Surah Saba (34) — Ayah 10

(Ayah 10) ➊ The tanween on {وَ لَقَدْ اٰتَيْنَا دَاوٗدَ مِنَّا فَضْلًا : ’’ فَضْلًا ‘‘} is for magnification, that is why it has been translated as "great bounty." The relevance of mentioning Dawud (peace be upon him) with the previous verses is that in the previous verse it was stated that in the heavens and the earth there is a great sign and lesson for every servant who turns to Allah. Now, some of Allah’s turning servants and some of their incidents are mentioned, among whom is Dawud (peace be upon him). Allah bestowed many favors upon him and granted him various kinds of blessings. Some of Allah’s favors upon him are mentioned here, which are found in the Qur’an or Hadith.

He was an ordinary young man who used to herd sheep. Allah made him kill the mighty enemy king of the disbelievers, Jalut, and made him beloved to Bani Israel, and then granted him such elevation that after the death of Talut, he became the king of Bani Israel, and Allah granted him knowledge and wisdom along with kingship. (Al-Baqarah: 251) He was granted prophethood and given the Zabur. (An-Nisa: 163) He was given tremendous strength. (Surah Sad: 17) He and his son Sulaiman (peace be upon him) were given special knowledge. (An-Naml: 15) He was taught the language of birds. (An-Naml: 16) He was granted the quality of repentance and turning to Allah, and his forgiveness was granted. (Surah Sad: 24, 25) He was given the ability to make correct judgments and the ability to do justice. (Al-Anbiya: 79; Sad: 26) Iron was made soft for him and he was taught how to make armor. (Al-Anbiya: 80; Saba: 10, 11) He was given a very beautiful voice and the mountains and birds were commanded to repeat the tasbih with him. (Al-Anbiya: 79; Saba: 10) Reciting (the Zabur) was made easy for him, so much so that he would order the saddling of horses and would finish reciting it before the saddles were put on. [ دیکھیے بخاري، أحادیث الأنبیاء، باب قول اللہ تعالٰی : «و آتینا داوٗد زبورا » : ۳۴۱۷ ] He was granted the ability to fast and pray, and along with that, steadfastness in striving in the way of Allah, the details of which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) explained: "He would sleep for half the night, then stand in prayer for a third, and then sleep for a sixth, and he would fast one day and break the fast the next day." [ أبوداوٗد، الصیام، باب في صوم یوم و فطر یوم : ۲۴۴۸، و قال الألباني صحیح ] And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When he encountered the enemy, (Dawud, peace be upon him) would not flee." [ بخاري، الصوم، باب صوم داوٗد علیہ السلام : ۱۹۷۹، عن عبد اللہ بن عمرو رضی اللہ عنھما ] And he would eat only from what he earned with his own hands. [ دیکھیے بخاري، البیوع، باب کسب الرجل و عملہ بیدہ : ۲۰۷۲ ] With further research, even more favors of Allah upon him can be found.

➋ Before {يٰجِبَالُ اَوِّبِيْ مَعَهٗ وَ الطَّيْرَ:}, the word {’’قُلْنَا‘‘} (We said) is omitted, which is understood automatically. {’’ اَوِّبِيْ ‘‘ ’’آبَ يَؤُبُ أَوْبًا‘‘} (n) means to return, and {’’أَوَّبَ يُأَوِّبُ‘‘} (taf’il) means to return or repeat. That is, We said to the mountains: O mountains! Repeat the words of tasbih and recitation with him, and O birds! You too. Thus, {’’ وَ الطَّيْرَ ‘‘} is connected to the position of {’’جِبَالٌ‘‘}, so it is in the accusative, or it is the object of the omitted {’’سَخَّرْنَا لَهُ‘‘}, meaning We also subjected the birds to him to do tasbih, as stated in Surah Sad: «وَ الطَّيْرَ مَحْشُوْرَةً كُلٌّ لَّهٗۤ اَوَّابٌ » [ صٓ : ۱۹ ] "And the birds too (We subjected), all assembled, repeatedly turning to him." The mention of the tasbih of the mountains and birds has already passed in Surah Al-Anbiya (79).

➌ Most commentators have written regarding the softening of iron for Dawud (peace be upon him) that, by Allah’s command, it would be like wax or kneaded dough in his hand without being melted in fire. If this is so, there is nothing surprising in it, but this is only the statement of Qatadah; it is not established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). If Allah taught him the skill to soften iron by melting it, this too is {’’ وَ اَلَنَّا لَهُ الْحَدِيْدَ ‘‘}. Nowadays, without any miracle or karamah, iron has become soft in people’s hands due to skill. For Dawud (peace be upon him), being the first to invent the iron furnace, to mold it as he wished, and to be the first to make armor, and the honor that those who came after him learned these skills from him, is no small matter. Also see Surah Al-Anbiya (80).

10. 1 That is, he was granted kingship along with prophethood and many distinctive qualities.

10. 2 One of these was the blessing of a beautiful voice; when he recited the praises of Allah, even the solid rocks of the mountains would engage in glorification, the flying birds would halt and begin to hum, that is, We said to the mountains and the birds, so they too would join Dawud ؑ in glorification. The conjunction of والطیر is either with the position of یا جبال, because جبال is, by estimation, in the accusative case; the original phrase is like this: نادینا الجبال والطیر (We called the mountains and the birds), or its conjunction is with فضلا, and the meaning would be: وسخرنا لہ الطیر (and We subjected the birds to him) (Fath al-Qadeer).

10. 3 That is, without heating iron in fire and striking it with a hammer, he could mold it like wax, kneaded dough, or wet clay, and shape it however he wished, twist it, and make whatever he desired.

10. And indeed, We granted David a great favor from Us [14]. (We said:) "O mountains! Echo with him in praise (of Allah)," and (We commanded) the birds as well. And We made iron soft for him [16].

[14] That greatness was that in his childhood he were merely a shepherd and used to graze goats. Then Allah granted you both kingship and prophethood. And this detail has already been mentioned under verse number 251 of Surah Al-Baqarah.
[15] His melodious voice, and the harmony of the mountains and birds with him. [ديكهو سورة انبياء كي آيت نمبر 79 كا حاشيه نمبر 67]
[16] Iron becoming soft in his hand and his making coats of mail from iron. [ديكهئے سورة انبياء كي آيت نمبر 80 كا حاشيه نمبر 68]