This alongside all the other articles on the stories of the prophets has been taken from Ṣaḥīḥ Qiṣaṣ al Anbiyāʾ (Authentic Stories of the Prophets) by Salim ibn ʿId al Hilali who revised Ibn Kathir’s (Qiṣas al Anbiyāʾ) Stories of the Prophets by removing weak, fabricated, repeated reports and unreliable Isra’ili reports, he only kept the Quran verses, sound hadiths and reports from the Salaf.
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The Story of Dawud عليه السلام and What Occurred in His Time, with Mention of His Virtues, Traits and the Proofs of His Prophethood
His Eating From The Earning Of His Own Hand
The Tasbih Of Dawud
The Meeting Of Kingship And Prophethood For Dawud عليه السلام
The Repentance Of Dawud عليه السلام
Some Of His Virtues And Sayings
Mention Of The Length Of His Life And How He Died
Summary
The Story of Dawud عليه السلام and What Occurred in His Time, with Mention of His Virtues, Traits and the Proofs of His Prophethood
Dawud عليه السلام was a slave of Allah, His prophet and His khalifah in the land of Bayt al Maqdis. After he killed Jalut, Banu Israil loved him and inclined to his rule, and kingship passed to him after what occurred with Talut.
Allah gathered for Dawud عليه السلام both kingship and prophethood, so he was given the good of this life and the Next, kingship after it had been in one tribe and prophethood in another, and Allah taught him from whatever He willed and made him a means by which He repelled some people by means of others so that the earth would not be corrupted.
His Eating From The Earning Of His Own Hand
Allah softened iron for Dawud عليه السلام and taught him how to make coats of armour, measuring precisely the links so they were neither too weak nor too thick, to protect the fighters from their own fighting.
He used this craft constantly, it is mentioned that he would complete a coat of armour in a day and sell it, and he would eat from what his own hand earned.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ informed that the purest food a man eats is from what he earns, and that the prophet of Allah Dawud عليه السلام used to eat from the work of his own hand.
The Tasbih Of Dawud
Dawud عليه السلام was described as possessing strength in worship and constantly turning back to Allah, with strength in obedience and deep understanding.
Allah subjected the mountains and the birds to join him in tasbih morning and evening, and gave him a powerful, beautiful voice so that when he recited his Book, the Zabur, the birds would halt in the air and the mountains would echo his glorification.
The Prophet ﷺ explained that the most beloved prayer and fast to Allah are the prayer and fast of Dawud عليه السلام, for he would sleep half the night, stand in prayer for a third, then sleep a sixth, and he would fast one day and not fast the next and would not flee when meeting the enemy, and his recitation of the Zabur was light for him so that he could finish it in the time his riding animal was prepared while still reciting with humility and melody.
The Meeting Of Kingship And Prophethood For Dawud عليه السلام
Allah strengthened the kingdom of Dawud عليه السلام, granted him prophethood, and gave him wisdom and decisive speech, so his rule was firm and his judgement clear and binding.
He was made a khalifah in the earth and commanded to judge between people with the truth and not to follow desire, with a warning that those who turn away from the path of Allah will have a severe punishment because they forget the Day of Reckoning.
From this meaning comes the description that the just ruler is a shade for creation and that Allah restrains by means of the sultan what is not restrained by mere recitation, and the promise that those who are just in their judgement, their families and what they are given authority over will be upon pulpits of light to the right of the Most Merciful.
The Repentance Of Dawud عليه السلام
Allah tested Dawud عليه السلام with the story of the two disputants who suddenly entered his private chamber and presented the case of one brother with ninety nine ewes asking for the single ewe of the other, overpowering him in speech, and Dawud عليه السلام hastened to judge that the one with many ewes had wronged the other and generalised that many partners oppress one another except those who believe and do righteous deeds.
He then realised that this was a test from his Lord, so he sought forgiveness, fell down in prostration and turned back to Allah, and Allah forgave him, granted him nearness and a good place of return.
The sajdah in Surat Sad is linked to this, for Dawud عليه السلام prostrated in repentance and the Prophet ﷺ prostrated in it as thanks, showing the acceptance of his repentance and honouring of his station.
Some Of His Virtues And Sayings
Dawud عليه السلام was an imam in justice, worship and different acts of nearness, such that no hour of the night or day passed except that some of his household were in worship, and they were addressed with the command to act in thankfulness while Allah mentioned that few of His slaves are truly thankful.
From what is related of his wise sayings are his urging to be like a gentle father to the orphan, his warning that a foolish speaker in gatherings is like a singer at the head of a dead person, his description of how ugly poverty after richness is and how worse misguidance after guidance is, his counsel to avoid doing in private what one would hate to be mentioned in public, and his prohibition of promising one’s brother something that will not be fulfilled because that plants enmity between them.
