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Who were Dawud and Sulayman?
The Story of Dawud & Sulayman is the eleventh book in Stories of the Prophets (Qisas al-Anbiya) by Imam Ibn Kathīr, the 14th-century scholar known for the history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah and his commentary on the Qurʾan. It answers who Dawud (David) and Sulayman (Solomon), peace be upon them, were: two prophets who were also kings, chosen by Allah to lead the Children of Israel, and what gifts Allah gave to each of them.
The book presents Dawud first: a prophet and a king, given the Psalms, granted the ability to understand the language of birds and animals, joined by the mountains and the birds in praising Allah, a just ruler known for fair judgments, and a skilled warrior whose reign brought prosperity and a strong kingdom. Then Sulayman, who succeeded his father and inherited his wisdom, was given control over the wind and the ability to speak with jinn and animals. The book relates his judgment between two women who each claimed the same child, and his building of a temple in Jerusalem.
The story is told plainly, one event after another, in a single account that runs about 22 minutes. It is book eleven of the collection, following Yusha, al-Khidr & Ilyas. The listener meets both prophets as rulers whose kingship rested on wisdom and fair judgment, and hears how the son inherited his father's wisdom and was then granted gifts of his own.
Is there an English audiobook of The Story of Dawud & Sulayman?
Yes. Joyful Muslims publishes the complete Story of Dawud & Sulayman as an English audiobook (about 22 minutes), translated from the Arabic, with a word-synced bilingual transcript. It is the story of Prophet Dawud, peace be upon him, from Ibn Kathīr's Qisas al-Anbiya, drawn from the Qurʾan and authentic traditions.
Is it free to listen?
The whole library is open to everyone. Every member gets five hours of listening free each month; Joyful+ removes the time limit.
What does it cover?
It covers Dawud as prophet and king, the Psalms, his gifts and his just rule, then Sulayman's succession, his control over the wind and the jinn, his judgment between the two women, and the temple he built in Jerusalem. About 22 minutes.
Last updated 2026-09-11
Inside the book.
Chapters
Word-synced with the narrator.
The first three minutes are transcribed here. In the app, the Living Manuscript scrolls through the entire book in rhythm with the audio — Arabic alongside English.
Living Manuscript
Listen to the full book in the app for the complete Living Manuscript.
The full, word-synced transcript in Arabic and English is in the app.
