Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Mujahid says: When Dawud (peace be upon him) made a slip, and the state of his slip was such that as soon as he realized it, he disliked it and abandoned it, and never went near it again, then two disputants came to him (with their dispute), and they climbed over the wall and entered the place of worship. When he saw them, he approached them and said: Go away from me, why have you entered like this? The narrator says: They replied: We will speak to you about a small matter, this is my brother, he has ninety-nine sheep and I have (only) one sheep, and he wants to take (that one sheep) from me as well. Upon this, Dawud (peace be upon him) said: By Allah, he deserves that he be split from here to here, meaning from the nose to the chest. The narrator says: That man said: This is Dawud who (so easily) gave a decision. Dawud (peace be upon him) understood that he had been admonished, and he recognized his mistake. So he remained in prostration for forty days and forty nights, and that slip was written on his blessed hand in such a way that he kept seeing it, so that he would not become heedless. (This state of lamentation continued) until so much tall grass grew around him that it covered his head as well. After forty days, he cried out: My forehead has become wounded, my eyes have become dry, but Dawud’s case has not been heard. Then a call was heard: Are you hungry that you should be fed, are you unclothed that you should be clothed, are you oppressed that you should be helped? The narrator says: When he saw that (in this call) his mistake was not even mentioned, he wept so intensely that the grass growing around him also dried up. (When Dawud’s state became like this) then at that time his slip was forgiven. So when the Day of Resurrection comes, their Lord, the Possessor of Majesty, will say to him: Stand before Me. So he will say: O my Lord, my sin (prevents me), my sin. Allah, Glorious is He, will say: Stand behind Me. So he will (again) say: O my Sustainer, my sin (makes me ashamed), my sin. Upon this, Allah, the Most Glorious and Exalted, will say: Come to My feet. So he (peace be upon him) will come to His feet.