mate that he lived during the late 11th and early
10th century b.c.e. According to the narratives
given in 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and 1 Kings of the
Hebrew Bible, David rose from humble origins to
become a legendary man of war and king of Israel
and Judah. He made JerUsalem his capital, which
came to be known as “the city of David.” He was
the father of Solomon, who succeeded him to
the throne and built the city’s first temple for the
god of the Israelites on Mount Zion. David is also
remembered for having been the author of many
of the poetic compositions contained in the bibli-
cal book of Psalms. In both Jewish and Christian
scriptures, the idea developed that God’s future
messiah, or anointed savior, would come from
David’s descendants. The gospels of Matthew
(Mt. 1:1–17) and Luke (Lk. 3:23–83) clearly link
JesUs’ heritage to the royal household of David,
and in Matthew, he is called “the son of David.”
The qUran mentions David 16 times in verses
that present him as a biblical figure, as well as in
passages that present him as a Muslim prophet.
Thus, there are brief statements about his slaying
Goliath (Q 2:251), receiving a kingdom and wis-
dom from God (Q 38:20), and being associated
with Solomon (Q 27:15). More important, he is
said to have received the book of Psalms (zabur)
from God (Q 4:163; 17:55), which qualifies him
as a prophet in Islamic tradition. David is also
called God’s caliph (khalifa) on Earth (Q 38:26),
meaning his deputy. The biblical stories about his
relations with Saul, Jonathan, and his son Absa-
lom; his wars with the Philistines; the capture of
Jerusalem; and his affair with Bathsheba and the
death of her husband Uriah are completely omit-
ted from the quranic narratives. The hadith con-
centrated on his dedication to prayer and fasting,
but not on the biblical stories.
More developed portrayals of David were
provided in Quran commentaries (tafsir) and
legendary stories (qisas) about the prophets, such
as those collected by al-Tabari (d. 911) and al-
Thalabi (d. 1036). These narratives drew upon
rabbinic traditions that circulated among Jewish
communities of the Middle East centuries prior
to the appearance of Islam. This was where Ara-
bic versions of the stories of Saul, Goliath, and
Bathsheba (“that woman”) were recounted. Such
stories gave readers more details about how David
received the Psalms and how pleasant his voice
was when he recited them. He was also shown to
be a God-fearing man who repented for his affair
with Uriah’s wife. Sufis would later remember
him especially for his asceticism and repentance.
David’s connection with Jerusalem is not men-
tioned in the Quran, hadith, commentaries, or
qisas literature but is included in a specific genre
of medieval Arabic literature that dealt with the
sanctity of the city.
See also holy books; JUdaism and islam; proph-
ets and prophecy.Further reading: Gordon Darnell Newby, The Making
of the Last Prophet: A Reconstruction of the Earliest Biog-
raphy of Muhammad (Columbia: University of South
Carolina Press, 1989); Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Thal-
abi, Arais al-majalis fi qisas al-anbiya, or “Lives of the
Prophets.” Translated by William M. Brinner (Leiden:
E.J. Brill, 2002).death
Islamic discussions on death and the aFterliFe
are based on the teachings of the qUran and the
hadith. The Quran refers to death in 36 chapters
and the JUdgment day in 29 chapters. Notwith-
standing the diversity of the contexts in which
death is discussed, the themes of returning to
God and taking responsibility for one’s actions
are essential in these discussions. The Quran and
hadith explain that a person has only one life and
one chance to prepare him- or herself for the after-
life. Therefore, death is the terminus that gives
purpose and meaning to the life of the individual
who is on a journey back to God. The dead are
resurrected on Judgment Day for an evaluation of
how they lived their lives and whether they will
go to heaven or hell.death 185 J