How Did Allah Test Dawoud Through the Case of the Two Disputants?
كيف امتحن الله داوود بقضية الخصمين؟
Two disputants came upon David while he was absorbed in his prayers, not at the time when he sat to judge. They asked him to apply justice and to guide them to an equitable judgement.
One of the disputants said that he had one ewe and that his friend had ninety-nine. The one who had many ewes said to his friend: “Commit your ewe to my charge; I will add her to mine and care for her.” David said to the speaker: “Your friend has wronged you in asking for your one ewe to be added to his ewes.”
It seems that David made a hasty judgement before he had heard the argument of the second disputer.
A judge should not be affected by the appearance of things. He should give the other disputant a chance to defend himself.
And when the disputants disappeared, it seems that they were angels sent by God, he knew that God had wanted to try him. He asked for His forgiveness and fell down in prostration and repentance about his hasty judgment.
(Has the story of the two plaintiffs, who scaled the ˹wall of David’s˺ sanctuary, reached you ˹O Prophet˺?)
(When they came into David’s presence, he was startled by them. They said, “Have no fear. ˹We are merely˺ two in a dispute: one of us has wronged the other. So judge between us with truth, do not go beyond ˹it˺, and guide us to the right way.”)
(This is my brother. He has ninety-nine sheep while I have ˹only˺ one. ˹Still˺ he asked me to give it up to him, overwhelming me with ˹his˺ argument. David ˹eventually˺ ruled, “He has definitely wronged you in demanding ˹to add˺ your sheep to his. And certainly, many partners wrong each other, except those who believe and do good, but how few are they!” Then David realized that We had tested him so he asked for his Lord’s forgiveness, fell down in prostration, and turned ˹to Him in repentance˺.) Sad 38:21-24
(˹We instructed him:˺ “O David! We have surely made you an authority in the land, so judge between people with truth. And do not follow ˹your˺ desires or they will lead you astray from Allah’s Way. Surely those who go astray from Allah’s Way will suffer a severe punishment for neglecting the Day of Reckoning.”) Sad 38:26
الخُصُومُ تَسَلَّقُوا سُورَ الغُرْفَةِ التِي كَانَ دَاوُدُ يَتَعَبَّدُ رَبَّهُ فِيهَا (المِحْرَابَ)، وَدَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ السُّورِ، لاَ مِنَ البَابِ، وَهُوَ مُنْشَغِلٌ بِالعِبَادَةِ، وَقَالاَ لَهُ إِنَّهُمَا خَصْمَانِ تَجَاوَزَ أَحَدُهُمَا عَلَى الآخَرِ، وَقَدْ جَاءَا إِلَيْهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمَا بِالحَقِّ والعَدْلِ
وَقَالَ أَحَدُ الخَصْمَينِ لِدَاوُدَ: إِنَّهُ يَمْلِكُ شَاةً وَاحِدَةً وَإِنَّ صَاحِبَهُ يَمْلِكُ تِسْعاً وَتِسْعِينَ شَاةً (نَعْجَةً)، فَقَالَ لَهُ صَاحِبُهُ مَالِكُ النِّعَاجِ الكَثِيرَةِ: أَعْطِنِي نَعْجَتَكَ لأَضُمَّهَا إِلَى نِعَاجِي، وَأَكْفُلَهَا لَكَ. فَقَالَ دَاوُدُ لِلْمُتَكَلِّمِ مِنَ الخَصْمَين: إِنَّ صَاحِبَكَ قَدْ ظَلَمَكَ وَجَارَ عَلَيْكَ إِذْ طَلَبَ مِنْكَ نَعْجَتَكَ الوَحِيدَةَ لِيَضُمَّهَا إِلَى نِعَاجِهِ.
وَيَبْدُو أَنَّ دَاوُدَ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلامَ، أَصْدَرَ حُكْمَهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَسْمَعَ حُجَّةَ الخَصْمِ الآخَرِ
الحَكَمُ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ لاَ يُؤْخَذَ بِظَاهِرِ القَوْلِ، وَأَنَّ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَمْنَحَ الخَصْمَ الآخَرَ فُرْصَةً لِلدِّفَاعِ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ
وَلَمَّا تَوَارَى الخَصْمَانِ، وَيَبْدُو أَنَّهُمَا كَانَا مَلَكَيْنِ مُرْسَلَينِ إِلَيْهِ مِن اللهِ تَعَالَى، أَدْرَكَ دَاوُدُ أَنَّ اللهَ أَرَادَ اخْتِبَارَهُ وَفِتْنَتَهُ، فَاسْتَغْفَرَ رَبَّهُ، وَخَرَّ سَاجِداً تَائِباً.
(وَهَلْ أَتَاكَ نَبَأُ الْخَصْمِ إِذْ تَسَوَّرُوا الْمِحْرَابَ)
(إِذْ دَخَلُواْ عَلَىٰ دَاوُودَ فَفَزِعَ مِنْهُمْ قَالُواْ لاَ تَخَفْ خَصْمَانِ بَغَىٰ بَعْضُنَا عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ فَٱحْكُمْ بَيْنَنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَلاَ تُشْطِطْ وَٱهْدِنَا إِلَىٰ سَوَاءِ الصِّرَاطِ)
إنَّ هَـٰذَا أَخِي لَهُ تِسْعٌ وَتِسْعُونَ نَعْجَةً وَلِيَ نَعْجَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فَقَالَ أَكْفِلْنِيهَا وَعَزَّنِي فِي الْخِطَابِ ﴿٢٣﴾ قَالَ لَقَدْ ظَلَمَكَ بِسُؤَالِ نَعْجَتِكَ إِلَىٰ نِعَاجِهِ وَإِنَّ كَثِيراً مِّنَ الْخُلَطَاءِ لَيَبْغِي بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّالِحَاتِ وَقَلِيلٌ مَّا هُمْ وَظَنَّ دَاوُودُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّاهُ فَاسْتَغْفَرَ رَبَّهُ وَخَرَّ رَاكِعاً وَأَنَابَ (ص 38: 21-24)
(يَا دَاوُودُ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاكَ خَلِيفَةً فِي الأَرْضِ فَاحْكُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعِ الْهَوَىٰ فَيُضِلَّكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَضِلُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا نَسُواْ يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ) (ص 38: 26)
1. An Unusual Arrival That Signaled Something Was Different | وصول غير معتاد ينذر بأمر مختلف
The two disputants did not come through the door; they climbed over the wall of Dawoud’s private prayer chamber while he was absorbed in worship, startling him. This unusual entry, and the fact that he was interrupted during worship rather than approached during his sessions of judgment, already suggest that something beyond an ordinary legal dispute was taking place.
