PROPHET DAWUD (DAVID) ALAIHI SALAAM
ASSEMBLED BY
MALLAM ABBA ABANA, KUBWA, ABUJA, NIGERIA
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THURSDAY
8TH MUHARRAM 1439 AH- 28TH SEPTEMBER 2017 CE
Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala
Rasulillah. As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu.
Praise be to Allaah; we seek His help and His
forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from
our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and
whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is
no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (Sallalhu alaihi Wasalam)
is His slave and Messenger.
PREAMBLE
PROPHET DAWUD
(DAVID) ALAIHI SALAAM
DAVID CHALLENGES GOLIATH
When the two armies faced each other, Goliath challenged any
soldier from King Saul's army to single combat, as was the custom of battle in
those days. Goliath also wanted to show off his strength. The men were
terrorized, and no one had enough courage to volunteer. The king offered the
hand of his pretty daughter in marriage to the man who would fight Goliath, but
even this tempting offer did not change the deadly silence among his soldiers.
Then, to everyone's surprise, a youth stepped forward. A roar of
laughter echoed from the enemy's side, and even Saul's men shook their heads.
The young man was David (Dawud), from the city of Bethlehem. His
elderly father had chosen three of his sons to join Saul's army. He had
instructed the youngest one, David, not to take part in the fighting but to
help the army in other ways and to report to his father daily on what was happening
on the war front.
Although Saul was very impressed by the youth's courage, he
said: "I admire your courage, but you are no match for that mighty
warrior. Let the strong men come forward." David, however, had already
decided and was willing to meet the challenge. Proudly, he told the king that
only the day before he had killed a lion which had threatened his father's
sheep, and on another occasion he had killed a bear. He asked Saul not to judge
him by his appearance, for he feared no man or wild beast. Saul, surprised by
young David's brave stance, agreed: "My brave soldier, if you are willing,
then may Allah guard you and grant you strength!"
DAVID AND GOLIATH FIGHT
The king dressed David in battle armor and handed him a sword,
but David was not used to wearing battle dress. He felt uncomfortable in it,
and it obstructed his movements. He removed the armor, then collected a few
pebbles and filled his leather pouch with them. He slung it over his shoulder
next to his sling. With his wooden staff in hand, he began to walk towards the
enemy.
Saul was worried and asked him how on earth, with a sling and a
couple of stones was he going to defend himself against the giant? David
replied: "Allah Who protected me from the claws of the bear and the fangs
of the lion will certainly protect me from this brute!"
When Goliath set eyes on the lean young man who looked like a
boy, he laughed loudly and roared: "Are you out to play war with one of
your playmates, or are you tired of your life? I will simply cut off your head
with one swipe of my sword!"
David shouted back: "You may have armor, shield, and sword,
but I face you in the name of Allah, the Lord of the Israelites, Whose laws you
have mocked. Today you will see that it is not the sword that kills but the
will and power of Allah!"
So saying, he took his sling and placed in it a pebble from his
pouch. He swung and aimed it at Goliath. The pebble shot from the whirling
sling with the speed of an arrow and hit Goliath's head with great force. Blood
gushed out, and Goliath thumped to the ground, lifeless, before he had a chance
to draw his sword. When the rest of his men saw their mighty hero slain, they
took to their heels. The Israelites followed in hot pursuit, taking revenge for
their years of suffering at the hands of their enemy, killing every soldier
they could lay hands on. In this battle the Israelites regained the glory and
honor that had been lost for a long time.
David became a hero overnight. Saul kept his word and married
his daughter Michal (Miqel) to the young warrior and took him under his wing as
one of his chief advisors.
ALLAH GIVES DAVID THE
KINGDOM
Almighty Allah declared:
سُوۡرَةُ البَقَرَة
فَهَزَمُوهُم بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَتَلَ
دَاوُ ۥدُ جَالُوتَ وَءَاتَٮٰهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُلۡكَ وَٱلۡحِڪۡمَةَ
وَعَلَّمَهُ ۥ مِمَّا يَشَآءُۗ وَلَوۡلَا دَفۡعُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّاسَ
بَعۡضَهُم بِبَعۡضٍ۬ لَّفَسَدَتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضُ وَلَـٰڪِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ذُو فَضۡلٍ عَلَى
ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (٢٥١)
"So they routed them
by Allah's Leave and David killed Goliath, and Allah gave him (David) the kingdom
(after the death of Saul and Samuel) and wisdom, and taught him of that which
He willed. And if Allah did not check one set of people by means of another,
the earth would indeed be full of mischief. But Allah is full of Bounty to the
Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exist). (Holy Quran Chapter 2:251).
