Concerning what David (peace be upon him) was granted

Allah the Exalted says:
“Remember Our servant David, the man of might; indeed, he was ever penitent. 17 We made the mountains join him in glorifying Us at dusk and at sunrise, 18 and the birds too were gathered—each of them constantly turning to Allah.” (Ṣād 17–19)

He also says: “We certainly granted David a bounty from Us: ‘O mountains, echo praises with him—and you, birds!’ And We softened iron for him, 10 saying, ‘Fashion full-length coats of mail and measure the links well. Act righteously, for I see everything you do.’” (Sabaʾ 10–11)

As we have already mentioned in his story and in the commentary, David possessed a beautiful voice, and Allah subjected the birds to him so that they glorified alongside him; the mountains too answered him and glorified with him. He read swiftly: he would order that his mount be saddled, and in the time it took to finish saddling it he would recite the Zabur, after which he would ride. He never ate except from what his own hands earned. May Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him.

Our Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ likewise had a melodious, pleasing voice when reciting the Quran. Jubayr ibn Muṭʿim said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited ‘By the Fig and the Olive’ in the Maghrib prayer, and I have never heard a voice more delightful than his.” (1) He used to recite in measured tones, as Allah—glorified and exalted is He—commanded.

Birds glorifying with David is marvellous, yet the glorification of the lifeless mountains is even more astonishing. Earlier we cited the hadith that pebbles glorified Allah in the palm of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Ibn Ḥāmid remarked: “This is a well-known, famous report,” and stones, trees, and even lumps of earth used to greet him ﷺ.

In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (2) Ibn Masʿūd relates: “We would hear the food glorifying Allah while it was being eaten,” meaning in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ.

The poisoned shoulder of the sheep spoke to him and informed him of the poison it contained; tame and wild animals, and even inanimate objects, all bore witness to his prophethood, as has already been detailed. Undoubtedly, glorification issuing from small, solid pebbles—with no hollows to carry sound—is more wondrous than it issuing from mountains, which possess caves and cavities that often echo loud voices. When ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr delivered a sermon—while he was Commander of the Faithful in the Sacred Precinct—the mountains of Abū Qubays and Zarūd (3) would echo his words, though without any glorification; that was one of the miracles peculiar to David (peace be upon him). Even so, the glorification of pebbles in the very hand of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and in the hands of Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, and ʿUthmān, is still more extraordinary.

As for David’s eating only from what his own hands earned, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did the same: he used to herd the sheep of the people of Mecca for a few qirats, and he said, “Every prophet has herded sheep.” (4) He also travelled to Syria on a trading venture for Khadījah under a profit-sharing arrangement.

Allah the Exalted says: “And they said, ‘What sort of messenger is this who eats food and walks in the markets? Why has an angel not been sent down to him…’”