Dawud Challenges Goliath
When the two armies faced each other, Goliath called for any soldier from King Saul's army to meet him in single combat, as was the custom of the time, wanting also to display his own strength. The Israelites were too terrified to volunteer. Saul offered the hand of his beautiful daughter in marriage to whoever would fight Goliath, but even this offer could not break the fearful silence among his men.
Then, to everyone's astonishment, a young man stepped forward. Laughter erupted from the enemy's ranks, and even Saul's own soldiers shook their heads in disbelief. The young man was Dawud, from the city of Bethlehem. His elderly father had sent three of his sons to join Saul's army, but had instructed the youngest, Dawud, to stay out of the fighting and instead help the army in other ways, reporting back to him daily on the progress of the war.
Saul admired the youth's courage but told him he was no match for such a mighty warrior, and asked instead for the strong men to come forward. Dawud, however, had already made up his mind. He told the king that only the day before he had killed a lion threatening his father's sheep, and on another occasion had killed a bear, and asked Saul not to judge him by his appearance, since he feared no man or beast. Impressed by his confidence, Saul agreed, saying, "My brave soldier, if you are willing, then may Allah guard you and grant you strength."
Dawud and Goliath Fight
Saul dressed Dawud in battle armor and gave him a sword, but Dawud was unused to such heavy gear and found it restricted his movement, so he removed it. Instead, he gathered a few pebbles into his leather pouch, slung it over his shoulder next to his sling, and walked toward the enemy carrying only his wooden staff. Saul, worried, asked how he expected to defend himself against a giant with nothing but a sling and some stones. Dawud answered that the same Allah who had protected him from the claws of the bear and the fangs of the lion would protect him from this brute as well.
When Goliath saw the lean young man approaching, he laughed and mocked him, threatening to cut off his head with a single swing of his sword. Dawud called back that Goliath might have armor, shield, and sword, but Dawud faced him in the name of Allah, the Lord of the Israelites, whose laws Goliath had mocked, and that today it would be shown that it is not the sword that kills, but the will and power of Allah. With that, Dawud placed a pebble in his sling, swung it, and let it fly. It struck Goliath's head with tremendous force, and he collapsed to the ground, lifeless, before he could even draw his sword. Seeing their champion fallen, the rest of the Philistine army fled, and the Israelites pursued them, avenging years of suffering and defeating their enemy decisively. Through this battle, the Israelites regained the honor and glory they had lost for so long.
Dawud became a hero overnight. True to his word, Saul gave his daughter Michal in marriage to him and brought him close as one of his chief advisors.
Allah Gives Dawud the Kingdom
Allah declares in the Qur'an: "So they routed them by Allah's leave, and Dawud killed Goliath, and Allah gave him 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 all that exists." (Ch 2:251)
Dawud Becomes a Prophet
Dawud became the most celebrated man among the Israelites, yet fame never took hold of him. He remained, above all, devoted to Allah's love rather than to his own popularity. After defeating Goliath, he would go out into the desert to be alone with nature, glorifying Allah and reflecting on His blessings.
Allah says of him: "Verily, We made the mountains to glorify Our praises with him in the evening and after sunrise. And so did the birds assembled, all with him did turn to Allah, glorifying His praises. We made his kingdom strong and gave him wisdom and sound judgment in speech and decision." (Ch 38:18-20)
Plants, birds, beasts, and even the mountains responded when Dawud glorified Allah. Allah chose him as a prophet and revealed to him the Psalms, as stated in the Qur'an: "And to Dawud We gave the Psalms." (Ch 17:55)
Dawud is Granted the Language of Animals
As Dawud recited his scripture, the mountains and birds joined him in praise. Allah says: "Be patient of what they say, and remember Our slave Dawud, endowed with power. Verily, he was ever oft returning in all matters and in repentance toward Allah." (Ch 38:17)
This gathering of birds and beasts around Dawud was not simply due to his sincerity or the sweetness of his voice, it was a miracle granted by Allah. Alongside this, Allah also gave Dawud the ability to understand the languages of birds and animals.
Dawud's Fasting and Prayer
Dawud fasted every other day. Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn Al As narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told him that the most beloved fasting to Allah was that of Dawud, who fasted on alternate days, and the most beloved prayer to Allah was also that of Dawud, who would sleep the first half of the night, pray for a third of it, and then sleep again for a sixth of it. This is recorded in Sahih Al Bukhari.
In another narration, Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn Al As said the Prophet asked him if it was true that he prayed every night and fasted every day. When he confirmed this, the Prophet warned him that doing so would weaken his eyes and wear him out, and advised him instead to fast three days a month, which would be equal to fasting the whole year. When Abdullah said he felt capable of fasting more, the Prophet told him to fast as Dawud did, on alternate days, adding that Dawud never fled when facing the enemy. This too is recorded in Sahih Al Bukhari.
Iron Becomes Flexible for Dawud
Allah granted Dawud great influence during a time when his people fought many wars, but they faced a problem: iron armor was too heavy for soldiers to move freely in battle. It is said that one day, while Dawud sat turning a piece of iron over in his hands, thinking about this problem, he suddenly found his hand sinking into the metal, as Allah had made it soft and flexible for him. The Qur'an confirms this: "And We made the iron soft for him." (Ch 34:10)
Saul Becomes Jealous of Dawud
Despite the love and praise Dawud received from the people, jealousy eventually took root in Saul's heart. One day Dawud noticed something troubled and strange in Saul's behavior toward him. That night, he confided his concern to his wife, who broke into tears and promised never to keep secrets from him. She revealed that her father had grown jealous of Dawud's popularity, fearing he would lose his kingdom to him, and urged Dawud to be careful.
