An-Naml 27:20

<h2>The Absence of the Hoopoe</h2><p>Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and others narrated from Ibn `Abbas and others that the hoopoe was an expert who used to show Sulayman where water was if he was out in open land and needed water. The hoopoe would look for water for him in the various strata of the earth, just as a man looks at things on the surface of the earth, and he would know just how far below the surface the water was. When the hoopoe showed him where the water was, Sulayman would command the Jinn to dig in that place until they brought water from the depths of the earth. One day Sulayman went to some open land and checked on the birds, but he could not see the hoopoe.</p><div class="arabic uthmani">فَقَالَ مَالِيَ لاَ أَرَى الْهُدْهُدَ أَمْ كَانَ مِنَ الْغَآئِبِينَ</div><p>(and (Sulayman) said: "What is the matter that I see not the hoopoe Or is he among the absentees") One day `Abdullah bin `Abbas told a similar story, and among the people was a man from the Khawarij whose name was Nafi` bin Al-Azraq, who often used to raise objections to Ibn `Abbas. He said to him, "Stop, O Ibn `Abbas; …

And he sought among the birds and said: How is it that I see not the hoopoe, or is he among the absent?

And he took a muster of the Birds; and he said: "Why is it I see not the Hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees?

He inspected the birds, and said: "What is the matter that I see not the hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees?

Then he inspected the birds, and said, “Why do I not see the hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees?