﴿وَلِسُلَيْمَـنَ الرِّيحَ عَاصِفَةً﴾

(And to Sulayman (We subjected) the wind strongly raging,) means, `We subjugated the strong wind to Sulayman.'

﴿تَجْرِى بِأَمْرِهِ إِلَى الاٌّرْضِ الَّتِى بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا﴾

(running by his command towards the land which We had blessed.) meaning, the land of Ash-Sham (Greater Syria).

﴿وَكُنَّا بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَـلِمِينَ﴾

(And of everything We are the All-Knower.) He had a mat made of wood on which he would place all the equipment of his kingship; horses, camels, tents and troops, then he would command the wind to carry it, and he would go underneath it and it would carry him aloft, shading him and protecting him from the heat, until it reached wherever he wanted to go in the land. Then it would come down and deposit his equipment and entourage. Allah says:

﴿فَسَخَّرْنَا لَهُ الرِّيحَ تَجْرِى بِأَمْرِهِ رُخَآءً حَيْثُ أَصَابَ ﴾

(So, We subjected to him the wind; it blew gently by his order whithersoever he willed.) ﴿38:36﴾

﴿غُدُوُّهَا شَهْرٌ وَرَوَاحُهَا شَهْرٌ﴾

(its morning was a month's (journey), and its afternoon was a month's) ﴿34:12﴾

﴿وَمِنَ الشَّيَـطِينِ مَن يَغُوصُونَ لَهُ﴾

(And of the Shayatin were some who dived for him,) means, they dived into the water to retrieve pearls, jewels, etc., for him.

﴿وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلاً دُونَ ذلِكَ﴾

(and did other work besides that;) This is like the Ayah:

﴿وَالشَّيَـطِينَ كُلَّ بَنَّآءٍ وَغَوَّاصٍ - وَءَاخَرِينَ مُقَرَّنِينَ فِى الاٌّصْفَادِ ﴾

(And also the Shayatin, every kind of builder and diver. And also others bound in fetters.) ﴿38:37-38﴾.

﴿وَكُنَّا لَهُمْ حَـفِظِينَ﴾

(and it was We Who guarded them.) means, Allah protected him lest any of these Shayatin did him any harm. All of them were subject to his control and domination, and none of them would have dared to approach him. He was in charge of them and if he wanted, he could set free or detain whomever among them he wished. Allah says:

﴿وَءَاخَرِينَ مُقَرَّنِينَ فِى الاٌّصْفَادِ ﴾

(And also others bound in fetters.) ﴿38:38﴾

﴿وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ أَنِّى مَسَّنِىَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ - فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِ مِن ضُرٍّ وَءَاتَيْنَـهُ أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُمْ مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَذِكْرَى لِلْعَـبِدِينَ ﴾

(83. And (remember) Ayyub, when he cried to his Lord: "Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy.'') (84. So We answered his call, and We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his family to him, and the like thereof along with them as a mercy from Ourselves and a Reminder for all those who worship Us.)