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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.
Death and Burial
The Prophet Dawud (peace be upon him) passed away at the age of
70 years. He was buried in Jerusalem.
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