سُوْرَةُ النَّمْلِ
Surah An-Naml (27) — Ayah 17
وَحُشِرَ لِسُلَيْمَـٰنَ جُنُودُهُۥ مِنَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ وَٱلطَّيْرِ فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ ﴿17﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And there were gathered before Sulaimân (Solomon) his hosts of jinn and men, and birds, and they all were set in battle order (marching forward).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَحُشِرَ
waḥushira
And were gathered
لِسُلَيْمَـٰنَ
lisulaymāna
for Sulaiman
جُنُودُهُۥ
junūduhu
his hosts
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلْجِنِّ
l-jini
jinn
وَٱلْإِنسِ
wal-insi
and the men
وَٱلطَّيْرِ
wal-ṭayri
and the birds
فَهُمْ
fahum
and they
يُوزَعُونَ
yūzaʿūna
(were) set in rows
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
17. And for Solomon, his armies of jinn, humans, and birds were gathered, and they were organized in ranks [18].
[18]
The Army of Sayyiduna Sulaiman (A.S.) Consisted of Humans, Jinn, and Birds:
This is actually the detail of ﴿كُلِّ شَيْءٍ﴾ in the previous verse. That is, his army consisted of three types. It included humans, jinn, and birds, and he would employ them for various tasks. This army was not mixed together; rather, when he went on an expedition, the army of humans would be separate, the army of jinn separate, and the army of birds would accompany separately. He would assign heavy and more laborious tasks to the jinn, and you would use the birds for delivering messages, reconnaissance, and searching for water, etc. Also, sometimes the flocks of birds would be used to provide shade over the army. Those who feel discomfort with miracles and supernatural matters and are always seeking interpretations for such events, according to their interpretations, here "jinn" refers to hard-working rural people, and "birds" refers to aircrafts. That is, they claim that Prophet Sulaiman (A.S.) also had an air force. Such interpretations are not actually interpretations but distortions, which are not supported by the context of the Noble Quran. It is difficult to analyze such interpretations here. However, I have presented a detailed analysis of all such interpretations in my book "Rationalism and the Denial of Miracles."
[18]
The Army of Sayyiduna Sulaiman (A.S.) Consisted of Humans, Jinn, and Birds:
This is actually the detail of ﴿كُلِّ شَيْءٍ﴾ in the previous verse. That is, his army consisted of three types. It included humans, jinn, and birds, and he would employ them for various tasks. This army was not mixed together; rather, when he went on an expedition, the army of humans would be separate, the army of jinn separate, and the army of birds would accompany separately. He would assign heavy and more laborious tasks to the jinn, and you would use the birds for delivering messages, reconnaissance, and searching for water, etc. Also, sometimes the flocks of birds would be used to provide shade over the army. Those who feel discomfort with miracles and supernatural matters and are always seeking interpretations for such events, according to their interpretations, here "jinn" refers to hard-working rural people, and "birds" refers to aircrafts. That is, they claim that Prophet Sulaiman (A.S.) also had an air force. Such interpretations are not actually interpretations but distortions, which are not supported by the context of the Noble Quran. It is difficult to analyze such interpretations here. However, I have presented a detailed analysis of all such interpretations in my book "Rationalism and the Denial of Miracles."
