2020-09-10 Thu

Soloman or Prophet Sulayman was a king of the Jewish people and wise ruler of the United Kingdom of Israel. He was the builder of the First Temple in Jerusalem. The son of King David (Prophet Dawud), Sulayman was born and raised in Jerusalem, Palestine. The Biblical and Islamic text tells many stories of Sulayman and his amazing achievements. They ascribe to Sulayman a great level of wisdom, knowledge, and power. One of the most beloved stories is the Judgment of Solomon. It tells the story of two women who came to the King with two young babies- one alive and one dead. Both claimed that the living child was their own and that the other woman was only pretending to be the mother of the surviving infant. Sulayman announced that the child should be cut in two so that each mother should have half. The real mother, unable to bear her son being killed; immediately offered it to the other woman to save the child’s life whereas the other agreed to the proposal. The false mother was thus exposed, and Sulayman returned the living child to its real mother. The judgment became known throughout all of Israel and was considered an example of profound wisdom. The commemorative stamps issued by the postal department of the Ivory Coast and Saint Pierre and Miquelon illustrate this story beautifully. Image Source: colnect.com