Encyclopedia of Islam

Further reading: Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid, “Sufi 

Undercurrents in Islamic Revivalism: Traditional, Post-

Traditional and Modern Images of Islamic Activism 

in Malaysia.” Islamic Quarterly 45 (2001): 177–198; 

25 Years of Darul Arqam: The Struggle of Abuya Syeikh 

Imam Ashaari Muhammad at-Tamimi (Kuala Lumpur: 

Penerbitan Abuya Dengan Izin Asoib International 

Limited, 1993).

darwish

  See 

dervish

.

David

 

(Arabic: Dawud, Daud)

 

biblical king 

of Israel and Judah who is revered by Muslims as a 

prophet of God

David is known to the followers of all three Abra-

hamic religions. Modern scholars of the Bible esti-

K  184  

Dar ul-Arqam

---

mate that he lived during the late 11th and early 

10th century 

b

.

c

.

e

. According to the narratives 

given in 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and 1 Kings of the 

Hebrew Bible, David rose from humble origins to 

become a legendary man of war and king of Israel 

and Judah. He made J

erUsalem

 his capital, which 

came to be known as “the city of David.” He was 

the father of Solomon, who succeeded him to 

the throne and built the city’s first temple for the 

god of the Israelites on Mount Zion. David is also 

remembered for having been the author of many 

of the poetic compositions contained in the bibli-

cal book of Psalms. In both Jewish and Christian 

scriptures, the idea developed that God’s future 

messiah, or anointed savior, would come from 

David’s descendants. The g

ospel

s of Matthew 

(Mt. 1:1–17) and Luke (Lk. 3:23–83) clearly link 

J

esUs

’ heritage to the royal household of David, 

and in Matthew, he is called “the son of David.”

The q

Uran

 mentions David 16 times in verses 

that present him as a biblical figure, as well as in 

passages that present him as a Muslim 

prophet

.

Thus, there are brief statements about his slaying 

Goliath (Q 2:251), receiving a kingdom and wis-

dom from God (Q 38:20), and being associated 

with Solomon (Q 27:15). More important, he is 

said to have received the book of Psalms (zabur) 

from God (Q 4:163; 17:55), which qualifies him 

as a prophet in Islamic tradition. David is also 

called God’s 

caliph

 (khalifa) on Earth (Q 38:26), 

meaning his deputy. The biblical stories about his 

relations with Saul, Jonathan, and his son Absa-

lom; his wars with the Philistines; the capture of 

Jerusalem; and his affair with Bathsheba and the 

death of her husband Uriah are completely omit-

ted from the quranic narratives. The 

hadith

 con-

centrated on his dedication to prayer and fasting, 

but not on the biblical stories.

More developed portrayals of David were 

provided in Quran commentaries (

tafsir

) and 

legendary stories (qisas) about the prophets, such 

as those collected by al-Tabari (d. 911) and al-

Thalabi (d. 1036). These narratives drew upon 

rabbinic traditions that circulated among Jewish 

communities of the Middle East centuries prior 

to the appearance of Islam. This was where Ara-

bic versions of the stories of Saul, Goliath, and 

Bathsheba (“that woman”) were recounted. Such 

stories gave readers more details about how David 

received the Psalms and how pleasant his voice 

was when he recited them. He was also shown to 

be a God-fearing man who repented for his affair 

with Uriah’s wife. Sufis would later remember 

him especially for his 

asceticism

 and repentance. 

David’s connection with Jerusalem is not men-

tioned in the Quran, hadith, commentaries, or 

qisas literature but is included in a specific genre 

of medieval Arabic literature that dealt with the 

sanctity of the city.

See also 

holy

 

books

; J

Udaism

 

and

 i

slam

; 

proph

-

ets

 

and

 

prophecy

.