The Divine’s Gift to Dawud
The Zabur: Dawud is the only prophet given a scripture explicitly named in the Quran as al-Zabur (we gave Dawud the Zabur — 4:163, 17:55, 21:105). The Zabur is understood as the Psalms of the Hebrew Bible — hymns of praise, lamentation, and wisdom.
“And to Dawud We gave the Zabur.” (17:55)
Khalifah: “O Dawud! Indeed, We have made you a khalifah upon the earth, so judge between the people in truth and do not follow [your own] desire, as it will lead you astray from the way of Allah.” (38:26) — Dawud is one of the prophets explicitly called a khalifah by the divine.
Prophetic gifts: “And We gave him wisdom and sound judgment in speech.” (38:20) — the combination of prophethood + wisdom + political judgment
“And We subjected the mountains and the birds to exalt [Allah] with him.” (38:18) — Dawud’s tasbih (praise) was so powerful that the mountains and birds joined in
The making of armor: “And We taught him the fashioning of coats of armor to protect you from your [enemy in] battle.” (21:80) — Dawud was divinely taught metallurgy; the Quran presents prophets as the original sources of civilizational arts
The beautiful voice: Islamic tradition holds that Dawud was given the most beautiful voice of any human being — when he recited the Zabur, humans, jinn, birds, and animals would gather to listen.
See also: Nubuwwa, Khalifah Concept
Nabi Sulayman: The Prophet of Extraordinary Gifts
Sulayman, the son of Dawud, is described with more miraculous gifts than perhaps any other prophet in the Quran:
Speech with animals: “O people, we have been taught the language of birds, and we have been given from all things. Indeed, this is evident bounty.” (27:16)
The Hoopoe (Hudhud) and the Queen of Sheba (Bilqis): Sulayman’s hoopoe brings him news of a queen in Yemen (Bilqis/the Queen of Sheba) who worships the sun instead of Allah. Sulayman sends a letter; she comes to visit; the famous incident of the glass floor occurs (“She thought it was a pool of water and uncovered her shins” — 27:44); ultimately she embraces faith.
Control over the jinn and the wind: “And to Sulayman [We subjected] the wind — its morning [journey was that of] a month — and its afternoon [journey was that of] a month, and We made flow for him a spring of [liquid] copper. And of the jinn were those who worked for him by the permission of his Lord.” (34:12)
“And among His signs is that He gave you lightning and rain.” — Sulayman’s control over natural forces is among the Quran’s most vivid prophetic miracles.
The throne of Bilqis: In one of the Quran’s most mysterious passages, a jinn offers to bring Bilqis’s throne to Sulayman before he can blink; then “one who had knowledge of the Scripture” says he can bring it in the time of a blink — and does so. (27:38-40)
“Who had knowledge of the Scripture” (‘indahu ‘ilmun min al-kitab): this figure has fascinated exegetes for centuries — he carries specific knowledge from the divine’s Book that allows him to perform what the jinn cannot. In the Ismaili ta’wil, this is the hujja or da’i carrying the Imam’s laduni (‘ilm.
See also: Tawil Esoteric Interpretation, Imamah, Hujja Imam
The Trial and the Wisdom
Dawud’s trial (38:21-25): Two disputants came to Dawud’s prayer chamber; one had wronged the other over sheep. Dawud ruled quickly — and then realized (after the disputants had disappeared) that it was a test from the divine to see if he would rule with full justice. He repented (“he asked forgiveness of his Lord and fell down bowing”). The Quran describes this as a divine instruction in the responsibilities of the khalifah.
Sulayman’s trial (38:34): “And We certainly tried Sulayman and placed on his throne a body; then he returned.” Commentators offer various explanations; the key is that even the greatest prophets face divine tests.
The wisdoms of Dawud and Sulayman (al-Hikmah): Both father and son are associated with the divine gift of hikmah (wisdom) — not merely intelligence but the capacity to see the meaning behind events and to act rightly across the full range of prophetic and kingly responsibilities.
In the Ismaili tradition, Dawud and Sulayman represent the natiq (speaking prophet) and asas (foundation) of their cycle — the father carrying the outward shariah and the son deepening and implementing it through wisdom. The surah al-Naml (Ants), which contains most of the Sulayman narrative, is rich with Ismaili ta’wil.
See also: Asas Wa Natiq In Depth, Daur Wa Kawr, Khalifah Concept
Legacy in Islamic Tradition
Dawud’s legacy:
- The Zabur’s tradition of sacred music and praise poetry — influencing Islamic qasida and nashid traditions
- The smithing of armor — metalworking as prophetic craft
- The standard of the king-prophet who submits to the divine’s judgment above political interest
Sulayman’s legacy:
- The connection between wisdom and knowledge of the unseen (ghayb)
- The control of jinn — providing the Islamic framework for understanding the jinn’s relationship to prophetic authority
- The Queen of Sheba story — the prototype of non-Muslim recognition of prophetic truth
- The great Temple in Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis) is associated with Sulayman’s kingdom and is the ancestor of al-Masjid al-Aqsa
See also: Al Masjid Al Aqsa, Jinn In Islam, Ghayb The Unseen
See also: Nubuwwa, Khalifah Concept, Khatam Al Anbiya, Sayyidna Ibrahim, Tawil Esoteric Interpretation, Imamah, Hujja Imam, Asas Wa Natiq In Depth, Daur Wa Kawr, Al Masjid Al Aqsa, Jinn In Islam, Ghayb The Unseen