Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 36965 — Reports on Dawud (peace be upon him)

Mujahid said: When Dawud (peace be upon him) committed the error, and his error was only that when he saw (her), he gave an order concerning her and set her apart, and he did not go near her, the two disputants came to him (with their dispute), climbed over the wall and entered the place of worship. When he saw them he went towards them and said: "Get out from my presence! What has brought you in here like this?" The narrator said: They replied: "We will speak only a brief word with you. This is my brother. He has ninety-nine ewes and I have (only) one ewe, and he wants to take that (one ewe) from me as well." At this Dawud (peace be upon him) said: "By Allah, he deserves to be split from here to here", meaning from the nose to the chest. The narrator said: The man said: "This is Dawud, who has done it himself." Dawud (peace be upon him) realised that he was the one meant, and he also recognised his error. So he remained in prostration for forty days and forty nights, and that error was written on his blessed hand so that he kept looking at it, lest he become heedless. (This weeping and lamenting continued) until, from his tears, vegetation grew up around him so tall that it covered even his head. After forty days he cried out: "The forehead is wounded, the eyes have run dry, yet Dawud's case has not been heard." At this a call was heard: "Are you hungry, that you should be fed? Are you unclothed, that you should be clothed? Are you wronged, that you should be helped?" The narrator said: When he saw that his error was not even mentioned (in this call), he wept so intensely that the vegetation growing around him withered. (When Dawud, peace be upon him, had reached this state,) his error was then forgiven. So when the Day of Resurrection comes, his Lord, Possessor of Majesty, will say to him: "Stand before Me." He will say: "O my Lord, my sin (prevents me), my sin." Allah, Majestic is His glory, will say: "Stand behind Me." He will (again) say: "O my Sustainer, my sin (makes me ashamed), my sin." At this Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, will say: "Take hold of My Foot." And he (peace be upon him) will take hold of His Foot.