Table of Contents
Hope you like the first of the series of best bedtime Quran stories. Here we present some of more stories from the glorious Quran. As we mentioned before, Quranic stories have all the characteristic which makes them exciting, mysterious, factual, meaningful and truthful. The beauty of Quran is that these stories never fade away in term of its effectiveness and will remain a key source to guide human being. In this blog we present 5 more of such stories:
- Story of Prophet Suleiman عليه السلام & Queen Saba
- Story of Aad
- Story of Thamud
- King Zulqarnain’s conquest
- The Sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام
Story of Prophet Suleiman عليه السلام
Prophet Suleiman (سُلَيْمَان) عليه السلام is known to be both a Prophet of Allah and the last king of the unified Israel. He was son of Prophet David (دَاوُوْد) عليه السلام. Prophet Suleiman عليه السلام was blessed with a level of kingship supported by an army of men, jinns, and birds. On the other hand, Bilqis was the Queen of Saba (Sheba or modern day Yemen).
Note: Quran does not mention the name of the Queen of Saba, but Tafsir al-tabri named her as Bilqis.
Hud Hud's Quest
Among the army of birds there was a “hoopoe bird”, a Hud Hud. One day, Prophet Suleiman عليه السلام was reviewing his army and He noticed the absence of hoopoe without permission. Hoopoes were responsible for searching water when the army needed it. In this regard, Hud Hud had been flying over the country of Saba. Upon reaching the Suleiman palace, she told the whole story to Prophet Suleiman that a woman with a magnificent throne ruling over the peoples of saba. Further, her people were worshiping the Sun, hindered by Satan from the righteous path”. As Prophet Suleiman was among believers and a Prophet, when He listened to it, He got distressed by their Misleading actions; People lost in worshiping the sun, rather than the One True God.
Letter to Queen Saba
In a letter, Prophet Suleiman urged the Queen of Saba (Sheba), who, like Her people, worshiped the sun, to bow to One Creator (ALLAH). When Bilqis got the letter from Suleiman, she replied not with violence and intimidation, rather by sending Him gifts of Gold and Jewellery. This way, she wanted to know whether Suleiman is merely seeking financial gain. He rejected, claiming that God bestows far greater gifts than this. Ambassadors were instructed by King Suleiman to return to the Queen with a serious message that if He wishes to travel to Her, He would bring a contingent that she will be unable to beat.
Saba's acceptance of Islam
Bilqis was inspired by Prophet Suleiman‘s reply and wanted to visit the Suleiman palace to meet the actual person who had sent Her that letter. King Suleiman asks several of his chiefs who will deliver him the Queen of Sheba’s throne before she comes to Him in perfect obedience. One of the jinn promised to convey the throne to Suleiman before He could stand from his seat. A wise man with the knowledge of Scripture, has Her throne brought to King Suleiman‘s palace in the blink of an eye. Upon this moment, King Suleiman expresses His gratitude to God.
Prophet Suleiman presented Her throne in front of Her, questioning if it appears familiar. She responded that it looks similar but my Cabinet told me of King Suleiman‘s prophethood during the journey, and since then, Me and My followers have taken the decision to bow to One True God (Allah). King Suleiman then explains that Allah is the only God everyone should worship, not the other false gods she previously worshiped.
The Queen of Saba declares:
“My Lord! I have certainly wronged my soul. Now I ˹fully˺ submit myself along with Suleiman to Allah, the Lord of all worlds.”
