’ Visitors from neighboring kingdoms and delegations from other countries were constantly coming to meet him. It is inconceivable to merely ignore them for months.
(d). It is impossible for someone standing with the support of a staff to suddenly die and remain standing in that position, as even at the time of death, there is usually some movement in the body, and even slight movement would disrupt the balance, causing the body to fall.
(e). During the era of Prophet Solomon (PBUH), jinns were also hidden from the eyes of humans. It is absurd to assume that there was any intermingling between jinns and humans during that time.
(f). Although Jews do not include Prophet Solomon (PBUH) in the list of prophets, they consider him an extremely wise and intelligent ruler. Many things highlighting his greatness are mentioned in Jewish scriptures. If Prophet Solomon’s (PBUH) death had occurred in such a glass-made place and his body had remained standing supported by a staff for a long time without anyone knowing about it, it would have been a significant and extraordinary event. Certainly, Jews would have exaggerated and embellished it further. But the fact that it is not mentioned in Israelite scriptures is conclusive evidence that such an incident did not occur. Some storytellers have fabricated it and spread it among Muslims.