| Dāwūd | |
|---|---|
| دَاوُود | |
| Hebrew:דָּוִד,romanized: Dāwīḏ Syriac:ܕܘܝܕ,romanized: Dawīd KoineGreek:Δαυίδ,romanized: Dauíd | |
 Dawud defeating the army of Jalut with his slingshot. | |
| Khalifa[a] of Earth King of theIsraelites[2] | |
| Biography | |
| Born | 10th century BCE Jerusalem,Kingdom of Israel |
| Died | 9th century BCE Jerusalem, Kingdom of Israel |
| Spouse | Unknown |
| Children | Sulaymān |
| Quranic narratives | |
| Mention by name | Yes |
| Surah (Chapters) | 2,4,5,6,17,21,27,34,38 |
| Āyāt | verse:
|
| Number of mentions | 16 |
| Prophethood | |
| Known for | DefeatingJalut; being the Khalifa (Viceroy) on Earth (Al-Arḍ, الأَرْض), and the Wise King ofBanī Isrāʾīl; receiving theZabur; prophesying to and warning Israel; being highly gifted musically and vocally |
| Scripture | Zabur |
| Predecessor | Talut |
| Successor | Sulayman |
| Status | Prophet, Viceroy, Sovereign, Wise judge, Holy scripture receiver |
| Other equivalent | David |
| Footnotes | |
| Part ofa series onIslam Islamic prophets |
|---|
Listed by Islamic name and Biblical name.
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 Islam portal |
Dāwūd, orDavid, is considered a prophet and messenger ofAllah (God) in Islam, as well as a righteous, divinely anointed king of the United Kingdom of Israel. Additionally, Muslims also revere David for receiving the divine revelation of the Zabur.
Dawud is considered one of the most important people in Islam.[3][4] Mentioned sixteen times in theQuran, David appears in the Islamic scripture as a link in the chain of prophets who precededMuhammad.[5] Although he is not usually considered one of the "law-giving" prophets (ulū al-ʿazm), "he is far from a marginal figure"[according to whom?] in Islamic thought.[3] In later Islamic traditions, he is praised for his rigor inprayer andfasting. He is also presented as the prototypical just ruler and as a symbol of God's authority on earth, having been at once a king and a prophet.
David is particularly important to the religious architecture ofIslamic Jerusalem.[6] Dawud is known asbiblicalDavid who was, according to theHebrew Bible, the second king of theUnited Kingdom of Israel and Judah, reigningc. 1010–970 BCE.[citation needed]
TheQuranic Arabic form of David isDāwud orDāwūd, differing fromKoineGreek:Δαυίδ andSyriac:ܕܘܝܕ,romanized: Dawīd (which followHebrew:דָּוִד,romanized: Dāwīd). These forms appear in the Quran sixteen times.[6]
David's narrative in theQuran, in many respects,parallels that given in the Bible. He is named aprophet (nabī) and also a messenger (rasūl), David is included in lists of those who receivedrevelation (waḥy;Q4:163) or guidance (hudā;6:84) from God. In both lists his name appears next to that of his sonSolomon. Elsewhere, the Quran explains that God gave to both of them the gifts of "sound judgment" (ḥukm;21:79) and "knowledge" (ʿilm;21:79;27:15). Yet the Quran also ascribes to David merits that distinguish him from Solomon: David killedGoliath (2:251) and received a divine revelation named "thePsalms"[7] (Quran 17:55 uses an indefinite form, while21:105 uses the definite formal-Zabūr),[7] presumably a reference to the Psalms or the Psalter (the termZabūr is perhaps related to theHebrew termmizmōr orSyriacmazmūrā, "psalm"). The mountains and the birds praised God along with David (21:79; in34:10 God commands them to do so; cfr.Psalm148:7–10). God made David a "vicegerent" (khalīfa;38:26), a title that the Quran otherwise gives only toAdam (2:30). This title suggests that, according to the Quran, David was something more than a messenger: he was a divinely guided leader who established God's rule on Earth.[6] This role is also suggested by2:251: "God gave him authority (mulk) and wisdom (ḥikmah) and taught him what He willed. If God did not drive back some people by others, the earth would become corrupt."[3]
Among the things taught to David was the ability to make armour (21:80,34:10–11), a suggestion that David's military exploits were the act of God. It is also important that the Quranic reference to David's "wisdom" was sometimes explained by the classical exegetes as the gift of prophecy.[8] The Quran also connects David and Jesus, by insisting that both cursed Jews against their prophecy who did not believe (5:78). Moreover, according to the Quran, David was given the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood when dispensing justice (faṣl al-khiṭāb,38:20). Furthermore, there is the allusion to a test David was put through, wherein he prayed and repented and God forgave him (38:24-5).Surat Sad (the 38th chapter of the Quran) is also called "the sūra of David"[9] Exegetes explain that since David prostrated when asking God to forgive him, Muhammad was ordered to imitate him and to perform a prostration when reading this chapter.[10]
David is one of the few Islamic Prophets who received Kingship as well. While other prophets preached during the reign of kings, David, in his time, was the king. Thus, he received an extremely large task, of making sure that the people ofIsrael were not only held in check spiritually but that the country itself remained strong as well. His place as both leader and prophet is revered by all Muslims as one of extremely high rank. The figure of David, together with that of his prophetic son, Solomon, are iconic of people who ruled justly over their land. God frequently mentions David's high rank as a prophet and messenger in the Quran. He is often mentioned alongside other prophets to emphasize how great he was. For example, God says:
And We gave him Isaac and Jacob and guided them, as We had guided Noah before them, and of his descendants, David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus We reward those who are upright and do good.
When theCaliph 'Umar visitedJerusalem, thePatriarchSophronius accompanied him on theTemple Mount, while he searched for theMihrab Dawud (David's prayer-niche) to perform a prayer. Later commentators identified this site with theTower of David. In ahadith, the prayer and fasting of David is mentioned to be dear to God.
Narrated Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As: The Apostle of Allah told me, "The most beloved prayer to Allah is that of David and the most beloved fasts to Allah are those of David. He used to sleep for half of the night and then pray for one third of the night and again sleep for its sixth part and used to fast on alternate days."
— Muhammad al-Bukhari,Sahih al-Bukhari[12]
TheZabur is the holy book attributed to David by God, just asMusa (Moses) received theTawrat (Torah),Isa (Jesus) received theInjil (Gospel) and Muhammad received the Quran. In the Bible, theZabur is known as the Psalms.
Your Lord knows whoever is in the heavens and the earth. We exalted some of the prophets over the others; and to David We gave the Book of Psalms.