Tafsir of An-Naml 27:17

It is narrated that his encampment was one hundred farsakhs by one hundred: twenty-five for the Jinn, twenty-five for mankind, twenty-five for the birds, and twenty-five for the beasts. He had one thousand houses made of glass upon wood, containing three hundred wives and seven hundred concubines.

The Jinn wove for him a carpet of gold and silk, a farsakh by a farsakh. His pulpit, made of gold, was placed in the center. He would sit upon it, surrounded by six hundred thousand chairs of gold and silver. The prophets would sit on the gold chairs, and the scholars on the silver chairs. Around them were the people, and around the people were the Jinn and the devils. The birds would shade him with their wings so that the sun would not strike him, and the easterly wind would lift the carpet and carry it a month’s journey.

It is narrated that he would command the tempestuous wind to carry him and the gentle breeze to move him. While he was traveling between the heaven and the earth, God revealed to him: "I have increased your kingdom; no one shall speak a word but the wind shall cast it into your hearing."

It is told that he passed by a plowman who said, "The family of David has been given a great kingdom." The wind cast this into his ear. He descended, walked to the plowman, and said, "I only walked to you so that you would not wish for what you cannot attain." Then he said, "A single glorification (tasbih) that God accepts is better than what the family of David has been given."

{يوزعون} (They are kept in check): The first of them are held back for the last of them. That is, the vanguard of the army is halted until the rear guard catches up, so that they are all gathered together and none of them are left behind. This is due to their immense number.

{Until, when they came upon the valley of the ants, an ant said, "O ants, enter your dwellings, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you while they do not perceive."}