[a] In this chapter is related, among other strange things, an odd story of the ant, which has therefore been pitched on for the title.

[b] We have prepared their works for them;] By rendering them pleasing and agreeable to their corrupt natures and inclinations.

[c] See chap. 20. p. 256.

[d] Blessed be he who is in the fire, and is about it;] Some suppose God to be intended by the former words, and by the latter, the angels who were present ^[1] ; others think Moses and the angels are here meant, or all persons in general in this holy plain, and the country round it ^[2] .

[1] Yahya.

[2] Jallalo’ddin, Al Beidawi.

[e] Except he who shall have done amiss, &c.] This exception was designed to qualify the preceding assertion, which seemed too general; for several of the prophets have been subject to sins, tho’ not great ones, before their mission, for which they had reason to apprehend God’s anger, tho’ they are here assured that their subsequent merits entitle them to his pardon. It is supposed that Moses’s killing the Egyptian undesignedly is hinted at ^[1] .

[1] Idem.

[a] See chap. 17. p. 236.

[b] Solomon was David’s heir;] Inheriting not only his kingdom, but also the prophetical office, preferably to his other sons, who were no less than nineteen ^[2] .

[2] Idem.

[c] We have been taught the speech of birds;] That is, the meaning of their several voices, tho’ not articulate; of Solomon’s interpretation whereof the commentators give several instances ^[3] .

[3] See Marracc. not. in loc. p. 511.

[d] His army consisting of genii, &c.] For this fancy, as well as the former, Mohammed was obliged to the Talmudists ^[4] , who, according to their manner, have interpreted the Hebrew words of Solomon ^[5] , which the English version renders, I gat men-singers, and women- singers, as if that prince had forced dæmons or spirits to serve him at his table, and in other capacities; and particularly in his vast and magnificent buildings, which they could not conceive he could otherwise have performed.

[4] V. Midrash, Yalkut Shemuni. p. 11, f. 29, & Millium de Mohammedismo ante Mohammed. p. 232.

[5] Eccles. ii. 8.

[e] The valley of ants;] The valley seems to be so called from the great numbers of ants which are found there. Some place it in Syria, and others in Tâyef ^[6] .

[6] Al Beidawi, Jallalo’ddin.

[f] And he viewed the birds, &c.] The Arab historians tell us that Solomon, having finished the temple of Jerusalem, went in pilgrimage to Mecca, where, having stayed as long as he pleased, he proceeded toward Yaman; and leaving Mecca in the morning, he arrived by noon at Sanaa, and being extremely delighted with the country, rested there; but wanting water to make the ablution, he looked among the birds for the lapwing, called by the Arabs al Hudhud, whose business it was to find it; for it is pretended she was sagacious or sharp-sighted enough to discover water underground, which the devils used to draw, after she had marked the place by digging with her bill: they add, that this bird was then taking a tour in the air, whence, seeing one of her companions alighting, she descended also, and having had a description given her by the other of the city of Saba, whence she was just arrived, they both went together to take a view of the place, and returned soon after Solomon had made the inquiry which occasioned what follows ^[1] .
It may be proper to mention her what the eastern writers fable of the manner of Solomon’s travelling. They say that he had a carpet of green silk, on which his throne was placed, being of a prodigious length and breadth, and sufficient for all his forces to stand on, the men placing themselves on his right hand, and the spirits on his left; and that when all were in order, the wind, at his command, took up the carpet, and transported it, with all that were upon it, wherever he pleased ^[2] ; the army of birds at the same time flying over their heads, and forming a kind of canopy, to shade them from the sun.

[1] Iidem.

[2] See chap. 21. p. 271.

[a] I will chastise her, &c.] By plucking off her feathers, and setting her in the sun, to be tormented by the insects; or by shutting her up in a cage ^[3] .

[3] Al Beidawi, Jallalo’ddin.

