He killed Goliath, became a king, and still ate only from the work of his own hands.
يَا دَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الْأَرْضِ فَاحْكُم بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ
His story
In the army of Talut, Dawud killed Jalut (Goliath), and Allah gave him kingship and wisdom 2:251. He was given the Zabur 4:163.
The mountains and the birds glorified Allah with him (34:10, 38:18-19). Iron was made soft for him, and he made coats of armour 34:10-11.
Two men climbed into his prayer room with a dispute. He judged quickly, then realised he had been tested, and fell down asking forgiveness 38:21-25. He was told: judge with truth and do not follow your desires 38:26.
The Prophet ﷺ said the most beloved fasting to Allah is the fasting of Dawud, one day on and one day off, and the most beloved prayer is his: sleeping half the night, praying a third, sleeping a sixth Bukhari 1131. And Dawud ate only from what he earned with his own hands Bukhari 2072.
Moments
- 01
Jalut
A small army of believers faced Jalut and his soldiers. Those who knew they would meet Allah said: "How many a small group has overcome a large group by Allah's permission. Allah is with the patient." They prayed for patience and firm feet, and Dawud killed Jalut. Allah then gave him kingship and wisdom.
- 02
Mountains and birds
Allah gave Dawud a voice of praise so beautiful that creation joined in: "O mountains, repeat praise with him, and the birds too." In the evening and at sunrise the mountains glorified Allah with him, and the birds gathered, all turning back to Him.
- 03
The armour
Allah made iron soft in his hands and taught him to make coats of mail: "Make full coats and measure the links well, and do righteous deeds." The Prophet ﷺ said: "No one has ever eaten better food than what he earned with his own hands. The prophet of Allah Dawud used to eat from the work of his hands." A king who worked.
- 04
The two disputants
Two men climbed over the wall into his prayer room with a dispute. One said his brother had ninety-nine ewes and wanted his only one. Dawud gave judgement straight away. Then he realised he was being tested, asked his Lord for forgiveness, fell down bowing and turned in repentance. Allah forgave him and told him: "Judge between people in truth."
What he did when…
Dawud was a king with an army, a kingdom and wisdom. Kingship did not stop him working with his own hands, and it did not stop him repenting the moment he saw he had judged too quickly. Allah told him: "We have made you a successor on earth, so judge between people in truth."
The Prophet ﷺ said that no one eats better food than what they earn with their own hands, and gave Dawud as the example: a prophet and king who still ate from the work of his hands. There is no shame in work. There is honour in it.
If your child carries this name
داود Dawud
Dawud (and Daoud, David) is a king's name. The child should know he was a king who worked with his hands and prayed at night.
Sources on this page
Quran 2:249-251Quran 21:80Quran 34:10Quran 34:10-11Quran 38:17-19Quran 38:21-26Quran 38:24-26Quran 38:26Sahih al-Bukhari 2072
Quran meanings are given in plain English, close to the Arabic. Hadith numbers follow sunnah.com.