Naml
15 We gave (in the past) knowledge to David and Solomon: And they both said: “Praise be to Allah, Who has favoured us above many of his servants who believe!”……………..
18. Till, when they reached the Valley of the Ants,
an ant exclaimed: O ants! Enter your dwellings lest Solomon and his armies crush you, unperceiving
19.And (Solomon) smiled, laughing at her speech, and said: My Lord, arouse me to be thankful for Thy favor wherewith Thou hast favored me and my parents, and to do good that shall be pleasing unto Thee, and include me in (the number of) Thy righteous slaves.
M. M. Pickthall
Now, without entering into the Tafsir ( Exegeses) I’ll say what I think about Solomon’s encounter with the Ants.
Notice back in ayah 16 it reads,
“And he (Solomon) said: O mankind! Lo! we have been taught the language of birds, and have been given (abundance) of all things. This surely is evident favor.”
If Allah had not given to David and to Solomon the gift of understanding the languages of creatures;and as we do see Solomon understood not only birds but insects too, then Solomon would not have understood the tiny ant and her warning to her fellows.
Solomon smiled, laughing at her speech, why because he thought it amusing, it sounded odd, or laughable? No, because he could understand her and he gives thanks to Allah for the gift of the understanding of the languages of creatures and promises to do what is right and good to be blessed by Allah – that he may be numbered among the righteous (slaves).
Solomon and his army did not trample the ants.
And Solomon doesn’t forget his parents either!
Br Andrew's Muses 