This news shook Dawud deeply, though he prayed and hoped Saul's better nature would prevail. The next day, Saul summoned Dawud and told him that Canaan had gathered its forces to march against the kingdom, ordering him to lead the army against them and not return without victory. Dawud suspected this was a scheme to be rid of him, whether by the enemy's hand or by betrayal in the chaos of battle, yet he set out with his troops regardless. They fought the Canaanites bravely, without regard for their own safety, and Allah granted them victory. Dawud returned to Saul alive.
Saul Plots to Kill Dawud
Rather than easing Saul's fear, this victory only deepened it, and he began plotting to kill Dawud. Such was the grip of jealousy that not even his own daughter's happiness could stop him. Michal learned of her father's plan and rushed to warn her husband. Dawud quickly gathered food and supplies, mounted his camel, and fled, eventually finding refuge in a cave where he hid for many days.
In time, Dawud's brothers and other citizens joined him. Meanwhile, Saul's rule grew harsher, as he mistreated scholars, tortured those who recited the Talmud, and terrorized his own soldiers, causing his subjects to turn against him. Eventually, Saul decided to march against Dawud, and upon hearing this, Dawud advanced to confront Saul's forces.
Dawud Forgives Saul
Saul's army, exhausted after a long march, stopped to rest in a valley and fell asleep. Dawud quietly approached the sleeping king, took his spear, and cut off a piece of his garment with a sword, without harming him. He then woke Saul and told him that although Saul had come seeking his life, Dawud held no hatred for him and had no wish to kill him, for if he had, he could have done so while Saul slept. He showed Saul the piece of cloth as proof, explaining that he could have struck his neck instead but chose not to, since his mission was one of love, not malice. Saul, recognizing his error, asked for forgiveness.
Dawud Becomes King
Some time later, Saul was killed in a battle in which Dawud did not take part. The people, remembering all Dawud had done for them, chose him as their new king, making him both prophet and ruler. Allah strengthened his dominion and granted him victory, and his kingdom grew so powerful that his enemies feared him without ever needing to engage him in battle.
Dawud's Son Solomon
Dawud had a son named Solomon, known as Sulaiman, who displayed intelligence and wisdom from a very young age. At the time of the following story, Solomon was only eleven years old.
One day, as Dawud sat resolving disputes among his people, two men came before him, one of whom owned a field. The field owner explained that the other man's sheep had entered his field at night and eaten his grapevines, and he had come seeking compensation. Dawud asked the sheep owner if this was true, and he admitted it was. Dawud ruled that the sheep owner should give his sheep to the field owner in exchange for the damage done to the field.
Solomon, who had been given wisdom by Allah in addition to what he inherited from his father, offered a different view. He suggested that the sheep owner should instead be given the field to cultivate until the grapevines grew back, while the field owner should take the sheep and benefit from their wool and milk until the field was restored. Once the grapevines had grown back and the field returned to its former condition, the field owner could reclaim his land and return the sheep to their rightful owner.
Dawud praised this judgment as sound and thanked Allah for blessing his son with such wisdom, calling him Solomon the Wise.
Dawud as a Ruler
Dawud was a just and righteous king who brought peace and prosperity to his people, honored by Allah as a messenger who delivered His message through the gift of a beautiful voice. When he recited the Psalms, known as the Zaboor, it was as though the rest of creation joined him, and people listened as though entranced. His teachings became well known and are remembered in the Bible as the Psalms, or Songs of Dawud.
Dawud divided his day into four parts: one for earning his living and resting, one for prayer to his Lord, one for hearing the complaints of his people, and one for delivering his sermons. He also appointed deputies to hear his subjects' concerns so that no one's problems would be neglected in his absence. Despite being king, he did not live off the wealth of his kingdom, but earned his living by making and selling weapons, a craft in which he was highly skilled.
Angels Teach Dawud About Fairness
One day, while Dawud was praying in his private prayer chamber, he had instructed his guards not to let anyone disturb him. Yet two men managed to climb in and interrupt his prayer. When he asked who they were, one explained that they had come with a dispute and needed his judgment. Dawud asked what the matter was, and the man said that his brother owned ninety nine sheep while he had only one, and that his brother had given him that one sheep before demanding it back. Without hearing from the other party, Dawud immediately ruled that the brother had wronged him, adding that many partners oppress one another except for those who truly believe.
At that, the two men vanished like a cloud, and Dawud realized they had been angels sent to teach him a lesson about not passing judgment without hearing both sides. Allah recounts this in the Qur'an: "And has the news of the litigants reached you? When they climbed over the wall into his prayer chamber. When they entered upon Dawud, 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, he has ninety nine ewes while I have only one ewe, and he says, hand it over to me, and he overpowered me in speech. Dawud 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 deeds, and they are few. And Dawud guessed that We had 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 a good place of final return. O Dawud, verily We have placed you as a successor on earth, so judge 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." (Ch 38:21-26)
The Death of Prophet Dawud
Dawud spent his life worshipping Allah, glorifying Him, and singing His praises until the day he died. Tradition holds that his death came suddenly, and he was mourned by four thousand priests along with thousands of his people. The heat that day was so intense that people suffered under the burning sun, so Solomon called upon the birds to shield Dawud and the mourners from the sunlight, and they did so until he was buried. This was the first sign of Solomon's own dominion witnessed by the people.