۞ وَهَلۡ
أَتَىٰكَ
نَبَؤُاْ
ٱلۡخَصۡمِ
إِذۡ
تَسَوَّرُواْ
ٱلۡمِحۡرَابَ
٢١

Has the story of the two plaintiffs, who scaled the ˹wall of David’s˺ sanctuary, reached you ˹O Prophet˺?

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

38:22

إِذۡ

دَخَلُواْ

عَلَىٰ

دَاوُۥدَ

فَفَزِعَ

مِنۡهُمۡۖ

قَالُواْ

لَا

تَخَفۡۖ

خَصۡمَانِ

بَغَىٰ

بَعۡضُنَا

عَلَىٰ

بَعۡضٖ

فَٱحۡكُم

بَيۡنَنَا

بِٱلۡحَقِّ

وَلَا

تُشۡطِطۡ

وَٱهۡدِنَآ

إِلَىٰ

سَوَآءِ

ٱلصِّرَٰطِ

٢٢

When they came into David’s presence, he was startled by them. They said, “Have no fear. ˹We are merely˺ two in a dispute: one of us has wronged the other. So judge between us with truth—do not go beyond ˹it˺—and guide us to the right way.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

38:23

إِنَّ

هَٰذَآ

أَخِي

لَهُۥ

تِسۡعٞ

وَتِسۡعُونَ

نَعۡجَةٗ

وَلِيَ

نَعۡجَةٞ

وَٰحِدَةٞ

فَقَالَ

أَكۡفِلۡنِيهَا

وَعَزَّنِي

فِي

ٱلۡخِطَابِ

٢٣

This is my brother.¹ He has ninety-nine sheep while I have ˹only˺ one. ˹Still˺ he asked me to give it up to him, overwhelming me with ˹his˺ argument.”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

38:24

قَالَ

لَقَدۡ

ظَلَمَكَ

بِسُؤَالِ

نَعۡجَتِكَ

إِلَىٰ

نِعَاجِهِۦۖ

وَإِنَّ

كَثِيرٗا

مِّنَ

ٱلۡخُلَطَآءِ

لَيَبۡغِي

بَعۡضُهُمۡ

عَلَىٰ

بَعۡضٍ

إِلَّا

ٱلَّذِينَ

ءَامَنُواْ

وَعَمِلُواْ

ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ

وَقَلِيلٞ

مَّا

هُمۡۗ

وَظَنَّ

دَاوُۥدُ

أَنَّمَا

فَتَنَّٰهُ

فَٱسۡتَغۡفَرَ

رَبَّهُۥ

وَخَرَّۤ

رَاكِعٗاۤ

وَأَنَابَ ۩

٢٤

David ˹eventually˺ ruled, “He has definitely wronged you in demanding ˹to add˺ your sheep to his. And certainly many partners wrong each other, except those who believe and do good—but how few are they!” Then David realized that We had tested him so he asked for his Lord’s forgiveness, fell down in prostration, and turned ˹to Him in repentance˺.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

38:25

فَغَفَرۡنَا

لَهُۥ

ذَٰلِكَۖ

وَإِنَّ

لَهُۥ

عِندَنَا

لَزُلۡفَىٰ

وَحُسۡنَ

مَـَٔابٖ

٢٥

So We forgave that for him. And he will indeed have ˹a status of˺ closeness to Us and an honourable destination!

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

38:26

يَٰدَاوُۥدُ

إِنَّا

جَعَلۡنَٰكَ

خَلِيفَةٗ

فِي

ٱلۡأَرۡضِ

فَٱحۡكُم

بَيۡنَ

ٱلنَّاسِ

بِٱلۡحَقِّ

وَلَا

تَتَّبِعِ

ٱلۡهَوَىٰ

فَيُضِلَّكَ

عَن

سَبِيلِ

ٱللَّهِۚ

إِنَّ

ٱلَّذِينَ

يَضِلُّونَ

عَن

سَبِيلِ

ٱللَّهِ

لَهُمۡ

عَذَابٞ

شَدِيدُۢ

بِمَا

نَسُواْ

يَوۡمَ

ٱلۡحِسَابِ

٢٦

˹We instructed him:˺ “O David! We have surely made you an authority in the land, so judge between people with truth. And do not follow ˹your˺ desires or they will lead you astray from Allah’s Way. Surely those who go astray from Allah’s Way will suffer a severe punishment for neglecting the Day of Reckoning.”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

38:27

وَمَا

خَلَقۡنَا

ٱلسَّمَآءَ

وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ

وَمَا

بَيۡنَهُمَا

بَٰطِلٗاۚ

ذَٰلِكَ

ظَنُّ

ٱلَّذِينَ

كَفَرُواْۚ

فَوَيۡلٞ

لِّلَّذِينَ

كَفَرُواْ

مِنَ

ٱلنَّارِ

٢٧

We have not created the heavens and earth and everything in between without purpose—as the disbelievers think. So woe to the disbelievers because of the Fire!

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

38:28