The Prophet Dawud (as) had many children. The youngest of them was Sulayman (as). Before he died Sayyidina Dawud (as) spoke to Jibrail (as) saying that he wanted Sulayman (as) to be his heir, but since he was the youngest he did not know how he could accomplish this.
Jibrail (as) told him to spread sand on the floor of a small room and have each of his sons plant their staff upright into it and write his name beside it in the sand. The one whose stick had begun to sprout by morning would be his heir. They did this. Then they shut and locked the room.
The next day when they opened the room all the staffs were still dry and dead sticks except for the staff of Sulayman (as) which had grown into a huge tree. So all Daud ’s (as) sons accepted the choice of Sayyidina Sulayman (as) as sultan and they took swore allegiance to him.
Once he was on the throne Sayyidina Jibrail (as) came to Sulayman (as) and told him that he must look after the poor ones. Sayyidina Sulayman (as) asked, “O Jibrail (as), which ones are the poor ones? Even Imyself am poor. I have nothing of my own. ” Sayyidina Jibrail (as) told him to go to the top of the mountain where a lady was living with two orphans, “Go look after her, ” he said.
Sulayman (as) climbed the mountain and found a lady living in a poor hut with two daughters. Both her arms were covered with scratches and there was just a tattered mat on the hard floor. Sulayman (as) asked about the scratches and she told him that her girls slept with their heads on her arms at night so that her dear children would not hurt their heads on the rough floor. She said her husband had died a martyr and she had no family in this land to look after her.
Sulayman (as) said, “Allah made it permissible for you to marry someone to care for you and your daughters. ” She replied, “I can’t bear to bring a stepfather to care for my daughters. That’s why I remain patient. ” Sulayman (as) said, “If a good man comes you must marry him. ”
Sulayman (as) was very sad for this family. He returned to the palace. He made du’a, “O Lord give them from Your treasures. ” Sulayman (as) was king but he owned nothing of his own except what he earned with his own hands.
Allah ordered the Jinn to dive into the sea for gold and pearls. In one night the Jinn filled one room with gold and pearls. Sayyidina Sulayman (as) put it all on horses and camels and ordered the caravan up the mountain. They took the main road while he took a shortcut.
Sayyidina Sulayman (as) reached the house and found it surrounded by people. The lady sat behind a curtain. She had accepted the proposal of one good man as the King had ordered.
Her two daughters were playing outside when she called them in to look at the beautiful new dresses they had been given. She told them that they would have a stepfather now to look after them.
The daughters ran out crying and hugging each other. They cried, “We used to have a mother but now we have no one. ” All the guests began to cry with them.
The mother took off her new dress and said I will not marry. Everyone left except Sulayman (as).
At that time the caravan arrived with the gold and pearls. Sulayman (as) filled the room with treasure. “This is for you. You can give it or keep it. ” The lady and her girls were now very rich and they paid for the foundation of the Masjid al-Aqsa.
Sulayman (as) was only fifty-two when he died; leaning on his stick watching while the Jinn finished the temple.