The Story of Prophet Dawud for Kids
A shepherd boy, a giant, and one stone. Then a voice the mountains sang along with.
Prophet Dawud, alayhi salaam, is the one story on this list a child may already half-know from somewhere else. The Qur'an's account is short, and it is worth telling properly, because the version children usually hear leaves out the part that actually matters.
The shepherd and the giant
An army stood facing an enemy led by a giant of a man named Jalut. The Qur'an describes the believers seeing that army and saying: we have no power today against Jalut and his soldiers. They were outmatched and they knew it.
And then a young shepherd stepped out. He was not a soldier. He had no armour and no reputation. The Qur'an says simply: and Dawud killed Jalut, and Allah gave him kingship and wisdom and taught him from that which He willed.
That is the part children usually miss. It was never a story about a clever boy with a good aim. Allah says plainly who gave the victory and who taught him afterwards.
The voice the mountains joined
The second thing Allah gave Dawud is stranger and more beautiful, and children love it. He was given the Zabur, and a voice for it. And the Qur'an says Allah made the mountains and the birds join him in glorifying Allah: Indeed, We subjected the mountains to exalt Allah with him in the evening and after sunrise, and the birds, gathered.
A shepherd singing praise on a hillside, and the hills themselves and the birds joining in. It is one of the most extraordinary images in the whole Qur'an.
Iron that went soft
Allah also made iron soft for Dawud so that he could shape armour with his hands, and taught him how to make it. He was a king, and he still worked with his own hands and ate from what he earned. For a child, that is a lesson worth more than the giant.
What children take from it
- Being small is not a disadvantage with Allah. A shepherd, against an army's champion.
- Everything he had was given. The victory, the kingdom, the voice, the iron. The Qur'an credits Allah for each one.
- Work is honourable. A king who made armour with his own hands.
Read more about Prophet Dawud → The full story is narrated in the Sukun Kids app, along with the story of his son Prophet Sulayman →
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Frequently asked
Is Prophet Dawud the same as King David?+
Yes. Dawud, alayhi salaam, is the prophet known as David in the Biblical tradition. In Islam he is a prophet and a king who worshipped Allah alone and was given the Zabur.
What is the story of Dawud and Jalut?+
Jalut was the champion of an opposing army, and the believers facing him felt they had no power against him. The young Dawud faced him and Allah gave him the victory, and then gave him kingship and wisdom. It is in Surah Al-Baqarah, verses 249 to 251.
Why did the mountains sing with Prophet Dawud?+
Allah subjected them to it. The Qur'an says the mountains and the birds joined Dawud in glorifying Allah, morning and evening. It was a gift given to him, not a power of his own.
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Bring these stories to bedtime.
Sukun Kids narrates the prophets' stories softly for sleep. Free to start.