34:10
We bestowed Grace aforetime on David from ourselves: “O ye Mountains! Sing ye back the Praises
of Allah with him! and ye birds (also)! And We made the iron soft for him;-
The Qurʾān portrays the Prophet David (Dāwūd, peace be upon him) as a figure distinguished by strength, devotion, and wisdom. In Qurʾān 38:17–29, believers are instructed to remember David as a servant of God who possessed great strength and consistently turned to God in repentance (Qurʾān 38:17). The text further describes how natural creation participated in his acts of devotion: the mountains and birds are depicted as joining him in glorifying God during the morning and evening (Qurʾān 38:18–19). Islamic tradition often associates this imagery with David’s spiritual expression through the Zabūr (Psalms), which are regarded as profound poetic praises of God. Similar themes appear in biblical literature, such as Psalm 148, which describes all elements of creation glorifying God.
The Qurʾān also states that God strengthened David’s kingdom and granted him wisdom and eloquence in speech (Qurʾān 38:20). The Arabic term al-khiṭāb, used in this verse, is linguistically related to khuṭbah, the formal sermon delivered during the Friday congregational prayer in Islamic practice.
A well-known episode in this passage recounts how two disputants entered David’s private chamber by climbing over its wall, causing him initial alarm (Qurʾān 38:21–22). One of the men complained that the other possessed ninety-nine ewes while he had only one, yet the wealthier man sought to take the remaining ewe as well (Qurʾān 38:23). David initially judged that the man with many ewes had wronged the other. He then realized that the situation constituted a test from God, prompting him to seek forgiveness and repent humbly (Qurʾān 38:24). Islamic tradition reports that when the Prophet Muhammad recited this verse, he performed a prostration of recitation, and his companions followed his example (Abū Dāwūd). Consequently, all major schools of Islamic jurisprudence recommend performing a prostration when reciting this verse.
The Qurʾān then states that God forgave David and affirmed his elevated status and honorable return (Qurʾān 38:25). God further addressed him as a khalīfah—a term that can signify a successor, steward, or ruler—entrusting him with the responsibility to judge people with justice and to avoid following personal desires, which could lead to deviation from God’s path (Qurʾān 38:26). Classical Islamic scholarship has often cited this verse as emphasizing the ethical obligations of rulers and the accountability of leadership.
An illustrative historical anecdote reflects this principle. The Umayyad caliph al-Walīd ibn ʿAbd al-Malik once asked a scholar, Ibrāhīm Abū Zurʿah, whether anyone had the right to question the caliph’s authority. The scholar responded by citing the Qurʾānic warning addressed to David, thereby emphasizing that rulers remain accountable to divine justice (Ibn Abī Ḥātim).
Another Qurʾānic reference to David appears in Qurʾān 2:251, which recounts the defeat of the Philistine champion Goliath by David with God’s permission. According to Islamic exegetical tradition, David was granted both kingship and prophethood after this event. Commentators note that this account assumes familiarity with the broader narrative preserved in biblical sources, particularly 1 Samuel 17, where David defeats Goliath with a sling and stone. In Islamic interpretation, David subsequently inherited both the prophetic legacy associated with Samuel and the political authority previously held by Saul (al-Ṭabarī; The Study Quran).
References:
Emerick, Yahiya. The Meaning of the Holy Qur’an in Today’s English (p. 827). Unknown. Kindle
Edition.
Nasr, Hossein (2015). Study Quran.