Sulaiman and the Little Ant

6 min · Ages 4–12 · Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon)

A single large ant standing on top of an anthill in the sunlit sand.

Sulaiman, peace be upon him, is a great king who can understand the birds. When his army comes to a valley of ants, one little ant warns the others, and Sulaiman smiles and thanks Allah.

The Moral · Kindness

The little ant thought of everyone else first, and she warned the whole valley so that every ant could be safe. Sulaiman smiled when he heard her caring words.

Try today: If someone might get hurt, warn them kindly or tell a grown-up.

How the Story begins

A tiny voice called out across a valley. This story is true, and it comes from the Qur’an. In fact, it is in a surah called An-Naml, which means The Ants. It is about the Prophet Sulaiman, peace be upon him, who was a great king. And it is about a tiny little ant, much smaller than your fingernail, who was very brave and very wise. Let’s find out what happened.

Sulaiman was the son of the Prophet Dawud, peace be upon him. Allah gave both of them knowledge, and they both said, “All praise belongs to Allah, who has honoured us above many of His believing servants.” When Dawud passed away, Sulaiman came after him, as a king and as a prophet. And Allah gave Sulaiman even more wonderful gifts.

Sulaiman told the people, “We have been taught the language of the birds, and we have been given something of everything. This is truly a clear gift from Allah.” Imagine understanding what the birds are saying as they chirp and sing in the trees! Sulaiman knew that this was not his own cleverness. It was a gift from Allah.

The Story has 16 Pages. The rest is narrated in the app.

Hear the whole Story in Munira. Narrated Page by Page over hand-drawn Scenes, then a picture Quiz and one Moral to carry into tomorrow. Bedtime Mode dims the screen and fades the narration to silence.

Download on the App Store

Free to download with 5 Free Stories. Every Story with Yearly (US$19.99, 7-day free trial) or Lifetime (US$49.99). iPhone and iPad; English.

Sources

Retold from Surah An-Naml 27:15–19, Al-Anbiya 21:81–82 and Saba 34:12–13; Sahih al-Bukhari 2363; with notes from Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Every Story in Munira is retold only from the Qur’an and authentic hadith, shows its Sources, and is checked by a Reviewer before it is published in the app.

More from Kings and wise hearts

A leather sling with two cords lying across smooth river stones beside a shallow stream.

Kings and wise hearts Dawud and Jalut 6 min · Ages 7–12

A flock of birds gathering above layered mountains in the glow of evening.

Kings and wise hearts Dawud's Beautiful Voice 6 min · Ages 4–12

A hoopoe with a feathered crown perched on a branch beside a small rolled scroll tied with a cord.

Kings and wise hearts The Hoopoe's Big News 7 min · Ages 4–12

A tall glowing wall of iron and copper between two dark mountains under the stars.

Kings and wise hearts Dhul-Qarnayn and the Great Wall 7 min · Ages 4–12

A small glowing seed tucked inside a hollow in a large rock at sunset.

Kings and wise hearts Luqman’s Advice to His Son 7 min · Ages 4–12

Also in Animals in the Qur'an and Sunnah.