By Ansaar
The Prophets of Allah were very reflective people, where even the smallest thing would bring them back to the remembrance of Allah. An example of this is with Prophet Sulayman [alayhi salam] when him and his mighty army [of Jinns, men & birds] were marching.
Allah says:
حَتَّى إِذَآ أَتَوْا عَلَى وَادِى النَّمْلِ
Until when they came to the valley of the ants
قَالَتْ نَمْلَةٌ يأَيُّهَا النَّمْلُ ادْخُلُواْ مَسَـكِنَكُمْ لاَ يَحْطِمَنَّكُمْ سُلَيْمَـنُ وَجُنُودُهُ وَهُمْ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ
One of the ants said: O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest Sulayman and his armies should crush you, while they perceive not.
Prophet Sulayman had the ability to understand animals and he understood what the ant was saying.
فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَـحِكاً مِّن قَوْلِهَا
So he [Sulaiman] smiled, amused at her speech.
He smiled and began to enter a state of reflection and then supplicated to Allah saying:
وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِى أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِى أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَى وَالِدَىَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَـلِحاً تَرْضَـهُ
My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favours which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among Your righteous slaves.
Among these blessings, being the ability to understand the animals [where no other human was given this].
This miniscule thing caused him to reflect deeply and invoke Allah. We should take this example, where small thing should always remind us of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and allow us to remember the many blessings He has bestowed upon us!
Alhamdulilahi Rabbil ‘alameen!
