Dawud, Sulayman, and the Kingdom of Israel

The story of Dawud (David) begins within the context of the Israelite struggle against the Philistines under the leadership of Talut (Saul), which Ibn Kathir presents as the Quranic account of the same events recorded in the Books of Samuel. The young Dawud killed the giant Jalut (Goliath) with a sling, a deed that earned him great renown among the Israelites and eventually led to his becoming their king. Allah blessed Dawud with prophethood, the scripture of the Zabur (Psalms), an extraordinarily beautiful voice in worship, and the ability to understand the speech of birds. The softening of iron in his hands, allowing him to fashion armor without tools, is mentioned in the Quran as a divine gift. Ibn Kathir narrates the famous account of the two disputants who came to Dawud in the mihrab of his place of worship: two men who appeared before him in a dispute about a flock of sheep. The Quranic narrative indicates that Dawud rendered a hasty judgment and then recognized his error, after which he sought divine forgiveness intensely. Ibn Kathir presents the mainstream Sunni tafsir position that this was a minor lapse in judicial procedure, not a moral sin, and that the prophets are preserved from major transgression.

Sulayman ibn Dawud inherited the kingdom and prophethood from his father and received a dominion that Allah explicitly described as unique in all of history. The jinn and human beings were made to serve him, the wind was placed under his command to carry him wherever he wished, and the speech of animals was made comprehensible to him. Ibn Kathir presents the famous story of the ant whose warning to its companions upon seeing Sulayman's army approaching is cited in Surah al-Naml, an account that demonstrates both Sulayman's extraordinary gifts and his humility in smiling and acknowledging the ant's concern. The hoopoe bird (hudhud) that traveled to discover the land of Saba' (Sheba) and returned with news of Bilqis, a queen who ruled a people that worshipped the sun, is the prelude to one of the most remarkable diplomatic narratives in the Quran. Sulayman's correspondence with Bilqis, her testing of him with gifts, and her ultimate submission to Allah and her coming to him are treated by Ibn Kathir with reference to both the Quranic text and the extensive supplementary material in the tafsir tradition.

The jinn who served Sulayman carried out construction projects on a scale beyond ordinary human capacity, including the building of the great temple at Jerusalem, known in Islamic tradition as the Masjid al-Aqsa and Bayt al-Maqdis. Ibn Kathir notes the Quranic statement that the jinn did not know of Sulayman's death until a worm had eaten through the staff upon which his body leaned, and they realized they had been laboring without knowing their master had died. He draws from this the theological lesson that the jinn do not possess knowledge of the unseen, a direct refutation of popular beliefs that jinn are omniscient. The Quranic condemnation of the stories spread about Sulayman attributing to him sorcery is defended by Ibn Kathir: the Quran explicitly states that Sulayman did not disbelieve (practice sorcery) and that the Shayatin were the ones who taught people forbidden arts. This represents Ibn Kathir's characteristic defense of prophetic honor against popular distortions.

Ibn Kathir's treatment of the Dawud and Sulayman section reflects the broader theological purpose of his universal history. These two great prophets represent the apex of divinely established governance in the pre-Islamic era, a theocratic kingdom in which divine law, political authority, and prophetic guidance were united in the same persons. The material blessings given to them, including vast territory, obedient armies, miraculous powers, and extraordinary wealth, were combined with prophetic wisdom and humility before Allah. The decline of Bani Isra'il after Sulayman, their division into northern and southern kingdoms, and their eventual subjugation by Assyrians and Babylonians reflect for Ibn Kathir the consistent Quranic principle that divine blessing follows obedience and divine punishment follows ingratitude and transgression. The era of Dawud and Sulayman thus serves as a historical illustration of the principles of divine governance that the Bidayah continually draws to the attention of its readers.