34:11-12
34:11
(Commanding), “Make thou coast of mail, balancing well the rings of chain armour, and work ye
righteousness; for be sure I see (clearly) all that ye do.”
34:12
And to Solomon (We made) the Wind (obedient): Its early morning (stride) was a month’s
(journey), and its evening (stride) was a month’s (journey); and We made a Font of molten
brass to flow for him; and there were Jinns that worked in front of him, by the leave of his Lord, and if any
of them turned aside from our command, We made him taste of the Penalty of the Blazing Fire.
Some classical Qurʾānic commentators interpreted the verse describing molten copper for the Prophet Solomon (Sulaymān, peace be upon him) to mean that a miraculous spring emerged from the earth from which molten copper flowed instead of water. Other exegetes, however, understood the verse metaphorically, suggesting that it refers to the extensive use of copper smelting and metalworking during Solomon’s reign. According to this interpretation, the expression “a spring of molten copper” symbolizes the large-scale production and utilization of copper for construction and various practical purposes (cf. Qurʾān 34:12).
The Qurʾān also mentions that jinn and other supernatural beings were subjected to Solomon’s authority (Qurʾān 34:12–13). These passages indicate that the beings described as “satans” or jinn who worked under his command belonged to a category distinct from human beings. On this basis, many traditional commentators rejected interpretations proposed by some modern writers who suggested that these references were merely symbolic descriptions of human workers. The Qurʾānic wording and narrative context present the jinn as a separate order of creation whose subjection to Solomon constituted a unique divine favor. If the workers had been ordinary humans, the event would not have represented an extraordinary privilege, since large monumental constructions had already been achieved by human societies, such as the pyramids of ancient Egypt.
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References:
Maududi, Abul Ala (2010). Tafhim ul Quran.