He would recite it in a state of deep humility—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him.
Allah the Exalted has said:
“ And We bestowed upon David the Zabūr ” (al-Isrāʾ 17:55).
The Zabūr is a well-known Book. In our Tafsīr we have already cited the ḥadīth related by Aḥmad and others stating that it was revealed in the month of Ramaḍān; it is filled with exhortations and wise sayings familiar to anyone who examines it.
His words,
“ We strengthened his kingdom and granted him wisdom and decisive speech ” (Ṣād 38:20),
mean that We endowed him with a mighty sovereignty and an authoritative ruling power. Ibn Jarīr and Ibn Abī Ḥātim transmit from Ibn ʿAbbās that two men brought a case concerning some cattle before David, peace be upon him. One alleged that the other had forcibly taken them; the defendant denied the charge. David postponed judgment until nightfall, and that night Allah revealed to him that he must execute the claimant. The next morning David said to the man, “Allah, Exalted be He, has revealed to me that I must kill you, and kill you I shall. Tell me, then, the truth about your claim against this man.” He replied, “By Allah, O Prophet of Allah, I was indeed truthful in my accusation, but earlier I had murdered his father.” David thereupon ordered his execution. David’s prestige among the Children of Israel grew immensely, and they submitted to him in full.
Ibn ʿAbbās said that this is what Allah means by, “We strengthened his kingdom.”
Regarding, “We granted him wisdom,” it means prophethood; and as for “decisive speech”:
• Shurayḥ, al-Shaʿbī, Qatādah, Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī and others said it refers to witnesses and oaths—that is, proof is required of the claimant and an oath of the defendant.
• Mujāhid and al-Suddi said it denotes the ability to judge correctly and comprehend the matter.
• Mujāhid also said it is clarity in speech and in judgment—an interpretation preferred by Ibn Jarīr. This does not contradict the report from Abū Mūsā that it is the phrase “amma baʿd…”.
Wahb ibn Munabbih said: When wrongdoing and false testimony became widespread among the Children of Israel, David was given a chain to aid in judgment. It hung from heaven to the Rock in Jerusalem and was made of gold. Whenever two men disputed over a right, the one in the right could grasp it, whereas the other could not. Matters remained thus until a man entrusted another with a pearl, which the latter later denied. The trustee hollowed out a staff, placed the pearl inside it, and when they came before the Rock, the claimant reached for the chain. The defendant was then told, “Take hold of it yourself.” He passed the staff—containing the pearl—to the claimant and said, “O Allah, You know that I have returned it to him,” then seized the chain and managed to grasp it. The affair thus became confused for the Children of Israel, and the chain was quickly taken up from among them. Many commentators have mentioned this account in substance, and it has been narrated by Isḥāq ibn Bishr from Idrīs ibn Sinān, from Wahb to the same effect.
“And has the story of the disputants reached you—when they scaled the prayer chamber? When they entered upon David and he was alarmed by them, they said: ‘Do not fear. We are two litigants; one of us has wronged the other. Judge between us with truth, do not exceed the bounds, and guide us to the straight path. This brother of mine has ninety-nine ewes while I have only one, yet he says, “Entrust her to me…” ’ ” (Ṣād 38:21-23).