David , the Biblical king of the Israelites, is described in the Qurʾān as a divinely-appointed leader and the recipient of a divine book (al-zabūr) . In later Islamic traditions, inspired by Qurʾānic references to David's repentance, he is praised for his rigor in prayer and fasting. He is also presented as a figure of righteous authority, who was at once a king and a prophet. David is particularly important to the religious architecture of Islamic Jerusalem. 1. David in the Qurʾān The Qurʾānic Arabic form of David is