دَاوُود
Dawud (David)
A king given strength and wisdom, who fell in repentance when tested by his own judgment
Dawud enters the Quran as a soldier — the one who killed Goliath in the ranks of Talut's army — before God gives him kingship, wisdom, and a standing so favored that mountains and birds are described exalting God alongside him. He is given iron as pliable as wax, taught to make armor, and set up as a khalifa on earth with a single instruction: judge between people in truth. What makes his story distinct is what happens next — a test disguised as two disputing visitors, so pointed that Dawud does not defend himself when he recognizes it, but asks forgiveness and falls down in repentance on the spot.
David killed Goliath
Before the throne, there was a battlefield. When the outnumbered army of Talut held its ground by God's permission, Dawud was the one who killed Goliath — and it was after this that God gave him the kingship and wisdom, and taught him from what He willed. The Quran pauses here to note a wider principle: that if God did not check some people by means of others, the earth would be corrupted, but God is possessor of bounty for all the worlds.
فَهَزَمُوهُم بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَتَلَ دَاوُۥدُ جَالُوتَ وَءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُلْكَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهُۥ مِمَّا يَشَآءُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍۢ لَّفَسَدَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ
So they defeated them by permission of Allah, and David killed Goliath, and Allah gave him the kingship and prophethood and taught him from that which He willed. And if it were not for Allah checking [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allah is full of bounty to the worlds.
The mountains and birds exalting with him
God tells Muhammad ﷺ to be patient over what his opponents say and to remember His servant Dawud, possessor of strength, one who repeatedly turned back to God. The mountains, the Quran says, were subjected to exalt God together with him in the late afternoon and after sunrise, and the birds were assembled, all repeating the praise alongside him. His kingdom was strengthened, and he was given wisdom and decisiveness in speech.
ٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُۥدَ ذَا ٱلْأَيْدِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌ
Be patient over what they say and remember Our servant, David, the possessor of strength; indeed, he was one who repeatedly turned back [to Allah].
إِنَّا سَخَّرْنَا ٱلْجِبَالَ مَعَهُۥ يُسَبِّحْنَ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِشْرَاقِ
Indeed, We subjected the mountains [to praise] with him, exalting [Allah] in the [late] afternoon and [after] sunrise.
وَٱلطَّيْرَ مَحْشُورَةًۭ ۖ كُلٌّۭ لَّهُۥٓ أَوَّابٌۭ
And the birds were assembled, all with him repeating [praises].
وَشَدَدْنَا مُلْكَهُۥ وَءَاتَيْنَٰهُ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَفَصْلَ ٱلْخِطَابِ
And We strengthened his kingdom and gave him wisdom and discernment in speech.
Iron made soft in his hands
God gave Dawud bounty from Himself and commanded the mountains and birds to repeat His praises with him, and made iron pliable for him — telling him to make full coats of mail, calculate the links precisely, and work righteousness, for God is Seeing of what is done. Elsewhere the Quran adds that he was taught the fashioning of armor to protect people in battle, and asks, simply, whether they will then be grateful.
۞ وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُۥدَ مِنَّا فَضْلًۭا ۖ يَٰجِبَالُ أَوِّبِى مَعَهُۥ وَٱلطَّيْرَ ۖ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ ٱلْحَدِيدَ
And We certainly gave David from Us bounty. [We said], "O mountains, repeat [Our] praises with him, and the birds [as well]." And We made pliable for him iron,
أَنِ ٱعْمَلْ سَٰبِغَٰتٍۢ وَقَدِّرْ فِى ٱلسَّرْدِ ۖ وَٱعْمَلُوا۟ صَٰلِحًا ۖ إِنِّى بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌۭ
[Commanding him], "Make full coats of mail and calculate [precisely] the links, and work [all of you] righteousness. Indeed I, of what you do, am Seeing."
وَعَلَّمْنَٰهُ صَنْعَةَ لَبُوسٍۢ لَّكُمْ لِتُحْصِنَكُم مِّنۢ بَأْسِكُمْ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنتُمْ شَٰكِرُونَ
And We taught him the fashioning of coats of armor to protect you from your [enemy in] battle. So will you then be grateful?