[b] I found a woman to reign over them;] This queen the Arabs name Balkîs: some make her the daughter of al Hodhâd Ebn Sharhabil ^[4] , and others of Sharahîl Ebn Malec ^[5] ; but they all agree she was a descendant of Yárab Ebn Kahtân. She is placed the twenty-second in Dr. Pocock’s list of the kings of Yaman ^[6] .

[4] V. Pocock. Spec. p. 59.

[5] Al Beidawi., &c. V. D’Herbel. Bibl. Orient. p. 182.

[6] Ubi sup.

[c] A magnificent throne;] Which the commentators say was made of gold and silver, and crowned with precious stones. But they differ as to the size of it; one making it fourscore cubits long, forty broad, and thirty high; while some say it was fourscore, and others, thirty cubits every way.

[d] And when she had received the letter, &c.] Jallalo’ddin says that the queen was surrounded by her army when the lapwing threw the letter into her bosom; but al Beidâwi supposes she was in an apartment of her palace, the doors of which were shut, and that the bird flew in at the window. The former commentator gives a copy of the epistle somewhat more full than that in the text; viz. From the servant of God, Solomon, the son of David, unto Balkîs queen of Saba. In the name of the most merciful God. Peace be on him who followeth the true direction. Rise not up against me, but come and surrender yourselves unto me. He adds that Solomon perfumed this letter with musk, and sealed it with his signet.

[e] Come and surrender yourselves unto me,] Or, Come unto me and resign yourselves unto the divine direction, and profess the true religion which I preach.

[a] What thou wilt command;] i.e. Whether thou wilt obey the summons of Solomon, or give us orders to make head against him.

[b] When the embassador came unto Solomon;] Bearing the presents, which they say were five hundred young slaves of each sex, all habited in the same manner, five hundred bricks of gold, a crown enriched with precious stones, besides a large quantity of musk, amber, and other things of value ^[1] . Some add that Balkîs, to try whether Solomon was a prophet or no, dressed the boys like girls, and the girls like boys, and sent him in a casket, a pearl not drilled, and an onyx drilled with a crooked hole; and that Solomon distinguished the boys from the girls by the different manner of their taking water, and ordered one worm to bore the pearl, and another to pass a thread through the onyx ^[2] . They also tell us that Solomon, having notice of this embassy, by means of the lapwing, even before they set out, ordered a large square to be enclosed with a wall built of gold and silver bricks, wherein he ranged his forces and attendants to receive them ^[3] .

[1] Jallalo’ddin.

[2] Al Beidawi.

[3] Jallalo’ddin.

[c] A terrible genius;] This was an Ifrît, or one of the wicked and rebellious genii; and his name, says al Beidâwi, was Dhacwân or Sakhr.

[d] Before thou arise from thy place;] i.e. From thy seat of justice. For Solomon used to sit in judgment every day till noon ^[4] .

[4] Iidem interp.

[e] This person, as is generally supposed, was Asaf the son of Barachia, Solomon’s wazir (or visir), who knew the great or ineffable name of God, by pronouncing of which he performed this wonderful exploit ^[5] . Others, however, suppose it was al Khedr, or else Gabriel, or some other angel; and some imagine it to have been Solomon himself ^[6] .

[5] Jallalo’ddin.

[6] Al Beidawi.

[f] In the twinkling of an eye;] The original is, Before thou canst look at any object, and take thy eye off it. It is said that Solomon, at Asaf’s desire, looked up to heaven, and before he cast his eye downwards, the throne made its way underground, and appeared before him.

[a] When she was come unto Solomon;] For, on the return of her embassador, she determined to go and submit herself to that prince; but before her departure, she secured her throne, as she thought, by locking it up in a strong castle, and setting a guard to defend it; after which she set out, attended by a vast army ^[1] .

[1] Jallalo’ddin.

[b] We have had knowledge bestowed on us before this, &c.] It is uncertain whether these be the words of Balkîs, acknowledging her conviction by the wonders she had already seen; or of Solomon and his people, acknowledging the favour of God, in calling them to the true faith before her.

