Dawud & Solomon Give Judgment
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Written by Islamstory
The story of the field over which Dawud and Solomon gave judgment is detailed in some reports as stating that two men came to Dawud. One of them had a field, or a vineyard according to some reports, while the other had a flock of sheep. The field’s owner said: ‘This man’s sheep traversed my field at night, leaving it devastated.’
Dawud ruled that the owner of the field should take the sheep in compensation for his wasted crops. The sheep’s owner then passed by Solomon and told him of Dawud’s judgment. Solomon went to his father and said: “Prophet of God, you should have judged differently.” Dawud asked: “How should I judge?” Solomon replied: “Give the sheep to the field’s owner to benefit by them and give the field to the sheep’s owner to tend until it is returned to its original state. Then each man returns to the other his property. Thus, the field’s owner will get his field and the sheep’s owner his sheep.”
Dawud confirmed that that was the right judgment, and he ordered it to be carried out. Both Dawud and Solomon judged according to their own discretion, but God was observing their judgment. He inspired Solomon to give the verdict that was fairer. Dawud’s judgment aimed to compensate the field’s owner for the damage done to him, which establishes justice. But Solomon’s judgment added to justice a constructive dimension. Thus, justice became a motive to initiate constructive effort.
This is a higher level of justice, one which was given by God’s inspiration. Both Dawud and Solomon were given wisdom and knowledge: {And [mention] Dawuid and Solomon, when they judged concerning the field – when the sheep of a people overran it [at night] and We were witness to their judgment} [Verse 79] There was nothing wrong with Dawud’s judgment, but that of Solomon’s went a step further because it was inspired.
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