We compelled the mountains to glorify Us, with David, and the birds _also, on his commanding them to do so, when he experienced languor_; and We did _this_. And We taught him the art of making coats of mail (_for before his time plates of metal were used_) for you _among mankind in general_, that they might defend you from your suffering _in warring with your enemies_.—Will ye then, _O people of Mekkeh_, be thankful _for My favours, believing the apostles_?—And _We subjected_ unto Solomon [Suleymán] the wind, blowing strongly, _and being light at his desire_, which ran at his command[312] to the land that We blessed (_namely Syria_);[313] and We knew all things (_knowing that what We gave him would stimulate him to be submissive to his Lord_). And _We subjected_, of the devils, those who should dive for him _in the sea and bring forth from it jewels for him_, and do other work besides that; _that is, building, and performing other services_; and We watched over them, _that they might not spoil what they executed; for they used, when they had finished a work before night, to spoil it, if they were not employed in something else_. (xxi. 79-82.) We gave unto David Solomon _his son_. How excellent a servant _was he_! For he was one who earnestly turned himself unto God, _glorifying and praising Him at all times_. [Remember] when, in the latter part of the day, _after the commencement of the declining of the sun_, the _mares_ standing on three feet and touching the ground with the edge of the fourth foot, swift in the course, were displayed before him. _They were a thousand mares, which were displayed before him after he had performed the noon-prayers, on the occasion of his desiring to make use of them in a holy war; and when nine hundred of them had been displayed, the sun set, and he had not performed the afternoon-prayers. So he was grieved_, and he said, Verily I have preferred the love of [earthly] goods above the remembrance of my Lord, (_that is, the performance of the afternoon-prayers_,) so that _the sun_ is concealed by the veil. Bring them (_namely the horses_) back unto me. _Therefore they brought them back._ And he began to sever _with his sword_ the legs and the necks, _slaughtering them, and_ [then] _cutting off their legs, as a sacrifice unto God, and gave their flesh in alms; and God gave him in compensation what was better than they were and swifter, namely the wind, which travelled by his command whithersoever he desired._—And We tried Solomon _by depriving him of his kingdom. This was because he married a woman of whom he became enamoured, and she used to worship an idol in his palace without his knowledge. His dominion was in his signet; and he pulled it off once and deposited it with his wife, who was named El-Emeeneh; and a jinnee came unto her in the form of Solomon, and took it from her._ And We placed upon his throne a [counterfeit] body; _namely that jinnee, who was Ṣakhr, or another. He sat upon the throne of