Hadith 3417

يَتَعَدَّوْنَ يُجَاوِزُونَ فِي السَّبْتِ {إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا} شَوَارِعَ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: {كُونُوا قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ}.
These people began to transgress on the Sabbath. «شرعا‏» That is, «شوارع», "floating on the water." Up to the end of the verse «كونوا قردة خاسئين‏».
الزُّبُرُ الْكُتُبُ، وَاحِدُهَا زَبُورٌ، زَبَرْتُ كَتَبْتُ. {وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا دَاوُدَ مِنَّا فَضْلاً يَا جِبَالُ أَوِّبِي مَعَهُ} قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ سَبِّحِي مَعَهُ، {وَالطَّيْرَ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ الْحَدِيدَ أَنِ اعْمَلْ سَابِغَاتٍ} الدُّرُوعَ، {وَقَدِّرْ فِي السَّرْدِ} الْمَسَامِيرِ وَالْحَلَقِ، وَلاَ يُدِقَّ الْمِسْمَارَ فَيَتَسَلْسَلَ، وَلاَ يُعَظِّمْ فَيَفْصِمَ، {وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا إِنِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ}.
«الزبر‏» means «الكتب». Its singular is «زبور». « زبرت» means «كتبت‏», I have written. And indeed We gave David a bounty from Us (and We said): O mountains! Glorify (Allah) with him. Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) said that the meaning of («اوبي معه») is «سبحي معه». And We commanded the birds to glorify (Allah) with him, and We made iron soft for him so that he could make coats of mail from it. The meaning of «سابغات‏» is «دروع », that is, coats of mail. The meaning of «وقدر في السرد‏» is. And keep a particular method in making (i.e., in making the nails and rings of the coat of mail). Do not make the nails so thin that they become loose, nor so large that the ring breaks, and do good deeds. Indeed, whatever you do, I am watching it.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ ، عَنْ هَمَّامٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : " خُفِّفَ عَلَى دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام الْقُرْآنُ فَكَانَ يَأْمُرُ بِدَوَابِّهِ فَتُسْرَجُ فَيَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُسْرَجَ دَوَابُّهُ وَلَا يَأْكُلُ إِلَّا مِنْ عَمَلِ يَدِهِ " ، رَوَاهُ مُوسَى بْنُ عُقْبَةَ ، عَنْ صَفْوَانَ ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ .
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "The reciting of the Zabur (i.e. Psalms) was made easy for David. He used to order that his riding animals be saddled, and would finish reciting the Zabur before they were saddled. And he would never eat except from the earnings of his manual work."
Hadith Reference صحيح البخاري / كتاب أحاديث الأنبياء / 3417
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح البخاريّ كلّها صحيحة
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
Reciting the Zabur so quickly was a miracle (mu‘jizah) of Dawud (alayhis salam).
However, for ordinary Muslims, completing the Qur’an in less than three days is contrary to the Sunnah.
Whoever completes the Noble Qur’an in less than three days has not fulfilled the right of understanding the Qur’an.
Among his brothers, Dawud (alayhis salam) was of short stature, so people would look at him with disdain.
But Allah, the Exalted, granted Dawud (alayhis salam) superiority over his brothers and revealed the Zabur to him.
Thus, the phrase from the Injil (Gospel) became true: the stone which the builders rejected as faulty became the chief cornerstone of the palace.
Allah Ta‘ala granted Dawud (alayhis salam) the craft of working with iron as a miracle, such that iron would become soft like wax in his hands, and he would make coats of mail and various items from it.
This was his means of livelihood.
In the noble hadith, his fasting has also been praised, and in the Noble Qur’an, his worship, spiritual exercises, and turning to Allah have been described in a very beautiful manner.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 3417
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
The Zabur has been referred to as "Qur'an" because it contained a collection of rulings, or in the literal sense, because it was recited frequently. The ability to recite the Zabur so quickly was a miracle of Dawud (alayhis salam). However, in our Shari'ah, to complete the recitation of the Noble Qur'an in less than three days is contrary to the Sunnah.
According to the hadith, whoever completes the Noble Qur'an in less than three days has not fulfilled the right of understanding the Qur'an.
Dawud (alayhis salam) used to consume only from what he earned with his own hands.
His means of earning was that he would make iron armor and sell it.
Allah Ta'ala had made iron soft in his hands; he would prepare various items from it, and this was his means of livelihood.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 3417
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
The recitation of Dawud (alayhis salam) was as a miracle.
It is not permissible to complete the recitation of the Qur'an in less than three days.
The matter is different in the case of a karamah (miraculous occurrence granted to a saint).
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 4713
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:

There were some admonitions, counsels, supplications, and glorifications in the Zabur, and for rulings, reliance was placed upon the Torah.
The fact that Dawud (alayhis salam) would recite the Zabur so quickly is a miracle.
Allah, exalted is He, folds up time for whomever He wills among His servants.
In the terminology of the Sufis, this is called "tayy al-zaman" (folding of time); an even more problematic term is "tayy al-makan" (folding of space). Then, under the cover of these terms, they have narrated such incidents that are contrary to reason and transmission.

In any case, from this hadith it is understood that sometimes Allah, exalted is He, puts blessing in a short amount of time so that many tasks are accomplished within it.
And Allah knows best.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 4713