- ʿAbdullāh narrated to us—my father narrated to me—Siyyar narrated to us—Jaʿfar narrated to me; he said: I heard Abū ʿImrān al-Jawnī recite the verse, “Has the story of the litigants reached you, when they climbed over the prayer-chamber; when they entered upon David and he was startled by them…?” (Ṣād 38:21).
He then said: “They scaled the wall toward David—‘and he was startled by them. 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 excessive, and guide us to the straight path.”’ (38:22)
David told them, ‘Sit in the place where litigants sit,’ and so they sat. He said, ‘Present your case.’ One of them said, ‘Indeed this is my brother; he has ninety-nine ewes and I have one ewe. He said, “Entrust her to me,” and he overpowered me in speech.’ (38:23)
David was amazed and said, ‘He has certainly wronged you by asking that your ewe be added to his ewes; and indeed many partners do oppress one another…’ (38:24)
At that, one of them spoke sternly, saying, ‘O David, you deserve to have your head struck with a staff!’ Then the two disappeared, and David realized that he had only been rebuked for his sin.
He therefore fell in prostration on the spot for forty days and nights, raising his head only for the obligatory prayers, until his body wasted away, his forehead was bruised, and sores formed on his palms and knees.
An angel then came and said, ‘O David, I am the messenger of your Lord to you, and He says: Raise your head, for I have forgiven you.’ He replied, ‘How, my Lord, when You are the Just Judge, the Arbiter of the Day of Recompense; no oppressor’s injustice escapes You—how can You forgive me the grievance of that man?’
He was left as long as Allah willed. Then another angel came and said, ‘O David, I am the messenger of your Lord to you, and He says: You will come before Me on the Day of Resurrection—you and Ibn Ṣūriyā—disputing. I shall judge in his favor against you; then I shall ask him to grant it to Me. He will do so, and I will reward him from Paradise until he is pleased; thereafter I shall forgive you.’ David said, ‘Now I know, my Lord, that You have indeed forgiven me.’