Mention Of The Length Of His Life And How He Died
In the well known report about the creation of Adam عليه السلام, when Allah brought out his descendants before him and Adam saw among them the prophets, he noticed a man with a bright appearance and was told that this was his son Dawud عليه السلام, whose life span was written as sixty years.
Adam عليه السلام asked that his life be increased and Allah informed him that this would only be by taking from Adam’s own thousand year life, so forty years were granted from Adam to Dawud عليه السلام, and when the term of Adam’s life later came he at first mentioned that forty years remained, having forgotten what he had given to his son. This shows the special mention of Dawud’s life span and how his years were linked to the first father of humanity.
Full Article
The Story of Dawud عليه السلام and What Occurred in His Time, with Mention of His Virtues, Traits and the Proofs of His Prophethood
Dawud عليه السلام was a slave of Allah, His prophet, and His khalifah in the land of Bayt al Maqdis. When he killed Jalut, Banu Israil loved him and inclined to him and to his kingship over them. Then what happened with Talut happened, and kingship passed over to Dawud عليه السلام. Allah gathered for him both kingship and prophethood, bringing together for him the good of this world and the Next. Kingship had used to be in one tribe and prophethood in another, and in this Dawud they were joined. This is as the Most High said:
وَقَتَلَ دَاوُدُ جَالُوتَ وَآتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهُ مِمَّا يَشَاءُ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَفَسَدَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
“Dawud killed Jalut, and Allah gave him kingship and wisdom, and taught him from whatever He willed. If Allah did not repel some people by means of others, the earth would indeed be corrupted, but Allah is full of favour to all the worlds.” (al Baqarah 2: 251)
That is, were it not for Allah setting up kings as rulers over people, the strong would devour the weak. For this reason it has come in some reports: “The sultan is the shade of Allah upon His earth.” (This is not authentic as a marfu narration, as in al Silsilah al Daifah 1661–1664 for our shaykh, may Allah have mercy on him.)
The Amir al Muminin Uthman ibn Affan رضي الله عنه said: “Allah restrains, by means of the sultan, that which is not restrained by the Qur’an.”
His Eating From The Earning Of His Own Hand
Allah the Exalted said:
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا دَاوُدَ مِنَّا فَضْلًا يَا جِبَالُ أَوِّبِي مَعَهُ وَالطَّيْرَ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ الْحَدِيدَ أَنِ اعْمَلْ سَابِغَاتٍ وَقَدِّرْ فِي السَّرْدِ ۖ وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا ۖ إِنِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
“We certainly gave Dawud a favour from Us. Mountains, echo with him, and the birds. We made iron soft for him. Make full coats of armour, and measure precisely in the links. Do righteous deeds. I am indeed Seeing of what you do.” (Saba 10–11)
And the Most High said:
وَسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاوُدَ الْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحْنَ وَالطَّيْرَ وَكُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ صَنْعَةَ لَبُوسٍ لَكُمْ لِتُحْصِنَكُمْ مِنْ بَأْسِكُمْ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنْتُمْ شَاكِرُونَ
“We subjected the mountains with Dawud, glorifying, and the birds, and We were the One who did that. We taught him the making of armour for you, to protect you from your own fighting. Will you then be thankful?” (al Anbiya 79–80)
Allah helped him in making coats of armour from iron so that he might protect the fighters from their enemies, and He guided him to this craft and how it should be done.
He said: “And measure precisely in the links,” meaning, do not make the rivet too thin so that it becomes loose, and do not make it too thick so that it snaps. This was said by Mujahid, Qatadah, al Hakam and Ikrimah.
Al Hasan al Basri, Qatadah and al A mash said: Allah had softened iron for him until he would mould it with his hand and did not need fire or hammer. Qatadah said: He was the first to make armour from chain links, whereas before that it had been from plates.
Ibn Shawdhab said: He used to make one coat of armour every day which he sold for six thousand dirhams.
The Tasbih Of Dawud
Allah the Exalted said:
وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُدَ ذَا الْأَيْدِ ۖ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ إِنَّا سَخَّرْنَا الْجِبَالَ مَعَهُ يُسَبِّحْنَ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالْإِشْرَاقِ وَالطَّيْرَ مَحْشُورَةً ۖ كُلٌّ لَهُ أَوَّابٌ وَشَدَدْنَا مُلْكَهُ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحِكْمَةَ وَفَصْلَ الْخِطَابِ
“Remember Our slave Dawud, the possessor of strength. He was ever turning in repentance. We subjected the mountains with him, glorifying in the evening and at sunrise, and the birds, gathered together, each one turning to Him. We strengthened his kingdom and gave him wisdom and decisive speech.” (Sad 17–20)
Mujahid said: “Dhu al Ayd” means strength in obedience, that is, he had strength in worship and righteous action. Qatadah said: He was given strength in worship and deep understanding in Islam.
