ABSTRACT
Prophet and second king of the Israelites, mentioned by name sixteen times in the Qur
) an. According to 2.251, it was
David who killed the giant Goliath (Jalut) and received kingship and prophethood from God. Muslim exegetes add considerable detail to the accounts of David’s life in the Qur
) an, most of it in agreement
with the account found in the Bible and in Jewish and Christian tradition. The Qur
) an and Muslim exegetes
attribute to David a number of wonders and special abilities. 21.80 and 34.10-11 refer to David’s special abilities with the making of armour. It is said that David was the first person to make chain mail and that God made the iron soft for David so that he could work it without tools or heating it. 21.79 and 38.17 state that God made the mountains subservient to David, that they sang praises along with the birds. The musical abilities of David are also stressed in Muslim tradition: Muslim tradition relates that when David sang, animals would gather around and listen to him so mesmerized that they would die of thirst and hunger (see 38.19). Some claim that his voice was unique, and that he was able to recite the whole Qur
) an in the time it
took to saddle his horse. David is said to have had great piety.
The ‘strength’ given to him by God (see 38.17) is interpreted to be a reference to the strength of David’s adherence to God and religion. Muslim exegetes report that David used to stand vigil all night and fast every other day. A saying of the Prophet Muhammad states that the prayer most beloved to God is that of David. As a king, David is said to have had a
large number of wives, one of whom is identified by Muslim exegetes as Uriah, the mother of Solomon. According to some exegetes, David had a hundred
