When the time for his departure drew near...

When the time for his departure drew near, David made his last will and testament with Solomon and passed away, forty thousand scholars of Bani-Israel took part in his funeral and buried him in Dawud plot in Baytul-Moqaddas. He reigned for forty years the seven years of which was in Hebron and the rest in Baytul-Moqaddas. His heavenly book is called Psalms. He lived for seventy years and passed away 4403 years after the Fall of Adam.

His Appearance And Character The holy Prophet has been polyquoted as saying: having blue eyes is auspicious. David had blue eyes, reddish face, slim legs, flowing hair, fair skin and a long beard partly curly. He had a good voice and temper with a golden heart.

أَخْبَرَنِي الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ الدّينوري بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنْ سَعِيد بْنَ الْمُسَيَّبِ عَنْ أَبى هُرَيْرَةٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ [وَآلهِ] وَسَلَّمَ (زُرْقَةُ الْعَيْنِ يُمْنٌ) وَكَانَ دَاوُودُ أَزْرِقُ الْعَيْنَيْنِ أَحْمَرُ الْوَجْهِ دَقِيقُ السّاقَيْنِ سَبْطُ الشَّعْرِ أَبْيَضُ الْجِسْمِ طَويلُ اللِّحْيَةِ فِيها جُعُودَةٌ حَسَنُ الصَّوْتِ وَالْخُلْقِ طَاهِرُ الْقَلْبِ نَقِيّةٌ.

Successful Businessman It has been reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq that God inspired David: You are a very good servant except that you eat from the public fund and that you do not do anything with your hands. David started weeping. Then God inspired iron to become pliant for My servant Dawud. Since then, he made a coat of mail every day selling each for a thousand Dirhams. He made 360 coat of mail altogether sold them for 360000 Dirhams and did not depend on the public fund any longer.

Four thousand guards were at his order and fed by his business. عَنْ أَبي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَالَ: أَوْحَى اللَّهُ تَعَالى إِلى دَاوُودَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ إِنَّكَ نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ لَوْلا أَنَّكَ تَأْكُلُ مِنْ بَيْتِ الْمَالِ وَلا تَعْمَلُ بِيَدِكَ شَيْئًا، قَالَ: فَبَكى دَاوُودُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ، فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ تَعالى الْحَديدَ أَنْ لِنْ لِعَبْدي دَاوُودَ، فَأَلانَ اللَّهُ تَعالى لَهُ الْحَدِيدَ، فَكَانَ يَعْمَلُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ دِرْعًا فَيَبيعَهَا بِأَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ، فَعَمِلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ ثَلاثَ مِئَةٍ وَسِتّينَ دِرْعًا فَباعَها بِثَلاثِ مِائَةٍ وَسِتّينَ أَلْفًا، وَاسْتَغْنى عَنْ بَيْتِ الْمَالِ.

وَ كَانَ دَاوُودُ شَديدُ الاجْتِهَادِ كَثِيرُ الْعِبَادَةِ وَالْبُكَاءِ، وَكَانَ يَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ وَيَصُومُ نِصْفَ الدَّهْرِ وَكَانَ يَحْرُسُهُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةً أَرْبَعَةَ آلافٍ وَكَانَ يَأْكُلُ مِنْ كَسْبِ يَدِهِ.

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