(21:80) We had subdued to David the mountains and the birds which joined with him in Our praise: *71 It was We Who had done all this. And We taught him for your benefit the armourer's craft so that you might protect yourselves from each other's violence. *72 Are you, then, grateful? *73

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*71) From the wording of the Text, it is clear that "the mountains and the birds" were not subjected to Prophet David but were joined with him in glorifying AIIah. This is also supported by XXXVIII:I9: "We had subdued the mountains by Our Conmmand so that they praised Us with him (David) in the morning and evening, and the birds too, which gathered together and repeated Our praise with him". And, according to XXXIV: 10: "We commanded the mountains to repeat Our praise with him and also the birds to do the same. " We are of the opinion that it means this: "When Prophet David sang hymns of Allah's praise and glory, in his rich and sweet voice, the mountains echoed back his melodies and the birds gathered round him and the whole scene became charming." Our interpretation is supported by this Tradition:
"Once when Hadrat Abu Musa Ash`ari, who had an extremely sweet voice, was reciting the Holy Qur'an, the Holy Prophet, who was passing by, stood and listened to him for a long time. When he finished the recital, the Holy Prophet remarked: 'This man has been granted a portion of the melody of David'."
*72) According to XXXIV: 10-11, it was like this: "....And We made the iron soft for him (and commanded him): `Make coats of mail complete in every way, and arrange the plates properly...."'. This shows that Allah had made Prophet David an expert in the use of iron, and had especially taught him the art of an amourer for defence purposes. This fact is confirmed by archaeological and historical researches, for according to these the iron-age in the world started between 1200 and 1000 BC and this was precisely the period of Prophet David. At tirst the Hittites in Syria and Asia Minor, who flourished between 2000 and 1200 BC, discovered a method of melting and moulding iron, but they guarded it as a close secret from the world, and it could not be put to common use. Later on, the Philistines came to know of it, but they too guarded it as a secret. The incessant defeats suffered by the Israelites at the hands of the Hittites and the Philistines before King Saul, were due mainly to the use of chariots of iron in their wars by the latter. (Joshua, 17:16; Judges, 1: 19, 4: 2-3). In 1020 BC when Saul became ruler over the Israelites by Allah's Command, he subdued the Canaanites and recaptured most of Palestine. After him Prophet David (1004-965 BC) not only annexed the whole of Palestine and Jordan to the Israeli kingdom but a major portion of Syria as well. This was the time when the secret of armour making closely guarded by the Hittites and the Philistines, became well known and cheaper articles of daily use began to be made. The recent archaeological excavations conducted in Edom, to the south of Palestine, which is rich in iron ore, have brought to light furnaces for melting and moulding iron. The furnace excavated near Ezion-geber, a port on the Gulf of `Aqabah, in the time of Prophet Solomon, seems to have been built on the principles which are used in the modern blast furnaces. It is therefore natural that Prophet David must have first of all utilized this discovery for war purposes, because a little earlier the hostile Canaanites around his kingdom had made life really difficult for his people. The Bible also says that Prophet David was an expert in the art of melting and using iron for war purposes. (See Joshua, 17: 16; Judges, 1:19 and 4: 2-3).
*73) For further details about Prophet David, please see II:251 and XVII: 55 and the E.N.'s thereof.