[c] Enter the palace;] Or, as some understand the word, the court before the palace, which Solomon had commanded to be built against the arrival of Balkîs; the floor or pavement being of transparent glass, laid over running water, in which fish were swimming. Fronting this pavement was placed the royal throne, on which Solomon sat to receive the queen ^[2] .

[2] Idem, Al Beidawi.

[d] She discovered her legs, &c.] Some Arab writers tell us Solomon had been informed that Balkîs’s legs and feet were covered with hair, like those of an ass, of the truth of which he had hereby an opportunity of being satisfied by ocular demonstration.

[e] I resign myself unto God;] The queen of Saba having by these words professed Islâm, and renounced idolatry, Solomon had thoughts of making her his wife; but could not resolve to do it; till the devils had by a depilatory taken off the hair from her legs ^[3] . Some ^[4] , however, will have it that she did not marry Solomon, but a prince of the tribe of Hamdân.

[3] Jallalo’ddin.

[4] Apud Al Beidawi.

[f] Who disputed among themselves;] Concerning the doctrine preached by Saleh; one party believing on him, and the other treating him as an impostor.

[g] Why do ye hasten evil rather than good?] i.e. Why do ye urge and defy the divine vengeance with which ye are threatened, instead of averting it by repentance?

[h] We presage evil from thee, &c.] See chap. 7. p. 130, where the Egyptians in the same manner accuse Moses as the cause of their calamities.

[a] See what was the issue of their plot;] It is related that Saleh, and those who believed on him, usually meeting to pray in a certain narrow place between the mountains, the infidels said, He thinks to make an end of us after three days ^[1] , but we will be before-hand with him; and that a party of them went directly to the straits above mentioned, thinking to execute their design, but were terribly disappointed; for, instead of catching the prophet, they were caught themselves, their retreat being cut off by a large piece of rock, which fell down at the mouth of the straits, so that they perished there in a miserable manner.

[1] See chap. 7. p. 125. not. c.

[b] See chap. 7. p. 126, and chap. 11. p. 184.

[c] See chap. 25. p. 300. The word barzakh is not used here, but another of equivalent import.

[d] The afflicted;] Literally, Him who is driven by distress to implore God’s assistance.

[e] See chap. 7. p. 122, and chap. 25. p. 300.

[a] However their knowledge attaineth some notion of the life to come : yet, &c.] Or the words may be translated thus; Yea, their knowledge faileth as to the life to come: yea, &c.

[b] Most of those points concerning which they disagree;] Such as the comparing of God to sensible things, or to created beings: the removing all imperfections from the description of the Divine Being; the state of paradise and hell; the stories of Ezra and Jesus Christ, &c ^[1] .

[1] Al Beidawi.

[c] A beast;] The Mohammedans call this beast, whose appearance will be one sign of the approach of the day of judgment, al Jassâsa, or the Spy. I have given the description of her elsewhere ^[2] ; to which should be added that she is to have two wings.

[2] Prelim. Disc. §. p. 79, &c.

[d] Which shall speak unto them;] Or, according to a different reading, viz. taclimohom instead of tocallimohom, who shall wound them ^[3] .

[3] V. ibid. p. 80.

[a] See the Prelim. Disc. §. IV. p. 82, &c.
Some say the persons exempted from this general consternation will be the angels Gabriel, Michael, Israfil, and Izraël ^[1] ; others suppose them to be the virgins of paradise, and the angels who guard that place, and carry God’s throne ^[2] ; and others will have them to be the martyrs ^[3] .

[1] Jallalo’ddin, Al Beidawi.

[2] Idem.

[3] Ebn Abbas.

[b] They shall be secure from the terror of that day;] That is, from the fear of damnation, and the other terrors which will disturb the wicked; not from the general terror or consternation before mentioned.

[c] He will shew you his signs;] viz. The successes of the true believers against the infidels, and particularly the victory of Bedr