Quran 27: 44
Moral Lessons
- Do not seek help from false gods instead of Allah
- Never be greedy for wealth
- Eman (Believe in Allah) is much more valuable than Gold
- Always be humble and accept Allah’s commands
- Protect people from shirk and encourage people to follow the Right path
Sources
Story of Aad - Super humans
According to the Quran, the people of Aad lived in an area named Ahqaf and constructed a city called Iram with massive pillars. This region’s capital was Ubar, which is located in Oman. This is evidenced by the recent discovery of the ancient and lost city of Ubar. The tribe of Aad was popular for its intelligence and physical strength and therefore, they are also called giants. They carved the mountains to build homes with gorgeous and powerful pillars. They are the first super humans the world has ever seen. Their wealth and power made the people of Aad believe they didn’t need Allah. Quran: 41:15 Uber the lost city
Aad's wrong doings
They robbed and killed the people passing by their city. Allah sent Prophet Hud عليه السلام to people of aad in order to protect them from sins and guide them towards the righteous path. He attempted to convince them that the path they had chosen was not the right one, and urged them to return to Allah and shun the evils. When Prophet Hud عليه السلام told them that Allah Almighty would punish them for their wrongdoings, they mocked Him and didn’t listen to Their warnings. Quran 11:59-60
The wrath of Allah on Aad
Allah decreed the Prophet Hud عليه السلام to take the believers along with Him and leave the city of evil. Later to this, they resettled to a big cave that was located near the modern area of Hadramaut in Yemen. Following their refusal, one day, a tornado struck the city of Iram, wiping away the residents of Aad. Only Prophet Hud عليه السلام and those close to him (Believers) were preserved. Quran: 53:50 11:58 25:38
Moral Lessons
- Follow the commands of Allah
- Don’t be arrogant due to power and wealth
- Always be humble and keep tawakkul on Allah
- If you do not take Allah’s commands seriously then wait for Azab e Ilahi
Sources
Story of Thamud
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The Quran also mentions what happened to the people of Thamud due to their rashness to Allah’s commands. The people of Thamud were actually the successors of the people of Aad. Thamud resided in a valley called al-Hijr in Arab’s northwestern corner. The valley was bestowed with rich land and inspiring architecture, so the inhabitants had a prosperous existence with plenty of vegetables, fruits, housing, and landscape. The terrible thing is that they were caught up in worldly interests and did not thank Allah for conferring these bounties on them. Quran: 9:70 51:43
Thamud's wrong doings
Because they had completely forgotten Allah, the Almighty sent Prophet Saleh عليه السلام down to remind them of the mission, why they were formed. Upon His tireless struggle and constant preaching, gradually very few of those started to realize that Saleh is telling them the truth and was guiding them towards the right path. Once those few ones started to follow Saleh, leaders of Thamud got exasperated. They did not want Prophet Saleh عليه السلام to be followed by their people. As a test, they invited Prophet Saleh to bring to them a camel from a mountain. On this demand, Allah Almighty sent a camel from the middle of a mountain, from no where, in response to Saleh’s prayers. Quran: 7:73, 17:59, 26:141
Killing the Camel
That particular camel was capable of producing a significant amount of milk, which was beneficial to the people. People were delighted and drank lots of milk (Tafsir ibn Khatir). This was unacceptable to Thamud’s leaders as people started converting to Islam. They finally agreed to slaughter the camel to secure their interest. Prophet Saleh عليه السلام warned them that doing so would bring Allah’s wrath and punishment upon them. But they did not take it seriously. Prophet Saleh led his people out from the valley. Later, an earthquake or Blast demolished everything in the valley, except Saleh and His followers(Commentator has different opinions). Quran: 7:73, 25:38, 41:17, 69:5
Moral Lessons
- Follow the teachings of the Prophet
- Don’t challenge the Almighty’s commands
- Accept Allah’s commands before it’s too late
Sources
King Zulqarnain's conquest
Zulqarnain was a pious man, a worshipper and a slave of Allah who ruled both east and the west at the same time. Prophet Khizar was His counselor and possibly His cousin too (According to Al-Ghazali). Zulqarnain was given by Allah a wide range of skills and abilities, including military prowess, art to lead countries, and significant practical knowledge in many areas. He was also a devout and faithful Muslim who spent His days traveling from one location to the next in order to create justice in the region and ameliorate the suffering of the people.
Note: Many people mismatch Zulqarnain with Alexander the Great who was an idol worshiper. Very few narrations named Zulqarnain as King Sikander (Alexander) of Persian empire, but the literal meaning of Zulqarnain is “possessor of two horns”; As the horns were a common way of expressing the strength and the power of a king at that time so Zulqarnain could be his nickname, but not his real name. Well Allah knows it accurately.
The first quest; Sun setting
He followed a route until He arrived at a location where He discovered the sun setting in the dark and gloomy sea. He saw certain people living in oppressive conditions there. At that point, Allah addressed Him as follows:
“O Ⱬul-Qarnain! Either punish them or treat them kindly.”
