Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 34053 — Reports on the affair of Dawud

It is narrated from Mujahid that he said: When the error occurred from Dawud (peace be upon him), and his error was only that when he saw that woman he had her moved away and did not go near her, two disputants came to him, climbing over the wall. When he saw them, he stood, went to them and said: "Leave me. For what purpose have you come here?" They said: "We wish to speak with you only briefly. This brother of mine has ninety-nine ewes and I have one ewe, and he wants to take that one from me as well." Dawud (peace be upon him) said: "By Allah, he deserves to have his body broken from here to here," meaning from the nose to the chest. That man said: "Dawud has done this very thing." So Dawud (peace be upon him) realized what he meant by that and became aware of his sin. He remained in prostration for forty days and nights, and his sin stayed written on his hand, and he would look at it lest he forget it at any moment, until wild plants grew around him from his tears and covered his head. After forty days he called out: "The forehead has become wounded and the eye has run dry, and nothing has been said about the error of Dawud." Then it was called out: "Are you hungry, that you may be fed? Or naked, that you may be clothed? Or wronged, that you may be helped?" So when his sin was not mentioned, he wept so much that the plants near him turned yellow, and at that point Allah forgave him. When the Day of Resurrection comes, Allah Almighty will say: "Come before Me." He will say: "My sin!" Allah will say: "Come behind Me." He will say: "O my Lord, my sin!" Allah will say to him: "Take hold of My foot," and he will take hold of His foot.