DAVID BECOMES A PROPHET
David became the most famous man among the Israelites. However,
he was not inveigled by this; he was not a prisoner of fame or leadership but a
prisoner of Allah's love.
Therefore, after killing Goliath he went out into the desert in
the company of nature, glorifying Almighty Allah and contemplating His favors.
سُوۡرَةُ صٓ
إِنَّا سَخَّرۡنَا ٱلۡجِبَالَ مَعَهُ ۥ
يُسَبِّحۡنَ بِٱلۡعَشِىِّ وَٱلۡإِشۡرَاقِ (١٨) وَٱلطَّيۡرَ مَحۡشُورَةً۬ۖ كُلٌّ۬ لَّهُ ۥۤ أَوَّابٌ۬ (١٩) وَشَدَدۡنَا مُلۡكَهُ ۥ وَءَاتَيۡنَـٰهُ ٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَفَصۡلَ ٱلۡخِطَابِ (٢٠)
"Verily, We made the
mountains to glorify Our Praises with him (David) in the Ashi (after the mid-day
till sunset) and Ishraq (after the sunrise till mid-day). And (so did) the
birds assembled: all with him (David) did turn (to Allah, glorified His Praises).
We made his kingdom strong and gave him wisdom and sound judgment in speech and
decision. (Holy Quran Chapter 38:18-20)
سُوۡرَةُ بنیٓ اسرآئیل / الإسرَاء
وَرَبُّكَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ
وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ وَلَقَدۡ فَضَّلۡنَا بَعۡضَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٍ۬ۖ
وَءَاتَيۡنَا دَاوُ ۥدَ زَبُورً۬ا (٥٥)
Creatures such as the plants, birds, beasts, and even the
mountains responded to his voice glorifying Allah. Allah had chosen David to be
a prophet and revealed the Psalms to him. As He the Almighty said: "And to David We gave
the Psalms." (Holy Quran Chapter 17:55 Quran).
DAVID IS GRANTED THE
LANGUAGE OF ANIMALS
David recited his scripture and glorified Allah while the
mountains joined him praise and the birds rallied around him. Almighty Allah
directed:
سُوۡرَةُ صٓ
ٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَٱذۡكُرۡ عَبۡدَنَا
دَاوُ ۥدَ ذَا ٱلۡأَيۡدِۖ إِنَّهُ ۥۤ أَوَّابٌ (١٧)
Be patient (O Muhammad) of
what they say, and remember Our slave David, endured with power. Verily, he was
ever oft-returning in all matters and in repentance toward Allah. (Holy Quran Chapter
38:17).
David's sincerity was not the only factor responsible for the
birds and beasts joining with him in glorifying Allah, nor was the sweetness of
his voice. IT was a miracle from Allah. This was not his only miracle, for
Allah also endowed him with the faculty of understanding the languages of birds
and animals.
DAVID'S FASTING AND PRAYING
David (pbuh) fasted every other day. Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn Al-As
narrated: Allah's Apostle (pbuh) said to me: "The most beloved fasting to
Allah was the fasting of the Prophet David, who used to fast alternate days.
And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of David, 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).
Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn Al-As also narrated: "The Prophet
(pbuh) said to me: 'I have been informed that you pray all the nights and
observe fast all the days; is this true?' I replied: 'Yes.' He said: 'If you do
so, your eyes will be weak and you will get bored. So fast three days a month,
for this will be the fasting of a whole year. (Or equal to the fasting of a
whole year).' I said: 'I find myself able to fast more.' He said: 'Then fast
like the fasting of (the Prophet) David (pbuh) who used to fast on alternate
days and would not flee on facing the enemy.'" (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
IRON BECOMES FLEXIBLE FOR
DAVID
Allah granted David great influence. His people had a great
number of wars in their time, but they had a problem in that the iron armor was
too heavy for the fighter to move and fight as he wished.
It is said that David was sitting one day, contemplating this
problem while toying with a piece of iron. Suddenly, he found his hand sinking
in the iron. Almighty Allah had made it flexible for him:
سُوۡرَةُ سَبَإ
۞ وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا
دَاوُ ۥدَ مِنَّا فَضۡلاً۬ۖ يَـٰجِبَالُ أَوِّبِى مَعَهُ ۥ وَٱلطَّيۡرَۖ
وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ ٱلۡحَدِيدَ (١٠)
"And We made the iron
soft for him." (Holy Quran Chapter 34:10)
SAUL BECOMES JEALOUS OF
DAVID
The people praised and loved David. However, the hearts of men
are fickle and their memories short. Even great men can feel insecure and
become petty-minded. One day David found Saul in a worried state. He sensed
something strange in Saul's attitude towards him. That night, when he shared
his feeling with his wife, she started to weep bitterly and said: "O
David, I will never keep any secrets from you." She told him that her
father had become jealous of his popularity and feared that he would lose his
kingdom to him. She advised him to be on his guard.
