—so that it ran at his command toward the land upon which We had bestowed blessing, and We encompass all things in knowledge. And of the devils there were those who dived for him and did other work besides, and We kept watch over them. (al-Anbiyāʾ 21:81–82)

In Sūrah Ṣād He likewise says:
“So We subjected to him the wind, which blew gently at his command wherever he wished; and We also subjected the devils—every builder and diver, and others bound together in chains. ‘This is Our gift, so bestow or withhold without reckoning.’ And indeed he has, in Our presence, nearness and a beautiful return.” (38:36-40)

When Solomon gave up the horses for the sake of seeking Allah’s countenance, Allah compensated him with the wind, whose movement is swifter, stronger, and greater, and which cost him no exertion at all. It would blow at his command, gently, “wherever he wished,” that is, to any land he desired.

He possessed a wooden platform(1) upon which he would ride—large enough to hold everything he might require: built houses, palaces, tents, goods, horses, camels, heavy loads, men of humankind and jinn, and other animals and birds. Whenever he wished to travel, go on an outing, or march against a king or some enemies in any land Allah willed, he would load all that onto the platform and command the wind to enter beneath it; it would lift it up. Once it was suspended between heaven and earth he would order the gentle breeze(2) and it would carry him along. Should he desire greater speed he would command the tempestuous wind, which would carry him with the utmost swiftness and set him down wherever he wished. Thus he might set out at the beginning of the day from Jerusalem, and the wind would convey him to Istakhr—a month’s journey away—where he would stay until day’s end, then return in the evening to Jerusalem.

The Exalted says:
“And for Solomon the wind—its morning course was a month, and its evening course was a month. And We caused a spring of molten copper to flow for him. And among the jinn were those who worked before him by permission of his Lord; and whoever among them swerved from Our command We made him taste the punishment of the burning flame. They fashioned for him whatever he wished: lofty halls, statues, basins like reservoirs, and huge cauldrons fixed in place. ‘Work, O family of David, in gratitude’—yet few of My servants are truly grateful.” (Sabaʾ 34:12-13)

Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said: “He would set out in the morning from Damascus, alight at Istakhr and take lunch there, then depart and spend the night in Kabul. Between Damascus and Istakhr is a month’s journey, and between Istakhr and Kabul another month.”(3)

I say: Scholars who discuss cities and civilisation mention that Istakhr was built for Solomon by the jinn, and that in ancient times it was the seat of the Turkic kingdom. They say the same about various other towns—such as Tadmor (Palmyra), Jerusalem, and the two gates in Damascus, Bāb Jīrūn and Bāb al-Barīd—according to one view.(4)

As for al-qiṭr,(5) Ibn ʿAbbās, Mujāhid, ʿIkrimah, Qatādah and many others said that it is copper. Qatādah added that the spring was in Yemen and Allah caused it to flow for Solomon. Al-Suddi said: “It flowed for only three days, yet from it he took everything he needed for construction and other purposes.”