Prophet Dawood and Sulaiman

Dawood (alayhis salam) and his son, Sulaiman (alayhis salam) were not
only prophets, but also kings of the people of Israel. They were both
known for their strength, wisdom, judgement, and devotion to Allah .
Before Dawood (alayhis salam) became king, Talut (Saul) was the king
of Israel. When he set out with his army to fight Jalut(Goliath) and
his forces, he tested his soldiers by telling them not to drink from a
river which they were crossing. Only a smallsip of water out of the
hand was allowed. But only a very few men passed the test. With that
small band of obedient soldiers, Talut prepared to meet the larger and
stronger army of Jalut. Themen put their faith in Allah, knowing that
size and numbers were no match for a steadfast faith in the power of
Allah. Dawood , who was a very young man in Talut's army, killed
Jalut. After that, Jalut's army fell apart,and the small band of
Israelites was victorious.
Dawood (alayhis salam) , besides being brave and wise, was known for
his wonderful voice, which he used to sing the praises of Allah. When
he sang, the mountains and valleys andall of nature seemed to join in.
It was to him that the holy book, Zabur, was given by Allah. It is a
book of songs praising Allah.
Allah also showed Dawood(alayhis salam) the art of making iron, so
that he was able to make suits of armor to protect his soldiers.
The prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم used to say, according to the
traditions of Sahih al-Bukhari (Vol. 4: 631), that the most beloved
fasting to Allah was that ofDawood (alayhis salam), who used to fast
on alternate days. And the most beloved prayer was that of Dawood
(alayhis salam). He would sleep thefirst half of the night; then he
would pray for one-third of the night, before going back to sleepfor
the remaining one-sixth of the night.
Dawood (alayhis salam) was a wise and just judge of disputes which
arose in his kingdom, but his son Prophet Sulaiman (alayhis salam)
surpassed him in the ability to provide a fair judgement.
In one tradition (Bukhari, Vol.4; 637), there were two women, each of
whom had a child. One child was stolen and devoured by a wolf. Each
woman claimed that it was the other woman's child who was taken.
Theybrought the case to Dawood (alayhis salam) and he judged that the
older woman should have the remaining child. Then they went to Prophet
Sulaiman (alayhis salam). He called for a knife, so that he could cut
the child in half and give half to each woman. But the younger woman,
who could not bear to see her child cut in half, cried out that the
child belonged to the other woman. Prophet Sulaiman (alayhis salam)
then gave the child to the younger woman.
In another story, referred to in the Quran (21: 78) a man's flock of
sheep strayed into a farmer's field at night, destroying the crops
that had been growing there. The case was brought before Dawood
(alayhis salam), who awarded the flock of sheep to the farmer as
restitution for damages. But Prophet Sulaiman (alayhis salam)
suggested another solution, which would repay the farmer without
ruining the herdsman. Prophet Sulaiman ruled that the farmer would
keep the sheep and use their milk and wool, until the herdsman had
restored the damaged field to its original condition. When that had
been done, the flock would be returned tothe herdsman.
Both Dawood (alayhis salam) and Sulaiman (alayhis salam), although
powerful and rich, never ceased to acknowledge that all their gifts
were from Allah. They remained obedient to Allah and usedtheir power
to follow Allah's will.
You can read about Dawood (alayhis salam) and Sulaiman (alayhis salam)
in the Quran 2:249-251; 21: 78-82; 34:/