The Quran

Preface

وَلِسُلَيمانَ الرّيحَ غُدُوُّها شَهرٌ وَرَواحُها شَهرٌ ۖ وَأَسَلنا لَهُ عَينَ القِطرِ ۖ وَمِنَ الجِنِّ مَن يَعمَلُ بَينَ يَدَيهِ بِإِذنِ رَبِّهِ ۖ وَمَن يَزِغ مِنهُم عَن أَمرِنا نُذِقهُ مِن عَذابِ السَّعيرِ

Yusuf Ali

And to Solomon (We made) the Wind (obedient):¹ Its early morning (stride) was a month?s (journey), and its evening (stride) was a month?s (journey); and We made a Font² of molten brass to flow for him; and there were Jinns that worked in front³ 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.

Cf. 21:81-82, n. 2736, and 38:36-38. See also 27:38-39. The winds are swift and can cover in a short morning’s or evening’s flight the distance it takes a whole month to cover on foot or by bullock cart. In our own day, with air speeds of 400 miles and more per hour, this seems a moderate statement.
In the Old Testament, 2 Chronicles, Chapters 3, and 4, are described the various costly materials with which Solomon’s Temple was built, and it was furnished with vessels, candlesticks, lamps, censers, etc. “Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance: for the weight of the brass could not be found out” (2 Chronicles, 4:18). “Also he made a molten sea often cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about” (2 Chronicles, 4:2). The receptacle or “sea” or Font was made of molten brass: presumably it contained flowing water for washing with.
See 27:17, and n. 3257. (R).