with her hair. Her husband was a fighter in the path of Allah, so Dawud, peace be upon him, wrote to the leader of the warriors: "Observe, and place him in the unit carrying the Ark; either they will gain victory or they will be killed." He placed him in the unit carrying the Ark, and he was killed. When her waiting period (iddah) concluded, Dawud, peace be upon him, proposed to her. She stipulated that if she bore a son, he would be the Caliph after him, and she called five of the Children of Israel to witness this against him, and wrote a document to that effect. He signaled his consent to it, and she wrote it, until she gave birth to Sulayman (Solomon), peace and blessings be upon him. He grew up, and then the two angels climbed over the wall into the private chamber, and their affair was as Allah the Almighty recounted in His Book. Dawud, peace be upon him, fell down prostrating, so Allah forgave him and turned to him in repentance (1).

18344 - From Anas (2), may Allah be pleased with him, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah be pleased with him, saying: "When Dawud, peace be upon him, looked at the woman, he decided against the Children of Israel and instructed the commander of the army, saying: 'When the enemy arrives, place such-and-such a man in front of the Ark.' In that time, the Ark was used to seek victory, and whoever was placed before the Ark would not return until he was killed or the army was defeated by his means. So he was killed, and he married the woman. Then the two angels descended upon Dawud, peace be upon him, so he prostrated. He remained prostrating for forty nights until crops grew from his tears upon his head, and the earth consumed his forehead, while he was saying in his prostration: 'My Lord, Dawud committed a slip further than the distance between the East and the West. My Lord, if You do not have mercy on the weakness of Dawud and forgive his sins, his sin will be made a story among the creation after him.'

Then Jibril (Gabriel), peace be upon him, came after forty nights and said: 'O Dawud, Allah has forgiven you. You have known that Allah is just and does not incline [toward injustice], so what of such-and-such a man when he comes on the Day of Resurrection?' He said: 'O my Lord, [what about] the blood of mine that is owed by Dawud?' Jibril said: 'You did not ask your Lord about that, but if you wish, I will do so.' He said: 'Yes.' So Jibril rejoiced. Dawud, peace be upon him, prostrated and remained for as long as Allah willed. Then [Jibril] descended and said: 'I asked Allah, O Dawud, regarding what you sent me for. He said: Tell Dawud: Verily, Allah will gather you both on the Day of Resurrection and will say: "Grant Me the blood of yours that is with Dawud." He will say: "It is for You." Then He will say: "Then you shall have in Paradise whatever you wish, whatever you desire as compensation"' (3).