David was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. ### Islam [[David|Dawud]] is considered a prophet and messenger of [[God]] (*[[God|Allah]]*) in [[Islam]], as well as a righteous, divinely-anointed monarch of the United Kingdom of Israel. Additionally, [[Islamic world|Muslims]] also honour [[David]] for having received the divine revelation of the [[Psalms|Zabūr]] ([[Psalms]]). [[David|Dawud]] is considered one of the most important people in [[Islam]]. Mentioned sixteen times in the [[Quran]], [[David]] appears in the [[Islam|Islamic]] scripture as a link in the chain of prophets who preceded [[Muhammad]]. Although he is not usually considered one of the *law-giving* prophets, in later [[Islam|Islamic]] traditions, he is praised for his rigor in prayer and fasting. He is also presented as the prototypical just ruler and as a symbol of [[God]]'s authority on earth, having been at once a king and a prophet.