So, Allah softened iron for him and he made armour… and in...

So, Allah softened iron for him and he made armour… and in this way he did not need to use from public treasury.[^6] It is true that the use of public treasure is for those who serve the society without demanding any wage, and remove the important difficulties, but it is better that a person both deliver this service and, if it is possible for him, subsists through manual labour, David wanted to be such a kind of outstanding servant.

However, David utilized this ability that Allah had granted him in the best way, i.e., making a means used in the Holy war for protection against the enemies. He never profited from it in the ordinary means of life, but on the contrary, according to some narrations, besides running his own simple life, he spent a part of his income as a charity for the needy.[^7] In addition to all of these things, there was another benefit in this job of his which was counted as a manifest miracle for him.

Some of the commentators have said that Luqman came to David when he was weaving the first armour. David was changing iron into iron bars and formed them as numerous rings and joined the rings into each other. This scene attracted Loqman’s attention very much. He fell into a deep thought while he was still watching and saying nothing until when David finished weaving the armour.

“(Saying unto David): ‘Make wide coat of mail, and measure well the links, and do righteousness, verily I see what you do’.” Martial technology must be at the service of righteous deed (not for oppression, cruelty and occupying others’ lands). In this holy verse, there is an explanation for David about making armour, and also there is a very expressive command from Allah in this regard.

It announces: “(Saying unto David): ‘Make wide coat of mail, and measure well the links…” The Arabic term /sabiqat/ is the plural form of /sabiq/ in the sense of ‘a complete wide coat of mail’, and in Arabic the phrase /’isbaq-i-ni‘mat/ also means ‘affluence of bounty’. The Arabic word /sard/ originally means: ‘weaving some rough things such as armour’.