Scourge of our times

IN looking up the story of David and Goliath, of how a small power can beat a bigger one through smart moves, to illustrate what is happening in Palestine, I was astonished to find that the story is also in the Quran (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 251). Not only did the Prophet Daud slay the giant Goliath but he was also a wise King who ruled over a land that is now called Palestine.

While I had always known about Nabi Daud, I hadn’t quite understood his importance in the Quran, where he’s mentioned 16 times. Nor did it quite dawn on me that he’s the same prophet as David in the Torah and the Bible.