This information shocked David very much. He prayed and hoped
that Saul's good nature would overcome the darker side of his character. The
following day, Saul summoned David to inform him that Canaan had gathered its
forces and would march on the kingdom. He ordered David to advance on them with
the army and not to return unless victory was gained.
David sensed that this was an excuse to get rid of him; either
the enemy would kill him, or in the thick of battle, Saul's henchmen might stab
him in the back. Yet he hastened with his troops to meet the army of Canaan.
They fought the Canaanites brav, without thinking of their own safety. Allah
granted them victory, and David lived to return to Saul.
SAUL PLOTS TO KILL DAVID
Unfortunately, this only increased Saul's fear, so he plotted to
kill David. Such is jealousy that not even a daughter's well-being mattered.
Michal learned of her father's plan and hurried to warn her husband. David
gathered some food and things, mounted his camel and fled. He found a cave in which
he remained hidden for many days.
After a time, David's brothers and some citizens joined forces
with him. Saul's position became very weak, for he began to rule with a heavy
hand. He ill-treated the learned, tortured the reciters of the Talmud, and
terrorized his soldiers. This worsened his position, and his subjects began to turn
against him. He decided to go war against David. Hearing this news, David
marched to confront Saul's army.
DAVID FORGIVES SAUL
The king's army had traveled a great distance and was overcome
by fatigue, so they decided to rest in a valley, where they fell asleep.
Quietly, David crept up to the sleeping Saul, removed his spear, and cut off a
piece of his garment with the sword. David then awakened the king and told him:
"Oh king, you come out seeking me, but I do not hate you, and I do not
want to kill you. If I did, I would have killed you when you were asleep. Here
is a piece of your garment. I could have hacked your neck instead, but I did
not. My mission is that of love, not malice." The king realized his
mistake and begged for forgiveness.
DAVID BECOMES KING
Time passed and Saul was killed in a battle in which David did
not take part.
David succeeded Saul, for the people remembered what he had done
for them and elected him king. So it was that David the Prophet was also a
king.
Allah strengthened the dominion of David and made him
victorious. His kingdom was strong and great; his enemies feared him without
engaging in war with him.
DAVID'S SON SOLOMON (Peace Be Upon Them)
David had a son named Solomon (Sulaiman), who was intelligent
and wise from childhood. When the following story took place, Solomon was
eleven years old.
One day David, was sitting, as usual, solving the problems of
his people when two men, one of whom had a field, came to him. The owner of the
field said: "O dear Prophet! This man's sheep came to my field at night
and ate up the grapes and I have come to ask for compensation." David asked
the owner of the sheep: "Is this true?" He said: "Yes,
sir." David said: "I have decided that you give him your sheep in
exchange for the field." Solomon, to whom Allah had given wisdom in addition
to what he had inherited from his father, spoke up: "I have another
opinion. The owner of the sheep should take the field to cultivate until the
grapes grow, while the other man should take the sheep and make use of their
wool and milk until his field is repaired. If the grapes grow, and the field
returns to its former state, then the field owner should take his field and
give back the sheep to their owner."
David responded: "This is a sound judgment. Praise be to
Allah for gifting you with wisdom. You are truly Solomon the Wise."
DAVID AS A RULER
Prophet David was a just and righteous ruler who brought peace
and prosperity to his people, and whom Allah honored as a messenger. He
delivered Allah's message to the people through the precious gift of his
melodious voice. When he recited the Psalms (Zaboor), it was as if the rest of creation
chanted with him; people listened as if in a trance. The messages David
delivered are famous and well remembered. They are known in the Bible as the
Psalms or Songs of David.
David divided his working day into four parts: one to earn a
living and to rest, one to pray to his Lord, one to listen to the complaints of
his people, and the last part to deliver his sermons. He also appointed
deputies to listen to his subjects' complaints so that in his absence people's problems
might not be neglected.
Although a king, he did not live on the income of his kingdom.
Being well-experienced in the craft of weapon-making, he made and sold weapons
and lived on that income.
