Tarikh (al-Tabari) 272
The story of Sulaymān b. Dāwūd (peace be upon them both)
وَقَالَ: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ عُلِّمْنَا مَنْطِقَ الطَّيْرِ يَعْنِي أَنَّهُ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، كَانَ يَعْرِفُ مَا تَتَخَاطَبُ بِهِ الطُّيُورُ بِلُغَاتِهَا، وَيُعَبِّرُ لِلنَّاسِ عَنْ مَقَاصِدِهَا وَإِرَادَاتِهَا. وعَنْ يَعْقُوبَ الْقُمِّيِّ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو مَالِكٍ، قَالَ: مَرَّ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ بِعُصْفُورٍ يَدُورُ حَوْلَ عُصْفُورَةٍ، فَقَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ: أَتَدْرُونَ مَا يَقُولُ ؟ قَالُوا: وَمَا يَقُولُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ؟ قَالَ يَخْطُبُهَا إِلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَيَقُولُ: زَوِّجِينِي أُسْكِنْكِ أَيَّ غُرَفِ دِمَشْقَ شِئْتِ. قَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: لِأَنَّ غُرَفَ دِمَشْقَ مَبْنِيَّةٌ بِالصَّخْرِ، لَا يَقْدِرُ أَنْ يَسْكُنَهَا أَحَدٌ، وَلَكِنْ كَلُّ خَاطِبٍ كَذَّابٌ. وَكَذَلِكَ مَا عَدَاهَا مِنَ الْحَيَوَانَاتِ وَسَائِرِ صُنُوفِ الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ ; وَالدَّلِيلُ عَلَى هَذَا قَوْلُهُ بَعْدَ هَذَا مِنَ الْآيَاتِ: وَأُوتِينَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ أَيْ: مِنْ كُلِّ مَا يَحْتَاجُ الْمَلِكُ إِلَيْهِ، مِنَ الْعِدَدِ، وَالْآلَاتِ، وَالْجُنُودِ، وَالْجُيُوشِ، وَالْجَمَاعَاتِ مِنَ الْجِنِّ، وَالْإِنْسِ، وَالطُّيُورِ، وَالْوُحُوشِ، وَالشَّيَاطِينِ السَّارِحَاتِ، وَالْعُلُومِ، وَالْفُهُومِ، وَالتَّعْبِيرِ عَنْ ضَمَائِرِ الْمَخْلُوقَاتِ مِنَ النَّاطِقَاتِ وَالصَّامِتَاتِ.
Translation
✧ He said: “O people, we have been taught the speech of birds,” meaning that he ﷺ knew what birds communicate to one another in their languages, and he interpreted for people their intentions and desires. From Yaʿqūb al-Qummī, Abū Mālik narrated to me, saying: Sulaymān b. Dāwūd passed by a sparrow circling around a female sparrow, and said to his companions: “Do you know what he is saying?” They said: “And what is he saying, O Prophet of God?” He said: “He is proposing to her for himself, saying: ‘Marry me, and I will house you in whichever of the chambers of Damascus you wish.’” Sulaymān ﷺ said: “Because the chambers of Damascus are built of rock, no one is able to dwell in them, but every suitor is a liar.” And likewise other animals besides it and all other kinds of creatures; and the proof of this is His saying after this among the verses: “And we have been given of everything,” meaning: of everything a king needs, of equipment, tools, soldiers, armies, and groups of jinn, humans, birds, wild beasts, roaming devils, sciences, understandings, and interpretation of the secret thoughts of creatures, both speaking and silent.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.