203 – ‘Abd Allah narrated to us; he said: Shurayh b. Yunus narrated to us; he said: ‘Umar b. ‘Abd al-Rahman narrated to us, from al-Suddi, who said:

David, peace be upon him, was in his prayer chamber on the day set aside for his devotions. A bird whose head and wings were of gold came and settled near him. He moved to seize it, but it hopped away and alighted elsewhere; he went to take hold of it again, yet it shifted to another spot. When he tried a third time, the bird flew up and perched on the lattice of a window. As he reached out to catch it, the bird flew off—and David looked down and saw a woman bathing, and desire for her entered his heart. One of our companions told me that when she noticed him she began to part her hair with her fingers.

He then resumed al-Suddi’s narration and said: David, peace be upon him, wrote to the commander of his army: “Look for Uriah”—meaning the woman’s husband—“and send him to such-and-such a place, where the enemy’s blows are fiercest, so that he may be exposed to death.” The commander wrote back: “Victory has been achieved for him.” ⦗137⦘ David wrote to him a second and a third time: “Dispatch him to such-and-such a place.”

The woman’s brothers then came and entered upon David. They said, “O king, we had a spring; among the Children of Israel there was no spring finer than it. A man came and assumed responsibility for it, drawing its water for us, giving us drink and saving us from hunger. Then a lion came and crouched over that spring; whenever anyone approached to draw water he drove him away. The spring is now ruined, the fruits have withered, and we are perishing from hunger.” David realised that they had struck a parable for him, so he said, “I shall drive that lion away from you.” He therefore wrote to the commander: “Locate Uriah and move him forward.” The commander wrote back that Uriah had been struck down.

While David, peace be upon him, was in his prayer niche on his day of worship, two angels came and sought permission to enter. They were told, “You both know that today is not a day for judgments; it is a day for worship.” So they scaled the wall of the chamber. When David saw them he was alarmed, and they said:

“Do not be afraid. We are two disputants; one of us has wronged the other. Judge between us with truth, do not be unjust, and guide us to the straight path. This brother of mine has ninety-nine ewes, whereas I have only one. Yet he says, ‘Entrust her to me,’ and he overpowered me in the argument.” (Sad 38:23)

He (David) said, “He has certainly wronged you by demanding your ewe in addition to his own ewes; indeed, many partners wrong one another, except those who believe and do righteous deeds—but few are they.” (Sad 38:24)

Al-Suddi said: “meaning the shepherds in this context.” He went on, “You deserve that this and this of yours be broken,” pointing to his forehead, his eyebrows, and the bridge of his nose. Then the two angels said, “And you, O David, are equally deserving that this and this be broken.” ⦗138⦘

The narrator said: Concerning the Almighty’s words, “and he thought” (Q 75:28)—that is, he knew—“that We had tested him; so he sought forgiveness from his Lord, fell down in prostration, and turned in repentance.”

He continued to weep until, from his tears, vegetation grew even behind his ears. He went on weeping until Allah revealed to him that he had been forgiven. David said, “My Lord, what am I to do, when it is of Your justice and bounty that You wrong no one on anyone else’s behalf? When Uriah comes on the Day of Resurrection he will seize me by the collar and say, ‘My Lord, ask this man why he did to me what he did.’” Allah revealed to him, “It is indeed part of My justice and bounty that I wrong no one for anyone else. Yet I shall give him power over you, then I shall have him pardon you, and I shall reward him with something better than that.”