Did Hz. Sulayman slaughter horses?

- ​It is claimed that Hz. Sulayman (Solomon) loved horses very much, that he wanted horses from Allah due to this love, that Allah gave him horses and that he slaughtered the horses since they prevented him from worshipping. Are these claims true?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The information above that is mentioned in some tafsir resources is definitely not true. They are Israiliyat. That is, they include the information transferred to Islamic resources from Judaism and Christianity.

The explanations regarding the issue are included in the interpretations and explanations of verses 31-33 of the chapter of Sad.

The meaning of the verses in question is as follows:

“Behold, there were brought before him, at eventide coursers of the highest breeding, and swift of foot; And he said, "Truly do I love the love of good, with a view to the glory of my Lord,"- until (the sun) was hidden in the veil (of night): "Bring them back to me." Then began he to pass his hand over (their) legs and their necks.” (Sad, 38/31, 32, 33)

In some tafsir books, the verses above are translated very differently from the meaning that we prefer.

For instance, some scholars translated and explained the verses above as follows:

Once, attractive and thoroughbred race horses were brought before him toward the evening. He said, "I preferred love of goods to remembering my Lord. (Love of goods caused me to forget remembering my Lord, performing the afternoon prayer.)" The sun had disappeared behind its veil. He said, "Bring the horses back to me." When they were brought, he started to have their legs and necks cut off one by one (since they caused him to commit a sin).

There are interpretations in compliance with both translations in tafsir books.

However, we do not regard the second translation appropriate because, first of all, it is not possible for a prophet to love goods so much as to cause him to forget Allah; besides, it is not possible for a prophet to become so merciless as to massacre so many horses (twenty thousand according to some narrations) and so unjust as to make innocent horses suffer because of his own mistake.

According to this understanding, the sun set while Hz. Sulayman was busy with horses and the time for the afternoon prayer ended. First of all, the word “the sun” is not mentioned in the verse. When the horses are mentioned, it is stated that they disappeared with the use of a metaphorical expression. (The subject of the verb "tawarat" meaning "disappeared" in the verse can be both singular and plural.) It is more appropriate for the context for the horses to disappear.

It is understood that the interpretation that is not in compliance with the personality of Hz. Sulayman and that we do not prefer because of this is of Israiliyyat origin.

Some elements of Islam like the afternoon prayer were added to the same story.

In Jewish tradition, Hz. Sulayman (Solomon) is regarded as a king like his father Hz Dawud (David); therefore, Jews may have attributed such bad things that are impossible to comply with prophethood to him. (For some examples, see the Bible, 1 Kings, 11/1-10)

Since both Hz Dawud and Hz. Sulayman are prophets in the faith of Islam, it is impossible for the Quran, which uses very lofty expressions for prophets, to describe Hz. Sulayman as a person who loves goods so much as to forget Allah and as a cruel and merciless person.  

As a matter of fact, it is stated in the chapter of the Bible mentioned above that Hz. Sulayman deviated from the belief of one god with the influence of his foreign wives when he got old and that he worshipped idols. In the Quran (see al-Baqara, 2/102), those claims are described as “the lies of the evil ones” and the Jews who adopted such a belief about Hz. Sulayman are criticized. (see Kuran Yolu, the interpretation of the verses in question)

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