لم يدخل الخصمان من الباب؛ بل تسلقا جدار محراب داوود الخاص وهو منشغل بالعبادة، ففزع منهما. ويوحي هذا الدخول غير المعتاد، وكونه قوطع أثناء العبادة لا في جلسات القضاء المعتادة، بأن أمرا يتجاوز نزاعا قانونيا عاديا كان يجري.
2. A Ruling Before Both Sides Were Heard? | حكمٌ قبل سماع الطرفين؟
The answer says that it seems Dawoud (peace be upon him) gave his ruling as soon as the first man finished speaking, before hearing the second man’s argument. Al-Sa’di disagrees: the facts were already clear from what the two had said, so there was no need for the other to speak. The lesson the answer draws is procedural: a judge, however experienced or well-intentioned, should not rule on appearances or on one account alone, but must give every party the chance to respond before a decision is reached. What follows when justice is lost is explained in the consequences of the absence of justice.
يذكر الجواب أنه يبدو أن داوود أصدر حكمه فور انتهاء الرجل الأول من كلامه، قبل أن يسمع حجة الرجل الثاني. ويخالف السعدي ذلك، فيرى أن الواقع كان معلومًا من كلامهما، فلم يحتج الآخر أن يتكلم. والدرس الذي يستخلصه الجواب إجرائي: فالقاضي، مهما كانت خبرته أو حسن نيته، لا ينبغي أن يحكم بناء على الظاهر أو رواية طرف واحد، بل يجب أن يمنح كل طرف فرصة الرد قبل الوصول إلى قرار.
3. Angels in the Form of Disputants | ملكان بصورة خصمين
Al-Qurtubi quotes al-Nahhas: “There is no disagreement among the people of tafsir that two angels are meant here,” so this was not an actual property dispute between two men. Their case, ninety-nine sheep against one, was itself the test: a lesson for Dawoud in how a judge must hear both sides. Ibn Kathir notes that the longer stories some books attach to this passage come mostly from Isra’iliyyat, and none of them is established by an authentic hadith.
ينقل القرطبي عن النحاس قوله: “ولا خلاف بين أهل التفسير أنه يراد به هاهنا ملكان”، فلم يكن نزاع ملكية حقيقيا بين رجلين. وكانت قضيتهما، تسع وتسعون نعجة مقابل واحدة، هي الامتحان نفسه: درس لداوود في وجوب سماع القاضي للطرفين. ويذكر ابن كثير أن القصص المطولة التي تُلحق بهذا الموضع في بعض الكتب أكثرها من الإسرائيليات، ولا يثبت منها شيء بحديث صحيح.
4. Recognizing the Test, Then Responding Immediately | إدراك الاختبار والاستجابة الفورية
The moment the disputants vanished, Dawoud understood what had happened and did not wait or rationalize; he sought forgiveness and fell in prostration at once.
في اللحظة التي اختفى فيها الخصمان، أدرك داوود ما حدث ولم ينتظر أو يبرر لنفسه؛ بل استغفر وخرّ ساجدا فورا.
5. Forgiven, Then Given a Standing Principle | غُفر له ثم أُعطي مبدأ دائما
Immediately after Allah forgives him, Dawoud receives a lasting instruction for every judgment he would make afterward: rule between people with truth, and never follow desire, for desire is what leads a judge astray. The test was not simply corrected and closed; it became the occasion for the principle that would guide his judging role going forward (see the special gifts Allah gave Dawoud, including the wisdom and decisive judgment named there).
بعد أن يغفر له الله مباشرة، يتلقى داوود توجيها دائما لكل حكم سيصدره بعد ذلك: أن يحكم بين الناس بالحق، وألا يتبع الهوى أبدا، فالهوى هو ما يُضل القاضي. ولم يكن الاختبار مجرد تصحيح وإغلاق للقضية؛ بل أصبح مناسبة للمبدأ الذي سيوجه دوره القضائي مستقبلا (انظر مقال الهبات الخاصة التي أعطاها الله لداوود، بما فيها الحكمة وفصل الخطاب المذكورين هناك).
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
How did the two disputants reach Dawoud?
They climbed over the wall of his private prayer chamber while he was absorbed in worship.
Did Dawoud rule before hearing both sides?
According to the answer, it seems he ruled after hearing only the first disputant’s account; al-Sa’di holds that the facts were already clear from their words, so the second man did not need to speak.
Who were the two disputants really?
Two angels sent by Allah to test him, not an actual dispute; al-Qurtubi quotes al-Nahhas that the people of tafsir do not disagree on this.
How did Dawoud respond once he realized it was a test?
He immediately sought Allah’s forgiveness and fell down in prostration and repentance.
What instruction did Allah give Dawoud afterward?
To judge between people with truth and never follow desire, since desire leads a judge astray.