Yahya said: Solomon remained for a year leaning upon his staff, while they did not know that he had died. This is because the devils used to claim to the humans that they knew the unseen; thus, they continued working for him for a year, not knowing that he had died.
He said: "When he fell [falamma kharra]" – meaning Solomon; that is, he collapsed – "the jinn became clear [tabayyanat al-jinn]" to the humans "that if they had known the unseen, they would not have remained in the humiliating punishment," meaning: the labors [in which] he had subjected them.
Surah Saba, verses 15 through 17.
قَالَ يحيى: مكث سُلَيْمَان حولا وَهُوَ متوكئ عَلَى عَصَاهُ لَا يعلمُونَ أَنَّهُ مَاتَ. وَذَلِكَ أَن الشَّيَاطِين كَانَت تزْعم للإنس أَنهم يعلمُونَ الْغَيْب، فَكَانُوا يعْملُونَ لَهُ حولا لَا يعلمُونَ أَنَّهُ مَاتَ.
قَالَ ﴿فَلَمَّا خر﴾ سُلَيْمَان؛ أَي: سقط ﴿تَبَيَّنَتِ الْجِنُّ﴾ للإنس ﴿أَنْ لَوْ كَانُوا يَعْلَمُونَ الْغَيْبَ مَا لَبِثُوا فِي الْعَذَابِ المهين﴾ يَعْنِي: الْأَعْمَال [الَّتِي] سخرهم فِيهَا.
سُورَة سبأ الْآيَات من الْآيَة ١٥ حَتَّى الْآيَة ١٧.
