He presented seeking forgiveness before requesting kingship, following the custom of the prophets and the righteous in prioritizing their religious matters over their worldly affairs. It should not be easy nor should it be. The meaning of 'after me' is 'after me'. If you say: does it resemble envy and the desire to monopolize the blessing to seek from Allah what He does not give to others? I say: Solomon, peace be upon him, was raised in the house of kingship and prophethood, inheriting both. He wanted to ask his Lord for a miracle, so he asked for a kingship that exceeded the kingdoms, an extraordinary increase that reached the level of a miracle, to serve as evidence of his prophethood, overpowering those sent to him, and to be a miracle that breaks the norms. This is the meaning of his saying 'it is not suitable for anyone after me'. It is said that he was a great king, and he feared that someone might be given something like it and would not uphold the limits of Allah in it, as the angels said: 'Will You place in it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood while we glorify You with praise and sanctify You?' It is also said that he sought a kingship that I would not be stripped of, nor would anyone else take my place in it, as I was once stripped of it and another took my place. It may be said that Allah knew what He had chosen him for from that great kingship had benefits in religion, and He knew that no one else could bear its burdens. Wisdom necessitated seeking it, so He commanded him to seek it. He sought it by a command from Allah in the manner that Allah knew only he could maintain it and not any of His other servants. Or he wanted to say a great kingship and said 'it is not suitable for anyone after me', and he did not intend by that anything but the greatness and vastness of the kingship, just as you say: for so-and-so is what no one else has of virtue and wealth. Perhaps others have similar things, but you intend to magnify what he possesses. And it was said to Al-Hajjaj: you are envious. He said: who is more envious than me than the one who said: 'give me a kingship that is not suitable for anyone after me'? This is from his audacity towards Allah and his devilishness, as he was reported to have said: our obedience is more obligatory than the obedience of Allah, for he conditioned it in his obedience. He said: 'So fear Allah as much as you are able' and he made our obedience unrestricted, saying: 'and those in authority among you'.