His words, “We subjected the mountains with him, glorifying in the evening and at sunrise, and the birds gathered together, each one turning to Him,” are as He also said: “Mountains, echo with him, and the birds,” meaning, glorify along with him.
“We subjected the mountains with him, glorifying in the evening and at sunrise,” that is, at the end of the day and its beginning. Allah had given him such a mighty voice as He had not given anyone else.
Whenever he chanted in recitation of his Book, the birds would halt in the air, repeating after his repetition and glorifying with his glorification, and likewise the mountains would answer him and glorify along with him whenever he glorified, morning and evening. May Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him.
Ubayd ibn Umar said: Dawud عليه السلام used to take up the mizmar and strike it, then recite upon it, and it would echo back his voice to him. He intended by that to make himself weep and to make others weep. (Reported by al Tabari 23/86 with an authentic chain.)
Aishah said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard the voice of Abu Musa al Ashari while he was reciting, and he said: “Abu Musa has been given something from the flutes of the family of Dawud.” (Reported by Abdul Razzaq in al Musannaf 4165, and Ibn Asakir in Tarikh Dimashq 17/100–101.)
Abu Uthman al Nahdi said: I have heard the barbat and the mizmar, and I have never heard a voice more beautiful than the voice of Abu Musa al Ashari. (Reported by Ahmad 2/369 and 450, and al Nasa’i 2/180, and Ibn Majah 1341 and others with an authentic chain.)
Along with this gentle voice he was also quick in reciting the Book, the Zabur. As Imam Ahmad related from Abu Hurayrah, he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The recitation was made light for Dawud.
He would order that his riding animal be saddled, and he would have finished reciting the Qur’an before his riding animal was saddled, and he would not eat except from what his hand earned.” (Reported by al Bukhari 3420 and Muslim 1159. The word “Qur’an” here means the Zabur which Allah sent down to him and revealed to him. His mention of his riding animal is more likely to be preserved, for he was a king who had attendants, so he would recite the Zabur in the time it took the riding animals to be prepared, and this is a swift action along with reflection, melodious chanting and recitation with humility. May Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him.)
Allah the Exalted said:
وَآتَيْنَا دَاوُدَ زَبُورًا
“We gave Dawud the Zabur.” (al Nisa 163)
The Zabur is a well known Book. We mentioned in the tafsir the hadith which Ahmad and others related that it was sent down in the month of Ramadan, and that it contains admonitions and wisdoms that are well known to whoever looks into it.
The Meeting Of Kingship And Prophethood For Dawud عليه السلام
His words, “We strengthened his kingdom and gave him wisdom and decisive speech,” mean that We gave him a mighty kingdom and an effective, binding judgement. His words, “We gave him wisdom,” mean prophethood, and “decisive speech” is clarity in speech and clarity in judgement. Ibn Jarir chose this view.
The Repentance Of Dawud عليه السلام
Allah the Exalted said:
وَهَلْ أَتَاكَ نَبَأُ الْخَصْمِ إِذْ تَسَوَّرُوا الْمِحْرَابَ إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَى دَاوُدَ فَفَزِعَ مِنْهُمْ ۖ قَالُوا لَا تَخَفْ ۖ خَصْمَانِ بَغَىٰ بَعْضُنَا عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تُشْطِطْ وَاهْدِنَا إِلَىٰ سَوَاءِ الصِّرَاطِ إِنَّ هَذَا أَخِي لَهُ تِسْعٌ وَتِسْعُونَ نَعْجَةً وَلِيَ نَعْجَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فَقَالَ أَكْفِلْنِيهَا وَعَزَّنِي فِي الْخِطَابِ قَالَ لَقَدْ ظَلَمَكَ بِسُؤَالِ نَعْجَتِكَ إِلَىٰ نِعَاجِهِ ۖ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْخُلَطَاءِ لَيَبْغِي بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَقَلِيلٌ مَا هُمْ وَظَنَّ دَاوُدُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّاهُ فَاسْتَغْفَرَ رَبَّهُ وَخَرَّ رَاكِعًا وَأَنَابَ فَغَفَرْنَا لَهُ ذَلِكَ ۖ وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِنْدَنَا لَزُلْفَىٰ وَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ
“Has the story of the disputants come to you, when they scaled the private chamber. When they entered upon Dawud and he was alarmed by them.
They said, ‘Do not fear. We are two disputing parties. One of us has wronged the other, so judge between us with truth and do not exceed the bounds, and guide us to the even path. This is my brother.
He has ninety nine ewes, and I have one ewe. He said, “Entrust her to me,” and he overpowered me in speech.’ Dawud said, ‘He has certainly wronged you by demanding your ewe be added to his ewes.
