al-Hakam ibn al-Walid, from Nawf al-Himyari, who said: "The ants of Solomon were like the size of wolves."
16203 - My father narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Bashar narrated to us, Yazid ibn Harun narrated to us, Mis'ar informed us, from Zayd al-'Ammi, from Abu al-Siddiq al-Naji, who said: "Solomon son of David went out to pray for rain, and he found an ant lying on its back, raising its legs toward the sky, and it was saying: 'O Allah, I am a creation from Your creation; we are in need of Your rain, and if You do not give us water, You will destroy us.' Solomon then said: 'Go back, for you have been granted water due to the prayer of others besides you.'"
16204 - My father narrated to us, Ibn Abi 'Umar narrated to us, Sufyan said: "If Solomon son of David had not accepted it in the way that was befitting, the earth would have swallowed him up five hundred fathoms deep when the ant said: 'O ants, enter your dwellings.'" He said: "So he smiled, laughing at its speech, and said: 'My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents.'"
His saying (Exalted is He): "So he smiled, laughing at its speech"
16205 - Ahmad ibn Sinan narrated to us, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi narrated to us, from al-Hakam ibn 'Atiyyah, who said: "I asked Muhammad ibn Sirin about smiling during prayer, and he said: 'I do not consider it to be anything but laughter.' Then he recited: 'So he smiled, laughing at its speech.'"
His saying (Exalted is He): "And he said, 'My Lord, enable me to be grateful...'" to "...and admit me by Your mercy into [the ranks of] Your righteous servants."
[The First Aspect]
16206 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salih narrated to us, Mu'awiyah ibn Salih narrated to me, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talhah, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: "Enable me (awzi'ni)" - he said: "Make me."
The Second Aspect:
16207 - Muhammad ibn Yahya narrated to us, al-'Abbas informed us, Yazid narrated to us, Sa'id narrated to us, from Qatadah regarding "My Lord, enable me (awzi'ni) to be grateful," he said: "Inspire me to be grateful for Your favor." It was narrated from al-Suddi the like of it.
The Third Aspect:
16208 - Abu Yazid al-Qaratisi informed us in what he wrote to me, Asbagh ibn al-Faraj informed us, he said: I heard 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam regarding His saying: "My Lord, enable me to be grateful," he said: "In the speech of the Arabs, 'awza'a fulanan bi-fulan' means he urged him." Ibn Zayd said: "Enable me (awzi'ni) means inspire me and urge me to be grateful for Your favor."
(1). See Tafsir al-Thawri, p. 232.