﴿ فَلَمَّا قَضَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ ٱلْمَوْتَ مَا دَلَّهُمْ عَلَىٰ مَوْتِهِۦٓ إِلَّا دَآبَّةُ ٱلْأَرْضِ تَأْكُلُ مِنسَأَتَهُۥ ۖ فَلَمَّا خَرَّ تَبَيَّنَتِ ٱلْجِنُّ أَن لَّوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ ٱلْغَيْبَ مَا لَبِثُوا۟ فِى ٱلْعَذَابِ ٱلْمُهِينِ ﴾

“Yet [even Solomon had to die; but] when We decreed that he should die, nothing showed them that he was dead except an earthworm that gnawed away his staff. And when he fell to the ground, those invisible beings [subservient to him] saw clearly that, had they but understood the reality which was be­yond the reach of their perception, they would not have continued [to toil] in the shameful suffering [of servitude]”

(And when We decreed death for him) for Solomon, Solomon died and remained standing in his retreat for a year (nothing showed his death) the death of Solomon (to them save a creeping creature of the earth) a woodworm (which gnawed away his staff) and it is said: his short spear. (And when he fell) when Solomon fell to the ground (the jinn saw clearly how) the jinn and human beings saw clearly that they do not know the unseen, (if they had known the unseen, they would not have continued in despised toil) they would not have continued in their subservience. People thought before this that the jinn knew the unseen but when they saw this they realised that they did not.