Many partners indeed wrong one another, except those who believe and do righteous deeds, and they are few.’ Dawud thought that We had tested him, so he asked his Lord for forgiveness, and fell down bowing and turned in repentance. So We forgave him that, and he has, with Us, nearness and a good place of return.” (Sad 21–25)
Many of the mufassirun from the early and later generations have mentioned here stories and reports, most of which are from Israiliyat, and among them are things that are definitely fabricated. We have deliberately left off mentioning them in our book, being content and sufficing with simply reciting the story from the Great Qur’an. Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path.
The scholars have differed regarding the sajdah in Sad: is it one of the sujud of obligation in recitation, or is it a sajdah of thanks and not one of the obligatory sujud of tilawah. There are two sayings.
Al Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah related from the hadith of Ibn Abbas who said: A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, “Messenger of Allah, I saw in my sleep as if I were praying behind a tree.
I recited the sajdah and the tree made sajdah with my sajdah, and I heard it saying while it was in sajdah, ‘O Allah, write for me by this a reward with You, and make it a treasure stored up with You, and remove from me by it a burden, and accept it from me as You accepted it from Your slave Dawud.’”
Ibn Abbas said: I saw the Prophet ﷺ get up, then he recited the sajdah, then he made sajdah, and I heard him saying while in sajdah the same words that the man had quoted from the tree. (Authentic. Reported by al Tirmidhi 3424 and 579, and Ibn Majah 1053, and Ibn Hibban 691 from al Mawarid, and al Tabarani in al Kabir 11/11262, and al Hakim 1/219, and al Bayhaqi 2/320 with a weak chain because of the unknown status of al Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Ubayd Allah ibn Abi Yazid, but it has a supporting report from the mursal of Bakr ibn Abdillah al Muzani with similar meaning, related by Abdul Razzaq 5869 which is a sound mursal, and another from Abu Said al Khudri, related by al Tabarani in al Awsat 4765 and Abu Yala in his Musnad 1069 with a chain that is good due to other evidence. Altogether, it is undoubtedly authentic, and Allah knows best.)
Allah the Exalted said:
فَغَفَرْنَا لَهُ ذَلِكَ وَإِنَّ لَهُ عِنْدَنَا لَزُلْفَىٰ وَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ
“So We forgave him that, and he has, with Us, nearness and a good place of return.” (Sad 38–25)
Allah the Exalted said:
يَا دَاوُدُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَىٰ فَيُضِلَّكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا نَسُوا يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ
“O Dawud, We have indeed made you a khalifah in the earth, so judge between people with truth and do not follow desire, for it will lead you away from the path of Allah. Those who stray from the path of Allah will have a severe punishment because they forgot the Day of Reckoning.” (Sad 38–26)
This is speech from Allah the Exalted to Dawud, while the intent is all those in authority and the rulers of people. He commanded them to be just and to follow the truth that Allah has sent down, and not to follow other than that from opinions and desires, and He threatened whoever takes another path and judges by other than it.
Some Of His Virtues And Sayings
Dawud عليه السلام was the one followed in his time in justice, abundant worship and different kinds of acts of nearness. It was such that not an hour of the night or the ends of the day would pass except that the people of his household were in worship by night and by day. As the Most High said:
اعْمَلُوا آلَ دَاوُدَ شُكْرًا ۚ وَقَلِيلٌ مِنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ
“Work, family of Dawud, in thankfulness. Few of My slaves are truly thankful.” (Saba 34–13)
Ibn Asakir has mentioned, in his biography of Dawud عليه السلام, many fine things, among them his saying: “Be to the orphan like a gentle father, and know that just as you sow, so you will reap.”
Among them, his saying: “The likeness of a foolish orator in the gathering of people is like the singer at the head of a dead man.”
And his saying: “How ugly is poverty after richness, and uglier than that is misguidance after guidance.”
And his saying: “Look to what you dislike to be mentioned about you in the gathering of people, so do not do it when you are alone.”
And his saying: “Do not make a promise to your brother about something you will not fulfil for him, for that is enmity between you and him.” (Reported by Muslim 1827 from the hadith of Abdallah ibn Amr رضي الله عنه.)
Mention Of The Length Of His Life And How He Died
It has already preceded, in the mention of the hadiths that speak about the creation of Adam, that when Allah brought out his descendants from his back and he saw among them the prophets عليهم السلام, he saw among them a man who shone.
He said, “My Lord, who is this?” He said, “This is your son Dawud.” He said, “My Lord, how long is his life?” He said, “Sixty years.” He said, “My Lord, add to his life.”
He said, “Not unless I increase it from your life.” The life span of Adam was one thousand years, so He added forty years to it. When the life span of Adam was complete, the Angel of Death came to him. He said, “There remain forty years of my life.” Adam had forgotten what he had granted to his son Dawud.