Judge between the people in truth
In an earlier account, the Quran describes Dawud and Sulaiman judging a case concerning a field that a people's sheep had overrun by night, with God as witness to their judgment — God gave Sulaiman understanding of the case, while giving each of them judgment and knowledge. A separate, more searching account follows Dawud alone: two men climb into his private chamber, startling him, and present a dispute — one has ninety-nine ewes, the other only one, and the first pressured him to hand it over. Dawud rules against the first man, then realizes, mid-judgment, that he has been tested. He asks his Lord's forgiveness, falls down in repentance, and God forgives him, granting him nearness and a good place of return. It is only then that Dawud is told directly: he has been made a successor upon the earth, so let him judge between people in truth and not follow desire, for it leads away from God's way.
وَدَاوُۥدَ وَسُلَيْمَٰنَ إِذْ يَحْكُمَانِ فِى ٱلْحَرْثِ إِذْ نَفَشَتْ فِيهِ غَنَمُ ٱلْقَوْمِ وَكُنَّا لِحُكْمِهِمْ شَٰهِدِينَ
And [mention] David and Solomon, when they judged concerning the field - when the sheep of a people overran it [at night], and We were witness to their judgement.
فَفَهَّمْنَٰهَا سُلَيْمَٰنَ ۚ وَكُلًّا ءَاتَيْنَا حُكْمًۭا وَعِلْمًۭا ۚ وَسَخَّرْنَا مَعَ دَاوُۥدَ ٱلْجِبَالَ يُسَبِّحْنَ وَٱلطَّيْرَ ۚ وَكُنَّا فَٰعِلِينَ
And We gave understanding of the case to Solomon, and to each [of them] We gave judgement and knowledge. And We subjected the mountains to exalt [Us], along with David and [also] the birds. And We were doing [that].
۞ وَهَلْ أَتَىٰكَ نَبَؤُا۟ ٱلْخَصْمِ إِذْ تَسَوَّرُوا۟ ٱلْمِحْرَابَ
And has there come to you the news of the adversaries, when they climbed over the wall of [his] prayer chamber -
إِذْ دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ دَاوُۥدَ فَفَزِعَ مِنْهُمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ لَا تَخَفْ ۖ خَصْمَانِ بَغَىٰ بَعْضُنَا عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ فَٱحْكُم بَيْنَنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَلَا تُشْطِطْ وَٱهْدِنَآ إِلَىٰ سَوَآءِ ٱلصِّرَٰطِ
When they entered upon David and he was alarmed by them? They said, "Fear not. [We are] two adversaries, one of whom has wronged the other, so judge between us with truth and do not exceed [it] and guide us to the sound path.
إِنَّ هَٰذَآ أَخِى لَهُۥ تِسْعٌۭ وَتِسْعُونَ نَعْجَةًۭ وَلِىَ نَعْجَةٌۭ وَٰحِدَةٌۭ فَقَالَ أَكْفِلْنِيهَا وَعَزَّنِى فِى ٱلْخِطَابِ
Indeed this, my brother, has ninety-nine ewes, and I have one ewe; so he said, 'Entrust her to me,' and he overpowered me in speech."
قَالَ لَقَدْ ظَلَمَكَ بِسُؤَالِ نَعْجَتِكَ إِلَىٰ نِعَاجِهِۦ ۖ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْخُلَطَآءِ لَيَبْغِى بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَقَلِيلٌۭ مَّا هُمْ ۗ وَظَنَّ دَاوُۥدُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّٰهُ فَٱسْتَغْفَرَ رَبَّهُۥ وَخَرَّ رَاكِعًۭا وَأَنَابَ ۩
[David] said, "He has certainly wronged you in demanding your ewe [in addition] to his ewes. And indeed, many associates oppress one another, except for those who believe and do righteous deeds - and few are they." And David became certain that We had tried him, and he asked forgiveness of his Lord and fell down bowing [in prostration] and turned in repentance [to Allah].