The Quran

Preface

قالَ لَقَد ظَلَمَكَ بِسُؤالِ نَعجَتِكَ إِلىٰ نِعاجِهِ ۖ وَإِنَّ كَثيرًا مِنَ الخُلَطاءِ لَيَبغي بَعضُهُم عَلىٰ بَعضٍ إِلَّا الَّذينَ آمَنوا وَعَمِلُوا الصّالِحاتِ وَقَليلٌ ما هُم ۗ وَظَنَّ داوودُ أَنَّما فَتَنّاهُ فَاستَغفَرَ رَبَّهُ وَخَرَّ راكِعًا وَأَنابَ ۩

Ahmed Ali

(David) said: “He is unjust in demanding your ewe to add to his (many) ewes. Many partners are surely – unjust to one another, except those who believe and do the right; but there are only a few of them.”¹ It occurred to David that he was being tried by Us, and he begged his Lord to forgive him, and fell down in homage and repented.

The meaning of the passage is clear. The reference is to one God and many gods, i.e. idolatry. David did not understand it at once. When he did, he asked for forgiveness.