Dawud (David) was not only an illustrious Prophet of the Israelites but he was also their king. The Holy Qur'an affirms:
"And Allah gave him the kingdom! and wisdom and taught him of that which He willed." (2: 251).
"(And it was said unto him) 0' Dawud!To! We have set you as a vicegerent in the earth, therefore, judge aright between mankind and follow not desire." (38:26)
The Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) had an ancestral link with the Prophet Ya'qub (peace be upon him). He lived in Bait-ul-Lahm which was situated at the distance of ten miles from Jerusalem. The Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) was the youngest of his eight brothers. The Prophet Samuel (peace be upon him) had received an indication that the Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) would become king after Jalut (Goliath). He went to Baitul-Lahm to cast a glance at Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him). He was much impressed at his attractive and angelic sight.
The Prophet Dawud Adopts the Companionship of Talut:
According to the Torah Talut (Saul)was in quest of a man who could play on a harp. As the Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) was well versed in this art, he was asked to come to Talut and stay with him. The Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) passed most of the time in the companionship of his master and visited his father off and on. He helped him in tending the sheep. Thus he got an opportunity to hunt wild beasts. The Holy Qur'an, makes mention of Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) at many places.
Heroic Deeds of Prophet Dawud:
The Bible relates an incident which throws a light on the heroic deeds of Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him). Once a war broke out between the Israelites and the Philistines. The army of the Philistines was commanded by Jalut who was a man of lofty stature. He put on a shining armour. The Israelites were overawed to see Jalut's army which was well accoutred. He called out his opponents to combat but none of the Israelites had the courage to accept the challenge. He declared: In case any one of the Israelites overpowered me, I would surrender to him but if I gained the upper hand, the opponents would have to become under the sway of the servitude of the Philistines. The Israelites were terror-stricken. They had lost their courage and self respect. The Prophet could not bear this disgrace. So he decided to face Jalut for the sake of truth, honour and dignity. The king Talut advised him to refrain from fighting with an experienced warrior. The Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) did not budge an inch from his decision. He took his cudgel and proceeded towards the battle-field to fight with Jalut. When they faced each other, Jalut disdained his adversary and cursed him by taking the name of some deities. He threatened Talut that his flesh would be thrown before the wild beasts and birds. The Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) did not care for such warnings and marched forward. He prayed:
"Our Lord! Pour out constancy on us and make our steps firm and help us against those who are disbelievers." (2:249)
By God's will Jalut was killed by Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) and his army was put to rout. The Philistines took to their heels. The Israelites chased them and came by an enormous booty. The Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) won a good deal of appreciation and popularity because he rescued his people from those grave dangers which prevailed over them.
The Prophet Dawud is Raised to Eminence:
Talut (Saul) enriched Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) with valuable rewards and gave his daughter in marriage to him. He appointed him as the Supreme Commander of his army because of his valour. When he saw that Prophet Dawud's influence was increasing rapidly, he began to feel jealous of him. He nursed enmity against his son-in-law. The son of Talut was very kind to Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him). He informed him of the real position. The Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) tried his best to clear the mind of his father-in-law but in vain. Accidentally Taint was killed by his enemies and his son committed suicide. The Israelites unanimously acknowledged the Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) as their king. He managed the administration of the country efficiently. He conquered vast areas of land. The people prospered during his reign. They became morally strong, just, fair-minded and God-fearing
They worshipped one God. Their minds were illuminated with the light of true guidance.
Revelation of Zabur:
Allah revealed the Zabur (Book of Psalms) to Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him). It contains lessons for the guidance of Israelites. The Holy Qur'an says:
We gave to Dawud Zabur. (4: 163)
Whenever he recited the verses of the Zabur in a sweet melodious tone, the listeners began to dance in a fit of religious frenzy. They Rocked around him and eulogised God in the accompaniment of Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him). Above all the beasts. birds, creeping insects and even mountains were fascinated on hearing the recitation of the hymns from the Zabur. The Holy Qur'an affirms:
"We bestowed grace aforetime on Dawud from Ourselves. O ye mountains! Sing you back the praises of Allah with him and you birds also." (34:10)
It was We that made the hills declare in union with him Our praises at eventide and the break of day and the birds all with him turned to Allah." (38:18,19)
The Prophet Dawud as an Adept Craftsman:
Iron is hard stuff but in the hands of Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) it became soft and pliable to be turned into any shape. As an adept craftsman he made coats of mail. Thus the manufacture of this defensive armour is traditionally attributed to the Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him). The Holy Qur'an says:
"It was We who taught him the making of coats of mail for your benefit, to guard you from each other's violence. Will you then be grateful." (11:80)
"And We made the iron soft for him (commanding) make thou coats of mail balancing well the rings of chain armour and work ye righteousness." (34:10)
The Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) was endowed with the knowledge of understanding the tones of the bird. He could talk and listen to the birds just like human beings.
Dawud's Fasting and Prayer
Dawud (PBUH) fasted every other day. `Abdullah Ibn `Amr Ibn Al-`As narrated: Allah's Prophet (PBUH) said to me: "The most beloved fasting to Allah was the fasting of the Prophet Dawud , who used to fast alternate days. And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of Dawud , who used to sleep the first half of the night, and pray for one third of it and again sleep for a sixth of it." (Sahih Al-Bukhari).Iron Becomes Flexible for Dawud
Allah says: {And We made the iron soft for him.} [Ch 34:10 Quran]
Prophet Dawood Successor
Prophet Dawood had 19 sons. Each of them hoped to inherit the father's throne. Allah revealed to Prophet Dawood a few questions and their answers and commanded him to put the questions to each one of his sons. Whosoever answered those questions correctly, would inherit the throne of the father, Prophet Dawood.
One day Prophet Dawood called all his sons in the presence of the scholars and the chiefs of the tribes of his kingdom. He then put forward the following questions:
1) Which thing is closest (nearest) to man?
2) Which is the farthest thing?
3) Which two things are attached to each other?
4) Which is the most awe-creating thing?
5, Which two things remain unchanged?
6) Which two things are always different?
7) Which two things are opposed to each other?
8) What is the action the result of which is good?
9) What is that action the result of which is bad?
The sons of Prophet Dawood felt helpless and could not answer any of these questions. Then the youngest of the sons, Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) stood up and gave the following answers:
- The nearest things to a man is the hereafter (Life and Death - as one may die any moment);
- The farthest things is the time which has passed away (which is not to come again);
- The two things that are attached to each other is man's body with the soul;
- The most awe-creating is the man's body (dead) without soul;
- The two things which remain the same are the sky and the earth;
- The two things which are different are the day and night;
- The two things which are opposed to each other are life and death;
- The action - the end of which is good - is patience and forbearance at the time of anger;
- The action - the end of which is bad is haste at the time of anger.
Prophet Dawood obviously, was very much impressed with these correct answers and appointed Prophet Sulaiman as his successor.
Thus it will be seen that it was the supreme knowledge and understanding that made Prophet Sulaiman succeed his father and become the Great King Prophet.
The Death of Prophet Dawud
Dawud worshipped Allah, glorified Him and sang His praise until he died. According to traditions, Dawud died suddenly.It was so hot that people suffered from the intensity of the sun. Solomon called the birds to protect Dawud and the people from the sun, and they did so until he was buried. This was the first sign of his dominion to be witnessed by the people.
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