David in Islam

Dāwūd
دَاوُود
David
Dawud defeating the army of Jalut with his slingshot
Prophet of Islam
Preceded byṢamūʾīl
Succeeded bySulaymān
Khalifa of Earth
King of the Israelites
Preceded byTalut
Succeeded bySulaymān
Personal life
Born10th century BCE
Jerusalem, Kingdom of Israel
Died9th century BCE
Jerusalem, Kingdom of Israel
SpouseUnknown
ChildrenSulaymān
Known for
  • Defeating Jalut
  • Being the Khalifa (Viceroy) on Earth and the Wise King of Banī Isrāʾīl
  • Receiving the Zabur
  • Prophesying to and warning Israel
  • Being highly gifted musically and vocally
Religious life
ReligionIslam

Dāwūd, or David, is considered a prophet and messenger of Allah (God) in Islam, as well as a righteous, divinely anointed king of the United Kingdom of Israel. Additionally, Muslims also revere David for receiving the divine revelation of the Zabur.

Dawud is considered one of the most important people in Islam. Mentioned sixteen times in the Quran, David appears in the Islamic scripture as a link in the chain of prophets who preceded Muhammad. Although he is not usually considered one of the "law-giving" prophets (ulū al-ʿazm), "he is far from a marginal figure" in Islamic thought. In later Islamic traditions, he is praised for his rigor in prayer and fasting. He is also presented as the prototypical just ruler and as a symbol of God's authority on earth, having been at once a king and a prophet.

David is particularly important to the religious architecture of Islamic Jerusalem. Dawud is known as biblical David who was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah, reigning c. 1010–970 BCE.