to the shore and raise his voice in melodious recitation. He would weep, and the whales, sea creatures, waterbirds, and wild beasts would weep with him. When evening came, he would return.

Whenever it was the day on which he lamented over himself, his herald would proclaim: “Today is the day of David’s lamentation over himself, so let whoever will assist him be present.” He would enter the house containing the places of worship, where three coarse haircloth mattresses, stuffed with palm fibre, would be spread for him. He would sit upon them, and four thousand monks, clad in hooded cloaks and carrying staffs, would come and sit in those places of worship. Then David would raise his voice in weeping and lamentation over himself, and the monks would raise their voices with him. He would continue weeping until the mattresses were soaked with his tears, and David would fall among them like a struggling fledgling. Then his son Solomon would come and carry him. David would take some of those tears in his palms, wipe his face with them, and say, “My Lord, forgive me for what You see.” If David’s weeping were weighed against the weeping of all the people of the world, it would equal it.

Wahb said: David did not raise his head until the angel said to him, “The beginning of your affair is sin, and its end is disobedience. Raise your head.” So he raised his head, and for the rest of his life he never drank water without mixing it with his tears, nor ate food without moistening it with his tears.

Al-Awza‘i related, tracing it back to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him: “David’s eyes were like two waterskins dripping with water, and tears had carved channels in his face like watercourses carved in the earth.” (1)

Wahb said: When Allah accepted David’s repentance, he said, “My Lord, You have forgiven me; but how can I avoid forgetting my sin, so that I may seek forgiveness for it and seek forgiveness for the sinners until the Day of Resurrection?” Allah then marked his sin upon his right hand. Whenever he raised food or drink with it, he would weep when he saw it. Whenever he stood to address the people, he would spread out his palm and face it towards them so that they might see the mark of his sin. Whenever he supplicated, he would begin by seeking forgiveness for the sinners before seeking it for himself.

Qatadah narrated from al-Hasan: After the sin, David would sit only with sinners, saying, “Come to David the sinner.” He would not drink anything without mixing it with the tears of his eyes. He would place dry barley bread in a bowl and continue weeping over it until it was moistened by his tears. He would sprinkle it with salt and ashes, eat it, and say, “This is the food of sinners.” Before the sin, David would stand in prayer for half the night and fast half the time; but after what occurred of his sin, he fasted continually and stood in prayer throughout the whole night.

Thabit said: Whenever David remembered Allah’s punishment, his limbs would come apart, and nothing could hold them together except binding; but whenever he remembered Allah’s mercy, they would return to their place.

It is related in the account that the wild beasts and birds would listen to his recitation; but after he did what he did, they ceased to listen.