ANGELS TEACH DAVID ABOUT
FAIRNESS
One day, as David was praying in his prayer niche, he ordered
his guards not to allow anyone to interrupt him, but two men managed to enter
and disturb him. "Who are you?" he asked. One of the men said:
"Do not be frightened. We have a dispute and have come for your
judgment." David said: "What is it?" The first man said:
"This is my brother, has ninety nine sheep, and I have one.
He gave it to me but took it back." David, without hearing
from the other party said: "He did you wrong by taking the sheep back, and
many partners oppress one another, except for those who are believers."
The two men vanished like a cloud, and David realized that they
were two angels sent to him to teach him a lesson. He should not have passed a
judgment without hearing from the opposing party.
ALMIGHTY ALLAH TOLD US OF
THIS INCIDENT:
سُوۡرَةُ صٓ
۞ وَهَلۡ أَتَٮٰكَ
نَبَؤُاْ ٱلۡخَصۡمِ إِذۡ تَسَوَّرُواْ ٱلۡمِحۡرَابَ (٢١) إِذۡ دَخَلُواْ عَلَىٰ دَاوُ ۥدَ فَفَزِعَ مِنۡہُمۡۖ قَالُواْ لَا تَخَفۡۖ خَصۡمَانِ بَغَىٰ بَعۡضُنَا
عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٍ۬ فَٱحۡكُم بَيۡنَنَا بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَا تُشۡطِطۡ وَٱهۡدِنَآ إِلَىٰ
سَوَآءِ ٱلصِّرَٲطِ (٢٢) إِنَّ هَـٰذَآ أَخِى لَهُ ۥ تِسۡعٌ۬ وَتِسۡعُونَ نَعۡجَةً۬ وَلِىَ نَعۡجَةٌ۬ وَٲحِدَةٌ۬ فَقَالَ أَكۡفِلۡنِيہَا وَعَزَّنِى فِى ٱلۡخِطَابِ (٢٣) قَالَ لَقَدۡ
ظَلَمَكَ بِسُؤَالِ نَعۡجَتِكَ إِلَىٰ نِعَاجِهِۦۖ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرً۬ا مِّنَ
ٱلۡخُلَطَآءِ لَيَبۡغِى بَعۡضُہُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٍ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ
وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَقَلِيلٌ۬ مَّا هُمۡۗ وَظَنَّ دَاوُ ۥدُ
أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّـٰهُ فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرَ رَبَّهُ ۥ وَخَرَّ رَاكِعً۬ا وَأَنَابَ ۩
(٢٤) فَغَفَرۡنَا لَهُ ۥ ذَٲلِكَۖ وَإِنَّ لَهُ ۥ عِندَنَا لَزُلۡفَىٰ وَحُسۡنَ مَـَٔابٍ۬ (٢٥) يَـٰدَاوُ ۥدُ إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَـٰكَ خَلِيفَةً۬ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ فَٱحۡكُم بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلَا تَتَّبِعِ ٱلۡهَوَىٰ فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۚ
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ۬ شَدِيدُۢ بِمَا
نَسُواْ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡحِسَابِ (٢٦)
“And has the news of the
litigants reached you? When they climbed over the wall into (his) Mihrab (a
praying place or a private room). When they entered in upon David, he was
terrified of them, they said: Fear not! (We are) two litigants, one of whom has
wronged the other; therefore judge between us with truth, and treat us not with
injustice, and guide us to the Right Way."
"Verily, this is my
brother (in religion) has ninety nine ewes, while I have only one ewe, and he says:
'Hand it over to me,' and he overpowered me in speech."
David said immediately
without listening to the opponent: "He has wronged you in demanding your
ewe in addition to his ewes. And, verily, many partners oppress one another,
except those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and they are few."
And David guessed that We
have tried him and he sought Forgiveness of his Lord, and he fell down
prostrate and turned to Allah in repentance. So We forgave him that, and
verily, for him is a near access to Us, and as good place of final return
Paradise.
O David! Verily! We have
placed you as a successor on earth, so judge you between men in truth and
justice. And follow not your desire for it will mislead you from the Path of
Allah. Verily!
Those who wander astray
from the Path of Allah shall have a severe torment, because they forgot the Day
of Reckoning. (Holy Quran Chapter 38:21-26).
THE DEATH OF PROPHET DAVID
David worshipped Allah, glorified Him and sang His praise until
he died. According to traditions, David died suddenly and was mourned by four
thousand priests as well as thousands of people.
It was so hot that people suffered from the intensity of the
sun. Solomon called the birds to protect David 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.
