79 Preface فَفَهَّمناها سُلَيمانَ ۚ وَكُلًّا آتَينا حُكمًا وَعِلمًا ۚ وَسَخَّرنا مَعَ داوودَ الجِبالَ يُسَبِّحنَ وَالطَّيرَ ۚ وَكُنّا فاعِلينَAhmed AliWe made Solomon understand the case, and bestowed on each wisdom and knowledge, We subdued the al-jibal with David to sing Our praises, and at-tair.1 It is We who did it. Although al-jibal and at-tair commonly mean mountains and birds respectively here they mean chiefs of tribes and small kingdoms. See note to verse 38:19. The note on verse 27:18 may also be seen for the metonymic use of some common nouns. Verse 81 above refers to Solomon’s maritime trade and his fleet which used to sail to Ophir down the Red Sea.