Solomon, and the birds and other creatures surrounded him; and Solomon went forth, with a changed appearance, and saw him upon his throne, and said unto the people, I am Solomon:—but they denied him._ Then he returned _unto his kingdom, after some days, having obtained the signet and put it on, and seated himself upon his throne._[314] He said, O my Lord, forgive me, and give me a dominion that may not be to any one after me (_or beside me_); for Thou art the Liberal Giver. So We subjected unto him the wind, which ran gently at his command whithersoever he desired; and the devils [also], every builder _of wonderful structures_, and diver _that brought up pearls from the sea_, and others bound in chains _which connected their hands to their necks. And We said unto him_, This is Our gift, and bestow thou _thereof upon whomsoever thou wilt_, or refrain _from bestowing_, without _rendering_ an account. And verily for him [was ordained] a high rank with Us, and an excellent retreat. (xxxviii. 29-39.) We bestowed on David and Solomon knowledge _in judging men and in the language of the birds and other matters_; and they said, Praise be to God who hath made us to excel many of His believing servants, _by the gift of prophecy and by the subjection of the jinn and mankind and the devils_. And Solomon inherited from David _the gift of prophecy and knowledge_; and he said, O men, we have been taught the language of the birds,[315] and have had bestowed on us of everything _wherewith prophets and kings are gifted_. Verily this is manifest excellence.—And his armies of jinn and men and birds were gathered together unto Solomon, and they were led on in order, until, when they came unto the valley of ants, (_which_ [was] _at Eṭ-Ṭáïf or in Syria, the ants whereof_ [were] _small or great_,) an ant (_the queen of the ants_), _having seen the troops of Solomon_, said, O ants, enter your habitations, lest Solomon and his troops crush you violently, while they perceive not. And _Solomon_ smiled, _afterwards_ laughing at her saying, _which he heard from the distance of three miles, the wind conveying it to him: so he withheld his forces when he came in sight of their valley, until the ants had entered their dwellings: and his troops were on horses and on foot in this expedition_. And he said, O my Lord, inspire me to be thankful for Thy favour which Thou hast bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do righteousness which Thou shalt approve, and admit me, in Thy mercy, among Thy servants, the righteous, _the prophets and the saints_.