Quran 18:86
He rescued the innocent people from injustice, imposed retribution on oppressors, criminals, and evildoers, and supported the helpless and oppressed ones until justice was restored in the nation. He said to the people:
“As for those who believe and do good, they will have the finest reward, and we will assign them easy commands.” Quran: 18:88
The second quest; The Rising Sun
Upon his army continuing the journey, they reached East, a place against the rising sun. He discovered people who were backward and illiterate, living in the open without shelter or sun protection. There, He taught the locals what they needed to conduct. He shared and passed his knowledge to them, teaching them necessary skills such as carpentry and agriculture, before continuing on his next mission (Tafsir ibn khatir). Quran 18:90,91
The third quest; Yajooj Majooj
Continuing His journey, He arrived upon a mountainous terrain where people couldn’t communicate in his language. However, residents begged him to assist them in getting rid of Yajooj Majooj (Gog Magog). Yajooj Majooj were fierce tribes of battle-hardened warriors. They caused a huge degree of worry and trouble for the locals who lived there. King Zulqarnain assisted them by creating an iron and molten copper barrier between Yajoj Majoj and the population. According to the Quran and Prophetic Ahadith, the wall/barrier built by Zulqarnain will cease to exist until the day of judgment. Quran: 18:92-96
Moral Lessons
- Establish justice according to Quranic principles
- Support the good and oppressed ones
- Resist the Evil and evildoers
- Govern with gratitude
- Show mercy to your subordinates
Sources
- Quran: 18:86
- Quran: 18:88
- Quran 18:90,91
- Quran: 18:92-96
The Sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim
Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام is mentioned distinguishably in the Quran with the title of خلیل اللہ – the intimate friend of Allah. He is also labeled as “a model for human being” in Surat An-Nahl. Ibrahim was born among the star and idol worshippers, in the home of Azar. His father Azar was the popular idol-maker of the tribe. He was raised among the kuffar but not of them, a glimpse of Tawheed arising out of the swamp of shirk. Quran: (4:125)(16:20)
Ibrahim's preaching: oneness of Allah
Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام preached the belief of “Oneness of Allah” to individuals and society and smashed the idols in day-light. He arranged multiple dialogues with His people for their good. But all go in vain. When Nimrod heard about Ibrahim’s preaching of One God, he initially asked him certain questions, which Ibrahim boldly replied with the guidance of Allah. Because of his aggravation, Nimrod commanded his men, “burn Ibrahim alive in front of the public so as to protect your gods”. Prophet Ibrahim might have abandoned His message and beliefs to avoid the fire, but He chose to die so that Allah’s message remained alive. He opted to go into the fire in order to save humanity from the same. Quran: (6:74)(2:258)(21:52-68)
Thrown into burning fire
Afterwards, He was thrown into the fire. But Allah had a better plan for Ibrahim عليه السلام. He was spared when Allah ordered the fire to become peaceful for Ibrahim. But this miracle did not stop the idol-worshippers from following the evil path. They persecuted, abused and isolated Ibrahim عليه السلام for many years, but He remained strong in his beliefs, patient in his suffering, until He made his Hijrah (migration) to Aram and Canan. Quran: (21:69)
Birth of Ismael
As Ibrahim عليه السلام got older throughout his century of Prophethood and service to God, His desire to have a son grew deeper. But his wife Sarah was barren. He married another lady, Hajirah (Hijjar). The now-elderly Prophet Ibrahim yearned for a son. Against all odds, Allah fulfilled His promise to make Ibrahim the seed of a long line of Prophets by giving him Prophet Isma’il عليه السلام . Isma’il عليه السلام was more than simply a son, the fulfillment of a life of hope. Quran 37:101
Sacrifice of Ismael
Isma’il عليه السلام matured under the compassion of his father, there was gladness and rejoicing at Ibrahim’s house. But one day, Ibrahim عليه السلام had a dream that Allah wanted him to sacrifice his son Isma’il عليه السلام. He rejected the dream, fearing it was a Shaytan ploy, until the instruction came again. Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام recognized this was surely a command of Allah, as it was manifested repeatedly in His dreams.
Ibrahim, as an obedient servant of Allah, brought his son Isma’il عليه السلام to Mount Arafat with a knife and rope in preparation for the sacrifice. He notified young Isma’il عليه السلام of his plans, but when He lifted the knife, Allah intervened and spoke to Ibrahim, telling Him that He was not meant to sacrifice His son since but rather this was only a test of His faith, dedication, and surrender to Allah. As a symbolic reminder, Isma’il عليه السلام was substituted by a sacrificial goat.
Each year, on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, Muslims offer the sacrifice of a goat, sheep, cow, camel, or other such halal animals in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s عليه السلام dedication, so is Allah’s favor bestowed upon us when we obey His orders. Quran: 37:102, 37:103
Moral Lessons
- Stay humble
- Only worship one God (Allah)
- Remain steadfast on the path of truth
- Always be prepared to submit to Allah
- Dua is a powerful way to seek Allah’s Mercy
Sources
- Quran: 4:125
- Quran: 16:20
- Quran: 37:102
- Quran: 37:103
- Quran 37:101
- Quran: 21:69
- Quran: 6:74
- Quran: 2:258
- Quran: 21:52-68
So here were the 5 more Quranic stories which we hope will help you revise and recall. Hope you will use them the next time your kids are going to sleep! Let us know if you have some suggestion on these or any suggestions regarding them. Also, in case you haven’t seen our first part, here is:
