Stories of the Prophets.
Stories of the Prophets,
peace be upon them.
The blessings of Allah,
followed
by peace,
be upon the best of all
creation,
the resolute Messengers
whose station
is exalted.
The story of David (Dawud),
peace be upon him.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
and may peace and blessings
be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
and upon his family and Companions,
all together.
To proceed:
The Children of Israel remained
on the path of uprightness
for a period of time.
Then, they innovated
corrupt practices after that,
committed abominations,
and some of them worshipped idols.
Yet there never ceased to be among
them prophets
who enjoined good upon them,
forbade them from evil,
and kept them steadfast upon the Torah,
until they committed what they committed
of destructive sins.
So Allah gave power over them
to their enemies, who inflicted upon them
a great slaughter,
took many captives,
seized from them many
lands,
and even stripped them of the Ark (Tabut),
which was an inheritance
of the servants of Allah, peace be upon him,
and took the Torah from their hands,
so that none remained who memorized it
among them except very few.
After a long time,
faith was rekindled
among them anew,
and they asked a prophet of theirs,
named Samuel (Shamwil),
to appoint for them a king
to lead them in a battle of dignity
against the enemies
who had stripped them of their sovereignty,
their wealth, and their homes.
When their prophet wished
to verify the sincerity of their resolve
to fight,
he said to them:
"I fear that if fighting is ordained for you,
you will not fight,
and you will go back on your word."
They denounced this statement of his,
and their enthusiasm rose
to its peak, saying:
“Bethink thee of the leaders of the Children of Israel after Moses, how they said unto a prophet whom they had: Set up for us a king and we will fight in Allah's way. He said: Would ye then refrain from fighting if fighting were prescribed for you? They said: Why should we not fight in Allah's way when we have been driven from our dwellings with our children? Yet, when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, all save a few of them. Allah is aware of evil-doers.” (2:246)
"in the cause of Allah,
“Bethink thee of the leaders of the Children of Israel after Moses, how they said unto a prophet whom they had: Set up for us a king and we will fight in Allah's way. He said: Would ye then refrain from fighting if fighting were prescribed for you? They said: Why should we not fight in Allah's way when we have been driven from our dwellings with our children? Yet, when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, all save a few of them. Allah is aware of evil-doers.” (2:246)
and our children?"
When their prophet saw that resolve in them,
he supplicated Allah Almighty
for them.
But when Allah prescribed
fighting upon them, they turned away,
except for a few of them,
as was the habit
of the Children of Israel in breaking covenants,
reneging on promises,
and scattering
halfway through the path.
Allah chose for the Children of Israel
a king called Saul (Talut).
He was a water-carrier,
and it was also said
he was a tanner.
It was customary among them
that prophethood belonged to
the tribe of Levi,
and kingship belonged to the tribe of Judah.
So when Allah chose
Talut as king over them,
and he was from the tribe of Benjamin,
they felt aversion toward him
and challenged his leadership,
saying: "We are more worthy
of kingship than he."
They also cited that he was poor
with little wealth.
Their prophet said to them:
“Their Prophet said unto them: Lo! Allah hath raised up Saul to be a king for you. They said: How can he have kingdom over us when we are more deserving of the kingdom than he is, since he hath not been given wealth enough? He said: Lo! Allah hath chosen him above you, and hath increased him abundantly in wisdom and stature. Allah bestoweth His Sovereignty on whom He will. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.” (2:247)
"and has increased him abundantly
in knowledge,"
so that he might master through it
matters of politics, military strategy,
and the management of battles,
"and stature,"
so that his presence and impact would be formidable
in hearts and on the battlefield.
They said to their prophet:
"If you are truthful,
bring us a sign
proving that he is the king."
So their prophet gave them the choice
of whatever sign they desired,
and they said:
"That the Ark be returned to us."
It was a chest overlaid
with plates of gold,
containing tranquility and dignity,
as well as remnants
of the relics of Moses and Aaron,
peace be upon them,
which were Moses' staff, his garments,
and some of the Tablets in which
the Torah was written.
Thereupon, the angels came carrying
the Ark between heaven and earth,
until they placed it
right before Talut,
while the people looked on.
So they believed in the prophethood of Samuel
and obeyed Talut.
Talut set out with an army numbering
eighty thousand,
but he knew
that he would face a massive army
that surpassed them in equipment
and outnumbered them,
containing fierce and mighty warriors.
Talut also knew
that his army came from a defeated
nation that had known
defeat and humiliation for a long
history.
So he wanted to test them before reaching
the battlefield,
and said to them:
"Allah will test you
with a river; whoever drinks
from it is not of me,"
meaning: he shall not accompany me,
“And when Saul set out with the army, he said: Lo! Allah will try you by (the ordeal of) a river. Whosoever therefore drinketh thereof he is not of me, and whosoever tasteth it not he is of me, save him who taketh (thereof) in the hollow of his hand. But they drank thereof, all save a few of them. And after he had crossed (the river), he and those who believed with him, they said: We have no power this day against Goliath and his hosts. But those who knew that they would meet Allah exclaimed: How many a little company hath overcome a mighty host by Allah's leave! Allah is with the steadfast.” (2:249)
"except whoever scoops
a single scoop with his hand,"
meaning: there is no harm upon him.
Yet they drank from it, except
for a few of them.
Here the ranks were purged
anew,
and thousands upon thousands departed from it,
turning back on their heels.
Ibn Abbas,
may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said:
"Whoever scooped from it with his hand
had his thirst quenched, but whoever drank
deeply from it was not quenched."
So seventy-six thousand drank,
and there remained
with him only four thousand.
When they went out
onto the battlefield
and faced the combat,
they caught sight of fierce warriors
among their enemies,
superior to them in readiness
and surpassing them in equipment,
with Goliath (Jalut), their valiant champion,
leader, and chief of
their battalion, charging
and roaming about.
Thus, Talut's companions split into two groups:
one group whose
resolve faltered,
whose hearts were struck with terror,
and whose strength gave out,
saying: "We have no
power today against Jalut and his soldiers."
So these men fell away
from the believing army.
But another group among them
had their morale
remain patient and steadfast;
they were the ones whose hearts were filled with faith,
imbued with the love of Allah Almighty,
and prepared
for death.
The great number of their enemies did not trouble them,
nor were they deterred
by their own small numbers.
Thus, they were reduced to three hundred
and some-odd men.
They said,
“And when Saul set out with the army, he said: Lo! Allah will try you by (the ordeal of) a river. Whosoever therefore drinketh thereof he is not of me, and whosoever tasteth it not he is of me, save him who taketh (thereof) in the hollow of his hand. But they drank thereof, all save a few of them. And after he had crossed (the river), he and those who believed with him, they said: We have no power this day against Goliath and his hosts. But those who knew that they would meet Allah exclaimed: How many a little company hath overcome a mighty host by Allah's leave! Allah is with the steadfast.” (2:249)
"has overcome a large company
by Allah's permission,
and Allah is with the patient."
And when they went forth
against Goliath and his soldiers,
they prayed: "Our Lord, pour down
upon us patience,
plant our feet firmly,
and grant us victory over the disbelieving people."
This group,
deeply connected to Allah,
is the one that determines the outcome
of the battle, once
it renews its covenant with Allah,
turns its heart
entirely toward Him, seeking victory
from Him alone,
as it stands alone facing that
terrifying situation.
Among the followers of Saul was
a young youth,
seventeen years of age,
named David.
He used to tend his family's sheep.
He went out along with
his elder brothers
to confront Goliath's army.
When the two opposing ranks drew up,
Goliath stepped forward,
strutting between the two battle lines.
He was one of the mighty
giants,
a formidable, valiant warrior
whom none could withstand.
He called out for single combat,
striking dread into the hearts of the people,
who shrank back from dueling him.
Saul then announced:
"Whoever goes out to face him
and slays him, I will give him
my daughter in marriage, and he shall have
kingship after me."
David came forward
and said, "I will go out
against him." But Saul looked down upon him
when he saw him, owing to his tender
age and slight stature.
Saul called out
a second and a third time,
yet no one stepped forward.
David approached him again and said,
"I will go out against him
and slay him, if Allah wills."
Saul then granted him permission.
So David stepped down, took up
his weapon and his sling,
and marched out toward Goliath.
When Goliath saw him,
he belittled him and said,
"Are you, a mere lad, coming out
against me?"
David replied, "Yes,
and I am the one who will kill you."
Goliath was enraged
and moved to strike David with his sword.
David dodged
his blow,
then loaded his sling,
pronounced the Name of Allah,
and struck Goliath right in the head,
felling him to the ground.
He then severed his head and cast it
before his army.
Chaos erupted among the enemy ranks,
and they suffered an utter defeat.
Allah,
the Blessed and Exalted, bestowed upon His servant
David the kingship over the Children
of Israel after Saul,
and granted him prophethood,
which is even more noble than kingship,
succeeding Samuel,
peace be upon him,
further elevating him
in ranks of honor and perfection.
Never before had
kingship and prophethood been united in a single person
among the Children of Israel prior to him.
From this moment,
the star of the Prophet of Allah,
David, peace be upon him, began to shine.
Allah favored
David, peace be upon him,
with immense blessings, teaching him
unique matters with which He distinguished him above all others,
and praised him
for qualities that set him apart
from the rest of mankind.
Among these favors
was that Allah, Glorified and Exalted,
firmly established his reign
by inspiring awe for him
in the hearts of the people,
making him the mightiest of earthly kings
in authority.
Every night, his prayer chamber was guarded
by thirty-six
thousand men,
whose turn to guard would not recur
until the following year.
David, peace be upon
him, ruled for forty years,
and throughout his reign, there was never
any attempt to challenge
or oppose him.
Allah also granted him wisdom—
which is prophethood—
and sound judgment in speech,
namely, a profound,
piercing understanding of legal disputes,
along with sound,
decisive verdicts in all conflicts.
It also encompasses eloquence of address
and mastery of speech;
indeed, he was the first to use the phrase
"amma ba'd" (to proceed),
whenever he intended to transition to a new subject.
Furthermore, Allah granted
David, peace be upon him, the Psalms (Zabur),
which was a scripture
revealed from Allah
comprising one hundred and fifty chapters,
all consisting of supplications,
glorification, and praise
of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
It contained no rulings of the permissible and impermissible,
nor prescribed obligations,
nor legal penalties.
Its recitation was made exceptionally effortless for him;
he would order his mount
to be saddled,
and he would finish reciting the entire Zabur
before the saddling of his mount was completed.
Among that which was inscribed in it:
“And verily we have written in the Scripture, after the Reminder: My righteous slaves will inherit the earth:” (21:105)
"the righteous servants of Allah,"
referring to Muhammad,
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his Ummah.
Allah also blessed him
with a melodious, remarkably sweet voice;
whenever
he chanted praises to Allah with it,
the firm, towering,
solid mountains would echo praises alongside him,
and the birds would halt in midair
as they flew out at dawn
and returned at dusk,
responding to his chanting in all their various tongues.
Everyone who heard him was enchanted by it,
from among humans, jinn,
birds, and mountains,
so they all glorified Allah along with him,
and he would earn the reward
for their glorification
since he was the cause of it.
In the Sahih, it is related
that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
once heard the voice of Abu Musa
al-Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him,
reciting during the night;
he paused to listen
to his recitation,
and then said:
"This man has indeed been granted one of the flutes
from the musical instruments of the family of David."
Allah, Exalted is He,
also described David, peace be upon him,
as being "awwab,"
meaning one who constantly turns
to Allah in repentance and devotion,
and as "dhal-ayd" (possessor of strength),
meaning that he possessed
great strength and endurance in acts of obedience
and worship.
It is recorded in the Sahihayn that the Messenger of Allah,
peace be upon him,
said:
"The most beloved prayer to Allah
is the prayer of David,
and the most beloved fast to Allah
is the fasting of David.
He used to sleep half of the night,
pray for a third of it,
and sleep for its sixth.
He would also fast on alternate days,
fasting one day and not fasting the next,
and he never fled when facing the enemy."
Allah also praised David,
peace be upon him, with patience,
and He commanded our Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
to be patient with the harm of Quraysh,
reminding him
of the patience of Dawud (David), peace be upon him,
so that he might follow his example.
Allah Almighty said:
"Be patient over what they say
and remember
Our servant, Dawud,
the possessor of strength; indeed, he was
repeatedly turning back to Allah.
Indeed, We
subjected the mountains with him,
exalting Allah in the evening
and at sunrise,
and the birds gathered,
each to Him
turning back.
And We strengthened his kingdom
and gave him wisdom
and sound judgment."
And Allah,
Glorified and Exalted be He,
favored Dawud, peace be upon him, with something
that was given to no one before him
nor after him:
He softened iron for him.
Iron in his hands was
like wax and dough;
he could fashion whatever he willed from it
without fire or striking
with a hammer.
It is narrated that Dawud, peace be upon him,
used to go out in disguise
and ask the people about their king,
Dawud, and about his conduct.
He would not ask anyone
without them praising him with good.
Then Allah sent
an angel in the form of a man.
Dawud met him
and asked him just as he was accustomed to
ask others.
He said, "He is the best of people
for himself and for his nation,
except that he has one trait:
if it were not for it,
he would be complete."
Dawud asked, "And what is it?"
He replied, "He eats
and feeds his family
from the public treasury of the Muslims."
At that moment,
Dawud, peace be upon him, turned
toward his Lord in supplication,
asking Him to teach him a craft
by which he could be self-sufficient and sustain himself,
and feed his family.
So Allah softened iron for him
and taught him the craft of making coats of chainmail;
he was the first to make them.
Allah instructed him
to make them full-length coats of mail
that cover the entire body,
and to measure
the links precisely:
neither too small
so as to weigh down the warrior,
nor too loose
such that spears could penetrate them
and swords could cut through them,
but rather balanced between that.
Allah Almighty said:
"And We certainly gave
Dawud from Us
bounty:
'O mountains, repeat Our praises
with him, and the birds as well.'
And We softened
for him iron:
'Make full coats of mail
and calculate precisely the links,
and work righteousness.
Indeed I, of whatever
you do, am All-Seeing.'"
Thus, Dawud, peace be upon him,
used to make coats of mail with his own hands
and sell them;
he would eat from their price
and give in charity.
For despite being a king
whom Allah had established firmly in the earth,
nevertheless he would not
eat except from the work of his own hands.
One day,
while Dawud, peace be upon him,
was alone by himself,
worshiping in his sanctuary,
having closed his door,
he was startled by a group
scaling the walls of the sanctuary upon him.
He was terrified of them
because they had entered upon him
at an unusual time
and without seeking permission,
and because of how they managed
to bypass all the guards
and reach him.
In reality,
they were none other than
angels.
They said to him,
"Do not fear.
We are two disputants who have differed
between ourselves,
and we have come to you so that you may judge
between us with truth.
Do not exceed the bounds by inclining
toward either party."
One of the disputants said,
"Indeed, this is my brother;
“Lo! this my brother hath ninety and nine ewes while I had one ewe; and he said: Entrust it to me, and he conquered me in speech.” (38:23)
and I have only one,
yet he demanded it from me
to add it to his ewes,
and he pressured me
and overpowered me in speech
because he is stronger
and more articulate than I am."
Faced with this matter
which seemed so clear,
and with his brother raising no objection
to what he said,
Dawud did not hesitate to say
in his judgment:
“(David) said: He hath wronged thee in demanding thine ewe in addition to his ewes, and lo! many partners oppress one another, save such as believe and do good works, and they are few. And David guessed that We had tried him, and he sought forgiveness of his Lord, and he bowed himself and fell down prostrate and repented.” (38:24)
"to his ewes."
That was before he had heard
from the other party.
Thereupon, the two disputants vanished,
and Dawud,
peace be upon him, realized his mistake.
He knew that this
was a test for him from Allah;
he ought to
have heard from both parties
before issuing a ruling.
Therefore, he fell down
prostrating to Allah Almighty
and repented.
Allah Almighty said:
"And has there come to you
the news of the disputants, when they climbed over the wall of
the sanctuary?
“How they burst in upon David, and he was afraid of them. They said: Be not afraid! (We are) two litigants, one of whom hath wronged the other, therefor judge aright between us; be not unjust; and show us the fair way.” (38:22)
When they entered upon Dawud and he was frightened of them,
they said, 'Fear not.
We are two disputants, one of whom has wronged
the other,
so judge between us
with truth,
so judge between us with truth
and do not exceed the bounds,
and guide us to the even
path.
Indeed, this
is my brother; he has ninety-nine
ewes,
while I have one ewe,
while I have one ewe,
so he said,
"Entrust it to me,"
and he overpowered me in speech.'
Dawud said, 'He has certainly
wronged you in demanding
your ewe in addition to his ewes.
And indeed, many
partners
oppress
one another,
oppress one another,
except those who believe
and do righteous deeds—
and few are they.'
And Dawud became certain
that We had only tested him,
so he asked forgiveness of
his Lord
and fell down bowing
and repented.
So We forgave him that;
and indeed, for him
with Us
is a near access
and a good place of return.
'O Dawud,
indeed We have made you
a successor upon the earth,
so judge between the people
in truth,
"So judge between the people
in truth,
so judge between the people
in truth,
and do not follow desire,
lest it mislead you from the path
of Allah."
"Indeed, those who go astray
from the path of Allah
will have a punishment
severe,
will have a punishment
severe,
because they forgot the Day
of Reckoning."
Dear honorable brothers,
the Prophet of Allah
Dawud, peace be upon him,
has been mentioned in the Qur'an sixteen times.
And from his story,
we derive many lessons
and morals.
Among them is that Allah's Sunnah
is executed among His creation,
just as He destroyed the leader of the Amalekites, Goliath (Jalut),
by the slingshot of Dawud,
peace be upon him,
and destroyed his people, who possessed superior numbers
and equipment,
through merely three hundred and a dozen or so
men who believed in Allah.
High positions do not alter
a person's true character.
For Dawud, peace be upon him,
despite the kingdom and immense wealth he possessed,
was nonetheless a blacksmith
who ate from the labor of his own hands,
and he was constant in fasting and standing in night prayer,
abundant in the remembrance and glorification
of Allah Almighty.
The grace of Allah Almighty
upon Dawud, peace be upon him:
Adam, peace be upon him, saw him
in the primordial realm ('Alam al-Dharr)
among his descendants,
and between his eyes
was a shining glimmer of light.
So he asked about him,
and Allah said:
"This is a righteous servant
from among the latter generations of your offspring."
Allah Almighty
praises and loves
strength in His obedience—
strength of both heart and body.
For indeed, there results from it
effects of obedience, its excellence,
and its abundance
such as cannot be attained with feebleness
and lack of strength.
And a servant ought to adopt
the means to attain it,
and not succumb to laziness and idleness,
which compromise strength
and weaken the soul.
Allah Almighty's care
for His prophets and chosen ones
whenever any lapse occurs on their part,
by trying
and testing them
with that which removes the shortcoming from them,
so that they return
to a state even more perfect than their initial one.
The utter forbearance
of Dawud, peace be upon him:
for he did not become angry with the two litigants
when they entered upon him without permission—
even though he was the king—
nor did he rebuke them
or scold them.
A servant ought to accept
admonition and sincere counsel,
even if he is of great status
and profound knowledge.
Thus, if anyone admonishes or advises him,
he should not grow angry or feel resentful,
but rather hasten to accept it
and show gratitude.
For the two disputants admonished Dawud,
peace be upon him,
yet he was neither resentful nor angered.
Mingling among
relatives and associates,
and worldly and financial dealings
between them,
tend to incite enmity among them
and cause some of them to wrong
one another;
and nothing restrains from that
except practicing the consciousness of Allah,
exercising patience in all matters
through faith and righteous deeds.
And indeed, this is among the rarest
of traits among people.
To be continued,
if Allah wills.
And Allah knows best.
And may the peace and blessings of Allah be
upon our Prophet Muhammad,
and upon his family
and all his Companions.
You were listening to Stories
of the Prophets.